College Football Playoff: ESPN predicts 2024 12-team bracket, full bowl slate after Week 7

Following the results of a Saturday that was circled on the calendar, ESPN has released another update to their postseason projections, including those for the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Week 7 included several top matchups across yesterday’s slate with outcomes that impacted the playoff field and the bowl berths.

With that, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach now have the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten tied with three teams apiece in the CFP. The Big 12 has also joined the ACC with a pair for each while two other programs made it in from elsewhere.

Here’s how their experts set up the postseason at the halfway point of the fall:

College Football Playoff: First-round game #1

Bonagura: No. 12 Notre Dame at No. 5 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State

After their loss last night in Eugene, Ohio State was the most notable shift within the playoff from the No. 2 seed down to the No. 5 seed. Still, that placement arguably gives them a better path depending on how it all plays out from that seeding.

As for who the Buckeyes would play, there was still the same disagreement on the 12th and final seed as last week. Bonagura has them hosting the Fighting Irish while Schlabach stayed with Boise State out of the Mountain West.

College Football Playoff: First-round game #2

Bonagura: No. 11 Clemson at No. 6 Penn State
Schlabach: No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 6 Georgia

Despite winning again this weekend, Bonagura had Clemson dropping two spots down to No. 11. That still has them going on the road with him having it be to play Penn State in Happy Valley.

Schlabach then had it as the same matchup as he did in the previous update with Notre Dame going to play against Georgia in Athens.

College Football Playoff: First-round game #3

Bonagura: No. 10 Iowa State at No. 7 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 10 Iowa State at No. 7 Penn State

Bonagura and Schlabach are in agreement with Iowa State as the No. 10 seed as an at-large from the Big 12. They remain undefeated overall and in the league like another team from their conference that’ll appear later on this projection.

The Cyclones would then be playing away against either the Bulldogs or the Nittany Lions depending on the expert.

College Football Playoff: First-round game #4

Bonagura: No. 9 BYU at No. 8 Alabama
Schlabach: No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Clemson

Speaking of that other team in the Big 12, Bonagura has them here in BYU. The Cougars are his No. 9 seed with them going to Tuscaloosa to play the Crimson Tide.

Schlabach also has Alabama in this portion of the bracket but as his No. 9. That has them set for a rematch of some playoff classics against the Tigers from Death Valley.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Fiesta Bowl

Bonagura: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 BYU

For the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Bonagura has this as his No. 1 vs. No. 8 while Schlabach has it as his No. 4 vs. No. 5.

That has one prediction as a matchup from within the SEC between ‘Bama and Texas as a top seed. The other then has BYU, the winner of the Big 12 Championship, meeting Ohio State, the runner-up out of the Big Ten.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl

Bonagura: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Miami
Schlabach: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 1 Texas

In the Peach Bowl, Penn State would move on to play Miami, the winner of the ACC Championship, for Bonagura.

Schlabach then projects his No. 1 vs. No. 8 here with the Longhorns again as they’d face Clemson, a runner-up from out of the ACC.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game

Bonagura: No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 2 Oregon

As the flip side of that result last night inside Autzen Stadium, Oregon is your new No. 2 seed from ESPN. That would have the Ducks playing in Pasadena as part of the Rose Bowl.

As for their opponent, Bonagura has a reunion for Dan Lanning against the ‘Dawgs. Schlabach, though, projects it as a conference matchup that we won’t get in this regular season between them and the Nittany Lions.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl

Bonagura: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Boise State
Schlabach: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 3 Miami

The final quarterfinal sees a major shift from Bonagura as he has given a top-four seed and a bye to Boise State. Based on their play so far and his belief that they’d beat the winner of the Big 12 Championship, the Broncos were one of the four highest-rated conference champions in his projections with that earning them a game against Ohio State.

Schlabach had this as the same game as last week with Georgia playing Miami in New Orleans.

CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl

Bonagura: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 2 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oregon

Both Bonagura and Schlabach have a No. 2 vs. No. 6 matchup in the Orange Bowl. They’re actually just flipped from what the other has in their predictions from a round earlier from the Rose Bowl.

Either way, it’d be the Oregon Ducks playing for a spot in the national title against one of Georgia or Penn State.

CFP Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl Classic

Bonagura: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Texas

A week ago, Texas vs. Ohio State was the national championship pick for both experts at ESPN. It’s now a semifinal a round earlier today after the Buckeyes’ loss this weekend.

Still, this makes that matchup a title-worthy one for these two teams in Arlington.

CFP National Championship

Bonagura: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Texas

Bonagura and Schlabach agree again on the two who will play for the title this season, including which two conferences will be represented in it. It’s just a different game this time after this weekend with a new team at No. 2.

ESPN kept it as a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup for the national championship with the Longhorns playing the Ducks for one to win the College Football Playoff.

ESPN 2024 Bowl Season predictions after Week 7

Celebration Bowl

Bonagura: Florida A&M vs. NC Central
Schlabach: Florida A&M vs. NC Central

Camellia Bowl

Bonagura: Virginia vs. Texas State
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Louisiana Monroe

Frisco Bowl

Bonagura: Arizona vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. North Texas

Boca Raton Bowl

Bonagura: Miami (OH) vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: Buffalo vs. Tulane

L.A. Bowl

Bonagura: California vs. UNLV
Schlabach: California vs. UNLV

New Orleans Bowl

Bonagura: Liberty vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Liberty vs. James Madison

Cure Bowl

Bonagura: Bowling Green vs. Coastal Carolina
Schlabach: East Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina

Gasparilla Bowl

Bonagura: Memphis vs. Vanderbilt
Schlabach: Boston College vs. South Carolina

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Bonagura: Louisiana Monroe vs. Connecticut
Schlabach: Marshall vs. Charlotte

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Bonagura: Toledo vs. San José State
Schlabach: Western Michigan vs. Fresno State

Hawaii Bowl

Bonagura: Sam Houston State vs. Colorado State
Schlabach: Western Kentucky vs. Colorado State

Detroit Bowl

Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Rutgers
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Rutgers

Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. TCU
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Arizona

68 Ventures Bowl

Bonagura: Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia Southern
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Georgia Southern

Birmingham Bowl

Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Minnesota
Schlabach: Oklahoma vs. Army

Armed Forces Bowl

Bonagura: Kentucky vs. Navy
Schlabach: Kentucky vs. West Virginia

Liberty Bowl

Bonagura: West Virginia vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Colorado vs. Vanderbilt

Holiday Bowl

Bonagura: SMU vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: SMU vs. Arizona State

Las Vegas Bowl

Bonagura: Arkansas vs. USC
Schlabach: Ole Miss vs. Washington State

Fenway Bowl

Bonagura: Tulane vs. Georgia Tech
Schlabach: Memphis vs. Virginia Tech

Pinstripe Bowl

Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Illinois
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. Illinois

New Mexico Bowl

Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Washington
Schlabach: San Diego State vs. Texas State

Pop-Tarts Bowl

Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Texas Tech
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Texas Tech

Arizona Bowl

Bonagura: Northern Illinois vs. Nevada
Schlabach: Central Michigan vs. San José State

Military Bowl

Bonagura: Syracuse vs. Army
Schlabach: Virginia vs. Navy

Alamo Bowl

Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Washington State
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. USC

Independence Bowl

Bonagura: UCF vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Cincinnati vs. Oregon State

Music City Bowl

Bonagura: Illinois vs. LSU
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Missouri

ReliaQuest Bowl

Bonagura: Michigan vs. LSU
Schlabach: Indiana vs. Tennessee

Sun Bowl

Bonagura: Boston College vs. Colorado
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Washington

Citrus Bowl

Bonagura: Indiana vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Texas A&M

Texas Bowl

Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Utah vs. Arkansas

Gator Bowl

Bonagura: Louisville vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Louisville vs. LSU

First Responder Bowl

Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. James Madison
Schlabach: UCF vs. Minnesota

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Bonagura: Duke vs. Nebraska
Schlabach: Duke vs. Iowa

Bahamas Bowl

Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Ohio
Schlabach: Sam Houston State vs. Northern Illinois