Bowl Projections and College Football Playoff Predictions Week 7

Halfway through the season, it’s starting to all come together. Now we can see who’s likely going to miss out on a bowl, and a few teams are already at six wins and bowl eligible.
With our prediction that only three SEC teams will get into the College Football Playoff, the bowl season should be loaded, but where do the Pac-12 teams go? How does it all fit together? Here was go with our latest bowl projections and College Football Playoff Predictions.
– What will the final CFP Top 12 be? Our latest call.

Week 7 Bowl Projections

Bowl Projections Quick Hits

• The biggest twist is the Pac-12. The Mountain West has its share of bowl tie-ins, but for the Pac-12, things get crowded if Boise State doesn’t go to the CFP. There’s a chance ESPN and the bowls get creative between the two conferences.
• With Washington, Colorado, and Stanford predicted to not be bowl eligible, and Utah expected to go to the College Football Playoff, there will be holes for the spots held open for former Pac-12 teams now in the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12.
• This will all get hit with a curveball when it’s really on. Several of the teams here won’t end up accepting the bowl invite.
  – Jump to the College Football Playoff Predictions

Cricket Celebration Bowl

South Carolina State vs Grambling
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

FIU vs South Alabama
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

Jacksonville State vs App State
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

Tulane vs West Virginia
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 Florida
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

Georgia State vs Miami University
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

Ohio 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

Western Michigan vs Fresno 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

Florida Atlantic vs Toledo
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

North Texas vs Cincinnati
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 Louisiana
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 Baylor
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

Cal vs UNLV
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 Oregon 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

New Mexico vs Louisiana Tech
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 Middle Tennessee
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

Duke vs Minnesota
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

East Carolina vs NC State
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

Florida State vs Northwestern
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

UMass vs Troy
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

Nebraska vs Oklahoma State
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 Virginia
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

Pitt 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

Memphis vs South Carolina
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

North Carolina vs Houston
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

Oregon vs Texas Tech
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

Louisville vs LSU
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 Kentucky
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 Ole Miss
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

Mississippi State vs Arizona State
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

BYU vs Oklahoma
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

Wisconsin vs Tennessee
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

Virginia Tech vs Boise State
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)

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop

Central Michigan vs Wyoming
Saturday, January 2, 2027
Game Time: 5:30, CW
Location: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Last Season: Fresno State 18, Miami University 3
Bowl Affiliations: MAC, Mountain West

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Kansas State vs Missouri
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)

College Football Playoff Predictions and Bracket

College Football Playoff First Round

UCLA (9) at Indiana (8)
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 8:00, ESPN
Location: To Be Determined

Wake Forest (11) at Alabama (6)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC/ESPN
Location: To Be Determined

Iowa (10) at Texas (7)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 3:30, TNT/truTV
Location: To Be Determined

James Madison (12) at Utah (5)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: To Be Determined

College Football Playoff Quarterfinals

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

Utah (5) vs Miami (4)
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Texas (7) vs Georgia (2)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Indiana (8) vs Notre Dame (1)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential

Alabama (6) vs Ohio State (3)
Friday, January 1, 2027
Game Time: TBD
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

College Football Playoff Semifinals

Capital One Orange Bowl

Ohio State (3) vs Georgia (2)
Thursday, January 14, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, TNT/truTV
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Miami (4) vs Notre Dame (1)
Friday, January 15, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, ABC/ESPN
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA

College Football Playoff National Championship

Georgia (2) vs Notre Dame (1)
Monday, January 25, 2027
Game Time: 7:30, ABC
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV