Week 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 Eastern
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First-round games | Quarterfinals
Semis, title game | Bowl season
College Football Playoff
First-round games (at campus sites)
Friday, Dec. 18
8 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 19
Noon, ABC/ESPN
3:30 p.m., TNT
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Miami
Bonagura: No. 11 BYU at No. 6 LSU
Schlabach: No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 6 LSU
Bonagura: No. 10 Texas Tech at No. 7 Miami
Schlabach: No. 10 Texas Tech at No. 7 Ohio State
Bonagura: No. 9 Texas A&M at No. 8 Alabama
Schlabach: No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 8 BYU
CFP quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 30
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 5 Miami vs. No. 4 Indiana
Friday, Jan. 1
Time 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 2
Noon, TNT
Bonagura: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 1 Texas
Quarterfinals Game 3
4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 LSU vs. No. 3 Texas
Schlabach: No. 6 LSU vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
Quarterfinals Game 4
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Georgia
CFP semifinals, national championship game
Thursday, Jan. 14
Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia
Friday, Jan. 15
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Texas
Monday, Jan. 25
CFP National Championship
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No.4 Indiana vs. No. 2 Georgia
Bowl season schedule
Saturday, Dec. 12
Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by Toyota
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M
Schlabach: South Carolina State vs. Alabama State
Tuesday, Dec. 15
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: FIU vs. Louisiana Tech
Schlabach: UMass vs. Louisiana
Frisco Football Classic
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Michigan State vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Memphis vs. North Dakota State
Friday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Tulsa
Schlabach: East Carolina vs. Western Michigan
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Vanderbilt vs. South Florida
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Tulane
Monday, Dec. 21
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Delaware vs. Georgia State
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Georgia State
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Western Michigan vs. UNLV
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Air Force
Tuesday, Dec. 22
Puerto Rico Bowl
Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Bayamón, Puerto Rico)
1:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UMass vs. Old Dominion
Schlabach: Tulsa vs. Liberty
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. James Madison
Schlabach: Troy vs. Florida International
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UCLA vs. West Virginia
Schlabach: UCLA vs. West Virginia
Wednesday, Dec. 23
New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: Kennesaw State vs. James Madison
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: TCU vs. Army
Schlabach: Cal vs. Army
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California)
7:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: San Diego State vs. Washington
Schlabach: San Diego State vs. Arizona
Frisco Bowl
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Memphis
Schlabach: UTSA vs. Western Kentucky
Thursday, Dec. 24
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: New Mexico vs. UTSA
Schlabach: UNLV vs. Fresno State
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. North Dakota State
Schlabach: Hawai'i vs. Colorado State
Saturday, Dec. 26
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Iowa
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Nebraska
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: NC State vs. Navy
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Duke vs. Maryland
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Troy vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Georgia Southern vs. Miami (Ohio)
Cactus Bowl
Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. UCF
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Illinois
Monday, Dec. 28
Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Navy
Schlabach: Duke vs. South Florida
Trust & Will Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
5 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Utah
Schlabach: Virginia vs. USC
Tuesday, Dec. 29
JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Tulane
Schlabach: Mississippi State vs. North Carolina
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: SMU vs. Houston
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Kansas State
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Houston vs. Oregon
Wednesday, Dec. 30
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
11:30 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Florida
Schlabach: SMU vs. Florida
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville)
3 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. South Carolina
Schlabach: Iowa vs. South Carolina
Thursday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Tennessee
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Utah
Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: USC vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Washington vs. Oklahoma
Kinder's Texas Bowl
Reliant Stadium (Houston)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Missouri
Saturday, Jan. 2
Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Penn State vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Penn State vs. Alabama
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Minnesota
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Missouri
Schlabach: TCU vs. Auburn
Date TBD
The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
Time TBD, The CW
Bonagura: Toledo vs. Nevada
Schlabach: New Mexico vs. Ohio