COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program was crowned champion of the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014, and a decade later it’ll try to repeat history as the field expands.
After 10 years of only allowing four teams, the playoff is moving to 12 teams this season featuring multiple New Year’s Six bowl games and a first round where schools will host games. The playoff will start on Dec. 20 with the road eventually ending in Atlanta on Jan. 20 for the National Championship Game.
An expanded playoff also means other television networks getting a piece of the pie as ESPN won’t be the only network to televise a game. However, it will still dominate coverage starting with Selection Day on Dec. 8 to wrap up conference championship weekend.
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Here’s a look at the full schedule for the 2024 College Football Playoff
First Round
- Friday, Dec. 20 on ABC/ESPN at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 21 on TNT at noon
- Saturday, Dec. 21 on TNT at 4 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 21 on ABC/ESPN at 8 p.m.
Quarterfinals
- Fiesta Bowl: Tuesday, Dec. 31 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.
- Peach Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1 on ESPN at 1 p.m.
- Rose Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1 on ESPN at 5 p.m.
- Sugar Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1 on ESPN at 8:45 p.m.
Semifinals
- Orange Bowl: Thursday, Jan. 9 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.
- Cotton Bowl: Friday, Jan. 10 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.
National Championship
- Atlanta: Monday, Jan. 20 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.
Power index
ESPN released its College Football Power Index for the 2024 season, ranking Ohio State fourth with a score of 22.2
The index is a power rating that tracks each team’s strength relative to an average FBS squad. Teams are rated on offense, defense and special teams, with the values representing points per game. Those numbers are then used to simulate the season schedule 20,000 times, including the conference championships and the CFP bracket, simulating the selection process using an algorithm that mimics the way the committee typically picks teams. Finally, once we have those results, we can say how often each team wins its conference, makes the playoff and achieves other milestones.
The Buckeyes are one of three Big Ten teams, while the SEC got five of the top 10. The ACC is the only other Power Four team in the top 10 while Notre Dame is also featured. The full top 10:
| Rank | Team | FPI | Projected Wins | Playoff % | Championship % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Georgia | 26.8 | 10.3 | 78.7% | 20.7% |
| No. 2 | Texas | 24.5 | 10.8 | 75.6% | 12.9% |
| No. 3 | Ohio State | 22.9 | 10.0 | 67.7% | 11.7% |
| No. 4 | Ohio State | 22.2 | 10.2 | 66.8% | 10.2% |
| No. 5 | Alabama | 21.9 | 9.3 | 56.7% | 8.4% |
| No. 6 | Penn State | 19.8 | 10.2 | 58.9% | 6.7% |
| No. 7 | Notre Dame | 19.0 | 10.1 | 59.5% | 5.1% |
| No. 8 | Oklahoma | 17.2 | 8.3 | 36.8% | 3.0% |
| No. 9 | Tennessee | 16.6 | 8.6 | 36.6% | 2.6% |
| No. 10 | Florida State | 15.1 | 8.8 | 36.2% | 2.5% |
Key dates
- Chelsea vs. Manchester City soccer match at Ohio Stadium: 58 days, Aug. 3
- 2024 opener vs. Akron: 86 days, Aug. 31
- Ohio State at Oregon: 128 days, Oct. 12
- Ohio State at Penn State: 149 days, Nov. 2
- The Game 2024: 177 days, Nov. 30
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