College Football Playoff Predictions Week 3: What Now After This Weekend's Shockers?

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It’s only mid-September and the college football season will take dozens of wild twists and turns before we get to early December and the final College Football Playoff rankings. But there’s a good chance that this last weekend changed everything.

Oregon was a mortal lock in our projections to not just make the playoff, but maybe play for the national title. It still has to play at USC and Ohio State – 9-3, at least in the brief history of how the committee does things, doesn’t get you into the tournament.

Oklahoma’s inclusion depended on whether or not it could beat Michigan. After losing to the Wolverines, and with Georgia and Texas up soon, the Sooners could be reasonably done by mid-October.

So now what? Who takes their place, and how does the College Football Playoff look several weeks out? Here’s our call.
– Week 3 Bowl Projections

2026 College Football Playoff Predictions

Predicted College Football Playoff Final Top 12 Ranking
1. Notre Dame 12-0
2. Ohio State 12-1*
3. Georgia 12-1*
4. Miami 11-2* 
5. Utah 11-2*
6. Indiana 11-2
7. LSU 11-2
8. Texas 10-2
9. Alabama 10-2
10. USC 10-2
11. Louisville 11-2
12. Boise State 11-2*
*Projected conference champion

CFN Projected First-Round College Football Playoff Matchups

Sep 11, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals offensive line Ben Corhei (73) before a snap during the game against the Villanova Wildcats at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Carter-Imagn Images

All first round games will be at the home stadiums, and then the bowl games take over starting in the quarterfinal round.

Texas (9) at Alabama (8)
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 8:00, ESPN
Location: To Be Determined
The Texas win over Ohio State was amazing, but with trips to Tennessee, LSU, and Texas A&M, and with Ole Miss, Florida, Oklahoma, and a dangerous Mississippi State to deal with, there should be two losses in there somewhere.

We’re predicting one will be the regular-season finale at Texas A&M, which knocks the Longhorns into the 9-seed behind an Alabama team that will lose twice but win its last three games to come in on a bit of a roll.

Louisville (11) at Indiana (6)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC/ESPN
Location: To Be Determined
Indiana will lose once along the way – likely against Ohio State – and will get to the Big Ten Championship, lose again to the Buckeyes, and grab the 6-seed. Here’s one of our biggest calls of the week: Louisville runs the table before losing the ACC Championship to Miami.

USC (10) at LSU (7)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 3:30, TNT/truTV
Location: To Be Determined
LSU loses once along the way, gets to the SEC Championship, and drops it to Georgia. The committee will put the one-loss Big 12 Champion and Big Ten Championship loser a little higher. USC will be one of the few Power Four teams that go 10-2.

Boise State (12) at Utah (5)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: To Be Determined
Welcome to two of our three biggest calls of the week (Louisville being the third). 1) Utah will lose a game, but will still go on to win the Big 12 Championship. 2) The projected Utah win over BYU, and a Texas Tech stumble, will make the Big 12 a one-bid league again. The winner of Boise State at Western Michigan on September 26th will be our call to be the top Group of Six champion to get in.

CFN Projected Quarterfinal Matchups

Sep 10, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Sep 10, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes cheerleader looks on before the game against the Florida A&M Rattlers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

Texas (9) vs Notre Dame (1)
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
The powers-that-be will lose their collective minds over the idea of Arch Manning and CJ Carr going head-to-head – by this point in the season, it could be a battle of the top two picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. That, and it’s Notre Dame vs Texas. It’ll be a whale of a way to kick off the CFP Quarterfinals.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Indiana (6) vs Georgia (3)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Indiana and Curt Cignetti will love the idea of going into Atlanta and taking on the SEC Champion – they went to Miami and took down the Hurricanes for the national title last season. This will help get the new year off to a red-hot start in a thriller.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Utah (5) vs Miami (4)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
It wouldn’t get the love of the other three monster quarterfinal matchups, but it would be every bit as strong. It’s the ACC Champion vs. Big 12 Champion. Utah fans would pack the place, while Hurricane fans would mostly be hoping their team lands a spot in the semifinals in Miami.

Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential

LSU (7) vs Ohio State (2)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
This has to happen. Lane Kiffin and a high-powered LSU team on New Year’s Day in Pasadena against Ohio State? The Rose Bowl doesn’t have to take a Big Ten team this year, but it would certainly love to have the Big Ten Champion if possible.

CFN Projected College Football Playoff Semifinals

Sep 12, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) looks downfield against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Capital One Orange Bowl

Miami (4) vs Notre Dame (1)
Thursday, January 14, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
This would be a problem on two fronts. First, the Hurricanes and Irish play in the regular season – and we’re predicting a classic. Second, it’s in Miami, and Notre Dame is the 1-seed. The Irish would be well-represented.

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Georgia (3) vs Ohio State (2)
Friday, January 15, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, ABC/ESPN
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Can we please get a repeat of the 42-41 classic that these two played in the 2022 College Football Semifinal in the Peach Bowl? No matter what, a showdown between the SEC and Big Ten champions would be special.

CFN National Championship Prediction

Georgia (3) vs Notre Dame (1)
Monday, January 25, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, ABC
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Can there really be a national title without a Big Ten team? This year is projected to be the toughest field in the short history of the 12-team playoff format, and no matter what the matchup, it’ll be fantastic. It’ll be in Las Vegas, it’ll be a blast, and the fan bases of both programs will invade the town, with Notre Dame playing in its second national championship in three years and Georgia going for a third national title in the last six seasons.

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