Week 4 brought the chaos with big wins, thrilling finishes and surprising upsets that shifted this week's bowl and playoff projections.
Among programs that changed the postseason picture this week was Iowa, which delivered a stunning ending against Michigan and showed that the Big Ten title race is wider open than expected. Florida and Mississippi State gained big conference wins. The Gators enter Week 5 undefeated for the first time since 2019, and Oregon travels back to Eugene with a road victory against USC.
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 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 Texas
Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Indiana
Bonagura: No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Ohio State
Bonagura: No. 10 Utah at No. 7 Alabama
Schlabach: No. 10 Iowa at No. 7 Alabama
Bonagura: No. 9 Florida at No. 8 BYU
Schlabach: No. 9 BYU at No. 8 Florida
CFP quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 30
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Miami
Schlabach: No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 4 Miami
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. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
Quarterfinals Game 3
4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 2 Georgia
Quarterfinals Game 4
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 8 BYU vs. No. 1 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 8 Florida vs. No. 1 Texas
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 Indiana vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 8 Florida vs. No. 4 Miami
Friday, Jan. 15
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 4 Miami vs. No. 1 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Georgia
Monday, Jan. 25
CFP National Championship
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 4 Miami 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. Jackson State
Schlabach: South Carolina State vs. Jackson State
Tuesday, Dec. 15
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Florida Atlantic
Schlabach: UMass vs. Louisiana
Frisco Football Classic
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Memphis vs. Texas State
Friday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Tulsa
Schlabach: UCF vs. Western Michigan
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. South Florida
Schlabach: North Carolina 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. Marshall
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. South Alabama
Schlabach: Tulsa vs. Liberty
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. James Madison
Schlabach: Louisiana Tech vs. Florida International
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Oregon State vs. West Virginia
Schlabach: Washington vs. Cincinnati
Wednesday, Dec. 23
New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: Delaware vs. James Madison
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UCF vs. Army
Schlabach: West Virginia vs. New Mexico
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
7:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Arizona vs. Oregon State
Frisco Bowl
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: NC State vs. Memphis
Schlabach: Texas State 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: Texas State vs. North Dakota State
Schlabach: Arizona State vs. North Dakota State
Saturday, Dec. 26
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: SMU vs. Wisconsin
Schlabach: Duke vs. Wisconsin
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. UTSA
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Michigan
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Minnesota
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Marshall vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Appalachian State vs. Miami (Ohio)
Cactus Bowl
Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Northwestern vs. Oklahoma State
Schlabach: Northwestern vs. Baylor
Monday, Dec. 28
Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Temple
Schlabach: Virginia vs. South Florida
Trust & Will Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
5 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. UCLA
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Utah
Tuesday, Dec. 29
JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kentucky vs. Tulane
Schlabach: NC State vs. Oklahoma
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Houston
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Texas Tech vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. Oregon
Wednesday, Dec. 30
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
11:30 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Duke vs. Auburn
Schlabach: SMU vs. Mississippi State
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
3 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Mississippi State
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Kentucky
Thursday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Tennessee
Old El Paso Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Clemson vs. UCLA
Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: USC vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: USC vs. Missouri
Kinder's Texas Bowl
Reliant Stadium (Houston)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M
Saturday, Jan. 2
Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Penn State vs. LSU
Schlabach: Penn State vs. LSU
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Baylor vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Illinois vs. Army
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Toledo vs. San José State
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Wyoming
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Houston vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Auburn