playKyle Bonagura and Mark SchlabachMultiple AuthorsSep 14, 2026, 07:00 AM ETOpen Extended ReactionsWeek 2 gave us a finish that will be remembered for years, plus shocking upsets that impacted this week’s bowl game and playoff projections.In the only top-25 matchup of the week, then-No. 4 Texas made a jaw-dropping 20-point comeback against then-No. 1 Ohio State in an ending that wowed viewers, as the Longhorns jumped seeds in this week’s playoff projections. Oklahoma State and Michigan delivered big blows in Week 2 as Oregon fell out of our playoff projections, and the Wolverines’ impressive win over then-No. 11 Oklahoma shifted the bowl picture.New to the 2026 season, the Power 4 conference champions will get automatic bids to the CFP, along with the highest-ranked Group of 6 team regardless of whether it is a league champ. The remaining slots in the 12-team field will go to the next seven highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot in the field if it is among the top-12 teams.The four highest-ranked teams (not necessarily conference champions) will be awarded first-round byes.
The other eight teams will meet in first-round games at the campus sites of seeds 5 through 8.The festivities of bowl season kick off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 12, and wrap up with the CFP National Championship game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday, Jan. 25.ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach will project all the postseason matchups every week of the season until the actual matchups are set Sunday, Dec. 6.All times EasternJump to: First-round games | Quarterfinals Semis, title game | Bowl seasonCollege Football PlayoffFirst-round games (at campus sites)Friday, Dec. 18 8 p.m., ESPNSaturday, Dec. 19 Noon, ABC/ESPN 3:30 p.m., TNT 7:30 p.m., TNTBonagura: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 MiamiBonagura: No. 11 BYU at No. 6 LSU Schlabach: No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 6 LSUBonagura: No. 10 Texas Tech at No. 7 Miami Schlabach: No. 10 Texas Tech at No. 7 Ohio StateBonagura: No. 9 Texas A&M at No. 8 Alabama Schlabach: No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 8 BYUCFP quarterfinalsWednesday, Dec. 30 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona) 7:30 p.m., TNT Bonagura: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Georgia Schlabach: No. 5 Miami vs. No. 4 IndianaFriday, Jan. 1Time slots for quarterfinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to be determined on Selection Day (Dec. 6) Quarterfinals Game 2 Noon, TNT Bonagura: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Notre Dame Schlabach: No. 9 Ole Miss vs.
No. 1 TexasQuarterfinals Game 3 4 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 6 LSU vs. No. 3 Texas Schlabach: No. 6 LSU vs. No. 3 Notre DameQuarterfinals Game 4 8 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Indiana Schlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs.
No. 2 GeorgiaCFP semifinals, national championship gameThursday, Jan. 14 Capital One Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 7:30 p.m., TNT Bonagura: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Indiana Schlabach: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 GeorgiaFriday, Jan. 15Allstate Sugar Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Notre Dame Schlabach: No. 2 Indiana vs.
No. 1 TexasMonday, Jan. 25CFP National Championship Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Notre Dame Schlabach: No.4 Indiana vs. No. 2 GeorgiaBowl season scheduleSaturday, Dec. 12Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by Toyota Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) Noon, ABC Bonagura: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M Schlabach: South Carolina State vs.
Alabama StateTuesday, Dec. 15 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: FIU vs. Louisiana Tech Schlabach: UMass vs. LouisianaFrisco Football Classic The Star (Frisco, Texas) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Michigan State vs. Louisiana Schlabach: Memphis vs.
North Dakota StateFriday, Dec. 18 Boca Raton Bowl Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida) 11 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Liberty vs. Tulsa Schlabach: East Carolina vs. Western MichiganUnion Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) 2:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Vanderbilt vs. South Florida Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs.
TulaneMonday, Dec. 21 Myrtle Beach Bowl Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina) 11 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Delaware vs. Georgia State Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Georgia StateFamous Idaho Potato Bowl Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho) 2:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Western Michigan vs. UNLV Schlabach: Toledo vs.
Air ForceTuesday, Dec. 22 Puerto Rico Bowl Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Bayamón, Puerto Rico) 1:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: UMass vs. Old Dominion Schlabach: Tulsa vs. LibertyStaffDNA Cure Bowl Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida) 5 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Ohio vs. James Madison Schlabach: Troy vs.
Florida InternationalRadiance Technologies Independence Bowl Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana) 8:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: UCLA vs. West Virginia Schlabach: UCLA vs. West VirginiaWednesday, Dec. 23 New Orleans Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian State Schlabach: Kennesaw State vs.
James MadisonLockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: TCU vs. Army Schlabach: Cal vs. ArmySan Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California) 7:30 p.m., The CW Bonagura: San Diego State vs.
Washington Schlabach: San Diego State vs. ArizonaFrisco Bowl The Star (Frisco, Texas) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Clemson vs. Memphis Schlabach: UTSA vs. Western KentuckyThursday, Dec. 24 Isleta New Mexico Bowl University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 2:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: New Mexico vs.
UTSA Schlabach: UNLV vs. Fresno StateSheraton Hawai’i Bowl Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu) 7 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Fresno State vs. North Dakota State Schlabach: Hawai’i vs.
Colorado StateSaturday, Dec. 26 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium (New York) Noon, ABC Bonagura: Louisville vs. Iowa Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. NebraskaWasabi Fenway Bowl Fenway Park (Boston) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. East Carolina Schlabach: NC State vs.
NavyDuke’s Mayo Bowl Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) 3:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Duke vs. Maryland Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin68 Ventures Bowl Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Troy vs. Air Force Schlabach: Georgia Southern vs.
Miami (Ohio)Cactus Bowl Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona) 7:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. UCF Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. IllinoisMonday, Dec. 28 Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Navy Schlabach: Duke vs.
South FloridaTrust & Will Holiday Bowl Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego) 5 p.m., The CW Bonagura: Virginia vs. Utah Schlabach: Virginia vs. USCTuesday, Dec. 29 JLab Birmingham Bowl Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Tulane Schlabach: Mississippi State vs.
North CarolinaPop-Tarts Bowl Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: SMU vs. Houston Schlabach: Louisville vs. Kansas StateValero Alamo Bowl Alamodome (San Antonio) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Oregon Schlabach: Houston vs.
OregonWednesday, Dec. 30 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida) 11:30 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Florida Schlabach: SMU vs. FloridaLiberty Mutual Music City Bowl Nissan Stadium (Nashville) 3 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Nebraska vs. South Carolina Schlabach: Iowa vs.
South CarolinaThursday, Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) Noon, ESPN Bonagura: Michigan vs. Ole Miss Schlabach: Michigan vs. TennesseeTony the Tiger Su
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