EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWeek 3 kept us on the edge of our seats as we saw potential surprises fizzle, some thrilling finishes and a couple of big upsets.In a game circled on everyone's calendars this season, Ole Miss gained a massive win over former Rebels coach Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers. With this result, Ole Miss jumped seeds in this week's playoff projections and LSU dropped significantly. West Virginia handed then-No. 25 Virginia a big loss, showing there might be more Big 12 title contenders than anticipated. With conference play picking up in Week 4, expect to see the postseason picture shift further.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 Dec. 12, and wrap up with the CFP National Championship game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Jan. 25.ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach will make their predictions for all the postseason matchups every week of the season until the actual matchups are set 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 North Dakota State at No. 5 IndianaBonagura: No. 11 LSU at No. 6 MiamiSchlabach: No. 11 Penn State at No. 6 MiamiBonagura: No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Ole MissSchlabach: No. 10 LSU at No. 7 Ohio StateBonagura: No. 9 BYU at No. 8 AlabamaSchlabach: No. 9 Alabama 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 Indiana vs. No. 4 GeorgiaFriday, 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. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 2 IndianaSchlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Ole MissQuarterfinals Game 34 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Notre DameSchlabach: No. 8 BYU vs. No. 1 TexasQuarterfinals Game 48 p.m., ESPNBonagura: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 3 TexasSchlabach: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 3 Notre DameCFP 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. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 TexasFriday, Jan. 15Allstate Sugar BowlCaesars Superdome (New Orleans)7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Notre DameSchlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 6 MiamiMonday, Jan. 25CFP National ChampionshipAllegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Notre DameSchlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 4 GeorgiaBowl season scheduleSaturday, Dec. 12Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by ToyotaMercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)Noon, ABCBonagura: South Carolina State vs. Jackson StateSchlabach: South Carolina State vs. Alabama StateTuesday, Dec. 15 IS4S Salute to Veterans BowlCramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Louisiana TechSchlabach: UMass vs. LouisianaFrisco Football ClassicThe Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UConn vs. LouisianaSchlabach: Memphis vs. San Diego StateFriday, Dec. 18 Boca Raton BowlFlagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Liberty vs. TulsaSchlabach: FAU vs. Western MichiganUnion Home Mortgage Gasparilla BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Kentucky 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. South AlabamaSchlabach: 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. Oklahoma StateSchlabach: 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: UCF vs. ArmySchlabach: Cal vs. Oklahoma StateSan Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California)7:30 p.m., The CWBonagura: Oregon State vs. WashingtonSchlabach: Arizona vs. Boise StateFrisco BowlThe Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Florida State vs. MemphisSchlabach: UTSA vs. Middle Tennessee StateThursday, 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: Duke vs. NorthwesternSchlabach: Virginia Tech vs. IllinoisWasabi Fenway BowlFenway Park (Boston)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Wake Forest vs. East CarolinaSchlabach: Wake Forest vs. NavyDuke's Mayo BowlBank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)3:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Virginia vs. WisconsinSchlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin68 Ventures BowlHancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Troy vs. Air ForceSchlabach: Appalachian State vs. Miami (Ohio)Cactus BowlMountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)7:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Maryland vs. BaylorSchlabach: Minnesota vs. BaylorMonday, Dec. 28 Freedom Mortgage Military BowlNavy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Clemson vs. NavySchlabach: Duke vs. South FloridaTrust & Will Holiday BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego)5 p.m., The CWBonagura: Louisville vs. UtahSchlabach: Virginia vs. USCTuesday, Dec. 29 JLab Birmingham BowlProtective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: South Carolina vs. TulaneSchlabach: North Carolina vs. AuburnPop-Tarts BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: SMU vs. Kansas StateSchlabach: Louisville vs. HoustonValero Alamo BowlAlamodome (San Antonio)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Texas Tech vs. OregonSchlabach: Texas Tech 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: Iowa vs. Mississippi StateSchlabach: Nebraska vs. Mississippi StateThursday, Dec. 31 ReliaQuest BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)Noon, ESPNBonagura: Michigan vs. Texas A&MSchlabach: Michigan vs. Texas A&MOld El Paso 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: West Virginia vs. AuburnSchlabach: Kansas State vs. MissouriSaturday, Jan. 2 Citrus BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)Noon, ABCBonagura: Nebraska vs. TennesseeSchlabach: Iowa vs. TennesseeSERVPRO First Responder BowlGerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)3:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Cincinnati vs. North TexasSchlabach: Arizona State vs. ArmyAutoZone Liberty BowlSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)7:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Houston vs. MissouriSchlabach: TCU vs. South CarolinaDate TBD The Snoop Dogg Arizona BowlCasino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)Time TBD, The CWBonagura: Toledo vs. San Jos StateSchlabach: New Mexico vs. Central Michigan
