The second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff begins with a standalone Friday night game before a tripleheader of first-round matchups on Saturday, Dec. 20.

All first-round games are played on the campus of the team receiving the better seed. The CFP, which releases rankings weekly starting Tuesday, will determine the final playoff field on Dec. 7.

The opening game of the playoff is an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Dec. 19. The Dec. 20 tripleheader games are scheduled for Noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., following the Eastern Time zone regardless of game location. The two late games are being broadcast by TNT with ABC-ESPN airing the first two games.

A tweak to the CFP format involves eliminating a conference championship qualifier to receive a top four seed and coveted first-round bye.

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