College Football Playoff: What to watch in quarterfinal games

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The College Football Playoff is set to resume during New Year's as we shift from campus first-round games to bowl game quarterfinals.

Four games will take place over New Year's featuring the top six teams in the country as well as two lower-ranked conference champions. While Ohio State's rematch with Oregon in the Rose Bowl highlights the bunch, the schedule also provides opportunities for programs yet to make a playoff final four.

Here is what you need to know about the playoff quarterfinals with one game taking place New Year's Eve and the final three on New Year's Day.

2024-25 College Football Playoff bracket

No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State (Fiesta Bowl)

Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Line: Penn State 11

The last major sporting event of 2024 will be in Glendale, Arizona, as six-seed Penn State takes on Mountain West champion Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The winner will punch a ticket to Miami and the Jan. 10 semifinal at the Orange Bowl.

The Nittany Lions are riding the hot hand after a dominant 38-10 win over SMU in the opening round at home. Defensive lineman Abdul Carter will lead a talented defense that scored twice against the Mustangs to now stop Boise State's offensive juggernaut.

The Broncos are the lone Group of Five team in the playoff due in no small part to Heisman-runner up Ashton Jeanty, who has the second most rushing yards (2,497) in a Division I season. Jeanty and quarterback Maddux Madsen will have their hands full against this Penn State defense.

Boise State is vying for the first Group of Five win in playoff history, while Penn State, arguably the best program to never make a playoff in the four-team format, aims for its first semifinal appearance.

No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State (Peach Bowl)

Wednesday, 1 p.m. Line: Texas 13

The first college football game of 2025 will pit the Big 12 champion against the 2023 conference winner. Arizona State and Texas are set to meet in Atlanta at the Peach Bowl with the winner booking a ticket to Arlington, Texas, to play in the Cotton Bowl.

The Sun Devils won the Big 12 in their first season in the conference. Freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt and powerhouse running back Cam Skattebo lead an offense that took advantage of an upset-filled season in the Big 12 to earn Arizona State its first playoff spot.

ASU is a double-digit underdog against Texas, last year's Big 12 winner and this season's Southeastern Conference runner-up. The Longhorns silenced their offensive critics with a 38-24 home win over Clemson in the first round. Although the passing game lacked bite, running back Jaydon Blue and his two touchdown runs gave Texas its best offensive output in over a month.

While Arizona State looks to give the Big 12 just its second playoff win, Texas is hoping to win its first playoff game in program history. The winner's semifinal opponent will be from the Big Ten.

No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon (Rose Bowl)

Wednesday, 5 p.m. Line: Ohio State 2 1/2

It has been a decade since Ohio State and Oregon met in the inaugural College Football Playoff national championship game. Now the two are meeting as intraconference rivals to kick start another new era of college football.

The Buckeyes and Ducks are facing off at 5 p.m. at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in their second meeting of the season. Oregon upset Ohio State on Oct. 12 32-31 with its air raid offense led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel and an intentional penalty to run down the clock, preventing the Buckeyes from earning a last-second win.

Despite being the only undefeated team in the nation, the Ducks enter the Rose Bowl as underdogs after Ohio State's impressive 42-17 win over Tennessee at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes' talented offense was strong against the Ducks in October but will need the defense to shut things down to give OSU its first Rose Bowl win since 2021.

This game will mark the first time Big Ten schools are meeting in a playoff as Oregon looks to make its first playoff semifinal since 2014. With a revenge win, Ohio State would earn a semifinal berth for the first time since 2022 and play in the Cotton Bowl for a second consecutive season.

No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia (Sugar Bowl)

Wednesday, 8:45 p.m. Line: Georgia 1

The quarterfinals will wrap up late Wednesday when SEC champion Georgia takes the field against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The Bulldogs are chasing their third national title in four seasons but will have to do so without their starting quarterback. Senior Carson Beck is out for the postseason after suffering an elbow injury in the SEC championship game. Stepping in will be sophomore Gunner Stockton, a four-star prospect out of high school trying to recreate the magic of title-winning backup QBs, such as Cardale Jones (Ohio State 2014) and Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama 2017).

Beck's absence has raised the confidence of the Fighting Irish, who defeated Indiana 27-17 in the first round. Coach Marcus Freeman's team would normally enter a game against Georgia as massive underdogs, but recent offensive consistency puts Notre Dame in its best position to beat the powerhouse Bulldogs.

The Fighting Irish have lost 10 consecutive New Year's Six bowl games while Georgia has made the national championship game each time it has made the playoff. Something will have to give in the Bayou Wednesday night.

Playoff semifinal schedule

• Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m. – Georgia/Notre Dame vs. Boise State/Penn State (Orange Bowl)
• Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m. – Oregon/Ohio State vs. Texas/Arizona State (Cotton Bowl)