College football bowl projections have been updated following a chaotic Week 9 that saw upsets including USC over Ohio State, Miami escaping North Carolina, and Georgia dominating Florida. With the first College Football Playoff rankings set for release on Tuesday, no favorite appears safe as the season enters its final month.
Bowl Projections
All 47 postseason games have been projected, with several new teams reaching bowl eligibility. Notable projections include the Cricket Celebration Bowl featuring Jackson State vs. South Carolina State, the San Juan Bowl with Clemson vs. Marshall, and the Salute to Veterans Bowl pitting UAB against Miami (Ohio). Other matchups include the Frisco Football Classic (Buffalo vs. Louisiana), Boca Raton Bowl (Liberty vs. Tulsa), and Gasparilla Bowl (USF vs. Duke). Duke became bowl eligible after Nate Sheppard's five touchdowns against Boston College. Penn State secured its first Big Ten win and is projected for the Myrtle Beach Bowl against Arkansas State. Additional projections cover the Puerto Rico Bowl (UMass vs. South Alabama), Potato Bowl (UNLV vs. Western Michigan), Cure Bowl (JMU vs. Ohio), Independence Bowl (West Virginia vs. UConn), New Orleans Bowl (Appalachian State vs. Jacksonville State), Poinsettia Bowl (Fresno State vs. Arizona State), Armed Forces Bowl (Memphis vs. Kansas State), Frisco Bowl (North Texas vs. Illinois), Hawaii Bowl (North Dakota State vs. Texas State), New Mexico Bowl (Wyoming vs. UTSA), Mayo Bowl (Louisville vs. Minnesota), Pinstripe Bowl (North Carolina vs. Wisconsin), 68 Ventures Bowl (Air Force vs. Louisiana Tech), Fenway Bowl (Stanford vs. Tulane), Cactus Bowl (Michigan vs. Cincinnati), Birmingham Bowl (Auburn vs. Syracuse), Military Bowl (Virginia vs. Army), Pop-Tarts Bowl (Wake Forest vs. Houston), Alamo Bowl (USC vs. Texas Tech), Gator Bowl (Pittsburgh vs. Florida), Music City Bowl (Nebraska vs. Oklahoma), ReliaQuest Bowl (Northwestern vs. Ole Miss), Sun Bowl (SMU vs. Arizona), Las Vegas Bowl (Oregon vs. South Carolina), Texas Bowl (Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee), Citrus Bowl (Iowa vs. Alabama), First Responder Bowl (Baylor vs. FAU), Liberty Bowl (UCF vs. Missouri), Arizona Bowl (Toledo vs. New Mexico), and Holiday Bowl (Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State).
College Football Playoff Projections
The projected 12-team CFP bracket features first-round matchups: (12) Boise State at (5) Indiana, (11) Notre Dame at (6) Kentucky, (10) Texas at (7) Ohio State, and (9) LSU at (8) BYU. Quarterfinal projections: Peach Bowl (9) LSU vs. (1) Miami, Cotton Bowl (10) Texas vs. (2) Georgia, Rose Bowl (11) Notre Dame vs. (3) Utah, Fiesta Bowl (5) Indiana vs. (4) UCLA. Semifinals: Orange Bowl (1) Miami vs. (4) UCLA, Sugar Bowl (2) Georgia vs. (11) Notre Dame. National Championship projection: (1) Miami vs. (2) Georgia in Las Vegas on Jan. 25.
Key storylines include Boise State's dramatic comeback win over Texas State, Indiana's overtime victory over Minnesota, Notre Dame's win over Navy, and Georgia's dominant win over Florida. The first CFP rankings will provide the official picture on Tuesday.
