2026-27 Week 7 College Football Playoff, bowl projections

If we thought Week 6 was wild, Week 7 really raised havoc as five of the top seven teams in the AP top 25 poll teams lost in what was a college football weekend to remember.

We watched six ranked matchups play out with the lower-ranked team pulling off a win in four of those games. No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dameand No. 5 Indianatook their first losses of the season, and No. 3 Miamipulled off a nail-biter win over Florida Statein double overtime to remain undefeated.

Following all the chaos, we take a look at how the postseason picture shifted after Week 7.

New to the 2026 season, the Power 4 conference champions will receive 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 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 Utah

Schlabach:No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 UCLA

Bonagura:No. 11 Wake Forest at No. 6 UCLA

Schlabach:No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Notre Dame

Bonagura:No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Texas Tech

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

Bonagura:No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Indiana

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

CFP quarterfinals

Wednesday, Dec. 30

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)

7:30 p.m., TNT

Bonagura:No. 5 Utah vs.No. 4 Georgia

Schlabach:No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 1 BYU

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 UCLA vs.No. 3 Ohio State

Schlabach:No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 4 Georgia

Quarterfinals Game 3

4 p.m., ABC/ESPN

Bonagura:No. 7 Texas Tech vs.No. 2 BYU

Schlabach:No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Ohio State

Quarterfinals Game 4

8 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 1 Miami

Schlabach:No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 2 Miami

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 Ohio State vs.No. 2 BYU

Schlabach:No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Miami

Friday, Jan. 15

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)

7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN

Bonagura:No. 4 Georgia vs.No. 1 Miami

Schlabach:No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 4 Georgia

Monday, Jan. 25

CFP National Championship

Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)

7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN

Bonagura:No. 2 BYU vs. No. 1 Miami

Schlabach:No. 4 Georgia vs.No. 2 Miami

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 International

Schlabach:Buffalo vs. Louisiana

Frisco Football Classic

The Star (Frisco, Texas)

9 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Buffalo vs. Louisiana

Schlabach:Tulane vs. San Diego State

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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:Virginia vs. South Carolina

Monday, Dec. 21

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)

11 a.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Central Michigan 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:UMass vs. South Alabama

Schlabach:FAU vs. Western Kentucky

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:UConn vs. Cincinnati

Schlabach:California vs. West Virginia

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:TCU vs. Florida Atlantic

Schlabach:TCU vs. Army

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)

7:30 p.m., The CW

Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Washington

Schlabach:Arizona State vs. Oregon State

Frisco Bowl

The Star (Frisco, Texas)

9 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Florida State vs. Memphis

Schlabach:UTSA vs. New Mexico

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:San Diego State vs. North Dakota State

Schlabach:Fresno State vs. North Dakota State

Saturday, Dec. 26

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl

Yankee Stadium (New York)

Noon, ABC

Bonagura:North Carolina vs. Wisconsin

Schlabach:Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota

Wasabi Fenway Bowl

Fenway Park (Boston)

2 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Virginia vs. East Carolina

Schlabach:Duke vs. USF

Duke's Mayo Bowl

Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)

3:30 p.m., ABC

Bonagura:Virginia Tech vs. Penn State

Schlabach:North Carolina vs. Northwestern

68 Ventures Bowl

Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)

5:30 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Louisiana Tech vs. UAB

Schlabach:Eastern Michigan vs. UAB

Cactus Bowl

Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)

7:30 p.m., ABC

Bonagura:Michigan vs. UCF

Schlabach:Michigan vs. Cincinnati

Monday, Dec. 28

Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)

2 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Dukevs. Army

Schlabach:Louisville vs. Memphis

Trust & WillHoliday Bowl

Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)

5 p.m., The CW

Bonagura:Louisville vs. Oregon State

Schlabach:Wake Forest vs. USC

Tuesday, Dec. 29

JLab Birmingham Bowl

Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)

2 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Mississippi State vs. Tulane

Schlabach:NC State vs. Auburn

Pop-Tarts Bowl

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)

5:30 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:SMU vs. Oklahoma State

Schlabach:SMU vs. Oklahoma State

Valero Alamo Bowl

Alamodome (San Antonio)

9 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Houston 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:Virginia Tech vs. LSU

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl

Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)

3 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Northwestern vs. Kentucky

Schlabach:Wisconsin vs. Alabama

Thursday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl

Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)

Noon, ESPN

Bonagura:Nebraska vs. LSU

Schlabach:Nebraska vs. Florida

Old El Paso Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)

2 p.m., CBS

Bonagura:Clemson vs. Arizona

Schlabach:Clemson vs. Washington

Las Vegas Bowl

Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)

3:45 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:USC vs. Oklahoma

Schlabach:Arizona vs. Texas

Kinder's Texas Bowl

Reliant Stadium (Houston)

7:30 p.m., ESPN

Bonagura:Kansas State vs. Texas

Schlabach:Baylor vs. Missouri

Saturday, Jan. 2

Citrus Bowl

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)

Noon, ABC

Bonagura:Iowa vs. Alabama

Schlabach:Iowa vs. Kentucky

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)

3:30 p.m., ABC

Bonagura:Georgia Southern vs. North Texas

Schlabach:Texas A&M vs. North Texas

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl

Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)

4:30 p.m., The CW

Bonagura:Toledo vs. New Mexico

Schlabach:Ohio vs. Wyoming

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)

7:30 p.m., ABC

Bonagura:Baylor vs. Missouri

Schlabach:Kansas State vs. Mississippi State

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