Penn State was unable to corral Oregon’s offense in the Big Ten Championship though, allowing 496 total yards while dropping a 45-37 decision to the then undefeated Ducks. The Nittany Lions eviscerated SMU in the first round of the CFP Playoff,

The SEC runner-up Longhorns escaped the quarterfinal matchup against No. 4 Arizona State, 39-31, with a game-winning touchdown in double overtime. The win marked No. 13 for Texas (13-2) under head coach Steve Sarkisian, the most by the program in a season since 2009.

The Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes had a large viewing audience for their Rose Bowl matchup in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals on ESPN. It was the most watched non-NFL American sporting event since last year's national championship.