EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWeek 2 gave us a finish that will be remembered for years, plus shocking upsets that impacted this week's bowl game and playoff projections.In the only top-25 matchup of the week, then-No. 4 Texas made a jaw-dropping 20-point comeback against then-No. 1 Ohio State in an ending that wowed viewers, as the Longhorns jumped seeds in this week's playoff projections. Oklahoma State and Michigan delivered big blows in Week 2 as Oregon fell out of our playoff projections, and the Wolverines' impressive win over then-No. 11 Oklahoma shifted the bowl picture.New to the 2026 season, the Power 4 conference champions will get automatic bids to the CFP, along with the highest-ranked Group of 6 team regardless of whether it is a league champ. The remaining slots in the 12-team field will go to the next seven highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot in the field if it is among the top-12 teams.The four highest-ranked teams (not necessarily conference champions) will be awarded first-round byes. The other eight teams will meet in first-round games at the campus sites of seeds 5 through 8.The festivities of bowl season kick off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 12, and wrap up with the CFP National Championship game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday, Jan. 25.ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach will project all the postseason matchups every week of the season until the actual matchups are set Sunday, Dec. 6.All times EasternJump to:First-round games | QuarterfinalsSemis, title game | Bowl seasonCollege Football PlayoffFirst-round games (at campus sites)Friday, Dec. 188 p.m., ESPNSaturday, Dec. 19Noon, ABC/ESPN3:30 p.m., TNT7:30 p.m., TNTBonagura: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio StateSchlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 MiamiBonagura: No. 11 BYU at No. 6 LSUSchlabach: No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 6 LSUBonagura: No. 10 Texas Tech at No. 7 MiamiSchlabach: No. 10 Texas Tech at No. 7 Ohio StateBonagura: No. 9 Texas A&M at No. 8 AlabamaSchlabach: No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 8 BYUCFP quarterfinalsWednesday, Dec. 30 Vrbo Fiesta BowlState Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)7:30 p.m., TNT Bonagura: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 GeorgiaSchlabach: No. 5 Miami vs. No. 4 IndianaFriday, Jan. 1Time slots for quarterfinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to be determined on Selection Day (Dec. 6) Quarterfinals Game 2Noon, TNTBonagura: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Notre DameSchlabach: No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 1 TexasQuarterfinals Game 34 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 6 LSU vs. No. 3 TexasSchlabach: No. 6 LSU vs. No. 3 Notre DameQuarterfinals Game 48 p.m., ESPNBonagura: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 IndianaSchlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 2 GeorgiaCFP semifinals, national championship gameThursday, Jan. 14 Capital One Orange BowlHard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)7:30 p.m., TNTBonagura: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 IndianaSchlabach: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 GeorgiaFriday, Jan. 15Allstate Sugar BowlCaesars Superdome (New Orleans)7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Notre DameSchlabach: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 TexasMonday, Jan. 25CFP National ChampionshipAllegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Notre DameSchlabach: No.4 Indiana vs. No. 2 GeorgiaBowl season scheduleSaturday, Dec. 12Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by ToyotaMercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)Noon, ABCBonagura: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&MSchlabach: South Carolina State vs. Alabama StateTuesday, Dec. 15 IS4S Salute to Veterans BowlCramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: FIU vs. Louisiana TechSchlabach: UMass vs. LouisianaFrisco Football ClassicThe Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Michigan State vs. LouisianaSchlabach: Memphis vs. North Dakota StateFriday, Dec. 18 Boca Raton BowlFlagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Liberty vs. TulsaSchlabach: East Carolina vs. Western MichiganUnion Home Mortgage Gasparilla BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Vanderbilt vs. South FloridaSchlabach: Georgia Tech vs. TulaneMonday, Dec. 21 Myrtle Beach BowlBrooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Delaware vs. Georgia StateSchlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Georgia StateFamous Idaho Potato BowlAlbertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Western Michigan vs. UNLVSchlabach: Toledo vs. Air ForceTuesday, Dec. 22 Puerto Rico BowlJuan Ramn Loubriel Stadium (Bayamn, Puerto Rico)1:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UMass vs. Old DominionSchlabach: Tulsa vs. LibertyStaffDNA Cure BowlAcrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)5 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Ohio vs. James MadisonSchlabach: Troy vs. Florida InternationalRadiance Technologies Independence BowlIndependence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)8:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UCLA vs. West VirginiaSchlabach: UCLA vs. West VirginiaWednesday, Dec. 23 New Orleans BowlCaesars Superdome (New Orleans)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian StateSchlabach: Kennesaw State vs. James MadisonLockheed Martin Armed Forces BowlAmon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: TCU vs. ArmySchlabach: Cal vs. ArmySan Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California)7:30 p.m., The CWBonagura: San Diego State vs. WashingtonSchlabach: San Diego State vs. ArizonaFrisco BowlThe Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Clemson vs. MemphisSchlabach: UTSA vs. Western KentuckyThursday, Dec. 24 Isleta New Mexico BowlUniversity Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: New Mexico vs. UTSASchlabach: UNLV vs. Fresno StateSheraton Hawai'i BowlClarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)7 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Fresno State vs. North Dakota StateSchlabach: Hawai'i vs. Colorado StateSaturday, Dec. 26 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe BowlYankee Stadium (New York)Noon, ABCBonagura: Louisville vs. IowaSchlabach: Virginia Tech vs. NebraskaWasabi Fenway BowlFenway Park (Boston)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Wake Forest vs. East CarolinaSchlabach: NC State vs. NavyDuke's Mayo BowlBank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)3:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Duke vs. MarylandSchlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin68 Ventures BowlHancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Troy vs. Air ForceSchlabach: Georgia Southern vs. Miami (Ohio)Cactus BowlMountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)7:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Wisconsin vs. UCFSchlabach: Oklahoma State vs. IllinoisMonday, Dec. 28 Freedom Mortgage Military BowlNavy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: North Carolina vs. NavySchlabach: Duke vs. South FloridaTrust & Will Holiday BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego)5 p.m., The CWBonagura: Virginia vs. UtahSchlabach: Virginia vs. USCTuesday, Dec. 29 JLab Birmingham BowlProtective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Mississippi State vs. TulaneSchlabach: Mississippi State vs. North CarolinaPop-Tarts BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: SMU vs. HoustonSchlabach: Louisville vs. Kansas StateValero Alamo BowlAlamodome (San Antonio)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Kansas State vs. OregonSchlabach: Houston vs. OregonWednesday, Dec. 30 TaxSlayer Gator BowlEverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)11:30 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Pittsburgh vs. FloridaSchlabach: SMU vs. FloridaLiberty Mutual Music City BowlNissan Stadium (Nashville)3 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Nebraska vs. South CarolinaSchlabach: Iowa vs. South CarolinaThursday, Dec. 31 ReliaQuest BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)Noon, ESPNBonagura: Michigan vs. Ole MissSchlabach: Michigan vs. TennesseeTony the Tiger Sun BowlSun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)2 p.m., CBSBonagura: Virginia Tech vs. ArizonaSchlabach: Clemson vs. UtahLas Vegas BowlAllegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)3:45 p.m., ESPNBonagura: USC vs. OklahomaSchlabach: Washington vs. OklahomaKinder's Texas BowlReliant Stadium (Houston)7:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Cincinnati vs. AuburnSchlabach: Baylor vs. MissouriSaturday, Jan. 2 Citrus BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)Noon, ABCBonagura: Penn State vs. TennesseeSchlabach: Penn State vs. AlabamaSERVPRO First Responder BowlGerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)3:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Oklahoma State vs. North TexasSchlabach: Arizona State vs. MinnesotaAutoZone Liberty BowlSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)7:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Baylor vs. MissouriSchlabach: TCU vs. AuburnDate TBD The Snoop Dogg Arizona BowlCasino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)Time TBD, The CWBonagura: Toledo vs. NevadaSchlabach: New Mexico vs. Ohio
