2026-27 Week 3 College Football Playoff and Bowl Predictions

Week 3 of the 2026 college football season brought thrilling finishes, surprising upsets, and big shifts in the College Football Playoff (CFP) bowl projections. Ole Miss, notably, scored a huge win over LSU and reshuffled the playoff seeds. West Virginia’s victory over then-No. 25 Virginia also showed how competitive the Big 12 is getting. As we head into Week 4, the picture is likely to keep changing. Here’s a look at the latest CFP projections, the new playoff format, and the bowl matchups taking shape for the 2026 season.

Understanding the New CFP Format

The 2026 season brings a revamped CFP format. It guarantees automatic bids for the champions of the Power 4 conferences and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team, whether or not that team won its league.

The remaining spots in the 12-team field will go to the next seven highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame is also guaranteed a spot if it ranks among the top 12. The top four teams get first-round byes, while the other eight play at the campus sites of seeds 5 through 8.

First-Round Games

The first-round games are set for December 18 and 19, kicking off the postseason. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach predict these matchups:

• 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

Quarterfinal Matchups

The quarterfinals are scheduled for January 1 at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. Selection Day, December 6, will determine the exact time slots. Here are the projected matchups:

• Bonagura: No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 2 Indiana
• Schlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Ole Miss
• Bonagura: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
• Schlabach: No. 8 BYU vs. No. 1 Texas
• Bonagura: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 3 Texas
• Schlabach: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

Semifinals and National Championship

The semifinal games are set for January 14 and 15 at the Capital One Orange Bowl and Allstate Sugar Bowl, respectively. The CFP National Championship game will be played January 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Here are the predictions for these matchups:

• Bonagura: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Indiana
• Schlabach: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Texas
• Bonagura: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
• Schlabach: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Miami

For the championship game, Bonagura predicts No. 2 Indiana against No. 1 Notre Dame, while Schlabach sees No. 7 Ohio State facing No. 4 Georgia.

Bowl Season Extravaganza

Bowl season starts with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on December 12 and wraps up with the CFP National Championship on January 25. Here are some notable bowl games and their projected matchups:

Early Bowl Games

• Cricket Celebration Bowl: South Carolina State vs. Jackson State (Bonagura) / South Carolina State vs. Alabama State (Schlabach)
• IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Louisiana Tech (Bonagura) / UMass vs. Louisiana (Schlabach)
• Frisco Football Classic: UConn vs. Louisiana (Bonagura) / Memphis vs. San Diego State (Schlabach)

Mid-December Bowl Games

• Boca Raton Bowl: Liberty vs. Tulsa (Bonagura) / FAU vs. Western Michigan (Schlabach)
• Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Kentucky vs. South Florida (Bonagura) / Georgia Tech vs. Tulane (Schlabach)
• Myrtle Beach Bowl: Delaware vs. Georgia State (Bonagura) / Jacksonville State vs. Georgia State (Schlabach)

Christmas Week Bowl Games

• New Orleans Bowl: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian State (Bonagura) / Kennesaw State vs. James Madison (Schlabach)
• Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: UCF vs. Army (Bonagura) / Cal vs. Oklahoma State (Schlabach)
• San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Oregon State vs. Washington (Bonagura) / Arizona vs. Boise State (Schlabach)

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Bowl Games

The action carries into the new year, with several high-profile bowl games on the schedule:

• TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Florida (Bonagura) / SMU vs. Florida (Schlabach)
• Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl: Iowa vs. Mississippi State (Bonagura) / Nebraska vs. Mississippi State (Schlabach)
• ReliaQuest Bowl: Michigan vs. Texas A&M (Both)

January 2 Bowl Games

• Citrus Bowl: Nebraska vs. Tennessee (Bonagura) / Iowa vs. Tennessee (Schlabach)
• SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Cincinnati vs. North Texas (Bonagura) / Arizona State vs. Army (Schlabach)
• AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Houston vs. Missouri (Bonagura) / TCU vs. South Carolina (Schlabach)

For the complete list of bowl games and projected matchups, visit ESPN’s full 2026-27 Week 3 College Football Playoff (CFP) Bowl Projections.

Conclusion

The 2026 college football season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. With a new playoff format, thrilling matchups, and plenty of bowl games, there’s a lot for fans to look forward to. Keep an eye on the evolving playoff picture and enjoy the journey to the CFP National Championship game in Las Vegas.