The College Football Playoff field has been narrowed to four teams, with (6) Penn State, (7) Notre Dame, (5) Texas, and (8) Ohio State remaining in the national title hunt. The Nittany Lions defeated (3) Boise State in the first quarterfinal game on New Year's Eve to set up a date with the Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl on Thursday.

Boise State's loss to Penn State in the Playoff quarterfinals underscored a crucial flaw in a system meant to reward conference champions.

SMU found themselves on the playoff bubble. In the end, they secured their spot as the last team to qualify and faced Penn State in an away game. The game was a disaster for the Mustangs, who fell behind by as much as 35 points and ultimately lost 38-10.