Desmond Howard fell for the hype. He got caught up in the atmosphere in Norman, Oklahoma, when Alabama traveled to face the Sooners. As Pat McAfee put it, Howard, McAfee and the rest of the “College GameDay” panel - minus Nick Saban - looked like geniuses.

The College Football Playoff quarterfinals feature four marquee matchups staged at four of the sport's most iconic bowl games, with semifinal spots on the line. Four teams that earned first-round byes will make their CFP debuts, each hoping to reverse a trend that emerged last season.