The football world took another step toward the College Football Playoffs on Friday with the first two games of Conference Championship Weekend.

24th-ranked Army defeated Tulane 35-14 in the AAC Championship, while 10th-ranked Boise State beat 20th-ranked UNLV in the Mountain West Championship. Both outcomes may ultimately have an impact on the final 12-team field, though all eyes now turn to Saturday's conference title bouts.

16th-ranked Iowa State will face 15th-ranked Arizona State at noon on Saturday in the Big-12 Championship Game. Second-ranked Texas will battle fifth-ranked Georgia at 4 p.m. ET in the SEC Championship Game. At 8 p.m. ET, top-ranked Oregon will face third-ranked Penn State in the Big 10 Championship Game, while No. 8 SMU will clash with No. 17 Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.

Once the dust settles and the scores are final, the CFP selection committee will announce the playoff matchups during The College Football Playoff Selection Show at noon on Sunday.

Here's an updated look at where things stand, and a few predictions for the final playoff field.

CFP Rankings Before Championship Weekend

1. Oregon

2. Texas

3. Penn State

4. Notre Dame

5. Georgia

6. Ohio State

7. Tennessee

8. SMU

9. Indiana

10. Boise State

11. Alabama

12. Miami

13. Ole Miss

14. South Carolina

15. Arizona State

16. Iowa State

17. Clemson

18. BYU

19. Missouri

20. UNLV

21. Illinois

22. Syracuse

23. Colorado

24. Army

25. Memphis

2024-25 CFB Playoff Bracket and Schedule

December 20 and 21

No. 8 vs. No. 9, TBD

No. 5 vs. No. 12, TBD

No. 7 vs. No. 10, TBD

No. 6 vs. No. 11, TBD

December 31

Fiesta Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ET

January 1

Peach Bowl, 1 p.m. ET

Rose Bowl, 8 p.m. ET

Sugar Bowl, 8:45 p.m. ET

January 9

Orange Bowl,7:30 p.m. ET

January 10

Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ET

January 20

College Football Playoff National Championship, 7:30 p.m. ET

Friday Recap and Implications

Every game this weekend will be critical when it comes to the selection committee's final decisions. This is because the most movement we'll see atop the rankings will come from participants in those games.

Selection committee chair Warde Manuel essentially confirmed after the latest rankings that teams not participating in championship games are out of opportunities to move up.

"Any team that is not playing right now, we don't have a data point to rearrange where we have those teams ranked, and so that is set in terms of how we see them going into the final week of championship week," Manuel told ESPN's Rece Davis.

So any movement in the top 12 will be fully reliant on the outcome of those conference championship games. It should be noted, though, that winning a conference doesn't guarantee a playoff spot. The five highest-ranked conference champions are the only ones who will earn an automatic bid. The four highest will move into the top four spots and earn a first-round bye.

From Lawrence Price of NCAA.com:

"The four highest-ranked teams in the last CFP top 25 will be seeded one through four no matter where they rank in the final College Football Playoff top 25. For example, the fourth-highest ranked conference champion might be ranked "only" No. 8 in the top 25, but as the fourth-highest conference champ, that team would get the No. 4 seed. Non-conference champions ranked in the top four will be seeded starting at No. 5 and cannot get byes."

Boise State has almost certainly secured its spot in the top four.

The Broncos didn't exactly light up the scoreboard on Friday, though they did a huge game out of Heisman hopeful and star running back Ashton Jeanty (209rushing yards, 1 TD).

However, Boise State did win fairly convincingly, so it's hard not to consider the Broncos one of the top four conference champions in the country.

Unfortunately for Army, which did dominate in its game, Boise State's win likely leaves the Black Knights without a path to the playoff. A close, contested UNLV win might have opened the door for some debate, though jumping the Rebels in the rankings was always a long shot.

The margin of Army's win, however, might help Notre Dame's bid for the No. 5 seed—independent programs are not eligible for a top-four spot. The only blemish on the Black Knight's 11-1 season was a 49-14 loss at Notre Dame on November 23.

Preview and Predictions

Boise State's stop in the top four should be secure, as there's virtually no chance for Iowa State or Arizona State to bump the Broncos. Where Boise State ends up, however, remains to be seen.

It also remains to be seen where the Big-12 champion will ultimately land. The back end of the field is likely, though, it's not impossible that the Big-12 winner could jump the ACC champion.

That scenario would, however, require either Iowa State or Arizona State blowing out its opponent and Clemson winning a close game over SMU. The prediction here is that neither of those things unfold on Saturday.

The Big 10 winner and the SEC winner are essentially guaranteed a first-round bye based on the current rankings. Oregon, Texas, Penn State and Georgia are practically guaranteed a playoff spot too.

It would require a monumental blowout loss—and even with that, some controversial decision-making by the selection committee—for a top-five team to fall out of the top 12 entirely.

The prediction here is that Oregon and Texans both win on Saturday to maintain their spots at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Penn State has been terrific this season, but Oregon has consistently looked like a powerhouse on both sides of the ball.

The Georgia-Texas rematch is a little more interesting. The Bulldogs won 30-15 back on October 19, though they had to overcome a three-interception game by quarterback Carson Beck.

Georgia may also be without standout running back Trevor Etienne (ribs), who rushed for 87 yards in the first meeting. Officially, he and defensive tackle Christian Miller are questionable.

"They've been taking part in some parts of practice and taking reps, and [we're] hopeful that those guys are able to do something," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

If Texas does win Round 2, though, it's highly unlikely that Georgia will fall far.

The real drama may involve three-loss Alabama, currently ranked 11th. The Big 12 winner should move into the top 12, bumping Miami. There are two scenarios, though, that could potentially bump Alabama as well—since teams still playing are open to further evaluation.

A close Clemson win could, in theory, give the Tigers an automatic spot while leaving SMU in the top 12. A close enough Big-12 game might put a three-loss Arizona State or Iowa State team ahead of the Crimson Tide for the final at-large spot.

The committee may prefer to keep Alabama in the playoff due to its brand recognition, but tough decisions could be incoming on Sunday.

As for the playoff tournament itself, here are some early predictions.

First Round Games

No. 12 Alabama at No. 5 Notre Dame

No. 11 Iowa State at No. 6. Penn State

No. 10 Indiana at No. 7. Georgia

No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Ohio State at No. 1: Oregon

No. 7 Georgia at No. 2 Texas

No. 6 Penn State at No. 3: SMU

No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 4: Boise State

Semifinals

No. 8 Ohio State at No. 2 Texas

No. 6 Penn State at No. 5 Notre Dame