The 2024-2025 College Football Playoffs might get off to a sloppy start. As the first-round matchups approach, early weather reports indicate that three of the four host schools — Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame — are all expecting snowy conditions, CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello pointed out.

With the new 12-team CFP format, the first round is played at the campus of the teams ranked Nos. 5 through 8. The top four seeds receive a first-round bye and play the winner of their respective brackets in the ensuing neutral-site bowl games.

Of the four first-round games, Ohio State-Tennessee, Penn State-SMU and Texas-Clemson are all scheduled for Dec. 21. Notre Dame-Indiana will precede them by one day on Dec. 20. Snow is expected to hit the campuses of Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame all on Dec. 20, seemingly impacting the Fighting Irish and Hoosiers the most.

 

Two of the schools expecting snow, Ohio State and Notre Dame, are located in the midwest. The third school, Penn State, has already received a large wave of snow the week leading into the game and is expected to get hit again the day before their Dec. 21 matchup with SMU.

The Nittany Lions and Mustangs are also expected to endure the coldest conditions on game day. The weather forecast in State College projects a high of just 27 degrees with a low of 10 degrees on Dec. 21.

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The only game not currently projected to snow will is Texas-Clemson, which will be played in Austin, Texas. Austin only averages 0.3 inches of snow per year, according to KXAN News.

Full College Football Playoff matchups

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) reacts beside Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Kobe King (41) after running for a first down late in the second half of the NCAA football game at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Ohio State won 20-13.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Regardless of the weather, the eight teams competing in the first round will kick off the new College Football Playoff format. Either Indiana or Notre Dame will be the first team to win in the new-look tournament with the winner set to face No. 2-seeded Georgia on New Year's Day.

Penn State and SMU's noon E.T. kickoff will be the first game of Dec. 21. The winner of their matchup moves on to face No. 3 Boise State in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve. The Fiesta Bowl will be the only CFP game on New Year's Eve.

Texas-Clemson and Ohio State-Tennessee wrap up the first round with a Dec. 21 afternoon and night game, respectively. The winner of Texas-Clemson moves on to face No. 4 Arizona State in the Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl while the Ohio State-Tennessee victor will meet No. 1-ranked Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Both the Peach Bowl and Rose Bowl will commence on New Year's Day.