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 Jump to: 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