Dreaming of the CFP already? Projections for every bowl game, including the playoff

The long wait is nearly over. Another college football season is almost upon us. We all love the thrills and chills, and ups and downs we get every week along the way, but if you can't help but mentally skip ahead three months and daydream about the most wonderful time of the year, we're here for you. The festivities of bowl season kick off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 12, and wrap up with the CFP National Championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday, Jan. 25. ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are looking deep into their crystal balls to project every postseason matchup, including how the 12-team College Football Playoff will play out. We'll be back every week of the season to update the picks until the actual matchups are set. All times Eastern 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 Georgia Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Texas Bonagura: No. 11 BYU at No. 6 Oregon Schlabach: No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 6 BYU Bonagura: No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Miami Schlabach: No. 10 LSU at No. 7 Miami Bonagura: No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Texas Tech 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 Georgia vs. No. 4 Indiana Schlabach: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Oregon 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. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Notre Dame Schlabach: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Georgia Quarterfinals Game 3 4 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State Quarterfinals Game 4 8 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 3 Texas Schlabach: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 3 Notre Dame 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. 4 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 4 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State Friday, Jan. 15 Allstate Sugar Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Notre Dame Schlabach: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia Friday, Jan. 25 2027 CFP National Championship Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Ohio State Bowl season schedule Saturday, Dec. 12 Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by Toyota Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) Noon, ABC Bonagura: Coppin State vs. Prairie View A&M Schlabach: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M Tuesday, Dec. 15 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Georgia Southern Schlabach: Central Michigan vs. Louisiana Frisco Football Classic The Star (Frisco, Texas) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Kansas vs. UTSA Schlabach: Memphis vs. New Mexico Friday, Dec. 18 Boca Raton Bowl Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida) 11 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Appalachian State vs. Miami (Ohio) Schlabach: East Carolina vs. Western Michigan Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) 2:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Duke vs. Wisconsin Schlabach: Florida State vs. South Florida Monday, Dec. 21 Myrtle Beach Bowl Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina) 11 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Delaware vs. Arkansas State Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Old Dominion Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho) 2:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Toledo vs. San Diego State Schlabach: Toledo vs. North Dakota State Tuesday, Dec. 22 Puerto Rico Bowl Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Bayamón, Puerto Rico) 1:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs. Wyoming Schlabach: Miami (Ohio) vs. Air Force StaffDNA Cure Bowl Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida) 5 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Marshall vs. North Texas Schlabach: Troy vs. Florida International Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana) 8:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: UCF vs. Western Kentucky Schlabach: West Virginia vs. Liberty Wednesday, Dec. 23 New Orleans Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Liberty vs. Troy Schlabach: Kennesaw State vs. James Madison Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. Army Schlabach: UCLA vs. Army Frisco Bowl The Star (Frisco, Texas) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Ohio vs. New Mexico Schlabach: California vs. Western Kentucky Thursday, Dec. 24 Isleta New Mexico Bowl University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 2:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: UNLV vs. California Schlabach: UNLV vs. Fresno State Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu) 7 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Navy vs. Hawai'i Schlabach: San Diego State vs. Hawai'i Saturday, Dec. 26 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium (New York) Noon, ABC Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Louisiana Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Illinois Wasabi Fenway Bowl Fenway Park (Boston) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. Tulane Schlabach: NC State vs. Navy Duke's Mayo Bowl Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) 3:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Louisville vs. Southern Miss Schlabach: Virginia vs. Wisconsin 68 Ventures Bowl Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Old Dominion vs. Air Force Schlabach: Georgia Southern vs. UTSA Cactus Bowl Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona) 7:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Washington State vs. Illinois Schlabach: UCF vs. Nebraska Monday, Dec. 28 Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Florida State vs. South Florida Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Tulane Tuesday, Dec. 29 JLab Birmingham Bowl Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: East Carolina vs. Vanderbilt Schlabach: Duke vs. Auburn Pop-Tarts Bowl Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: SMU vs. Kansas State Schlabach: Louisville vs. TCU Valero Alamo Bowl Alamodome (San Antonio) 9p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Houston vs. USC Schlabach: Houston vs. USC Wednesday, Dec. 30 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida) 11:30 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Clemson vs. Florida Schlabach: SMU vs. Florida Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl Nissan Stadium (Nashville) 3 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Iowa vs. Tennessee Schlabach: Iowa vs. South Carolina Thursday, Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) Noon, ESPN Bonagura: Michigan vs. LSU Schlabach: Michigan vs. Oklahoma Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas) 2 p.m., CBS Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Arizona Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Arizona Las Vegas Bowl Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) 3:45 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma Schlabach: Washington vs. Ole Miss Kinder's Texas Bowl Reliant Stadium (Houston) 7:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: TCU vs. Auburn Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee Saturday, Jan. 2 Citrus Bowl Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) Noon, ABC Bonagura: Penn State vs. Texas A&M Schlabach: Penn State vs. Alabama SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas) 3:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Arizona State vs. James Madison Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Minnesota AutoZone Liberty Bowl Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee) 7:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Baylor vs. Missouri Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Missouri Dates TBD The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona) Time TBD, The CW Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Western Michigan Schlabach: Colorado State vs. Ohio Trust & Will Holiday Bowl Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California) Time TBD Bonagura: Virginia vs. Washington Schlabach: Clemson vs. Utah