Kyle Bonagura
Mark Schlabach
Mark Schlabach
ESPN Senior Writer
Senior college football writer
Author of seven books on college football
Graduate of the University of Georgia
After a thrilling championship weekend, the games have all been played and it’s time to wait for the final College Football Playoff rankings and bowl assignments. Does Alabama make the playoff? What about Miami and Notre Dame? And what is the trickle-down effect of those decisions on bowl season?
We don’t need to wait for the official matchups.
ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are projecting every postseason matchup, including their breakdowns of how the playoff will play out.
Jump to a section:Playoff picks | QuarterfinalsSemis, title game | Bowl season
College Football Playoff
First-round games (at campus sites)
All times Eastern
Friday, Dec. 198 p.m., ABC, ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 20Noon, ABC, ESPN3:30 p.m., TNT7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 OregonSchlabach: No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
Bonagura: No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole MissSchlabach: No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss
Bonagura: No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Texas A&MSchlabach: No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Texas A&M
Bonagura: No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 OklahomaSchlabach: No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
CFP quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 31
CFP Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl ClassicAT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)7:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio StateSchlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
Thursday, Jan. 1
CFP Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange BowlHard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)Noon, ESPNBonagura: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas TechSchlabach: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Ohio State
CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by PrudentialRose Bowl (Pasadena, California)4 p.m., ESPNBonagura: No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 IndianaSchlabach: No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Indiana
CFP Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)8 p.m., ESPNBonagura: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 GeorgiaSchlabach: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Georgia
CFP semifinals, national championship game
Thursday, Jan. 8
CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta BowlState Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)7:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 IndianaSchlabach: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Georgia
Friday, Jan. 9
CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach BowlMercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)7:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio StateSchlabach: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Indiana
Monday, Jan. 19
CFP National Championship Presented by AT&THard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)7:45 p.m., ESPNBonagura: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 2 Ohio StateSchlabach: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Complete bowl season schedule
Matchups in bold have already been announced
Saturday, Dec. 13
Cricket Celebration BowlMercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)Noon, ABCSouth Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M
Bucked Up LA BowlSoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)8 p.m., ABCBonagura: Washington vs. Boise StateSchlabach: Washington vs. Boise State
Tuesday, Dec. 16
IS4S Salute to Veterans BowlCramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Texas StateSchlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Troy
Wednesday, Dec. 17
StaffDNA Cure BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)5 p.m., ESPNOld Dominion vs. South Florida
68 Ventures BowlHancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)8:30 p.m., ESPNLouisiana vs. Delaware
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
Thursday, Dec. 18
Xbox BowlFord Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPN2Missouri State vs. Arkansas State
Friday, Dec. 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by EngineBrooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. Georgia SouthernSchlabach: Western Michigan vs. Georgia Southern
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)2:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: NC State vs. UConnSchlabach: Wake Forest vs. UConn
Monday, Dec. 22
Famous Idaho Potato BowlAlbertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Washington State vs. Utah StateSchlabach: Ohio vs. San Diego State
Tuesday, Dec. 23
Bush’s Boca Raton BowlFlagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Florida International vs. Central MichiganSchlabach: Florida International vs. Miami (Ohio)
New Orleans Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Southern MissSchlabach: Kennesaw State vs. Southern Miss
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco BowlFord Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Western Kentucky vs. San Diego StateSchlabach: Texas State vs. Louisiana Tech
Wednesday, Dec. 24
Sheraton Hawai’i BowlClarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)8 p.m., ESPNCalifornia vs. Hawai’i
Friday, Dec. 26
GameAbove Sports BowlFord Field (Detroit)1 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Northwestern vs. ToledoSchlabach: Northwestern vs. Central Michigan
Rate BowlChase Field (Phoenix)4:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Minnesota vs. Kansas StateSchlabach: Minnesota vs. Iowa State
SERVPRO First Responder BowlGerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)8 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UTSA vs. Coastal CarolinaSchlabach: UTSA vs. Utah State
Saturday, Dec. 27
Go Bowling Military BowlNavy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)11 a.m., ESPNBonagura: Louisville vs. North TexasSchlabach: Louisville vs. East Carolina
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe BowlYankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)Noon, ABCBonagura: Penn State vs. PittSchlabach: Penn State vs. Clemson
Wasabi Fenway BowlFenway Park (Boston)2:15 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Clemson vs. ArmySchlabach: NC State vs. Army
Pop-Tarts BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)3:30 p.m., ABCBonagura: Virginia vs. TCUSchlabach: Duke vs. TCU
Snoop Dogg Arizona BowlArizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)4:30 p.m., CW NetworkBonagura: Ohio vs. Fresno StateSchlabach: Toledo vs. Fresno State
Isleta New Mexico BowlUniversity Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)5:45 p.m., ESPNBonagura: East Carolina vs. New MexicoSchlabach: Washington State vs. New Mexico
TaxSlayer Gator BowlEverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)7:30 p.m. ABCBonagura: Miami vs. VanderbiltSchlabach: Miami vs. Vanderbilt
Kinder’s Texas BowlNRG Stadium (Houston)9:15 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Houston vs. MissouriSchlabach: Houston vs. Missouri
Monday, Dec. 29
JLab Birmingham BowlProtective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: UNLV vs. MemphisSchlabach: Coastal Carolina vs. Memphis
Tuesday, Dec. 30
Radiance Technologies Independence BowlIndependence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)2 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Cincinnati vs. Western MichiganSchlabach: UNLV vs. Western Kentucky
Liberty Mutual Music City BowlNissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)5:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Illinois vs. LSUSchlabach: Illinois vs. LSU
Valero Alamo BowlAlamodome (San Antonio)9 p.m., ESPNBonagura: BYU vs. USCSchlabach: BYU vs. USC
Wednesday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest BowlRaymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)Noon, ESPNBonagura: Iowa vs. TennesseeSchlabach: Iowa vs. Tennessee
Tony the Tiger Sun BowlSun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)2 p.m., CBSBonagura: Wake Forest vs. Arizona StateSchlabach: Pitt vs. Arizona State
Cheez-It Citrus BowlCamping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)3 p.m., ABCBonagura: Michigan vs. TexasSchlabach: Michigan vs. Texas
SRS Distribution Las Vegas BowlAllegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)3:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Nebraska vs. UtahSchlabach: Nebraska vs. Utah
Friday, Jan. 2
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces BowlAmon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)1 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Duke vs. Kennesaw StateSchlabach: Kansas State vs. North Texas
AutoZone Liberty BowlSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)4:30 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Iowa State vs. NavySchlabach: Cincinnati vs. Navy
Duke’s Mayo BowlBank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)8 p.m., ESPNBonagura: Georgia Tech vs. TroySchlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Virginia
Holiday BowlSnapdragon Stadium (San Diego)8 p.m., FoxBonagura: SMU vs. ArizonaSchlabach: SMU vs. Arizona
