College Football Playoff: ESPN predicts 2024 12-team bracket, full bowl slate after Week 3
After a third full week of college football, ESPN has again updated their postseason picture with selections for every bowl as well as each berth and game in the College Football Playoff.
Not much shifted from last week’s update to today’s from Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach. However, the most significant was a change at No. 1 with them each having Texas replacing Georgia in that spot as the SEC Champion. This comes following a third impressive win for the Longhorns on Saturday while the ‘Dawgs had a close call at Kentucky later in the night.
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Here’s how Bonagura and Schlabach have the bowl season and the playoff projected as we reach the quarter mark of the year in mid-September.
College Football Playoff: First-round game #1
Bonagura: No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Georgia
After week two, the two were split on whether the No. 12 seed for the highest-rated from the Group of Five would be for Boise State or Memphis. However, after the 20-12 win for the Tigers at Florida State on Saturday, they now each agree that they’ll be in that slot for now.
As for their opponent, though, the Tigers will now have to go between the hedges with Georgia falling to the No. 5 seed as the runner-up out of the SEC.
College Football Playoff: First-round game #2
Bonagura: No. 11 Kansas State at No. 6 Alabama
Schlabach: No. 11 Oregon at No. 6 Alabama
After each were split on which team from the Southeastern Conference would be No. 6 last week, they now agree that it’ll be Alabama following their 32-point road win over Wisconsin this weekend.
As for who will go to Tuscaloosa as the final power conference at-large, Kansas State remains in this spot for one while the other has it now being Oregon.
College Football Playoff: First-round game #3
Bonagura: No. 10 Oregon at No. 7 Tennessee
Schlabach: No. 10 USC at No. 7 Tennessee
Both experts now have there being a playoff game on Rocky Top this fall with Tennessee being each of their respective No. 7 seeds.
For who will be playing the Vols, Bonagura has the Ducks going to in Knoxville while Schlabach has it being USC that’ll go to Neyland Stadium.
College Football Playoff: First-round game #4
Bonagura: No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 8 USC
Schlabach: No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 8 Penn State
Both Bonagura and Schlabach have Ole Miss as their final at-large team out of the SEC as their No. 9 seeds.
Still, they differ on where the Rebels will travel to. One has them in Los Angeles playing the Trojans in the Coliseum while the other has them going up to Happy Valley for a matchup with the Nittany Lions.
CFP Quarterfinal at the Fiesta Bowl
Bonagura: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Utah
Schlabach: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Kansas State
The No. 4 seed will go to the champion of the Big 12 for each writer. Even so, they have two separate teams earning or being in contention for it from the conference with Utah still for Bonagura while Schlabach has changed his to Kansas State.
Either way, they have whichever one playing in the Fiesta Bowl from Glendale against their No. 5 seed in the Bulldogs after they advance.
CFP Quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl
Bonagura: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 3 Miami
Schlabach: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 3 Miami
The Peach Bowl is unanimous for Bonagura and Schlabach with their two teams going to Atlanta.
Both writers have Alabama advancing over either of their opponents in round one. From there, they’ll meet Miami as the third seed after winning the ACC Championship.
CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game
Bonagura: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Bonagura and Schlabach also agree on what would be an incredible and classic matchup in the Rose Bowl.
On one side, the Tennessee Volunteers would make it to Pasadena. On the other side, Ohio State, the No. 2 seed after winning the Big Ten Championship, would meet them there.
CFP Quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl
Bonagura: No. 8 USC vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 1 Texas
Texas, the No. 1 overall in the nation now, would then begin their playoff run in New Orleans against one of two possible contenders out of the Big Ten.
After advancing over the Rebels in their respective games, the two experts have their No. 8s, USC and Penn State, matching up with the Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl.
CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl
Bonagura: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 1 Texas
Based on this projection, this would be the third matchup of the season between Texas and Georgia. They are already set to meet in the regular season in Austin and this seeding suggests they met again in the SEC Championship with it being a Longhorn win.
It’s also the same prediction as the week prior from Bonagura and Schlabach for the Orange Bowl.
CFP Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl Classic
Bonagura: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 2 Ohio State
The latest win by ‘Bama had an impact on Schlabach this week.
Bonagura already had Ohio State playing the Tide last week as a No. 2 vs. No. 6 matchup. Now, his partner agrees with him for the fifth time out of 11 total games, including each of the two semifinals in the playoff with this being the second of the pair.
CFP National Championship
Bonagura: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Georgia
This is where the bracket looks very different from last Sunday to this one in part in teams and in part by seeding.
Bonagura and Schlabach each had the national championship as No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State this past week. While Schlabach has those specific teams still, it’s a change in seeding for the Bulldogs that changes it up. As for Bonagura, he now has a conference meeting between Texas and Alabama.
ESPN 2024 Bowl Season predictions after Week 3
Celebration Bowl
Bonagura: Florida A&M vs. NC Central
Schlabach: Florida A&M vs. NC Central
Camellia Bowl
Bonagura: East Carolina vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Coastal Carolina
Frisco Bowl
Bonagura: Colorado State vs. UTSA
Schlabach: Georgia State vs. North Texas
Boca Raton Bowl
Bonagura: Coastal Carolina vs. Navy
Schlabach: Buffalo vs. East Carolina
L.A. Bowl
Bonagura: Washington vs. Boise State
Schlabach: California vs. Boise State
New Orleans Bowl
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Texas State
Schlabach: Liberty vs. Appalachian State
Cure Bowl
Bonagura: James Madison vs. Miami (Ohio)
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. UTSA
Gasparilla Bowl
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Baylor
Schlabach: Boston College vs. James Madison
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Bonagura: Louisiana vs. Florida Atlantic
Schlabach: Marshall vs. Middle Tennessee
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Bonagura: Toledo vs. Nevada
Schlabach: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
Hawaii Bowl
Bonagura: Sam Houston State vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Western Kentucky vs. Colorado State
Detroit Bowl
Bonagura: Northern Illinois vs. Maryland
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Michigan State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Bonagura: Illinois vs. BYU
Schlabach: Maryland vs. Texas Tech
68 Ventures Bowl
Bonagura: Ohio vs. Marshall
Schlabach: San José State vs. Georgia Southern
Birmingham Bowl
Bonagura: Kentucky vs. Rutgers
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Baylor
Armed Forces Bowl
Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs. Army
Schlabach: SMU vs. Army
Liberty Bowl
Bonagura: TCU vs. Arkansas
Schlabach: UCF vs. South Carolina
Holiday Bowl
Bonagura: Clemson vs. California
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Arizona
Las Vegas Bowl
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Auburn vs. Oregon State
Fenway Bowl
Bonagura: South Florida vs. Syracuse
Schlabach: Tulane vs. Pittsburgh
Pinstripe Bowl
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Iowa
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. Illinois
New Mexico Bowl
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Air Force vs. Texas State
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Bonagura: Louisville vs. UCF
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Oklahoma State
Arizona Bowl
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. San José State
Schlabach: Bowling Green vs. UNLV
Military Bowl
Bonagura: NC State vs. Tulane
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. USF
Alamo Bowl
Bonagura: Washington State vs. Oklahoma State
Schlabach: Washington State vs. Utah
Independence Bowl
Bonagura: Kansas vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Indiana
Music City Bowl
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. LSU
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Kentucky
ReliaQuest Bowl
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma
Sun Bowl
Bonagura: SMU vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Washington
Citrus Bowl
Bonagura: Penn State vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Missouri
Texas Bowl
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. LSU
Gator Bowl
Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Texas A&M
First Responder Bowl
Bonagura: Texas Tech vs. UNLV
Schlabach: BYU vs. Duke
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Bonagura: Boston College vs. Indiana
Schlabach: NC State vs. Rutgers
Bahamas Bowl
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Bowling Green
Schlabach: Sam Houston vs. Miami (OH)