Automatic bids to the College Football Playoff in 2024 equated to automatic losses.

Following the conclusion of the quarterfinal round of the initial 12-team playoff, all four of the teams that won their conference and earned a first-round bye are now officially out of contention for the national championship. While the automatic bids were out of the CFP committee’s hands, they likely deserve credit for getting it mostly right with the rest of the field.

No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten) was soundly beaten 41-21 by No. 8 Ohio State, while No. 7 Notre Dame beat No. 2 Georgia (SEC) 23-10, No. 6 Penn State beat No. 3 Boise State (Mountain West) 31-14 and No. 5 Texas beat No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12) 39-31 in an overtime thriller.

No. 12 Clemson also earned an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff for winning the ACC, but the Tigers did not get a first-round bye. They lost 38-24 to Texas in the first-round.

The semifinals features two teams that lost in a conference title game: Penn State and Texas. Notre Dame does not play in a conference, and Ohio State did not advance to the Big Ten title game after losing to rival Michigan in the final week of the regular season.

HIGHS AND LOWS: Winners and losers of College Football Playoff quarterfinals

College Football Playoff quarterfinal results

Here are the final scores for the CFP quarterfinal games. In the first 12-team CFP, all four top seeds lost. Only the Texas-Arizona State matchup was a one-score game, going to overtime.

• Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31 (2 OT)
• Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21
• Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State 31, No. 3 Boise State 14
• Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 2 Georgia 10

College Football semifinal matchups

Here’s a look at the CFP semifinals matchups:

• Cotton Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State | 7:30 p.m., ET, Jan 10
• Orange Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 9

No. 1 Oregon was blown out by the No. 8 seed Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday by a final score of 41–21.

After defeating the Buckeyes in the regular season, the Ducks fell behind by as many as 34 points in the emphatic win for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes were indisputably the better team on Wednesday, but ESPN analyst and ex-coach Nick Saban told The Pat McAfee Show that Oregon fans have a legitimate gripe.

“If I was an Oregon fan, I have to say this because this kinda bothers me. You’re the 13-0 number one seed and you’ve gotta play Ohio State in your first round. I’m not an internet guy, but if I was an Oregon fan I’d be on the internet screaming about that…living in my mother’s basement,” Saban said with a laugh.

Saban is right. The Ducks, despite going undefeated and beating both Ohio State and Penn State en route to capturing the program’s first Big Ten title, somehow drew a bracket that included a game against the Buckeyes after a first-round bye. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions played SMU and Boise State in their first two playoff games—and now sit in the CFP semifinal awaiting the winner of Notre Dame and Georgia in Thursday’s Sugar Bowl.

Perhaps the seeding structure of the CFP will be reviewed in future iterations of the postseason, but despite the loss, Saban is confident that Oregon fans who are upset about the draw have legitimate reason to be feeling the way that they do.

Despite the rough defensive showing earlier in the season, the Ohio State Buckeyes’ defense completely flipped the script in the team’s 41-21 victory over the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.

The last time both team’s faced off against each other was back in Week 7, and the Buckeyes defense gave up a total of 496 offensive yards in the 32-31 loss. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, while the wide receiver duo of Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart combined for a total of 14 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Heading into Wednesday’s contest, one of the key points for Ohio State’s defense was to pressure Gabriel in the pass rush, while the linebackers needed to stay discipline in both the pass and run game.

“With Stein’s ability to expand and condense his offense through his NFL-caliber weapons, it’s important for Knowles to keep his linebackers disciplined while getting the most out of his defensive line in the pass rush.”

– Dylan Feltovich

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And the Buckeyes did exactly that on Wednesday.

Ohio State’s defense held Gabriel in check thanks to the defensive line’s ability to get after the veteran quarterback. Four of the team’s eight total sacks were from the likes of Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, who combined for five tackles for losses against the Ducks.

On top of the incredible pass rush from the front four, linebacker Cody Simon had a huge impact in both the pass and run game. The Defensive Player of the Game finished with 11 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and two sacks.

While the defense limited the big plays in the passing game, it was the Buckeyes’ stout run defense that shined in the Rose Bowl. James finished with a season-low of 14 rushing yards on seven carries, which was a dramatic difference compared to his Week 7 performance of 115 rushing yards on 23 carries. The ability to take away Oregon’s run game put pressure on Gabriel to do more in the passing game early in the contest.

Now, the Buckeyes will have to go up against the Texas Longhorns and head coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense in the Cotton Bowl. Former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers has thrown for 26 touchdowns this season while averaging over 220 passing yards per game. In his last contest against the Arizona State Sun Devils, Ewers threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns.