College Football Bowl Projections: Predicting Every Postseason Game

After a wild championship weekend, college football fans are buzzing. Everyone’s waiting to see the final College Football Playoff rankings and bowl assignments.

The games are over, but the debate is just heating up. Who’s in, who’s out, and how will these decisions shake up the bowl season?

ESPN’s college football experts, Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, have already put out their projections. They’re offering a sneak peek at what the postseason could look like—and it’s pretty intriguing.

College Football Playoff Projections

Now that championship weekend is behind us, all eyes are on the College Football Playoff (CFP) and the bowl games. ESPN’s projections say the first-round games will happen at campus sites on December 19 and 20.

Bonagura and Schlabach see the same first-round matchups coming together:

• No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
• No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma

Quarterfinals Breakdown

The CFP quarterfinals look set to deliver some fireworks. These games are lined up for December 31 and January 1.

Here’s what the experts are projecting:

• Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
  • Bonagura: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio State
  • Schlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
• Capital One Orange Bowl – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida (Noon, ESPN)
  • Bonagura: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
  • Schlabach: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Ohio State
• Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California (4 p.m., ESPN)
  • Both: No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Indiana
• Allstate Sugar Bowl – Caesars Superdome, New Orleans (8 p.m., ESPN)
  • Bonagura: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia
  • Schlabach: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Georgia

Semifinals and National Championship

The hype only builds from here, with the CFP semifinals and the national championship looming. So, what are the experts thinking?

CFP Semifinals

• Vrbo Fiesta Bowl – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona (7:30 p.m., ESPN, January 8)
  • Bonagura: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Indiana
  • Schlabach: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Georgia
• Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (7:30 p.m., ESPN, January 9)
  • Bonagura: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State
  • Schlabach: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Indiana

CFP National Championship

The grand finale—the CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T—is set for January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida (7:45 p.m., ESPN). Bonagura is eyeing a No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 2 Ohio State showdown, while Schlabach’s got No. 1 Indiana facing No. 3 Ohio State.

Bowl Season Extravaganza

Of course, there’s a whole lot more going on than just the playoff. Bowl season is packed with matchups all over the country, and some of them look genuinely fun.

Early Bowl Games

• Cricket Celebration Bowl – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (Noon, ABC, December 13)
  • South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M
• Bucked Up LA Bowl – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California (8 p.m., ABC, December 13)
  • Both: Washington vs. Boise State
• IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl – Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama (9 p.m., ESPN, December 16)
  • Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Texas State
  • Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Troy

Mid-Season Bowl Highlights

• Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho (2 p.m., ESPN, December 22)
  • Bonagura: Washington State vs. Utah State
  • Schlabach: Ohio vs. San Diego State
• New Orleans Bowl – Caesars Superdome, New Orleans (5:30 p.m., ESPN, December 23)
  • Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Southern Miss
  • Schlabach: Kennesaw State vs. Southern Miss
• Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl – Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu (8 p.m., ESPN, December 24)
  • Both: California vs. Hawai’i

Late-Season Bowl Highlights

• TaxSlayer Gator Bowl – EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida (7:30 p.m., ABC, December 27)
  • Both: Miami vs. Vanderbilt
• Valero Alamo Bowl – Alamodome, San Antonio (9 p.m., ESPN, December 30)
  • Both: BYU vs. USC
• Cheez-It Citrus Bowl – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida (3 p.m., ABC, December 31)
  • Both: Michigan vs. Texas

Conclusion

The 2025 college football season has been full of unforgettable moments. And honestly, the bowl games on the horizon? They’re shaping up to be even more exciting.

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have shared their projections, so fans can start imagining the matchups that might define this postseason. If you’re curious or just want to keep tabs on the latest updates, check out ESPN’s College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections.