Bowl, CFP projections: How the postseason picture shifted after a wild Week 7

If we thought Week 6 was wild, Week 7 really raised havoc as five of the top seven teams in the AP top 25 poll teams lost in what was a college football weekend to remember.

We watched six ranked matchups play out with the lower-ranked team pulling off a win in four of those games. No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 5 Indiana took their first losses of the season, and No. 3 Miami pulled off a nail-biter win over Florida State in double overtime to remain undefeated.

Following all the chaos, we take a look at how the postseason picture shifted after Week 7.

New to the 2026 season, the Power 4 conference champions will receive 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 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 Utah
Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 UCLA

Bonagura: No. 11 Wake Forest at No. 6 UCLA
Schlabach: No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Notre Dame

Bonagura: No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Texas Tech
Schlabach: No. 10 Utah at No. 7 Ole Miss

Bonagura: No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 9 Texas Tech at No. 8 Indiana

CFP quarterfinals

Wednesday, Dec. 30

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 5 Utah vs. No. 4 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 1 BYU

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. 6 UCLA vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 4 Georgia

Quarterfinals Game 3
4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 2 BYU
Schlabach: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Ohio State

Quarterfinals Game 4
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 1 Miami
Schlabach: No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 2 Miami

CFP semifinals, national championship game

Thursday, Jan. 14

Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 BYU
Schlabach: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Miami

Friday, Jan. 15

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Miami
Schlabach: No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 4 Georgia

Monday, Jan. 25

CFP National Championship
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 BYU vs. No. 1 Miami
Schlabach: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 2 Miami

Bowl season schedule

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. Jackson State

Tuesday, Dec. 15

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Florida International
Schlabach: Buffalo vs. Louisiana

Frisco Football Classic
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Tulane 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: Appalachian State vs. Western Michigan

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Auburn vs. South Florida
Schlabach: Virginia vs. South Carolina

Monday, Dec. 21

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Central Michigan vs. Georgia State
Schlabach: Liberty vs. South Alabama

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: FAU vs. Western Kentucky

StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. James Madison
Schlabach: Louisiana Tech vs. Florida International

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UConn vs. Cincinnati
Schlabach: California vs. West Virginia

Wednesday, Dec. 23

New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. James Madison

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: TCU vs. Florida Atlantic
Schlabach: TCU vs. Army

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
7:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Washington
Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Oregon State

Frisco Bowl
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Florida State vs. Memphis
Schlabach: UTSA vs. New Mexico

Thursday, Dec. 24

Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: San José State vs. UTSA
Schlabach: UNLV vs. Texas State

Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: San Diego State vs. North Dakota State
Schlabach: Fresno State vs. North Dakota State

Saturday, Dec. 26

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Wisconsin
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota

Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Virginia vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: Duke vs. USF

Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Penn State
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. Northwestern

68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. UAB
Schlabach: Eastern Michigan vs. UAB

Cactus Bowl
Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Michigan vs. UCF
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Cincinnati

Monday, Dec. 28

Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Duke vs. Army
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Memphis

Trust & Will Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
5 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. USC

Tuesday, Dec. 29

JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Tulane
Schlabach: NC State vs. Auburn

Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: SMU vs. Oklahoma State
Schlabach: SMU vs. Oklahoma State

Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Houston vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Houston vs. Oregon

Wednesday, Dec. 30

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
11:30 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Florida
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. LSU

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
3 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Northwestern vs. Kentucky
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Alabama

Thursday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. LSU
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Florida

Old El Paso Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Washington

Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: USC vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Arizona vs. Texas

Kinder's Texas Bowl
Reliant Stadium (Houston)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Texas
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Missouri

Saturday, Jan. 2

Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Alabama
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Kentucky

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Georgia Southern vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Texas A&M vs. North Texas

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Toledo vs. New Mexico
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Wyoming

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Mississippi State