EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThings got spooky in Week 9 as we saw another overtime victory from the reigning national champions, plus more upsets ... three of which saw ranked Big Ten teams fall.Similar to Week 8, we saw five ranked teams fall to unranked opponents Saturday. Unranked Syracuse and Oregon pulled off big conference wins at home, and it was a big day for the state of Iowa as Iowa State and Iowa earned wins over No. 24 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Wisconsin. To cap it off, Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans stunned No. 2 Ohio State at home as Riley earned his first AP top-five win as USC's coach.Following all that, we take a look at how the postseason picture shifted after Week 9.New to the 2026 season, the Power 4 conference champions will receive 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 BYUSchlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 KentuckyBonagura: No. 11 Ohio State at No. 6 Notre DameSchlabach: No. 11 Indiana at No. 6 Notre DameBonagura: No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 IndianaSchlabach: No. 10 Wake Forest at No. 7 BYUBonagura: No. 9 Wake Forest at No. 8 KentuckySchlabach: No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 TexasCFP quarterfinalsWednesday, Dec. 30 Vrbo Fiesta BowlState Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)7:30 p.m., TNT Bonagura: No. 8 Kentucky vs. No. 1 MiamiSchlabach: No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 4 UtahFriday, 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. 5 Indiana vs. No. 2 UtahSchlabach: No. 8 Texas vs. No. 1 MiamiQuarterfinals Game 34 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 UCLASchlabach: No. 7 BYU vs. No. 2 GeorgiaQuarterfinals Game 48 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 5 BYU vs. No. 4 GeorgiaSchlabach: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 UCLACFP semifinals, national championship gameThursday, Jan. 14 Capital One Orange BowlHard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)7:30 p.m., TNTBonagura: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 MiamiSchlabach: No. 4 Utah vs. No. 1 MiamiFriday, Jan. 15Allstate Sugar BowlCaesars Superdome (New Orleans)7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 2 UtahSchlabach: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 GeorgiaMonday, Jan. 25CFP National ChampionshipAllegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPNBonagura: No. 2 Utah vs. No. 1 MiamiSchlabach: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 1 MiamiBowl 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 A&MTuesday, Dec. 15 IS4S Salute to Veterans BowlCramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: South Carolina vs. Miami (Ohio)Schlabach: Buffalo vs. LouisianaFrisco Football ClassicThe Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Illinois vs. LouisianaSchlabach: Tulane vs. Georgia SouthernWednesday, Dec. 16 TransPerfect San Juan BowlHiram Bithorn Stadium (San Juan, Puerto Rico)7:30 p.m. ET, TBDBonagura: Syracuse vs. MarshallSchlabach: Boston College vs. Appalachian StateFriday, Dec. 18 Boca Raton BowlFlagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Liberty vs. TulsaSchlabach: Memphis vs. Western MichiganUnion Home Mortgage Gasparilla BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Auburn vs. South FloridaSchlabach: Syracuse vs. MinnesotaMonday, Dec. 21 Myrtle Beach BowlBrooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Minnesota vs. Georgia SouthernSchlabach: UMass vs. MarshallFamous Idaho Potato BowlAlbertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Western Michigan vs. UNLVSchlabach: Toledo vs. North Dakota StateTuesday, Dec. 22 Puerto Rico BowlJuan Ramn Loubriel Stadium (Bayamn, Puerto Rico)1:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UMass vs. West VirginiaSchlabach: FAU vs. DelawareStaffDNA Cure BowlAcrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)5 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Ohio vs. James MadisonSchlabach: Louisiana Tech vs. Middle TennesseeRadiance Technologies Independence BowlIndependence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)8:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UConn vs. Kansas StateSchlabach: Washington vs. West VirginiaWednesday, 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: UCF vs. ArmySan Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego)7:30 p.m., The CWBonagura: Fresno State vs. WashingtonSchlabach: Fresno State vs. Arizona StateFrisco BowlThe Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Buffalo vs. MemphisSchlabach: Liberty vs. New MexicoThursday, Dec. 24 Isleta New Mexico BowlUniversity Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Wyoming vs. UTSASchlabach: UNLV vs. TulsaSheraton Hawai'i BowlClarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)7 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Texas State vs. North Dakota StateSchlabach: Air Force vs. Texas StateSaturday, Dec. 26 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe BowlYankee Stadium (New York)Noon, ABCBonagura: Duke vs. NebraskaSchlabach: Pittsburgh vs. NorthwesternWasabi Fenway BowlFenway Park (Boston)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: North Carolina vs. East CarolinaSchlabach: NC State vs. South FloridaDuke's Mayo BowlBank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)3:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Clemson vs. Penn StateSchlabach: Duke vs. Nebraska68 Ventures BowlHancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. Air ForceSchlabach: UAB vs. Miami (Ohio)Cactus 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: Virginia vs. ArmySchlabach: North Carolina vs. UTSATrust & Will Holiday BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego)5 p.m., The CWBonagura: Louisville vs. Oregon StateSchlabach: Louisville vs. OregonTuesday, Dec. 29 JLab Birmingham BowlProtective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Mississippi State vs. TulaneSchlabach: Mississippi State vs. IllinoisPop-Tarts BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: SMU vs. HoustonSchlabach: SMU vs. HoustonValero Alamo BowlAlamodome (San Antonio)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Texas Tech vs. OregonSchlabach: Texas Tech vs. USCWednesday, Dec. 30 TaxSlayer Gator BowlEverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)11:30 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Pittsburgh vs. FloridaSchlabach: Virginia Tech vs. TennesseeLiberty Mutual Music City BowlNissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)3 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Wisconsin vs. Ole MissSchlabach: Wisconsin vs. South CarolinaThursday, Dec. 31 ReliaQuest BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)Noon, ESPNBonagura: Northwestern vs. TexasSchlabach: Ohio State vs. Ole MissOld El Paso Sun BowlSun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)2 p.m., CBSBonagura: Virginia Tech vs. ArizonaSchlabach: Clemson vs. Oregon StateLas 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. TennesseeSchlabach: Baylor vs. FloridaSaturday, Jan. 2 Citrus BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)Noon, ABCBonagura: Iowa vs. LSUSchlabach: Iowa vs. LSUSERVPRO First Responder BowlGerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)3:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Texas A&M vs. Arkansas StateSchlabach: Penn State vs. North TexasSnoop 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: Baylor vs. MissouriSchlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Auburn
