College GameDay CFP Round 1: Location, Time, Odds & Picks

• ESPN’s College GameDay heads to College Station for CFP Round 1 on Saturday
• The show runs from 9 AM to noon ET with Johnny Manziel as guest picker
• Keep reading for College GameDay location details, playoff matchup odds, and picks from the crew

College GameDay rolls into Aggie Park at Texas A&M on Saturday morning for the first round of the College Football Playoff. The show brings the playoff hype to College Station for what could be one of the day’s tightest matchups between Miami and Texas A&M.

Johnny Football returns as celebrity guest picker. The Heisman winner is coming back to the place where he made magic happen, and the crowd will be fired up. This marks the 12th time GameDay has visited College Station, and with a playoff game on the line, the energy should be through the roof.

College GameDay Details

GameDay pulled double duty this weekend. On Friday night, they set up shop at South Oval in Norman from 6-8 PM ET for Alabama-Oklahoma, with Sooners legend Brian Bosworth as the guest picker. The Boz got the crowd going, and they had reason to believe early, until Alabama woke up.

College GameDay Picks – CFP Round 1

*picks are straight up, not against the spread

Friday’s Playoff Result

Alabama reminded everyone why you can’t count them out. The Crimson Tide fell behind 17-0 in the first half and looked completely lost. Oklahoma dominated the opening quarter 118-12 in total yards.

Then everything flipped. Zabien Brown’s 99-yard pick-six tied it at 17-17. Alabama kept pouring it on with Lotzeir Brooks, a freshman who didn’t score once during the regular season, catching two touchdowns.

The Tide won 34-24 behind Ty Simpson’s 232 yards and two touchdowns. Oklahoma’s kicker Tate Sandell, who’d made 24 straight field goals coming in, missed twice in the final minutes from 36 and 51 yards.

Miami at Texas A&M – CFP First Round

Kickoff: Noon ET on ABC/ESPN at Kyle Field

Both teams are making their CFP debut. Miami barely squeaked into the field as the last at-large pick. The Hurricanes head to Kyle Field, where the 12th Man will be waiting. Over 110,000 people screaming at you can mess with your head.

The quarterback battle features Carson Beck versus Marcel Reed. Beck completes 74.7% of his throws and piled up 3,720 yards. But when pressure shows up, things get ugly. He threw six interceptions in Miami’s two losses. Reed’s the dual-threat guy with 466 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Miami’s defense has been nasty under new coordinator Corey Hetherman. They’re allowing just 13.8 points per game and 4.5 yards per play. If Beck avoids mistakes and the defense controls the line, Miami’s got a shot. The winner heads to the Cotton Bowl on December 31 to face Ohio State.

• Pick: Miami +3.5 (-115)

Tulane at Ole Miss – CFP First Round

Line: Ole Miss -17.5 | Total: 57.5 | Kickoff: 3:30 PM ET on TNT/truTV

This rematch comes with a side of coaching drama. Lane Kiffin bolted for LSU after the regular season. Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to permanent head coach, not interim, permanent. Nine coaches and staffers followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge.

Ole Miss crushed Tulane 45-10 back in September. But this Tulane team is different. Jake Retzlaff is a dual-threat nightmare with 30 total touchdowns (14 passing, 16 rushing). The Green Wave need to create turnovers. They’re plus-10 on the season with 24 takeaways.

The Rebels are on an 11-game home winning streak. But if Tulane keeps this close into the fourth quarter, the doubt starts creeping in. Can Ole Miss win without Kiffin on the biggest stage? The winner faces No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on January 1.

• Pick: Tulane +17.5 (-110)

James Madison at Oregon – CFP First Round

Line: Oregon -21 | Total: 45.5 | Kickoff: 7:30 PM ET on TNT/truTV

Oregon hosts its first-ever CFP game at Autzen Stadium. The big question: will injured receivers Evan Stewart, Dakorien Moore, and Gary Bryant Jr. return? Stewart hasn’t played all year. Moore was electric before getting hurt with 28 catches, 443 yards, and four touchdowns in eight games.

The Dukes are averaging 450 yards per game with 245 on the ground (fifth nationally). Wayne Knight is their workhorse with 1,263 rushing yards and 6.65 yards per carry. James Madison needs to control the trenches and keep this game ugly.

Dante Moore has thrown 24 touchdowns against six interceptions for Oregon. The Ducks rank in the top 15 nationally in scoring offense and defense. If they get rolling early, this could get out of hand fast. The winner heads to the Rose Bowl to face No. 1 Indiana.

• Pick: Oregon -21 (-110)

Montana State vs Montana – FCS Semifinal

Line: Montana State -6 | Total: 54.5 | Kickoff: 4:00 PM ET on ABC

The Brawl of the Wild gets an encore in the FCS semifinals. Montana State won the regular-season meeting 34-11, but playoff football hits different. The Bobcats have been dominant at home, while Montana’s riding high after knocking off top-seeded North Dakota State.

This rivalry runs deep, and with a trip to the national championship on the line, expect both teams to empty the tank. Montana State’s ground game versus Montana’s improved defense should be the matchup that decides this season.

• Pick: Montana +6 (-110)

Line Shopping Guide

The College Football Playoff is here, and Saturday’s first-round games deliver everything we want. Miami-Texas A&M features elite defenses and hostile crowds. Tulane tries to shock Ole Miss without Lane Kiffin. Oregon looks to dominate at Autzen. And the playoff bracket starts taking shape with winners advancing to New Year’s bowl games.