Bowl Projections and College Football Playoff Bracket Week 5
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At the moment, with so many teams rising up and others needing to get hot fast to have any hope of getting to six wins and bowl eligibility, one of two things will happen.
Either the powers-that-be will manufacture another game somewhere to get two more eligible teams in, or, more likely, a few teams will tap out and refuse the invite – like last year. So if you don’t see an Illinois, or Florida Atlantic, or Colorado State on here, that’s because there will almost certainly be a pool of teams ready to jump in.
Jump to the College Football Playoff Bracket and Projection
Bowl Projections Week 5
Cricket Celebration Bowl
South Carolina State vs Alabama State
Saturday, December 12, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Last Season: South Carolina State 50, Prairie View A&M 38 4OT
Bowl Affiliations: MEAC, SWAC
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Kennesaw State vs Old Dominion
Tuesday, December 15, 2026
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN
Location: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Last Season: Jacksonville State 17, Troy 13
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt
Frisco Football Classic
Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech
Tuesday, December 15, 2026
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN
Location: Ford Center at the Star, Frisco, TX
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, Sun Belt
Boca Raton Bowl
Minnesota vs Boise State
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 11:00 am, ESPN
Location: Flagler Credit Union Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Last Season: Louisville 27, Toledo 22
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
USF vs NC State
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 3:30, ESPN
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Last Season: NC State 31, Memphis 7
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, CUSA (ACC, SEC)
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Jacksonville State vs Ohio
Monday, December 21, 2026
Game Time: 11:00 am, ESPN
Location: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
Last Season: Western Michigan 41, Kennesaw State 6
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6, (Not Pac-12 or Mountain West)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Western Michigan vs North Dakota State
Monday, December 21, 2026
Game Time: 2:30, ESPN
Location: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
Last Season: Washington State 34, Utah State 21
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Mountain West
Puerto Rico Bowl
Toledo vs Washington State
Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Game Time: 1:30, ESPN
Location: Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Group of 6 or Pac-12
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
UCF vs App State
Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Game Time: 5:00, ESPN
Location: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL
Last Season: Old Dominion 24, USF 10
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Tulane vs Oklahoma State
Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Game Time: 8:30, ESPN
Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Last Season: Louisiana Tech 23, Coastal Carolina 14
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, Former Pac-12 (or Big 12)
New Orleans Bowl
Liberty vs Troy
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Last Season: Western Kentucky 27, Southern Miss 16
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, Sun Belt
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Navy vs Houston
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN
Location: Amon G Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Last Season: Texas State 41, Rice 10
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, CUSA, (or Big 12)
Poinsettia Bowl
Arizona State vs New Mexico
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, CW
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Last Season: No Game
Bowl Affiliations: Former Pac-12 Mountain West
Frisco Bowl
Tulsa vs Fresno State
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN
Location: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Last Season: Ohio 17, UNLV 10
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
UNLV vs Louisiana
Thursday, December 24, 2026
Game Time: 2:30, ESPN
Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
Last Season: North Texas 49, San Diego State 47
Bowl Affiliations: Mountain West, CUSA or Sun Belt
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Air Force vs East Carolina
Thursday, December 24, 2026
Game Time: 7:00, ESPN
Location: Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI
Last Season: Hawaii 35, Cal 31
Bowl Affiliations: Mountain West, CUSA (or AAC)
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Virginia vs Northwestern
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Last Season: Penn State 22, Clemson 10
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big Ten
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Memphis vs North Carolina
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN
Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Last Season: Army 41, UConn 16
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, ACC
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Duke vs Nebraska
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 3:30, ABC
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Last Season: Wake Forest 43, Mississippi State 29
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big Ten (or SEC)
68 Ventures Bowl
Miami University vs Georgia State
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 5:30, ESPN
Location: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
Last Season: Delaware 20, Louisiana 13
Bowl Affiliations: CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt
Cactus Bowl
Wisconsin vs West Virginia
Saturday, December 26, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, ABC
Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Last Season: Minnesota 20, New Mexico 17 OT
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, Big 12
Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
Army vs Wake Forest
Monday, December 28, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
Last Season: East Carolina 23, Pitt 17
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, ACC
Holiday Bowl
Louisville vs USC
Monday, December 28, 2026
Game Time: 5:00, CW
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Last Season: SMU 24, Arizona 19
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Former Pac-12
JLab Birmingham Bowl
North Texas vs Auburn
Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, ESPN
Location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
Last Season: Georgia Southern 29, App State 10
Bowl Affiliations: AAC, SEC
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Clemson vs Cincinnati
Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Game Time: 5:30, ABC
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Last Season: BYU 25, Georgia Tech 21
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Big 12
Valero Alamo Bowl
UCLA vs BYU
Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Game Time: 9:00, ESPN
Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Last Season: TCU 30, USC 27 OT
Bowl Affiliations: Former Pac-12, Big 12
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Virginia Tech vs Mississippi State
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Game Time: 11:30 am, ESPN
Location: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Last Season: Virginia 13, Missouri 7
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, SEC
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Penn State vs Oklahoma
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Game Time: 3:00, ESPN
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Last Season: Illinois 30, Tennessee 28
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC
ReliaQuest Bowl
Michigan vs Tennessee
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ESPN
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Last Season: Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC
Old El Paso Sun Bowl
SMU vs Arizona
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Game Time: 2:00, CBS
Location: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
Last Season: Duke 42, Arizona State 39
Bowl Affiliations: ACC, Former Pac-12
Las Vegas Bowl
Missouri vs Washington
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Game Time: 3:45, ESPN
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Last Season: Utah 44, Nebraska 22
Bowl Affiliations: SEC, Former Pac-12
Kinder’s Texas Bowl
Texas Tech vs Texas A&M
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, ESPN
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Last Season: Houston 38, LSU 35
Bowl Affiliations: Big 12, SEC
Citrus Bowl
Iowa vs Ole Miss
Saturday, January 2, 2027
Game Time: 12:00, ABC
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Last Season: Texas 41, Michigan 27
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten, SEC
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
UTSA vs Pitt
Saturday, January 2, 2027
Game Time: 3:30, ESPN
Location: Gerald R Ford Stadium, University Park, TX
Last Season: UTSA 57, FIU 20
Bowl Affiliations: Group of 6 (or ACC)
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Kansas State vs Kentucky
Saturday, January 2, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, ESPN
Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
Last Season: Navy 35, Cincinnati 13
Bowl Affiliations: Big 12, SEC, (or AAC)
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop
UMass vs Wyoming
Date TBD
Game Time: TBD
Location: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Last Season: Fresno State 18, Miami University 3
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Mountain West
College Football Playoff
First Round
Texas (9) at LSU (8)
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 8:00, ESPN
Oregon (11) at Alabama (6)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC/ESPN
Florida (10) Indiana (7)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 3:30, TNT/truTV
James Madison (12) at Utah (5)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
Utah (5) vs Miami (4)
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Indiana (7) vs Georgia (2)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Game Time: TBD
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
LSU (8) vs Notre Dame (1)
Friday, January 1, 2027
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Game Time: TBD
Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential
Alabama (6) vs Ohio State (3)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Game Time: TBD
College Football Playoff Semifinals
Capital One Orange Bowl
Ohio State (3) vs Georgia (2)
Thursday, January 14, 2027
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Miami (4) vs Notre Dame (1)
Friday, January 15, 2027
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Game Time: 7:30, ABC/ESPN
College Football Playoff National Championship
Georgia (2) vs Notre Dame (1)
Monday, January 25, 2027
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Game Time: 7:30, ABC
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