Updated College Football Playoff and bowl projections

As we head into the ninth week of the season, here is our third set of College Football Playoff and bowl projections of 2021.

For the third week in a row, we have — in projected order of CFP ranking — Georgia, Ohio State, Cincinnati and Oklahoma 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 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 projected participants in the four other New Year’s Six bowls: Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Oregon (Pac-12 champ) and Pitt (ACC champ). This week’s Michigan-Michigan State and Ohio State-Penn State games are going to have a huge bearing on both the College Football Playoff picture and potential New Year’s Six bowl bids.

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

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 other bowls

DECEMBER 17

BAHAMAS BOWL
Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
TV/time: ESPN, noon
Conference matchup: Conference USA vs. MAC
Projection: Charlotte vs. Kent State

CURE BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
TV/time: ESPN2, 6 p.m.
Conference matchup: Group of 5 vs. Group of 5
Projection: FAU vs. Liberty

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: Georgia State 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. Air Force

LendingTree BOWL
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV/time: ABC, 3:30 p.m.
Conference matchup: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Ball State 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: 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 vs. C-USA or Army
Projection: Wyoming 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. Middle Tennessee State

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 at Hawaii

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: Northern Illinois vs. ULM

DECEMBER 27

QUICK LANE BOWL
Ford Field, Detroit
TV/time: ESPN, 11 a.m.
Conference matchup: Big Ten vs. MAC
Projection: Marshall* vs. Miami (Ohio)

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: 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: Tulsa vs. Washington State

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

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: Purdue vs. Nevada*

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. Maryland

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. 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: 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: Kentucky 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. Utah

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: Penn State vs. Ole Miss

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

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. Michigan 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