Post-Week 3: Major Shifts in College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections

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

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

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

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

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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

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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

_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49974671/2026-27-week-3-college-football-playoff-cfp-bowl-projections)._