Bowl, CFP projections: How top-15 losses shake things up following Week 8

Week 7 raised havoc, but Week 8 continued the mayhem as we witnessed more big wins and surprising upsets. Five ranked teams fell to unranked opponents Saturday. The Big 12 got a big shake-up as No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 2 BYU suffered their first losses of the season. The Cougars fell in a double-overtime thriller against UCF. In the SEC, No. 19 Texas rebounded from back-to-back conference losses to pull off a big league victory over No. 7 Ole Miss. Following all the chaos, we take a look at how the postseason picture shifted after Week 8. 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 Georgia Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 UCLA Bonagura: No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Indiana Schlabach: No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Indiana Bonagura: No. 10 Wake Forest at No. 7 BYU Schlabach: No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Kentucky Bonagura: No. 9 Kentucky at No. 8 Notre Dame Schlabach: No. 9 BYU at No. 8 Utah 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 Utah Schlabach: No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 4 Notre Dame 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 Indiana vs. No. 3 UCLA Schlabach: No. 8 Utah vs. No. 1 Miami Quarterfinals Game 3 4 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 7 BYU vs. No. 2 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia Quarterfinals Game 4 8 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Miami Schlabach: No. 10 Texas vs. No. 2 Ohio State 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 UCLA vs. No. 2 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Miami Friday, Jan. 15 Allstate Sugar Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 4 Utah vs. No. 1 Miami Schlabach: No. 10 Texas vs. No. 3 Georgia Monday, Jan. 25 CFP National Championship Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN Bonagura: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Miami Schlabach: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 1 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. Alabama A&M Tuesday, Dec. 15 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Miami (Ohio) Schlabach: Buffalo vs. Louisiana Frisco Football Classic The Star (Frisco, Texas) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Louisiana Schlabach: Tulsa vs. Florida International Wednesday, Dec. 16 TransPerfect San Juan Bowl Hiram Bithorn Stadium (San Juan, Puerto Rico) 7:30 p.m. ET, TBD Bonagura: Clemson vs. Georgia State Schlabach: Boston College vs. Appalachian State Friday, Dec. 18 Boca Raton Bowl Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida) 11 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Liberty vs. Tulsa Schlabach: South Florida 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: Minnesota vs. Arkansas 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. Middle Tennessee Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana) 8:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: UConn vs. West Virginia Schlabach: Washington 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: Kansas State vs. North Texas Schlabach: UCF vs. Army San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego) 7:30 p.m., The CW Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Arizona State Schlabach: Texas State vs. Arizona State Frisco Bowl The Star (Frisco, Texas) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Illinois vs. Memphis Schlabach: UConn vs. New Mexico Thursday, Dec. 24 Isleta New Mexico Bowl University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 2:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Wyoming vs. UTSA Schlabach: UNLV vs. Tulane Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu) 7 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Texas 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. Iowa Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota Wasabi Fenway Bowl Fenway Park (Boston) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Florida State vs. East Carolina Schlabach: Duke vs. Memphis Duke's Mayo Bowl Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) 3:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Duke 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. Air Force Schlabach: UAB vs. Miami (Ohio) Cactus Bowl Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona) 7:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Michigan vs. Cincinnati Schlabach: Michigan vs. Cincinnati Monday, Dec. 28 Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Virginia vs. Army Schlabach: Louisville vs. UTSA Trust & Will Holiday Bowl Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego) 5 p.m., The CW Bonagura: Louisville vs. Oregon State Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. Oregon Tuesday, Dec. 29 JLab Birmingham Bowl Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Tulane Schlabach: Illinois vs. Auburn Pop-Tarts Bowl Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: SMU vs. Houston Schlabach: SMU vs. Houston Valero Alamo Bowl Alamodome (San Antonio) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Texas Tech vs. Oregon Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. USC Wednesday, Dec. 30 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida) 11:30 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Florida Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee) 3 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Ole Miss Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Alabama Thursday, Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) Noon, ESPN Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. Texas Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Florida Old El Paso Sun Bowl Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas) 2 p.m., CBS Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Arizona Schlabach: Clemson vs. Oregon State Las Vegas Bowl Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) 3:45 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: USC vs. Oklahoma Schlabach: Arizona vs. Missouri Kinder's Texas Bowl Reliant Stadium (Houston) 7:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma Saturday, Jan. 2 Citrus Bowl Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) Noon, ABC Bonagura: Northwestern vs. LSU Schlabach: Iowa vs. LSU SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas) 3:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Baylor vs. Florida Atlantic Schlabach: Kansas State 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: UCF vs. Missouri Schlabach: Baylor vs. Mississippi State