Updated College Football Playoff and bowl projections

As we head into the eighth week of the season, here are our second College Football Playoff and bowl projections of 2021.

There’s still an enormous amount of jockeying that will ensue, but for the second week in a row, we have — in projected order of College Football Playoff ranking — Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Cincinnati as the four teams in the Playoff field.

The rationale: Georgia and Oklahoma as unbeaten SEC and Big 12 champs, respectively; Ohio State as the one-loss Big Ten champ; and Cincinnati as the unbeaten AAC champ (and the first Group of 5 representative to make the field). While Cincinnati is ranked second (AP) and third (coaches) in the polls now, the Bearcats have just one more ranked team on their schedule (SMU, who they could play twice) and have the most tenuous grip on a spot. They have to win out and look good doing it.

This week’s participants in the four other New Year’s Six bowls: Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, NC State (ACC champ), Notre Dame, Oregon (Pac-12 champ) and Penn State.

The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday, November 2.

On to the projections.

College Football Playoff projections

DECEMBER 30

ORANGE BOWL
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
TV/time: ESPN, time TBA
Matchup: CFP semifinal
Projection: Cincinnati vs. Georgia

COTTON BOWL
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
TV/time: ESPN, time TBA
Matchup: CFP semifinal
Projection: Ohio State vs. Oklahoma

JANUARY 10

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV/time: ESPN, 8 p.m.
Matchup: CFP semifinal winners

The other 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. Eastern Michigan

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: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois

NEW MEXICO BOWL
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque
TV/time: ESPN, 2:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: Conference USA vs. Mountain West
Projection: UTEP vs. Air Force

LendingTree BOWL
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV/time: ABC, 3:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Buffalo vs. South Alabama

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: Nevada vs. UCLA

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: East Carolina vs. Troy

DECEMBER 21

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
TV/time: ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Kent State 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. San Diego 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 vs. C-USA or Army
Projection: Utah 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: Liberty vs. Louisiana Tech

DECEMBER 24

HAWAII BOWL
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu
TV/time: ESPN, 8 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Memphis vs. Wyoming

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: Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky

DECEMBER 27

QUICK LANE BOWL
Ford Field, Detroit
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. MAC
Projection: Northwestern vs. Toledo

MILITARY BOWL
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md.
TV/time: ESPN, 2:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: AAC vs. ACC
Projection: Houston vs. Virginia Tech

DECEMBER 28

BIRMINGHAM BOWL
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala.
TV/time: ESPN, noon
Conference matchup: AAC vs. ACC or SEC
Projection: UCF vs. Mississippi State

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: Texas Tech vs. Tulsa

LIBERTY BOWL
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis
TV/time: ESPN, 6:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: TCU vs. Arkansas

HOLIDAY BOWL
Petco Park, San Diego
TV/time: Fox, 8 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Virginia vs. Oregon State

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL
Chase Field, Phoenix
TV/time: ESPN, 10:15 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Big 12
Projection: Minnesota 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: Clemson vs. Maryland

CHEEZ-IT BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN, 5:45 p.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. Big 12
Projection: Pitt 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. Arizona State

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: Purdue vs. Tennessee

PEACH BOWL
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV/time: ESPN, 7 p.m.
Conference matchup: New Year’s Six at-large teams
Projection: Kentucky vs. NC State

LAS VEGAS BOWL
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
TV/time: ESPN, 10:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Wisconsin vs. Utah

DECEMBER 31

GATOR BOWL
TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Louisville 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. USC

ARIZONA BOWL
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.
TV/time: Barstool Sports, 4:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Western Michigan vs. Fresno State

JANUARY 1

OUTBACK BOWL
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/time: ESPN2, Noon
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Michigan vs. Texas A&M

CITRUS BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN2, 1 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Michigan State 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. Penn State

ROSE BOWL
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
TV/time: ESPN, 5 p.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Iowa 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. LSU