Everything you need to know about the CFP – Clemson Tigers official athletics website

Note: The following appears in the Stanford football game day program.

A new era for college football begins in 2024, and the expansion of the College Football Playoff to a 12-team, single-elimination tournament is its biggest development. We thought it would be appropriate to give our fans an overview of how the playoffs work, who picks the teams and Clemson’s history in the event.

HOW THE CFP WORKS
• The 12 participating teams are the four power conference champions determined by the CFP Selection Committee and the next eight teams, with the highest-ranked non-power conference team guaranteed a bid.
• Team rankings will continue to be voted on by a 13-member selection committee.
• The top four ranked conference champions are seeded 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. The highest-ranked non-conference champion will be seeded where they were ranked or No. 12 if outside the top 12. Non-conference champions in the top four will be seeded starting at No. 5. For this reason, the seeding list (1-12) may differ from the final ranking.
• An example of this would have occurred in 2022, when Clemson won the ACC title but was the No. 7 team in the final CFP rankings after the conference championship games. Under this year’s rules, Clemson would have been the No. 3 seed in the CFP this season.
• The eight seeds, 5-12, play in a first-round game, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher seed (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11). at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7, No. 9 at No. 8.). There will be a first round game on December 20th and three first round games on December 21st.
• The selection committee will assign the four highest-ranked conference champions to bowl quarterfinal games. This is done taking into account historical bowl ties and then taking rankings into account. For example, if there is a quarterfinal in the Sugar Bowl, the SEC champion is ranked No. 1 and the Big 12 Conference champion is ranked No. 3, the SEC champion would be assigned to the Sugar Bowl and the Big 12 Conference champion would be assigned elsewhere.
• Since the four highest-ranked league champions are assigned to bowls, their four quarterfinal opponents will be determined by order (winner No. 1 vs. No. 8/9, No. 4 vs. winner No. 5/12, No. 2). against 7/10 winner, No. 3 against 6/11 winner).
• The CFP category follows the Selection Committee’s rankings with no changes made to avoid rematches between teams that played during the regular season or are in the same conference. In other words, it is possible for Clemson to play an ACC team three times in a year, once in the regular season, once in the ACC Championship Game and once in the CFP.
• The bracket remains in effect throughout the playoffs (no reseeding).
• The highest seeded player will receive priority placement for their semi-final.
• All 11 CFP games are under the CFP umbrella, with management policies determined by the CFP.
• There is no limit to the number of teams that can be selected from a conference.

RANKING PLAN
The CFP Committee meets six times in the fall to release its top 25 rankings. The committee meets every Monday before the publication dates, which take place every Tuesday starting November 5th. The top 25 will be published in the CFP rankings programs on ESPN. Below is the top 25 release schedule for 2024.

Tuesday, November 5th • 7 p.m
Tuesday, November 12th • 9 p.m
Tuesday, November 19th • 7 p.m
Tuesday, November 26th • 8 p.m
Tuesday, December 3rd • 7 p.m
Sunday, December 8th • Noon

CFP SCHEDULE
First round games (campus locations)
• Friday, December 20, 2024 (one game)
• Saturday, December 21, 2024 (three games)

Quarterfinals
• Tuesday, December 31, 2024, Fiesta Bowl
• Wednesday, January 1, 2025, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl

Semifinals
• Thursday, January 9, 2025, Orange Bowl
• Friday, January 10, 2025, Cotton Bowl

CFP National Championship Game
• Monday, January 20, 2025, Atlanta, Georgia.

CLEMSON & THE CFP
Clemson has played a prominent role in the CFP’s 10-year history. Below are some facts about the Tigers’ contribution to the CFP’s legacy.

• Clemson has participated in the CFP six times, finishing second to Alabama’s eight appearances.
• Clemson holds the record for CFP earnings in six consecutive years from 2015 to 2020.
• Clemson has won the CFP National Championship Game twice and tied for second place with Georgia. Alabama has won it three times. Clemson defeated Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game at the end of the 2016 and 2018 seasons. The two schools met in the playoffs four consecutive years. They split the four games, but the Tigers lost 2-1 to the Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship Games.
• Clemson has appeared in the CFP National Championship Game four times, twice behind Alabama six times. Georgia is in third place with three.
• Clemson has six CFP wins, second to Alabama’s nine.
• Finishing No. 22 in the final CFP rankings last season, Clemson was one of only three programs to finish in the top 25 of the CPF rankings in all 10 years of the four-team playoffs. Alabama and Ohio State are the other two.
• Clemson was ranked in the top five of the CFP rankings 35 consecutive times between 2015 and 2020. Clemson was also in the top 10 of the CFP rankings in all six 2022 rankings.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Deshaun Watson had 145 yards on 24 carries in the 2015 semifinal against Oklahoma, the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a CFP game.
• Watson had 36 completions against Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game at the end of the 2015 season, the most completions in a CFP game.
• Watson is the only player to total more than 400 passing yards in two CFP National Championship games.
• Watson holds the CFP record for pass attempts without an interception, 56 against Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game at the end of the 2015 season.
• Defensive end Kevin Dodd holds the record for sacks (3) and tackles for loss (5) in a CFP National Championship Game contest at the end of the 2015 season.
• Hunter Renfrow is one of only two players with more than 10 catches in a CFP National Championship game, as he totaled 10 catches for 92 yards against the Crimson Tide in the championship game at the end of the 2016 season.
• Renfrow had 37 receptions for 392 yards and five touchdowns in seven career CFP games, believed to be the career record for receptions in CFP games.

LONG GAMES
• BT Potter holds the record for the longest field goal in a CFP National Championship Game, 52 yards against LSU in the title game at the end of the 2019 season.
• Will Spiers holds the record for the longest punt in a CFP National Championship Game, 58 yards against LSU in the title game at the end of the 2019 season.
• Van Smith holds the CFP record for longest interception return, 86 yards against Ohio State in the semifinals of the 2016 season.