2026-27 Week 5 College Football Playoff, bowl projections

Week 5 of the college football season featured three ranked matchups, with Ohio State earning a big road conference win over Iowa, Missouri shocking the college football world with its 28-point victory against top-10 Florida, and Alabama silencing the cowbells with its dominant 33-point win over Mississippi State.

This week we saw big wins, performances that raised some questions and games that came down to the very last play as we take a look at how the postseason picture shifted following Week 5.

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 Alabama

Bonagura:No. 11 UCLA at No. 6 Ohio State

Schlabach:No. 11 LSU at No. 6 Ohio State

Bonagura:No. 10 LSU at No. 7 Alabama

Schlabach:No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Indiana

Bonagura:No. 9 Utah at No. 8 BYU

Schlabach:No. 9 Oregon 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 Texas vs. No. 4 Miami

Schlabach:No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 4 Notre Dame

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 Miami

Quarterfinals Game 3

4 p.m., ABC/ESPN

Bonagura:No. 7 Alabama vs.No. 2 Notre Dame

Schlabach:No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 2 Georgia

Quarterfinals Game 4

8 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:No. 8 BYU vs.No. 1 Georgia

Schlabach:No. 9 Oregon 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. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Georgia

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. 5 Alabama vs. No. 1 Texas

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. 5 Alabama 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:UMass vs. Florida International

Schlabach:UMass vs. Louisiana

Frisco Football Classic

The Star (Frisco, Texas)

9 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Minnesota vs. Louisiana

Schlabach:Memphis vs. San Diego State

Friday, Dec. 18

Boca Raton Bowl

Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)

11 a.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Liberty vs. Tulsa

Schlabach:Appalachian State vs. Western Michigan

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl

Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)

2:30 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Auburn vs. South Florida

Schlabach:Florida State vs. Tulane

Monday, Dec. 21

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)

11 a.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Miami (Ohio) vs. Georgia State

Schlabach:Liberty vs. South Alabama

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:Central Michigan vs. Florida Atlantic

Schlabach:Tulsa vs. Delaware

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:Washington vs. Iowa State

Schlabach:Washington vs. UCF

Wednesday, Dec. 23

New Orleans Bowl

Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)

2 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian State

Schlabach:Jacksonville State 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:Cincinnati vs. New Mexico

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)

7:30 p.m., The CW

Bonagura:Arizona State vs. Fresno State

Schlabach:Arizona State vs. Oregon State

Frisco Bowl

The Star (Frisco, Texas)

9 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:NC State vs. Memphis

Schlabach:North Texas vs. New Mexico State

Thursday, Dec. 24

Isleta New Mexico Bowl

University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

2:30 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:San José State vs. UTSA

Schlabach:UNLV vs. Texas State

Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl

Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)

7 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:North Dakota State vs. Texas State

Schlabach:North Dakota State vs. Fresno State

Saturday, Dec. 26

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl

Yankee Stadium (New York)

Noon, ABC

Bonagura:SMU vs. Northwestern

Schlabach:Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin

Wasabi Fenway Bowl

Fenway Park (Boston)

2 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Florida State vs. East Carolina

Schlabach:Louisville vs. UTSA

Duke's Mayo Bowl

Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)

3:30 p.m., ABC

Bonagura:Clemson vs. Iowa

Schlabach:Duke vs. Northwestern

68 Ventures Bowl

Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)

5:30 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Louisiana Tech vs. Air Force

Schlabach:Florida Atlantic vs. Miami (Ohio)

Cactus Bowl

Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)

7:30 p.m., ABC

Bonagura:Michigan vs. Oklahoma State

Schlabach:Kansas State vs. Penn State

Monday, Dec. 28

Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)

2 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Virginia vs. Temple

Schlabach:NC State vs. South Florida

Trust & WillHoliday Bowl

Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)

5 p.m., The CW

Bonagura:Duke vs. Oregon State

Schlabach:Pittsburgh vs. Utah

Tuesday, Dec. 29

JLab Birmingham Bowl

Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)

2 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Kentucky vs. Tulane

Schlabach:North Carolina vs. Auburn

Pop-Tarts Bowl

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)

5:30 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Pittsburgh vs. Houston

Schlabach:Virginia Tech vs. Houston

Valero Alamo Bowl

Alamodome (San Antonio)

9 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Texas Tech vs. Oregon

Schlabach:Texas Tech vs. UCLA

Wednesday, Dec. 30

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)

11:30 a.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Wake Forest vs. Ole Miss

Schlabach:SMU vs. Florida

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl

Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)

3 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Penn State vs. Mississippi State

Schlabach:Minnesota vs. Kentucky

Thursday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl

Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)

Noon, ESPN

Bonagura:Wisconsin vs. Florida

Schlabach:Nebraska vs. Mississippi State

Old El Paso Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)

2 p.m., CBS

Bonagura:Virginia Tech vs. Arizona

Schlabach:Clemson vs. Arizona

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:Kansas State vs. Texas A&M

Schlabach:Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M

Saturday, Jan. 2

Citrus Bowl

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)

Noon, ABC

Bonagura:Nebraska vs. Tennessee

Schlabach:Iowa vs. Tennessee

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)

3:30 p.m., ABC

Bonagura:Cincinnati vs. North Texas

Schlabach:Virginia vs. Michigan

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl

Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)

4:30 p.m., The CW

Bonagura:Toledo vs. New Mexico

Schlabach:Ohio vs. San José State

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)

7:30 p.m., ABC

Bonagura:Baylor vs. Missouri

Schlabach:Baylor vs. Oklahoma

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