Week 3 kept us on the edge of our seats as we saw potential surprises fizzle, some thrilling finishes and a couple of big upsets.
In a game circled on everyone's calendars this season, Ole Miss gained a massive win over former Rebels coach Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers. With this result, Ole Miss jumped seeds in this week's playoff projections and LSU dropped significantly. West Virginia handed then-No. 25 Virginia a big loss, showing there might be more Big 12 title contenders than anticipated. With conference play picking up in Week 4, expect to see the postseason picture shift further.
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 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 12 North Dakota State at No. 5 Indiana
Bonagura: No. 11 LSU at No. 6 Miami
Schlabach: No. 11 Penn State at No. 6 Miami
Bonagura: No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Ole Miss
Schlabach: No. 10 LSU at No. 7 Ohio State
Bonagura: No. 9 BYU at No. 8 Alabama
Schlabach: No. 9 Alabama 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 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 4 Georgia
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. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 2 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Ole Miss
Quarterfinals Game 3
4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 8 BYU vs. No. 1 Texas
Quarterfinals Game 4
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 3 Texas
Schlabach: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
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 Texas vs. No. 2 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Texas
Friday, Jan. 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. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Miami
Monday, Jan. 25
CFP National Championship
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 4 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. Alabama State
Tuesday, Dec. 15
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Louisiana Tech
Schlabach: UMass vs. Louisiana
Frisco Football Classic
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UConn 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: FAU vs. Western Michigan
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kentucky vs. South Florida
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Tulane
Monday, Dec. 21
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Delaware vs. Georgia State
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Georgia State
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: Tulsa vs. Liberty
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. James Madison
Schlabach: Troy vs. Florida International
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UCLA vs. Oklahoma State
Schlabach: UCLA vs. West Virginia
Wednesday, Dec. 23
New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: Kennesaw 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: Cal vs. Oklahoma State
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California)
7:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Oregon State vs. Washington
Schlabach: Arizona vs. Boise State
Frisco Bowl
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Florida State vs. Memphis
Schlabach: UTSA vs. Middle Tennessee State
Thursday, Dec. 24
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: New Mexico vs. UTSA
Schlabach: UNLV vs. Fresno State
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. North Dakota State
Schlabach: Hawai'i vs. Colorado State
Saturday, Dec. 26
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Duke vs. Northwestern
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Illinois
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. Navy
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Wisconsin
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Troy vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Appalachian State vs. Miami (Ohio)
Cactus Bowl
Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Maryland vs. Baylor
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Baylor
Monday, Dec. 28
Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Navy
Schlabach: Duke vs. South Florida
Trust & Will Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
5 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Utah
Schlabach: Virginia vs. USC
Tuesday, Dec. 29
JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Tulane
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. Auburn
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: SMU vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Houston
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Texas Tech vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. Oregon
Wednesday, Dec. 30
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
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: Iowa vs. Mississippi State
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Mississippi State
Thursday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Texas A&M
Old El Paso Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Utah
Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: USC vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Washington vs. Oklahoma
Kinder's Texas Bowl
Reliant Stadium (Houston)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: West Virginia vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Missouri
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: Arizona State vs. Army
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Houston vs. Missouri
Schlabach: TCU vs. South Carolina
Date TBD
The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
Time TBD, The CW
Bonagura: Toledo vs. San José State
Schlabach: New Mexico vs. Central Michigan
