Updated College Football Playoff bracket: Dates, times and locations for every CFP game

No. 3 Boise State to face No. 6 Penn State in Fiesta Bowl

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

The first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff came and went with little drama. 

The four home teams — No. 5 Texas, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 8 Ohio State — all won in convincing fashion to reach the quarterfinals. 

Third-seeded Boise State (12-1), which received a first-round bye for the College Football Playoff, will take on Penn State (12-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. The Broncos hold a perfect 3-0 record in the Fiesta Bowl with victories in 2007, 2010 and 2014.

The Nittany Lions blew out No. 11 SMU 38-10 in Saturday’s first-round game. Penn State, the Big Ten runner-up to Oregon, forced three turnovers and returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the rout. 

Boise State earned a first-round bye after defeating No. 24 UNLV, 21-7, for its second straight Mountain West Football Championship.

The 12-team College Football Playoff field was announced Dec. 8 with the four byes going to No. 1 Oregon (13-0), No. 2 Georgia (11-2), Boise State and No. 4 Arizona State (11-2).

The five highest-ranked conference champions by the 13-person selection committee earned automatic bids to the playoff with the top four champions getting a first-round bye.

Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, needs 132 rushing yards in the playoff to break Barry Sanders’ FBS single-season record. Jeanty has 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns this season, leading the country in all three categories. 

Jeanty, a two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, secured the Maxwell Award (college football player of the year) and Doak Walker Award (best running back in college football) earlier this month. 

The Broncos have won 11 straight games since a 37-34 Week 2 loss at Oregon.

Here is the updated 12-team College Football Playoff bracket with the first-round results: 

All times listed are Mountain Standard Time

First round

Friday, Dec. 20 

No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17

Saturday, Dec. 21 

No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10

No. 5 Texas 38. No. 12 Clemson 24

No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17

Quarterfinals 

Tuesday, Dec. 31

Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday, Jan. 1 

Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State, 11 a.m. (ESPN)

Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon, 3 p.m. (ESPN)

Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)

Semifinals

Thursday, Jan. 9

Orange Bowl: Fiesta Bowl winner vs. Sugar Bowl winner, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Friday, Jan. 10 

Cotton Bowl: Peach Bowl winner vs. Rose Bowl winner, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

CFP championship game

Monday, Jan. 20

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Orange Bowl winner vs. Cotton Bowl winner, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

MORE BOISE STATE NEWS & ANALYSIS

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