Curt Cignetti's decision to punt the ball from Notre Dame's 48-yard line while trailing 20-3 with 10:34 to go confused mostly everyone.

All eyes are on Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti as the Hoosiers make their first CFP appearance on Friday against Notre Dame.

Curt Cignetti had a lot of explaining to do after Indiana's blowout loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff, starting with his decision to punt down 20-3 in the fourth quarter.

Penn State and SMU head into the CFP with the weight of history on their shoulders — and they're both trying to shed it.

He and the rest of his Penn State teammates — those that stuck around anyway — lived through it. Jones was a sophomore defensive lineman in the fall of 2011 when the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal brought one of college football's bluebloods to its knees and sent revered coach Joe Paterno into exile.

Saturday, noon ET (TNT/Max) BetMGM Sportsbook odds: Penn State by 8 1/2. Series record: Penn State leads 1-0-1. What’s at stake? A trip to Arizona to face No. 8 Boise State (No. 9 CFP) in the Fiesta Bowl,

The Clemson Tigers (10-3) and Texas Longhorns (11-2) meet in the first round of the College Football Playoff Saturday. Kickoff from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET (TNT / Max).

Texas lost to Georgia in overtime in the SEC Championship Game, but only fell to No. 5 in the College Football Playoff seeding. As a result, the Longhorns get ACC champion Clemson in the first round and are the biggest favorite of the round,