The playoff kicks off with teams ranked in the 5-12 spots squaring off, while seeds 1-4 have a bye week. The winners of the first-round games will face the 1-4 seeds in the quarterfinals.

10 Indiana Hoosiers (11-1) at 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1)

Friday, 12/20, 8:00 PM, ABC

Winner plays: 2 Georgia (11-2)

It has been quite a season for Indiana, as the Hoosiers finished with their best record in program history with 11 wins and a playoff appearance. They are going in-state to South Bend to face off against the Irish. Ever since Notre Dame’s embarrassing loss to NIU, they have been on a tear with 10 straight wins—thanks mostly to Notre Dame’s great rushing game which features running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, and Quarterback Riley Leonard. These three players combined for 2,321 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns, a reason why every team fears Notre Dame’s rushing attack. However, Indiana’s running defense is ranked first in the country—so if any team can stop Love, Price, and Leonard, it may be the Hoosiers. This game will show if Notre Dame can finally prove to the world that they are a serious contender to win the Championship—a feat they haven’t accomplished since 1988.

Prediction: Indiana 17 Notre Dame 30

11 SMU Mustangs (11-2) at 6 Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2)

Saturday, 12/21, 12:00 PM, TNT

Winner plays: 3 Boise State (12-1)

The two losers of their respective conference title games will face off for Saturday’s first game. SMU’s first season in the ACC has been close to a dream, with their first playoff appearance thanks to an offense led by quarterback Kevin Jennings and star running back Brashard Smith. SMU’s offense has scored 38.5 points per game this year, also averaging 443.1 yards per game, showing how dangerous their offense has been this year. Penn State is also making their first playoff appearance after years of being close, but ended up looking from the outside in. Like Indiana-Notre Dame, Penn State’s strength will be against SMU’s strength, with the Nittany Lions’ defense being regarded as one of the best in the country. Star defensive end and projected top-10 pick Abdul Carter will be sure to make an impact against the Mustangs, with him picking up 10 sacks so far this season. It will be interesting to see how SMU plays on the road in a dangerous environment at Happy Valley, Pennsylvania in late December.

Prediction: SMU 20 Penn State 31

12 Clemson Tigers (10-3) at 5 Texas Longhorns (11-2)

Saturday, 12/21, 4:00 PM, TNT

Winner plays: 4 Arizona State (11-2)

After another heartbreaking loss this season against Georgia, Texas will play against the ACC champions at home. Clemson is coming off a miracle game-winning 56 yard field goal against SMU to make the playoffs.Quarterback Cade Klubnik has been under the radar this whole season—with 40 touchdowns and more than 3,700 yards, he has been the reason why Clemson has bounced back from each of their three losses. Unlike Clemson, there are lots of questions for Texas around the quarterback. Senior Quinn Ewers has had another great season—with 25 touchdowns while battling multiple injuries, but he just can’t get it done in the big games. Against their only two ranked opponents, Texas has lost both of them, one being to a backup-led Georgia in the SEC Championship. If Ewers struggles again, don’t be surprised if freshman Arch Manning may take the wheel.

Prediction: Clemson 27 Texas 35

9 Tennessee Volunteers (10-2) at 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2)

Saturday, 12/21, 8:00 PM, ABC

Winner plays: 1 Oregon (13-0)

This primetime matchup may be the biggest of Ohio State’s recent history, due to all the pressure on the Buckeyes after disappointing results under head coach Ryan Day. Despite looking like one of the best teams all year, with the best roster in the country, Ohio State lost “The Game” at home for the 4th straight year—against a poor 7-5 Michigan team. Despite that bump in the road, Ohio State has had a phenomenal year—averaging under 11 points allowed per game and 35.5 points per game with marquee wins over Penn State and Indiana. Tennessee’s coach Josh Huepel has revived the Vols, marking the first playoff appearance for the 6-time national champions (back when there wasn’t a playoff). Tennessee has strength all around the field, with the 13th best offense and 8th ranked defense in the country. This is a must-win game for Ryan Day, and if the Vols wins, he might as well file for unemployment.

Prediction: Tennessee 21 Ohio State 29