Two teams remain alive in the College Football Playoff Semifinal: No. 6 Penn State (vs. No. 7 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl) and No. 8 Ohio State (vs. No. 5 Texas in the Cotton Bowl). Each gives the Big Ten a final hope for year-end bragging rights over the SEC and other top conferences.

Not a single team that won its conference championship game advanced to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff as teams seed Nos. 5-8 each kept their postseason runs alive after failing to earn first-round byes.

The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams to get some new blood — but the final four are decidedly blueblood. All four teams are among the eight programs with at least 900 all-time