After the College Football Playoff began on Friday with No. 7 Notre Dame handling No. 10 Indiana, Saturday gives us an entire day of action with three games wrapping up the first round of the 12-team format.

Penn State took care of business in Happy Valley to start the day, using two early pick-sixes to pull away with a 38-10 win against an overmatched SMU. Let’s hope the later games have a bit more suspense.

Follow all the action below.

Time: 4 p.m. ET | TV: TNT | Line: Texas -12 | Total: 51.5

Clemson snuck into the playoff by eking out a last-second win in the ACC title game. Texas, meanwhile, enters without many signature wins after losing twice to its best opponent: Georgia. If Clemson wants to pull the upset, it’s going to have to get RB Phil Mafah going; Texas gives up just over three yards a carry, and it’s also very stingy against the pass. The Longhorns will be counting on the steady hand of QB Quinn Ewers, but there’s a chance we see backup Arch Manning play a few situational snaps.

Time: 8 p.m. ET | TV: ABC/ESPN | Line: Ohio State -7.5 | Total: 46.5

Ohio State enters the playoff on a mission while coming off a painful loss to hated rival Michigan. Can coach Ryan Day get his team back on track? As the over/under indicates, this will not likely be the offensive shootout that many would have predicted before the season began. These two teams have offenses that can hit for a big play at any moment, but both teams have relied on excellent defenses.

Live40 updates

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 3:47 PM EST
Texas-Clemson on tap

Game 2 of the Saturday playoff tripleheader is just minutes away in Austin.

The winner of No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Clemson will face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 3:30 PM EST
Sat, December 21, 2024 at 3:30 PM EST
SMU waves the white flag

The Mustangs have punted it back to the home team with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 3:24 PM EST
Time running out for SMU

PSU was smarter with its next possession, running the ball and milking the clock a bit before giving it back to SMU on a punt.

There’s 2:46 left now.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 3:14 PM EST
Touchdown SMU!

The Mustangs are finally in the end zone after a 28-yard TD throw from Kevin Jennings to Roderick Daniels Jr.

There’s 7:30 left in this one.

PSU 38, SMU 10

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 3:09 PM EST
Interception SMU!

Welp. Instead of running the ball, PSU opts for a Ethan Grunkemeyer pass and it’s tipped into the hands of SMU’s Brandon Crossley.

The Ponies will have the ball at the PSU 40-yard line.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 3:07 PM EST

The Nittany Lions have the ball back and will presumably bleed as much time off the clock as possible with this drive. Backup QB Ethan Grunkemeyer is in the game for Drew Allar

There’s 10 minutes left in the game.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:54 PM EST
Touchdown Penn State

This thing is all but over now. The Nittany Lions moved the ball with ease as Kaytron Allen capped off a 9-play, 75-yard drive with a short TD run.

PSU 38, SMU 3

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:44 PM EST
End of 3Q: PSU 31, SMU 3

The Ponies are going to need a miracle now.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:43 PM EST
Penn State moving the ball

The Nittany Lions are over midfield and nearing the red zone now as the third quarter winds down.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:38 PM EST
SMU misses FG

The Mustangs made it all the way down to the 2-yard line, but several miscues backed them all the way back to the 25-yard line and Collin Rogers’ FG attempt came up just short.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:34 PM EST
SMU on the march

The Ponies are moving the ball and in the red zone after a long Kevin Jennings completion. They desperately need to get into the end zone on this drive.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:26 PM EST
PSU adds field goal

The Nittany Lions are back up 28 after a short drive ends with a 40-yard field goal by Ryan Barker.

PSU 31, SMU 3

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:18 PM EST
SMU on the board with FG

The Ponies were moving the ball well and made it inside the 10-yard line before multiple false start penalties killed their momentum. They settled for a short field goal for their first points of the game.

PSU 28, SMU 3

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:12 PM EST
SMU on the march

The Ponies are moving the ball with pace now after a long completion and an illegal hands to the face penalty on PSU. They’re inside the red zone now.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:09 PM EST
SMU has ball first after halftime

The second half is underway and the Ponies will start with the ball. Let’s see if they can mount a comeback like they did in the ACC title game against Clemson.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 2:04 PM EST
Lane Kiffin continues complaining

The Ole Miss coach was harping on the CFP selection committee last night during Indiana’s loss and now he’s doing the same while SMU struggles against Penn State.

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 1:46 PM EST
Halftime: PSU 28, SMU 0

It was all Penn State in the first half as SMU’s Kevin Jennings threw three picks and two of them were returned for touchdowns.

Penn State is in control at the halftime break. (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports)Penn State is in control at the halftime break. (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports)

Penn State is in control at the halftime break. (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports)

Sat, December 21, 2024 at 1:39 PM EST
Touchdown Penn State

The Nittany Lions keep piling it on before the halftime break. This time it’s Nicholas Singleton who runs it in from short to cap off a 7-play, 38-yard drive.

There’s just over a minute left in the half.

PSU 28, SMU 0