College Football Playoff picks, schedule: Predictions against the spread, odds for first-round games

It’s time for the 12-team College Football Playoff era to commence as Friday night brings us. No. 7 seed Notre Dame and No. 10 seed Indiana in a first-round game from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Though the two are in-state foes, this will be their first meeting since 1991. 

As the attention then turns to Saturday, the first contest of a tripleheader features No. 11 seed SMU traveling to No. 6 seed Penn State in a showdown between two teams making their College Football Playoff debut. At 4 p.m. ET, 5-seed Texas hosts 12-seed Clemson in a battle between two of college football’s most storied programs. The Longhorns are 11-2 with their only two losses coming against Georgia. Clemson, meanwhile, is the first three-loss team to ever make the College Football Playoff after beating SMU in the ACC Championship Game. 

No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 9 seed Tennessee close the first round out Saturday evening in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes are facing a ton of pressure to perform on the heels of their stunning loss to rival Michigan in the regular-season finale, while the Volunteers hope to make a statement in their first-ever playoff appearance. 

CBS Sports experts have filed their picks for the first round of the College Football Playoff, so let’s have a look at what to expect this weekend. 

All times Eastern

(10) Indiana at (7) Notre Dame 

8 p.m. (Friday) | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — In spite of the fact that Friday’s game features two of the most explosive offenses in college football, Notre Dame and Indiana could be locked into a slugfest — early on, at least. On paper, the two are very similar, and it could take some time to figure each other out. Though Indiana didn’t show well in its one game against a ranked opponent this season, Notre Dame is vulnerable. It was a while ago, but this is the same Irish team that lost to Northern Illinois, after all. It will be tough for Indiana to walk out of South Bend with a win, but I expect the Hoosiers to keep it close. Pick: Indiana +7.5 — Will Backus

(11) SMU at (6) Penn State

Noon | TNT (Streaming on MAX) — While it might snow, the lack of wind is what I care about most from a gambling perspective, and I think the total for this game is a little low. Penn State has an outstanding defense, led by All-American Abdul Carter, and SMU’s has been good, but the matchup is unique for both teams. SMU’s defensive line hasn’t been nearly as strong against better offensive lines, and that’s an advantage for the Nittany Lions. At the same time, Penn State hasn’t seen a quarterback like Jennings this season and could have a difficult time containing him. This won’t be a tennis match, but don’t be shocked if both teams approach the 30-point mark. Pick: Over 53.5 — Tom Fornelli

(12) Clemson at (5) Texas

4 p.m. | TNT (Streaming on MAX) —  This is going to tell us a lot about the gap between Clemson and the true powers of the sport. We got that sort of measuring stick Week 1 against UGA. Is Clemson any different? I don’t like the Tigers’ chances. Texas is flawed itself, but the Longhorns have the best defense in college football. That’s a problem for a Clemson o-line that continues to be banged up. This is close for a while, but Texas manages to pull away late. Pick: Texas -11.5 — Chris Hummer

(9) Tennessee at (8) Ohio State

8 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — All the pressure is on this all-in Ohio State team that likely has the nation’s most talented roster but hasn’t always played up to its potential. Does the home loss to Michigan continue to loom over this team and lead to some early boos? Or can the Buckeyes finally live up to the hype and come out firing against a very talented Tenenssee defense? I picked Tennessee to win in my gut-reaction bracket that I filled out as soon as the pairings were released, and because I’m an honorable man, I will stick with it. This one should be close, and Tennessee getting the points is the play either way. Pick: Tennessee +7.5 — John Talty

SportsLine’s proven computer model is calling for 10 outright upsets during college football’s bowl and playoff season. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for every game from the model that simulates every matchup 10,000 times.