College Football Playoff, bowl projections following Week 4

Week 4 didn’t produce any seismic upsets, however as at all times, there have been loads of eye-opening outcomes that impacted the College Football Playoff image and past.

Among the video games that altered perceptions have been Indiana’s dismantling of Illinois, decisive wins by Texas Tech (at Utah) and Ole Miss (over Tulane), and highway victories by Syracuse (at Clemson) and Michigan (at Nebraska).

As in final season’s inaugural 12-team CFP, the 5 highest-ranked convention champions, plus the subsequent seven highest-ranked groups, will make the sector. Unlike final yr, the 4 highest-ranked groups (not essentially convention champions) will likely be awarded first-round byes. The different eight groups will meet in first-round video games on the campus websites of seeds Nos. 5 by means of 8.

From there, the quarterfinals and semifinals will likely be performed in what had been the New Year’s Six bowls, with this season’s nationwide championship recreation scheduled for Jan. 19 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

All of that’s simply the tip of the iceberg, although. Apart from the playoff is the 35-game slate of bowl video games, starting with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 13.

We’re right here for all of it.

ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are projecting each postseason matchup, together with their breakdowns of how the playoff will play out, and we’ll be again each week of the season till the precise matchups are set.

Jump to a bit:
Playoff picks | Quarterfinals
Semis, title recreation | Bowl season

College Football Playoff

First-round video games (at campus websites)

Friday, Dec. 19/Saturday, Dec. 20

Times and networks TBD.

Bonagura: No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 LSU
Schlabach: No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Oregon

Bonagura: No. 11 Texas Tech at No. 6 Miami
Schlabach: No. 11 Indiana at No. 6 Penn State

Bonagura: No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Florida State
Schlabach: No. 10 Texas A&M at No. 7 Florida State

Bonagura: No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 8 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 9 Texas Tech at No. 8 Oklahoma

First-round breakdown

Bonagura: Two groups price highlighting this week are Indiana and Texas Tech, each of which had large wins in opposition to convention groups that have been in these projections per week in the past (Illinois and Utah). These video games weren’t simply wins, they have been statements. Indiana beat Illinois by 53, and Tech beat Utah by 24.

For Texas Tech, the win ought to set up the Red Raiders as the favourite within the Big 12 — a convention that may have a troublesome time getting two groups within the playoff. For Indiana, the highway is tougher — but it surely’s manageable. The solely ranked groups left on its schedule are Oregon and Penn State, so if the Hoosiers maintain serve within the video games they’re favored in and end 10-2, that ought to be ok to get within the playoff. Of course, this seems to be a group that may go toe-to-toe with anybody, so it is untimely to jot down off any video games as losses.

Schlabach: It was one other wild Saturday, and my playoff bracket has three new groups after Illinois, Tulane and Utah have been on the improper aspect of blowouts.

Texas Tech spent a boatload of money boosting its roster this previous offseason, and it paid off in Saturday’s 34-10 victory at Utah. The victory places the Red Raiders and Iowa State within the driver’s seat within the Big 12 race, and people groups will not play one another within the common season. In reality, Texas Tech would not face one other Big 12 opponent that’s at the moment ranked within the AP ballot the remainder of the way in which.

Indiana’s 63-10 rout of No. 9 Illinois put the remainder of the Big 10 on discover. It was the Hoosiers’ first victory over a top-10 opponent in 5 years and its most lopsided win over one in class historical past. The Hoosiers play at Oregon on Oct. 11 and at Penn State on Nov. 8, so there will not be any questions on their power of schedule in the event that they get again into the CFP for the second straight season.

USF, which beat Boise State and Florida earlier this season, returns to my 12-team bracket. The Bulls blasted FCS program South Carolina State 63-14, and so they’re my fifth convention champion after Tulane misplaced 45-10 at Ole Miss on Saturday. I additionally strongly thought-about Memphis, which knocked off Arkansas 32-31 at residence.

CFP quarterfinals

Wednesday, Dec. 31

CFP quarterfinal on the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 Florida State vs. No. 2 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU

Thursday, Jan. 1

CFP quarterfinal on the Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 LSU vs. No. 4 Penn State
Schlabach: No. 7 Florida State vs. No. 2 Miami

CFP quarterfinal on the Rose Bowl Game introduced by Prudential
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
4 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 9 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Ohio State

CFP quarterfinal on the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 3 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Georgia

Quarterfinals breakdown

Bonagura: The tastiest hypothetical quarterfinal matchup right here is Georgia vs. Miami, which might function Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck in opposition to his former group. The draw back is that storyline could be so dominant everybody would rapidly get bored with listening to about it.

Ohio State vs. Oklahoma appears good too, however then once more that is the entire level of the playoff. These are all engaging video games.

Schlabach: These potential matchups would produce some intriguing storylines, with Florida State and Miami probably assembly for a second (or third?) time. The Hurricanes have already taken down USF and Florida, and so they’ll play the Seminoles on the highway Oct. 4. Those groups may probably meet once more within the ACC championship recreation.

Ohio State and Texas Tech have a lot in widespread by way of spending massive bucks within the switch portal, and Oregon and LSU could be a matchup of two of the most effective quarterbacks within the FBS: Garrett Nussmeier and Dante Moore.

Georgia and Penn State have performed simply as soon as prior to now 43 years. The Bulldogs defeated the Nittany Lions 24-17 within the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl.

CFP semifinals, nationwide championship recreation

Thursday, Jan. 8

CFP semifinal on the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 LSU vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Miami

Friday, Jan. 9

CFP semifinal on the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State

Monday, Jan. 19

CFP National Championship
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 2 Miami vs. No. 1 Ohio State

National championship breakdown

Bonagura: Ohio State remains to be the favourite on paper, but it surely has an fascinating take a look at Saturday in opposition to Washington at Seattle, which could be a robust place to play. And Husky Stadium will certainly be electrical for this one. The extra essential recreation this week is Oregon at Penn State, the place the winner will likely be properly on its strategy to the Big Ten title recreation.

Schlabach: I had all however one in all my high 4 seeds advancing to the semifinals. A Georgia-Miami matchup within the Fiesta Bowl could be good drama, as Kyle famous in his quarterfinals breakdown.

Oregon and Ohio State will not play one another within the common season, however they might definitely meet within the Big Ten championship recreation. They performed twice final season, with the Ducks profitable 32-31 at residence through the common season and the Buckeyes flipping the script with a 41-21 victory in a CFP quarterfinal on the Rose Bowl.

Complete bowl season schedule

Saturday, Dec. 13

Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Alabama State vs. South Carolina State
Schlabach: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State

LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Cal vs. UNLV
Schlabach: Washington vs. UNLV

Tuesday, Dec. 16

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Alabama vs. Miami (Ohio)
Schlabach: Western Kentucky vs. Georgia Southern

Wednesday, Dec. 17

StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Cincinnati
Schlabach: Northern Illinois vs. Troy

68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee
Schlabach: Old Dominion vs. Central Michigan

Friday, Dec. 19

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: East Carolina vs. Marshall
Schlabach: East Carolina vs. James Madison

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. NC State
Schlabach: South Carolina vs. Virginia

Monday, Dec. 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. Fresno State
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Utah State

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UConn vs. Northern Illinois
Schlabach: Boise State vs. Toledo

New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: James Madison vs. Jacksonville State
Schlabach: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech

Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: North Texas vs. Texas State
Schlabach: North Texas vs. New Mexico State

Wednesday, Dec. 24

Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Boise State vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Hawai’i vs. Tulane

Friday, Dec. 26

GameAbove Sports Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
1 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Rutgers vs. Toledo
Schlabach: Rutgers vs. Buffalo

Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
4:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Houston vs. Maryland
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Michigan State

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Army vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: UCF vs. San Diego State

Saturday, Dec. 27

Go Bowling Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Pitt vs. Memphis
Schlabach: SMU vs. Navy

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Duke vs. Iowa
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Maryland

Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Tulane
Schlabach: NC State vs. Memphis

Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs. TCU
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Utah

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., CW Network
Bonagura: Bowling Green vs. New Mexico
Schlabach: Bowling Green vs. Fresno State

Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
5:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Utah State vs. Western Kentucky
Schlabach: Wyoming vs. Texas State

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
7:30 p.m. ABC
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Alabama
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. Alabama

Kinder’s Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
9:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: TCU vs. Ole Miss

Monday, Dec. 29

JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Old Dominion
Schlabach: Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Louisiana Tech
Schlabach: Houston vs. Jacksonville State

Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Illinois vs. Auburn

Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: BYU vs. USC
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. USC

Wednesday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Tennessee

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: SMU vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Arizona

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Texas

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Utah
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Cal

Friday, Jan. 2

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
1 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kansas vs. Navy
Schlabach: Kansas vs. Rice

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
4:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UCF vs. Missouri
Schlabach: BYU vs. Missouri

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Syracuse vs. Vanderbilt
Schlabach: Duke vs. Vanderbilt

Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
8 p.m., Fox
Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Washington
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Arizona State