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College football enters the final stretch of the regular season with widespread parity at the top of the sport. As CBS Sports Headlines reports in its latest update, recent upsets and wild weekend finishes across the Power Four have shaken up the title races in the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 just ahead of the first College Football Playoff rankings release.
Early and Mid-Tier Bowl Projections
The updated postseason outlook covers all 47 bowl games, starting with the Cricket Celebration Bowl featuring Jackson State against South Carolina State, followed by Clemson meeting Marshall in the San Juan Bowl and UAB facing Miami (Ohio) in the Salute to Veterans Bowl. UAB aims to secure bowl eligibility by facing Charlotte and Temple next, while Miami (Ohio) rides a three-game winning streak into a MAC showdown against Buffalo. The Frisco Football Classic projects a matchup between Buffalo and Louisiana, the Boca Raton Bowl pairs Liberty with Tulsa, and the Gasparilla Bowl features USF against Duke. Duke secured bowl eligibility after a five-touchdown performance from Nate Sheppard against Boston College.
Penn State takes on Arkansas State in the Myrtle Beach Bowl after finally securing a conference win, needing two more victories against Rutgers and Maryland to reach the postseason. Other matchups include UMass against South Alabama in the Puerto Rico Bowl, UNLV against Western Michigan in the Potato Bowl, and JMU against Ohio in the Cure Bowl following consecutive losses for JMU. West Virginia faces UConn in the Independence Bowl, while Appalachian State meets Jacksonville State in the New Orleans Bowl after the Gamecocks extended their winning streak to five games.
Fresno State takes on Arizona State in the Poinsettia Bowl, and Memphis matches up against Kansas State in the Armed Forces Bowl. North Texas faces Illinois in the Frisco Bowl, North Dakota State plays Texas State in the Hawaii Bowl, and Wyoming meets UTSA in the New Mexico Bowl. Louisville faces Minnesota in the Mayo Bowl following three consecutive wins for the Cardinals, while North Carolina takes on Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl. Air Force meets Louisiana Tech in the 68 Ventures Bowl, Stanford faces Tulane in the Fenway Bowl, and Michigan squares off against Cincinnati in the Cactus Bowl after freshman quarterback Tommy Carr led the Wolverines past Rutgers.
Late-Season Matchups and Contender Projections
Auburn faces Syracuse in the Birmingham Bowl as Syracuse enters the mix following an upset of SMU. Virginia plays Army in the Military Bowl, while Wake Forest meets Houston in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. USC takes on Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl after the Trojans defeated Ohio State, boosting their at-large playoff hopes. Pittsburgh meets Florida in the Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium, Nebraska faces Oklahoma in the Music City Bowl, and Northwestern squares off against Ole Miss in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
SMU faces Arizona in the Sun Bowl after falling to Syracuse, and Oregon takes on South Carolina in the Las Vegas Bowl as the Gamecocks secure three straight wins under coach Shane Beamer. Oklahoma State matches up against Tennessee in the Texas Bowl, and Iowa plays Alabama in the Citrus Bowl. Baylor takes on FAU in the First Responder Bowl, UCF meets Missouri in the Liberty Bowl, and Toledo plays New Mexico in the Arizona Bowl. Finally, the Holiday Bowl features Virginia Tech against Oregon State.
College Football Playoff Projections
The projected 12-team College Football Playoff bracket begins in the first round with No. 12 Boise State facing No. 5 Indiana. Boise State enters as the Group of Six favorite after rallying past Texas State, while Indiana seeks to benefit from an extra week of preparation. No. 11 Notre Dame matches up against No. 6 Kentucky, with the Fighting Irish securing the final bid over three-loss contenders and Kentucky pursuing a 10-win season under its first-year coach. No. 10 Texas faces No. 7 Ohio State in a matchup featuring the Longhorns’ extensive resume of quality wins against the Buckeyes. No. 9 LSU meets No. 8 BYU to round out the opening round.
In the quarterfinals, the Peach Bowl projects No. 9 LSU against No. 1 Miami following the Hurricanes’ narrow escape at North Carolina. The Cotton Bowl features No. 10 Texas against No. 2 Georgia, who secured their spot after defeating Florida. The Rose Bowl pairs No. 11 Notre Dame with No. 3 Utah after the Utes dominated Cincinnati, and the Fiesta Bowl matches No. 5 Indiana against No. 4 UCLA as the Bruins maintain an undefeated record.
The semifinal round features the Orange Bowl between No. 1 Miami and No. 4 UCLA, alongside the Sugar Bowl matching No. 2 Georgia against No. 11 Notre Dame.
The national championship game is scheduled for January 25 in Las Vegas, where CBS Sports projects a matchup between No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Georgia.
