College playoffs looks for good matchups after snoozy first round of blowouts

For those who dozed through it, or flipped to more compelling fare in the NFL, here’s a brief recap of the rollout of the much-anticipated College Football Playoff. Average final score: Winners 36, Losers 17. In four games, not a single one was closer than a 10-point margin, and even that one felt worse. In … Read more

Notre Dame rolls past Indiana in College Football Playoff opening game: What’s next?

By Pete Sampson, Joe Rexrode and Seth Emerson SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 7 Notre Dame cruised past No. 10 Indiana 27-17 in the first game of the 12-team College Football Playoff on Friday night. The Fighting Irish advance to play No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Two interceptions in the … Read more

College Football Playoff bracket predictions: The Athletic’s national championship picks

Who will win the first 12-team College Football Playoff? Six teams received at least one vote in our survey of 30 college football writers and editors at The Athletic, a big change from 10 years of postseason tournaments in which only four teams were in the field. Though Oregon got a majority of the votes, plenty … Read more