“College Football Playoff and Bowl Game Projections for 2025”

The college football season is getting wild as we hit Week 9. New College Football Playoff and bowl projections just dropped, and honestly, this season’s thrown us some real curveballs.

Georgia Tech’s still unbeaten. Vanderbilt? They’re off to their best start since, what, 1941? Wild stuff. Indiana’s making a claim as the top team in the country, and Navy’s not letting up either.

Looking ahead, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have weighed in with their latest picks for the Playoff and the bowl games. Let’s see what they’re thinking, though I’m not sure anyone can predict what’s next.

College Football Playoff: The Contenders

This year, the College Football Playoff (CFP) expands to 12 teams. That means the five highest-ranked conference champs get in, plus the next seven best teams.

The top four get a bye in the first round. The rest? They’ll battle it out on the home turf of seeds 5 through 8. Should make for some rowdy atmospheres.

First-Round Projections

Bonagura and Schlabach’s first-round matchups look like this:

• Bonagura: No. 12 Navy at No. 5 Oregon
• Schlabach: No. 12 Navy at No. 5 Georgia
• Bonagura: No. 11 Texas Tech at No. 6 Georgia
• Schlabach: No. 11 Vanderbilt at No. 6 Ole Miss
• Bonagura: No. 10 BYU at No. 7 Ole Miss
• Schlabach: No. 10 BYU at No. 7 Georgia Tech
• Bonagura: No. 9 Miami at No. 8 Georgia Tech
• Schlabach: No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Miami

Bonagura’s got Navy at 7-0 and facing a tough stretch ahead—North Texas, Notre Dame, South Florida, Memphis, and Army. That’s a gauntlet.

Schlabach points out the top 10 is holding steady, with Alabama, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt all getting wins. Oregon slips to No. 9 after barely getting by Wisconsin, while Vanderbilt jumps to No. 11 after knocking off Missouri.

Quarterfinals and Beyond

Quarterfinals will be played in those classic New Year’s Six bowls. Here’s how Bonagura and Schlabach see it shaking out:

Quarterfinal Projections

• Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Bonagura: No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 2 Indiana | Schlabach: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Alabama
• Capital One Orange Bowl: Bonagura: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Alabama | Schlabach: No. 7 Georgia Tech vs. No. 2 Indiana
• Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential: Bonagura: No. 8 Georgia Tech vs. No. 1 Ohio State | Schlabach: No. 9 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State
• Allstate Sugar Bowl: Bonagura: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 3 Texas A&M | Schlabach: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Texas A&M

Bonagura’s not totally sold on Georgia Tech yet—they’re unbeaten, but haven’t played a ranked team. Schlabach likes what he’s seen from Indiana against UCLA, and he’s high on Texas A&M after their win over LSU.

Semifinal Projections

• Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Bonagura: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Ohio State | Schlabach: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 1 Ohio State
• Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Bonagura: No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Indiana | Schlabach: No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Indiana

Both guys are seeing Ohio State and Indiana as the favorites for the title game. Bonagura likes Indiana’s steady play, while Schlabach just keeps circling back to Ohio State and Indiana as likely semifinalists.

National Championship Game

The championship’s set for January 19 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. Bonagura and Schlabach both have Indiana and Ohio State squaring off for all the marbles.

Bonagura’s impressed by Indiana’s climb and the new approach to seeding—no more automatic byes for the top conference champs, which does seem fairer. Schlabach feels pretty good about Indiana and Ohio State making it, but admits the rest is anyone’s guess.

Bowl Season: A Comprehensive Look

Beyond the Playoff, bowl season brings 35 games, starting with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on December 13. A few matchups stand out from Bonagura and Schlabach’s lists:

Notable Bowl Projections

• Cricket Celebration Bowl: Bonagura: Alabama State vs. North Carolina Central | Schlabach: Jackson State vs. Delaware State
• LA Bowl: Bonagura: Washington State vs. Boise State | Schlabach: Washington vs. Boise State
• Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Bonagura: Ohio vs. San Diego State | Schlabach: Ohio vs. Utah State
• Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl: Bonagura: New Mexico vs. California | Schlabach: Hawai’i vs. Tulane
• TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. LSU | Schlabach: Virginia vs. LSU
• Valero Alamo Bowl: Bonagura: Houston vs. Washington | Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. USC
• Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Bonagura: Michigan vs. Vanderbilt | Schlabach: Michigan vs. Texas

Bonagura and Schlabach are all over the map with their picks, which honestly makes the bowl season that much more interesting. Traditional giants like Notre Dame and LSU are in the mix, but you’ve also got upstarts like Vanderbilt and Indiana making noise.

Feels like this year’s bowl season could be one for the books. Or maybe that’s just me hoping for chaos.

Conclusion

The college football season’s heating up. Every week, the playoff race gets a little wilder.

Some unexpected teams are making noise. Meanwhile, the usual powerhouses are scrambling to stay on top.

Honestly, it’s tough to say who’ll come out ahead. The next few weeks could flip everything upside down.

If you want more projections and expert takes, check out the full article on ESPN.