What’s the real fallout of a bunch of upsets happening in mid-October? Several teams that seemed to be locks for the College Football Playoff are suddenly in danger of being realistically knocked out of the hunt.
On the plus side, there’s the likelihood now that teams like Texas and Alabama have to find homes in top bowl games, potentially making the games more attractive – at least when it comes to brand names.
The results from one of the wildest weekends in a long, long time are reflected in the latest CFN bowl projections. Jump to the College Football Playoff Bracket and Predictions.
– What will the final CFP Top 12 field be?
Week 8 Bowl Projections
Bowl Projections Quick Hits
- We’re predicting that only three SEC teams will find their way into the College Football Playoff, which means the bowl powers-that-be will have to find showcase games for several powerful football schools.
- With Arizona State and Cal being blown out, Washington rallying back, and Colorado and Stanford not realistically a part of the mix, there aren’t a ton of sure-thing former Pac-12 programs with several slots being held open for them.
- Remember, several schools won’t accept the bowl bids or won’t be able to go. The projections now are based on what we think will happen if everyone can field a full team. If you don’t see your team, don’t worry – it should all be fine once teams drop out.
Cricket Celebration Bowl
South Carolina State vs Jackson State
Saturday, December 12, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Last Season: South Carolina State 50, Prairie View A&M 38 4OT
Bowl Affiliations: MEAC, SWAC
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Middle Tennessee vs Louisiana Tech
Tuesday, December 15, 2026
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN
Location: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Last Season: Jacksonville State 17, Troy 13
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt
Frisco Football Classic
FIU vs Troy
Tuesday, December 15, 2026
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN
Location: Ford Center at the Star, Frisco, TX
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, Sun Belt
Boca Raton Bowl
UCF* vs Mississippi State*
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 11:00 am, ESPN
Location: Flagler Credit Union Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Last Season: Louisville 27, Toledo 22
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
USF vs South Carolina
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 3:30, ESPN
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Last Season: NC State 31, Memphis 7
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, CUSA (ACC, SEC)
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Jacksonville State vs North Texas
Monday, December 21, 2026
Game Time: 11:00 am, ESPN
Location: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
Last Season: Western Michigan 41, Kennesaw State 6
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Western Michigan vs North Dakota State
Monday, December 21, 2026
Game Time: 2:30, ESPN
Location: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
Last Season: Washington State 34, Utah State 21
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Mountain West
Puerto Rico Bowl
Miami University vs Oregon State
Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Game Time: 1:30, ESPN
Location: Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Group of 6 or Pac-12
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Georgia State vs Florida Atlantic
Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Game Time: 5:00, ESPN
Location: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL
Last Season: Old Dominion 24, USF 10
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Baylor vs Boise State*
Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Game Time: 8:30, ESPN
Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Last Season: Louisiana Tech 23, Coastal Carolina 14
Bowl Affiliations: Big 12, Former Pac-12
New Orleans Bowl
Liberty vs Louisiana
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Last Season: Western Kentucky 27, Southern Miss 16
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, Sun Belt
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Army vs West Virginia
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN
Location: Amon G Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Last Season: Texas State 41, Rice 10
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, CUSA, (or Big 12)
Poinsettia Bowl
Washington vs UNLV
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, CW
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: Former Pac-12, Mountain West
Frisco Bowl
Fresno State vs TCU*
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN
Location: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Last Season: Ohio 17, UNLV 10
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
New Mexico vs South Alabama
Thursday, December 24, 2026
Game Time: 2:30, ESPN
Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Last Season: North Texas 49, San Diego State 47
Bowl Affiliations: Mountain West, CUSA or Sun Belt
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Wyoming vs East Carolina
Thursday, December 24, 2026
Game Time: 7:00, ESPN
Location: Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI
Last Season: Hawaii 35, Cal 31
Bowl Affiliations: Mountain West, CUSA (or AAC)
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Virginia Tech vs Minnesota
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Last Season: Penn State 22, Clemson 10
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big Ten
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Memphis vs Florida State
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN
Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Last Season: Army 41, UConn 16
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, ACC
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
North Carolina vs Northwestern
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 3:30, ABC
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Last Season: Wake Forest 43, Mississippi State 29
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big Ten (or SEC)
68 Ventures Bowl
Ohio vs App State
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN
Location: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
Last Season: Delaware 20, Louisiana 13
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt
Cactus Bowl
Penn State vs Oklahoma State
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, ABC
Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Last Season: Minnesota 20, New Mexico 17 OT
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, Big 12
Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
Tulane vs Virginia
Monday, December 28, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
Last Season: East Carolina 23, Pitt 17
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, ACC
Holiday Bowl
Duke vs USC
Monday, December 28, 2026
Game Time: 5:00, CW
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Last Season: SMU 24, Arizona 19
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Former Pac-12
JLab Birmingham Bowl
UTSA vs Auburn
Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN
Location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
Last Season: Georgia Southern 29, App State 10
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, SEC
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Clemson vs Kansas State
Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Game Time: 5:30, ABC
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Last Season: BYU 25, Georgia Tech 21
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big 12
Valero Alamo Bowl
Oregon vs Houston
Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN
Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Last Season: TCU 30, USC 27 OT
Bowl Affiliations: Former Pac-12, Big 12
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Louisville vs Ole Miss
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Game Time: 11:30 am, ESPN
Location: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Last Season: Virginia 13, Missouri 7
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, SEC
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Nebraska vs Florida
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Game Time: 3:00, ESPN
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Last Season: Illinois 30, Tennessee 28
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC
ReliaQuest Bowl
Michigan vs Kentucky
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ESPN
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Last Season: Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC
Old El Paso Sun Bowl
SMU vs Utah
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, CBS
Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
Last Season: Duke 42, Arizona State 39
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Former Pac-12
Las Vegas Bowl
Oklahoma vs Arizona
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Game Time: 3:45, ESPN
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Last Season: Utah 44, Nebraska 22
Bowl Affiliations: SEC, Former Pac-12
Kinder’s Texas Bowl
Texas Tech vs Texas
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, ESPN
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Last Season: Houston 38, LSU 35
Bowl Affiliations: Big 12, SEC
Citrus Bowl
Wisconsin vs Alabama
Saturday, January 2, 2027
Game Time: 12:00, ABC
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Last Season: Texas 41, Michigan 27
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Pitt* vs Texas A&M*
Saturday, January 2, 2027
Game Time: 3:30, ESPN
Location: Gerald R Ford Stadium, University Park, TX
Last Season: UTSA 57, FIU 20
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6 (or ACC)
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop
Toledo vs Air Force
Saturday, January 2, 2027
Game Time: 5:30, CW
Location: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Last Season: Fresno State 18, Miami University 3
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Mountain West
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Cincinnati vs Missouri
Saturday, January 2, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, ESPN
Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
Last Season: Navy 35, Cincinnati 13
Bowl Affiliations: Big 12, SEC, (or AAC)
College Football Playoff Projections
College Football Playoff First Round
Tennessee (9) at Iowa (8)
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 8:00, ESPN
Location: To Be Determined
James Madison (12) at Georgia (5)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC/ESPN
Location: To Be Determined
Wake Forest (10) at Indiana (7)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 3:30, TNT/truTV
Location: To Be Determined
LSU (11) at UCLA (6)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: To Be Determined
College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
Indiana (7) vs BYU (2)
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Georgia (5) vs Miami (4)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
LSU (11) vs Notre Dame (3)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential
Iowa (8) vs Ohio State (1)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
College Football Playoff Semifinals
Capital One Orange Bowl
Indiana (7) vs Notre Dame (3)
Thursday, January 14, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Georgia (5) vs Ohio State (1)
Friday, January 15, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, ABC/ESPN
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
College Football Playoff National Championship
Georgia (5) vs Notre Dame (3)
Monday, January 25, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, ABC
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV