The College Football Playoff 2021 semifinal pairings have been announced. The Alabama Crimson Tide, the top-ranked team, will play the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Michigan Wolverines, the No. 2 team, will play the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Both College Football Playoff semifinal games will be played on New Year’s Eve, Friday, December 31, 2021. The Cotton Bowl Classic will begin first at 3:30pm ET followed by the Orange Bowl at 7:30pm ET, both on ESPN.
Later on Sunday afternoon, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will officially announce the four remaining bowls in the “New Year’s Six.” Those bowls are as follows: Allstate Sugar Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, and the Rose Bowl Game.
The remaining college football bowl games will be announced throughout the day and finalized by Sunday evening.
Winners of the two College Football Playoff semifinal games will advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. The game will be televised by ESPN at 8:00pm ET.
College Football Playoff: 2021 semifinal pairings
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
Friday, Dec. 31, 2021 | 3:30pm ET, ESPN
(4) Cincinnati vs. (1) Alabama
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Capital One Orange Bowl
Friday, Dec. 31, 2021 | 7:30pm ET, ESPN
(3) Georgia vs. (2) Michigan
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL
CFP National Championship
Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 – 8pm ET, ESPN
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
Football Schedules
- College Football Bowl Schedule
- 2021-22 Bowl Schedule (PDF w/helmets)
- 2021-22 Bowl Schedule (PDF; no images)
- College Football Playoff Schedule