EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsIf Week 6 showed anything, it's to never underestimate the underdog. Only two ranked matchups were played: Georgia earned a conference road victory over Alabama, and UCLA pulled off an upset over Oregon in Eugene.But four unranked teams defeated ranked opponents with then-No. 1 Texas falling to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game, Kentucky pulling off its second surprise over a top-25 opponent, plus South Carolina and North Carolina earning big wins.In the wake of all that, we take a look at how the postseason picture shifted after Week 6.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 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 TexasSchlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 IndianaBonagura: No. 11 Texas Tech at No. 6 Ohio StateSchlabach: No. 11 Utah at No. 6 AlabamaBonagura: No. 10 UCLA at No. 7 AlabamaSchlabach: No. 10 UCLA at No. 7 TexasBonagura: No. 9 BYU at No. 8 UtahSchlabach: 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 Texas vs. No. 4 IndianaSchlabach: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 3 Notre DameFriday, 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. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 3 MiamiSchlabach: No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 4 Ohio StateQuarterfinals Game 34 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 2 Notre DameSchlabach: No. 10 UCLA vs. No. 2 MiamiQuarterfinals Game 48 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 8 Utah vs. No. 1 GeorgiaSchlabach: No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 1 GeorgiaCFP semifinals, national championship gameThursday, Jan. 14 Capital One Orange BowlHard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)7:30 p.m., TNTBonagura: No. 3 Miami vs. No. 2 Notre DameSchlabach: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 MiamiFriday, Jan. 15Allstate Sugar BowlCaesars Superdome (New Orleans)7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 1 GeorgiaSchlabach: No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 1 GeorgiaMonday, Jan. 25CFP National ChampionshipAllegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 GeorgiaSchlabach: No. 2 Miami vs. No. 1 GeorgiaBowl season scheduleSaturday, Dec. 12Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by ToyotaMercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)Noon, ABCBonagura: South Carolina State vs. Jackson StateSchlabach: Morgan State vs. Jackson StateTuesday, Dec. 15 IS4S Salute to Veterans BowlCramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Florida InternationalSchlabach: Buffalo vs. LouisianaFrisco Football ClassicThe Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Buffalo vs. LouisianaSchlabach: USF vs. San Diego StateFriday, Dec. 18 Boca Raton BowlFlagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Liberty vs. TulsaSchlabach: Appalachian State vs. Western MichiganUnion Home Mortgage Gasparilla BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: South Florida vs. FloridaSchlabach: Virginia vs. South CarolinaMonday, Dec. 21 Myrtle Beach BowlBrooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Central Michigan vs. Georgia StateSchlabach: Liberty vs. South AlabamaFamous 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: East Carolina vs. DelawareStaffDNA Cure BowlAcrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)5 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Ohio vs. James MadisonSchlabach: Louisiana Tech vs. Florida InternationalRadiance Technologies Independence BowlIndependence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)8:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UConn vs. Iowa StateSchlabach: Cal vs. UCFWednesday, Dec. 23 New Orleans BowlCaesars Superdome (New Orleans)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian StateSchlabach: Jacksonville State vs. James MadisonLockheed Martin Armed Forces BowlAmon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UCF vs. North TexasSchlabach: Kansas State vs. ArmySan Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego)7:30 p.m., The CWBonagura: Washington vs. Oregon StateSchlabach: Arizona State vs. Oregon StateFrisco BowlThe Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: North Carolina vs. MemphisSchlabach: North Texas vs. New MexicoThursday, Dec. 24 Isleta New Mexico BowlUniversity Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: San Jos State vs. UTSASchlabach: UNLV vs. Texas StateSheraton Hawai'i BowlClarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)7 p.m., ESPNBonagura: North Dakota State vs. Fresno StateSchlabach: North Dakota State vs. Fresno StateSaturday, Dec. 26 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe BowlYankee Stadium (New York)Noon, ABCBonagura: Louisville vs. NorthwesternSchlabach: Virginia Tech vs. MinnesotaWasabi Fenway BowlFenway Park (Boston)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Virginia vs. East CarolinaSchlabach: Louisville vs. UTSADuke's Mayo BowlBank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)3:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Duke vs. Penn StateSchlabach: Duke vs. Northwestern68 Ventures BowlHancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Florida Atlantic vs. Louisiana TechSchlabach: Florida Atlantic vs. Eastern MichiganCactus BowlMountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)7:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Michigan vs. CincinnatiSchlabach: Michigan vs. CincinnatiMonday, Dec. 28 Freedom Mortgage Military BowlNavy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Clemson vs. ArmySchlabach: North Carolina vs. MemphisTrust & Will Holiday BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego)5 p.m., The CWBonagura: Wake Forest vs. Air ForceSchlabach: Pittsburgh vs. USCTuesday, Dec. 29 JLab Birmingham BowlProtective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Auburn vs. TulaneSchlabach: Auburn vs. NC StatePop-Tarts BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Pittsburgh vs. BaylorSchlabach: SMU vs. HoustonValero Alamo BowlAlamodome (San Antonio)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Houston vs. OregonSchlabach: Texas Tech vs. OregonWednesday, Dec. 30 TaxSlayer Gator BowlEverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)11:30 a.m., ESPNBonagura: SMU vs. Ole MissSchlabach: Wake Forest vs. LSULiberty Mutual Music City BowlNissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)3 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Iowa vs. Mississippi StateSchlabach: Wisconsin vs. KentuckyThursday, Dec. 31 ReliaQuest BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)Noon, ESPNBonagura: Wisconsin vs. LSUSchlabach: Nebraska vs. Mississippi StateOld El Paso Sun BowlSun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)2 p.m., CBSBonagura: Virginia Tech vs. ArizonaSchlabach: Clemson vs. WashingtonLas Vegas BowlAllegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)3:45 p.m., ESPNBonagura: USC vs. OklahomaSchlabach: Arizona vs. MissouriKinder's Texas BowlReliant Stadium (Houston)7:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Oklahoma State vs. KentuckySchlabach: Oklahoma State vs. OklahomaSaturday, 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: Eastern Michigan vs. TroySchlabach: Penn State vs. Texas A&MSnoop Dogg Arizona BowlCasino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)4:30 p.m., The CWBonagura: Toledo vs. New MexicoSchlabach: Ohio vs. WyomingAutoZone Liberty BowlSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)7:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Kansas State vs. MissouriSchlabach: Baylor vs. Florida
