How close the CFB playoff games were this weekend

The first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff kicked off this weekend with a bang…that turned into a fizzle, as all four higher-ranked teams – Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas, and Ohio State – easily advanced to the quarterfinals.

The games weren’t particularly competitive. Quick reminder: the higher-ranked seeds in each game hosted their respective matchup on-campus, in their home stadiums.

Prior to the weekend, these four teams were favored to win by a combined 38 points. They ended up winning by 77.

• The average margin of victory in Round 1 was 19 points.
• The smallest margin of victory was 10 points – Notre Dame’s 27–17 victory over Indiana – though IU ended up scoring two fourth-quarter TDs to narrow the gap.

Put on your Alabama Jones investigative hat and take a deep-dive into each of the results here.

👀 Looking ahead…The CFB Playoff quarterfinals take place December 31–January 1. Unlike in the first round, where the higher-ranked teams played home games, the quarterfinal matchups will be hosted at traditional bowl sites: the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Peach Bowl.

See game previews + betting odds here.