Updated College Football Playoff and bowl projections
As we head into the 11th week of the season (that’s both sobering because the season almost is over and exhilarating because the stretch run is upon us), here are our latest College Football Playoff and bowl projections.
We have — in projected order of final College Football Playoff ranking — Georgia, Ohio State, Cincinnati and Oklahoma as the four teams in the Playoff field.
The rationale: Georgia as the unbeaten SEC champ; Ohio State as the one-loss Big Ten champ; Cincinnati as the unbeaten AAC champ (and the first Group of 5 representative to make the field); and Oklahoma as the once-beaten Big 12 champ. While Cincinnati has scuffled a bit of late, an unbeaten Bearcats squad should be fine when compared with a twice-beaten Power 5 non-champ, and it also would edge out a one- or two-loss ACC champ. The wild card is Oregon: If the Ducks win out, they will be in the CFP field.
This week’s projected participants in the four other New Year’s Six bowls: Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Oregon (Pac-12 champ), Pitt (ACC champ) and Texas A&M.
The second set of College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night.
On to the projections. (Note: * refers to replacement team because projection is league won’t be able to fill the slot.)
College Football Playoff projections
DECEMBER 30
ORANGE BOWL
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
TV/time: ESPN, time TBA
Matchup: CFP semifinal
Projection: Georgia vs. Oklahoma
COTTON BOWL
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
TV/time: ESPN, time TBA
Matchup: CFP semifinal
Projection: Cincinnati vs. Ohio State
JANUARY 10
CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV/time: ESPN, 8 p.m.
Matchup: CFP semifinal winners
The rest of the bowls
DECEMBER 17
BAHAMAS BOWL
Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
TV/time: ESPN, noon
Conference matchup: Conference USA vs. MAC
Projection: FAU vs. Ball State
CURE BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN2, 6 p.m.
Conference matchup: Group of 5 vs. Group of 5
Projection: Charlotte vs. Wyoming
DECEMBER 18
BOCA RATON BOWL
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla.
TV/time: ESPN, 11 am
Conference matchup: Group of 5 vs. Group of 5
Projection: Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky
NEW MEXICO BOWL
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque
TV/time: ESPN, 2:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: Conference USA vs. Mountain West
Projection: UTEP vs. San Jose State
LendingTree BOWL
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV/time: ABC, 3:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Kent State vs. Middle Tennessee*
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.
TV/time: ESPN, 5:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: BYU vs. C-USA
Projection: BYU vs. UTSA
L.A. BOWL
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
TV/time: ABC, 7:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Mountain West vs. Pac-12
Projection: San Diego State vs. USC
NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Superdome, New Orleans
TV/time: ESPN, 9:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: C-USA vs. Sun Belt
Projection: UAB vs. Louisiana
DECEMBER 20
MYRTLE BEACH BOWL
Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC or MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Western Michigan vs. Appalachian State
DECEMBER 21
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
TV/time: ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Eastern Michigan at Boise State
FRISCO BOWL
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
TV/time: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Group of 5 vs. Group of 5
Projection: Coastal Carolina vs. Fresno State
DECEMBER 22
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
TV/time: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Group of 5 or Big 12 or Pac-12 or C-USA or Army
Projection: Washington State vs. Army
DECEMBER 23
GASPARILLA BOWL
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/time: ESPN, 7 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC or ACC or SEC or open
Projection: East Carolina vs. Liberty
DECEMBER 24
HAWAII BOWL
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu
TV/time: ESPN, 8 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: UCF vs. Nevada
DECEMBER 25
CAMELLIA BOWL
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. C-USA or Sun Belt
Projection: Miami (Ohio) vs. Troy
DECEMBER 27
QUICK LANE BOWL
Ford Field, Detroit
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. MAC
Projection: Marshall* vs. Northern Illinois
MILITARY BOWL
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC vs. ACC
Projection: Houston vs. Louisville
DECEMBER 28
BIRMINGHAM BOWL
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala.
TV/time: ESPN, noon
Conference matchup: AAC vs. ACC or SEC
Projection: Memphis vs. South Carolina
FIRST RESPONDER BOWL
Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas
TV/time: ESPN, 3:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC or ACC or Big 12 or Pac-12
Projection: Air Force vs. Washington
LIBERTY BOWL
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis
TV/time: ESPN, 6:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: West Virginia vs. Arkansas
Top 10
- 1
Dan Lanning
Oregon coach getting NFL buzz
- 2Trending
UK upsets Duke
Mark Pope leads Kentucky to first Champions Classic win since 2019
- 3Hot
5-star flip
Ole Miss flips Alabama WR commit Caleb Cunningham
- 4
Second CFP Top 25
Newest CFP rankings are out
- 5
Transfer Portal
Boston College QB expected to enter NCAA Transfer Portal
HOLIDAY BOWL
Petco Park, San Diego
TV/time: Fox, 8 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Miami vs. Oregon State
GUARANTEED RATE BOWL
Chase Field, Phoenix
TV/time: ESPN, 10:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Big 12
Projection: Maryland vs. Kansas State
DECEMBER 29
FENWAY BOWL
Fenway Park, Boston
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: AAC vs. ACC
Projection: SMU vs. North Carolina
PINSTRIPE BOWL
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Big Ten
Projection: Virginia vs. Penn State
CHEEZ-IT BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN, 5:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Big 12
Projection: NC State vs. Iowa State
ALAMO BOWL
Alamodome, San Antonio
TV/time: ESPN, 9:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection: Baylor vs. Utah
DECEMBER 30
DUKE’S MAYO BOWL
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
TV/time: ESPN, 11:30 a.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Wake Forest vs. Auburn
MUSIC CITY BOWL
Nissan Stadium, Nashville
TV/time: ESPN, 3 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Minnesota vs. Tennessee
PEACH BOWL
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV/time: ESPN, 7 p.m.
Conference matchup: New Year’s Six at-large teams
Projection: Michigan vs. Pitt
LAS VEGAS BOWL
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
TV/time: ESPN, 10:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Wisconsin vs. UCLA
DECEMBER 31
GATOR BOWL
TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Clemson vs. Florida
SUN BOWL
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
TV/time: CBS, 12:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Boston College vs. Arizona State
ARIZONA BOWL
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.
TV/time: TBA, 4:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Toledo vs. Utah State
JANUARY 1
OUTBACK BOWL
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/time: ESPN2, Noon
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Purdue vs. Kentucky
CITRUS BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN2, 1 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Iowa vs. Ole Miss
FIESTA BOWL
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
TV/time: ESPN, 1 p.m.
Conference matchup: New Year’s Six at-large teams
Projection: Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
ROSE BOWL
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
TV/time: ESPN, 5 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Michigan State vs. Oregon
SUGAR BOWL
Superdome, New Orleans
TV/time: ESPN, 8:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama
JANUARY 4
TEXAS BOWL
NRG Stadium, Houston
TV/time: ESPN, time TBA
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Texas vs. Mississippi State