Way-Too-Early 2026 CFP & Every Bowl Game Predicted
The Ultimate Guide to the 2026-2027 College Football Bowl Season & Playoff
Published: August 22, 2026
By: ESPN Bowl Gurus Kyle Bonagura & Mark Schlabach
What Is This All About? (ELI5)
Imagine college football is like a giant tournament. During the regular season, teams play games to prove they’re the best. Bowl Season is the big party at the end where dozens of teams get invited to play one last exciting game in cool stadiums across the country.
New this year: The College Football Playoff (CFP) expanded to 12 teams! That means more teams get a shot at the national championship. The top teams play knockout rounds until only one is left standing.
IMPORTANT: This article shows early predictions from two experts. The actual matchups will be decided later in the season (Selection Day is December 6). ESPN will update these picks every week!
The College Football Playoff (CFP) – The Road to the Title
The CFP is the main event. 12 teams make it. The top 4 seeds get a bye (they skip the first round). Seeds 5–12 play first-round games on campus. Winners advance to the quarterfinals (big bowl games), then semifinals, then the National Championship.
Round 1: First-Round Games (Campus Sites)
Games played at the higher-seeded team’s home stadium.
| Date | Time (ET) | TV | Bonagura’s Pick | Schlabach’s Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Dec 18 | 8:00 PM | ESPN | #12 Boise State @ #5 Georgia | #12 Boise State @ #5 Texas |
| Sat, Dec 19 | 12:00 PM | ABC/ESPN | #11 BYU @ #6 Oregon | #11 Texas A&M @ #6 BYU |
| Sat, Dec 19 | 3:30 PM | TNT | #10 Ole Miss @ #7 Miami | #10 LSU @ #7 Miami |
| Sat, Dec 19 | 7:30 PM | TNT | #9 Alabama @ #8 Texas Tech | #9 Texas Tech @ #8 Indiana |
KEY POINT: Higher seed = home field advantage. The #5 seed hosts #12, #6 hosts #11, etc.
Round 2: Quarterfinals (New Year’s Six Bowls)
Played at famous neutral-site bowl games.
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl – Wed, Dec 30 | 7:30 PM | TNT
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, AZ)
- Bonagura: #5 Georgia vs. #4 Indiana
- Schlabach: #5 Texas vs. #4 Oregon
Quarterfinals Game 2 – Fri, Jan 1 | 12:00 PM | TNT
Bowl TBD (Cotton, Rose, or Peach)
- Bonagura: #7 Miami vs. #2 Notre Dame
- Schlabach: #7 Miami vs. #2 Georgia
Quarterfinals Game 3 – Fri, Jan 1 | 4:00 PM | ABC/ESPN
Bowl TBD
- Bonagura: #8 Texas Tech vs. #1 Ohio State
- Schlabach: #8 Indiana vs. #1 Ohio State
Quarterfinals Game 4 – Fri, Jan 1 | 8:00 PM | ESPN
Bowl TBD
- Bonagura: #6 Oregon vs. #3 Texas
- Schlabach: #6 BYU vs. #3 Notre Dame
NOTE: Exact bowl assignments for Games 2–4 will be announced on Selection Day (Dec 6).
Round 3: Semifinals & National Championship
Capital One Orange Bowl (Semifinal) – Thu, Jan 14 | 7:30 PM | TNT
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
- Bonagura: #4 Indiana vs. #1 Ohio State
- Schlabach: #4 Oregon vs. #1 Ohio State
Allstate Sugar Bowl (Semifinal) – Fri, Jan 15 | 7:30 PM | ABC/ESPN
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans, LA)
- Bonagura: #3 Texas vs. #2 Notre Dame
- Schlabach: #3 Notre Dame vs. #2 Georgia
2027 CFP National Championship – Fri, Jan 25 | 7:30 PM | ABC/ESPN
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, NV)
- Bonagura: #2 Notre Dame vs. #1 Ohio State
- Schlabach: #3 Notre Dame vs. #1 Ohio State
BOTH EXPERTS AGREE: Ohio State (#1 seed) makes the final! Notre Dame is the predicted opponent.
The Full Bowl Season Schedule (Dec 12 – Jan 2)
40+ games! All times Eastern. "Bonagura" / "Schlabach" = expert predictions for who plays.
Week 1: Kickoff Weekend
| Date | Bowl | Location | Time/TV | Bonagura | Schlabach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 12 | Cricket Celebration Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) | 12:00 PM, ABC | SC State vs. Prairie View A&M | SC State vs. Prairie View A&M |
| Tue, Dec 15 | IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl | Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, AL) | 5:30 PM, ESPN | Buffalo vs. Georgia Southern | CMU vs. Louisiana |
| Tue, Dec 15 | Frisco Football Classic | The Star (Frisco, TX) | 9:00 PM, ESPN | Kansas vs. UTSA | Memphis vs. New Mexico |
| Fri, Dec 18 | Boca Raton Bowl | Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, FL) | 11:00 AM, ESPN | App State vs. Miami (OH) | ECU vs. WMU |
| Fri, Dec 18 | Gasparilla Bowl | Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL) | 2:30 PM, ESPN | Duke vs. Wisconsin | FSU vs. USF |
Week 2: Pre-Christmas Bowls
| Date | Bowl | Location | Time/TV | Bonagura | Schlabach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Dec 21 | Myrtle Beach Bowl | Brooks Stadium (Conway, SC) | 11:00 AM, ESPN | Delaware vs. Arkansas St | JSU vs. ODU |
| Mon, Dec 21 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Albertsons Stadium (Boise, ID) | 2:30 PM, ESPN | Toledo vs. SDSU | Toledo vs. NDSU |
| Tue, Dec 22 | Puerto Rico Bowl | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Bayamón, PR) | 1:30 PM, ESPN | GA Tech vs. Wyoming | Miami (OH) vs. Air Force |
| Tue, Dec 22 | StaffDNA Cure Bowl | Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, FL) | 5:00 PM, ESPN | Marshall vs. North Texas | Troy vs. FIU |
| Tue, Dec 22 | Independence Bowl | Independence Stadium (Shreveport, LA) | 8:30 PM, ESPN | UCF vs. WKU | WVU vs. Liberty |
Week 3: Christmas Week
| Date | Bowl | Location | Time/TV | Bonagura | Schlabach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Dec 23 | New Orleans Bowl | Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) | 2:00 PM, ESPN | Liberty vs. Troy | Kennesaw St vs. JMU |
| Wed, Dec 23 | Armed Forces Bowl | Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, TX) | 5:30 PM, ESPN | Cincinnati vs. Army | UCLA vs. Army |
| Wed, Dec 23 | Frisco Bowl | The Star (Frisco, TX) | 9:00 PM, ESPN | Ohio vs. New Mexico | Cal vs. WKU |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Isleta New Mexico Bowl | University Stadium (Albuquerque, NM) | 2:30 PM, ESPN | UNLV vs. Cal | UNLV vs. Fresno St |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl | Clarence T.C. Ching Complex (Honolulu) | 7:00 PM, ESPN | Navy vs. Hawai’i | SDSU vs. Hawai’i |
Week 4: Post-Christmas / New Year’s Eve
| Date | Bowl | Location | Time/TV | Bonagura | Schlabach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 26 | Pinstripe Bowl | Yankee Stadium (NYC) | 12:00 PM, ABC | Pitt vs. Louisiana | GA Tech vs. Illinois |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Fenway Bowl | Fenway Park (Boston) | 2:00 PM, ESPN | Wake Forest vs. Tulane | NC State vs. Navy |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Duke’s Mayo Bowl | Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte) | 3:30 PM, ABC | Louisville vs. USM | Virginia vs. Wisconsin |
| Sat, Dec 26 | 68 Ventures Bowl | Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, AL) | 5:30 PM, ESPN | ODU vs. Air Force | GA Southern vs. UTSA |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Cactus Bowl | Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, AZ) | 7:30 PM, ABC | Wazzu vs. Illinois | UCF vs. Nebraska |
| Mon, Dec 28 | Military Bowl | Navy-Marine Corps Stadium (Annapolis, MD) | 2:00 PM, ESPN | FSU vs. USF | VT vs. Tulane |
| Tue, Dec 29 | Birmingham Bowl | Protective Stadium (Birmingham, AL) | 2:00 PM, ESPN | ECU vs. Vandy | Duke vs. Auburn |
| Tue, Dec 29 | Pop-Tarts Bowl | Camping World Stadium (Orlando, FL) | 5:30 PM, ESPN | SMU vs. K-State | Louisville vs. TCU |
| Tue, Dec 29 | Valero Alamo Bowl | Alamodome (San Antonio) | 9:00 PM, ESPN | Houston vs. USC | Houston vs. USC |
Week 5: New Year’s Eve & Day
| Date | Bowl | Location | Time/TV | Bonagura | Schlabach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Dec 30 | TaxSlayer Gator Bowl | EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL) | 11:30 AM, ESPN | Clemson vs. Florida | SMU vs. Florida |
| Wed, Dec 30 | Music City Bowl | Nissan Stadium (Nashville) | 3:00 PM, ESPN | Iowa vs. Tennessee | Iowa vs. SC |
| Thu, Dec 31 | ReliaQuest Bowl | Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL) | 12:00 PM, ESPN | Michigan vs. LSU | Michigan vs. Oklahoma |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl | Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, TX) | 2:00 PM, CBS | VT vs. Arizona | Pitt vs. Arizona |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Las Vegas Bowl | Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) | 3:45 PM, ESPN | Nebraska vs. Oklahoma | UW vs. Ole Miss |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Kinder’s Texas Bowl | Reliant Stadium (Houston) | 7:30 PM, ESPN | TCU vs. Auburn | OK State vs. Tennessee |
Week 6: New Year’s Day & Beyond
| Date | Bowl | Location | Time/TV | Bonagura | Schlabach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jan 2 | Citrus Bowl | Camping World Stadium (Orlando, FL) | 12:00 PM, ABC | Penn St vs. TX A&M | Penn St vs. Alabama |
| Sat, Jan 2 | First Responder Bowl | Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas) | 3:30 PM, ABC | ASU vs. JMU | ASU vs. Minnesota |
| Sat, Jan 2 | AutoZone Liberty Bowl | Simmons Bank Stadium (Memphis) | 7:30 PM, ABC | Baylor vs. Missouri | K-State vs. Missouri |
| TBD | Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl | Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, AZ) | TBD, The CW | Fresno St vs. WMU | CSU vs. Ohio |
| TBD | Trust & Will Holiday Bowl | Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego) | TBD | Virginia vs. Washington | Clemson vs. Utah |
AGREEMENT ALERT: Both experts pick Houston vs. USC for the Alamo Bowl!
Summary: Everything You Need to Know
- Bowl Season starts Dec 12 (Celebration Bowl) and ends Jan 25 (National Championship in Vegas).
- New 12-team Playoff: First round Dec 18–19 (on campus), Quarterfinals Dec 30/Jan 1 (big bowls), Semifinals Jan 14–15, Title Jan 25.
- Two Experts, Two Opinions: Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach often disagree—especially on first-round matchups!
- Ohio State is the consensus #1 in both projections, projected to reach the title game.
- Notre Dame is the most common predicted opponent for OSU in the final.
- Selection Day is Dec 6 – that’s when the real bracket and bowl assignments are locked in.
- 40+ bowl games mean college football almost every day for 6 weeks!
FAQ – Your Questions Answered
1. What does "seed" mean in the Playoff?
Think of it like a ranking. #1 seed = best team (gets easiest path). #12 seed = lowest-ranked playoff team (has to play at #5’s stadium). Higher seeds get home games in Round 1 and don’t play until later rounds.
2. Why do the experts disagree so much?
Predicting college football is like guessing the weather 3 months out! They look at different stats, team trends, and "gut feelings." That’s why ESPN updates picks every week all season.
3. What is "Selection Day" (December 6)?
This is the official reveal. The CFP Selection Committee announces the final 12-team bracket and all bowl matchups. Everything before that is just educated guessing.
4. Do all bowl games matter equally?
No. The CFP games (quarterfinals, semis, final) decide the national champion. The other ~35 bowls are for pride, momentum, extra practice, and TV money—but they don’t affect the title race.
5. How can I watch all these games?
Almost every game is on ESPN, ABC, TNT, or CBS. The National Championship is on ABC/ESPN. Check your local listings or the ESPN app as dates get closer.
STAY TUNED: Bookmark this page! ESPN will update these projections weekly throughout the 2026 season until the real matchups are set on December 6.