Week 2 gave us an ending that will be remembered for years to come, as well as shocking upsets that impacted bowl game and playoff predictions this week.
In the week’s only top 25 matchup, then-No. No. 4 Texas scored an eye-popping 20 points against then-No. 1 Texas. Ohio State’s finale wowed the crowd, and the Longhorns jumped to seeding in this week’s playoff predictions. Oklahoma State and Michigan State gave us big blows in Week 2, Oregon State fell out of our playoff predictions, and the Wolverines impressively defeated the then-No. 1 team. 11 Oklahoma State changed the image of the bowl.
New for the 2026 season, the Power 4 conference champion will automatically qualify for the CFP, along with the top six teams regardless of whether they are league champions. The remaining spots among the 12 teams will be allocated to the bottom seven teams. If Notre Dame cracks the top 12, it’s guaranteed a spot in the field.
The four highest-ranked teams (not necessarily the conference champions) will be awarded first-round byes. The other eight teams will play first-round games at campus venues seeded No. 5 through No. 8.
Bowl season festivities will kick off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Saturday, December 12, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and conclude with the CFP National Championship on Monday, January 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
ESPN bowl experts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach will predict all playoff matchups each week this season until the actual matchups are determined on Sunday, December 6.
All times Eastern
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college football playoff
First round competition (on campus)
Friday, December 18
8 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, December 19
Noon, ABC/ESPN
3:30 p.m., TNT
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: Boise State is ranked 12th, Ohio State is ranked 5th
Schlabach: Boise State University ranked 12th, University of Miami ranked 5th
Bonagura: Brigham Young University No. 11, Louisiana State University No. 6
Schlabach: Texas A&M is ranked 11th, Louisiana State University (LSU) is ranked 6th
Bonagura: Texas Tech is ranked 10th, Miami is ranked 7th
Schlabach: Texas Tech is ranked 10th, Ohio State is ranked 7th
Bonagura: Texas A&M ranked No. 9, Alabama ranked No. 8
Schlabach: Ole Miss No. 9, Brigham Young University No. 8
CFP Quarterfinals
Wednesday, December 30
Vrbo Carnival 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, January 1
The schedule for the Rose Bowl quarterfinals presented by the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Prudential and the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl will be determined on Selection Day (December 6)
Quarter-final game two
Noon, TNT
Bonagura: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 9 Mississippi State vs. No. 1 Texas
Quarter-final game three
4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 LSU vs. No. 3 Texas
Schlabach: No. 6 LSU vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
Quarterfinal 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, January 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, January 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, January 25
CFP National Championship
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Indiana University vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 2 Georgia
Bowl Season Schedule
Saturday, December 12
Cricket Celebration Bowl hosted by Toyota
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Prairie View A&M
Schlabach: South Carolina vs Alabama
Tuesday, December 15
IS4S Veterans Tribute Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, AL)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: FIU vs Louisiana Tech
Schlabach: UMass vs Louisiana State
Frisco Football Classic
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Michigan State University vs Louisiana State University
Schlabach: Memphis vs North Dakota State
Friday, December 18
Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, FL)
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 University
Monday, December 21
myrtle beach bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Delaware vs Georgia
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs Georgia State
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Western Michigan vs University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Schlabach: Toledo vs Air Force
Tuesday, December 22
puerto rico bowl
Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium (Bayamón, Puerto Rico)
1:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UMass vs Old Dominion
Schlabach: Tulsa vs Liberty
StaffDNA Healing Bowl
Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio State vs James Madison
Schlabach: Trojans vs Florida International
Radiance Technologies Freestanding Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UCLA vs West Virginia
Schlabach: UCLA vs West Virginia
Wednesday, December 23
new orleans bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs Appalachian State
Schlabach: Kennesaw State University vs. James Madison University
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: TCU vs. Army
Schlabach: California and the Army
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, CA)
7:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: San Diego State University vs University of Washington
Schlabach: San Diego State University vs Arizona State University
Frisco Bowl
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Clemson vs Memphis
Schlabach: UTSA vs. Western Kentucky
Thursday, December 24
Isleta Bowl, New Mexico
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: New Mexico State vs UTSA
Schlabach: University of Nevada, Las Vegas vs. Fresno State
Hawaiian Bowl Sheraton Hotel
Clarence TC Ching Sports Center (Honolulu)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Fresno State vs North Dakota State
Schlabach: Hawaii vs Colorado
Saturday, December 26
Bad Boy Lawn Mower Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Louisville vs Iowa
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs University of Nebraska
Mustard Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs East Carolina
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. Navy
Duke’s Mayonnaise Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Duke University vs University of Maryland
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs Wisconsin
68 Risk Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Trojans vs Air Force
Schlabach: Georgia Southern vs Miami (Ohio)
cactus bowl
American Mountain Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs University of Central Florida
Schlabach: Oklahoma vs Illinois
Monday, December 28
Liberty Mortgage Military Bowl
Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, MD)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: North Carolina vs Navy
Schlabach: Duke University vs. University of South Florida
Trust and Will Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
5 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Virginia vs Utah
Schlabach: Virginia vs USC
Tuesday, December 29
JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Tulane University
Schlabach: Mississippi State vs North Carolina
pie 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 University vs University of Oregon
Schlabach: Houston vs Oregon
Wednesday, December 30
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL)
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, December 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Michigan vs Ole Miss
Schlabach: Michigan vs Tennessee
tony tiger sun bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs University of Arizona
Schlabach: Clemson vs Utah
Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: USC vs Oklahoma State
Schlabach: Washington vs Oklahoma
Kinder Texas Bowl
Reliance Stadium (Houston)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Cincinnati vs Auburn
Schlabach: Baylor vs Missouri
Saturday, January 2
Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Penn State vs. University of Tennessee
Schlabach: Penn State vs University of Alabama
SERVPRO First Aid Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs North Texas State
Schlabach: Arizona State University vs University of Minnesota
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Baylor vs Missouri
Schlabach: TCU vs Auburn
Date to be determined
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Del Sol Casino Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
Time TBA, CW
Bonagura: Toledo vs Nevada
Schlabach: New Mexico vs Ohio State