First round College Football Playoff watch guide for Oklahoma fans

How to watch and what to know about the College Football Playoff.

Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bad news: the Oklahoma Sooners do not play football this weekend.

Good news: you can just enjoy college football.

The first round of the debut 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off this weekend. Also for the first time ever at the FBS level, there will be playoff games hosted on college campuses.

The action starts Friday night and will fill up all of Saturday. Since Sooner fans haven't had to keep up with the chaos, here's who playing, when, how to watch, maybe even rooting interests and everything else you need to know before a weekend of playoff football.

No. 10 Indiana (11-1) at No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1)

When: 7 p.m. CT Friday
Where: Notre Dame, Indiana
Watch: ABC/ESPN

The first-ever home playoff game for an FBS team, but the visiting team won't have to travel far.

The Hoosiers made a Cinderella run this season under first-year coach Curt Cignetti (Google him) to get to this point, while Notre Dame has been counted out since an early loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2.

If you like Cinderella stories, then Indiana is a team to cheer for Friday night. If you dislike soft schedules getting you into the postseason, then maybe watch a movie instead Friday night.

The winner will play No. 2 Georgia on Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl.

No. 11 SMU (11-2) vs. No. 6 Penn State (11-2)

When: 11 a.m. CT Saturday
Where: University Park, Pennsylvania
Watch: TNT/Max

SMU got in over Alabama so might already be considered America's favorite. But the Mustangs also owe Brent Venables and the Sooners a fruit basket, because if not for their upset over Alabama, SMU would be at home this weekend. In some kind of way, it's like SMU, placed in the heart of Sooner territory in Dallas, is like an extension of the Sooners in the CFP.

The winner will play No. 3 Boise State on Dec. 31 in the Fiesta Bowl.

No. 12 Clemson (10-3) vs. No. 5 Texas (11-2)

When: 3 p.m. CT Saturday
Where: Austin, Texas
Watch: TNT/Max

Sooner Nation can't win here. Texas sucks. Dabo and the Tigers have also inflicted plenty of misery upon the Sooners. Just go do some last-minute Christmas shopping for a few hours, I guess.

The only hope is that No. 4 Arizona State beats the winner on Jan. 1 in the Peach Bowl.

No. 9 Tennesse (10-2) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (10-2)

When: 7 p.m. CT Saturday
Where: Columbus, Ohio
Watch: ABC/ESPN

The best game was saved for last, at least based on expectations. These are two teams with a lot of firepower that were just barely short of missing their conference title games two weeks ago.

Ohio State is as soft as its schedule, though. And once a Sooner always a Sooner with Josh Heupel leading the Volnteers. So best case scenario, Heupel gets to plant a flag at midfield of Ohio Stadium and an Ohio politician tries to throw him in jail for it.

And unfortunately for Oregon, it was rewarded for its undefeated season and No. 1 seed with a matchup against this winner on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl.

Schedule

Schedule