What college football bowl games are on today? Saturday schedule for CFP first round

On By Littum

The college football postseason is here, and while that means the season is drawing to a close, it also means another month of football thanks to bowl games taking place almost every day for the next few weeks.

The bowl season culminates with the College Football Playoff National Championship, which will crown the first champion of the new 12-team playoff on Monday, January 20. First, the field of 12 must be narrowed down to two teams. That journey begins with the CFP’s first round, which concludes Saturday with three matchups.

Notre Dame beat Indiana 27-17 on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals. The Fighting Irish will face Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

2024-25 College Football Bowl Game Schedule: Complete List, Results, Matchups, Dates, Times, TV Channels

For the full January bowl game schedule, including the CFP first round, quarterfinals, semifinals and the national championship game, click here. Keep reading for a breakdown of what college football action is on tap for today.

College Football Playoff 2024-25: Final 12 team brackets revealed, with Oregon top seed, SMU in, Alabama out

What college football bowl games are on today?

Saturday 21 December

12 p.m. – CFP First Round Game (TNT & Max)
#11 SMU @ #6 Penn State

16.00 – CFP match in the first round (TNT & Max)
#12 Clemson @ #5 Texas

20.00 – CFP match in the first round (ESPN/ABC)
#9 Tennessee @ #8 Ohio State

Tennessee vs. Ohio State College Football Playoff first round: Preview, how to watch, odds, head-to-head record

When is the College Football Playoff?

The College Football Playoff kicks off with first-round games on Dec. 20 and 21 (see below for the full schedule). The winners of these matchups advance to the quarterfinals, set for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The semi-finals will be 9 and 10 January, and the national championship will be on January 20.

2024-25 College Football Playoff predictions: Picks, odds, bracket, champion from NBC Sports experts

Best bets for Saturday’s college football bowl games

The team at NBC Sports has you covered for the entire bowl season, where the betting picture is complicated by player opt-outs and transfer portal movements. Below are odds, picks and more for Saturday’s first-round CFP games: