College Football Playoff viewer's guide: What to know ahead of the first round

Indiana-Notre Dame, SMU-Penn State, Clemson-Texas and Tennessee-Ohio State kick off the postseason starting Friday.

The College Football Playoff is back. But it’s never looked like this.

After a decade existing as a four-team bracket, the playoff has expanded to 12, a switch that forced a change in format. 

The bottom eight seeds in the bracket will play Friday and Saturday in first-round matchups, while the top four seeds — Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State — all got byes into the quarterfinals, to be played Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. 

What are the first-round matchups, and what should you watch for? Here's our viewing guide to the College Football Playoff’s first round.

8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/college-football/college-football-playoff-viewers-guide-rcna184747

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