Bowl Projections Week 6: The Big 12 CFP Call

The Bowl Projections are always tricky because of all the variables – there might not be enough available teams, ESPN will change things around as needed, etc. – but the biggest one of all is the College Football Playoff. Get a few teams from one conference in, and that changes the bowl pecking order of all of the league’s other teams.
This year, the ACC is projected to get just one team – the champion, if it’s Miami – into the CFP, and at the moment, we’re calling the Big 12 will be a one-bid conference again. No Power Four conference will be more affected if that happens, only because the Big 12 will play up – the second-best Big 12 team might play the fifth-best Big Ten team.
You’ll see what we mean in our latest bowl projections and College Football Playoff predictions.

Week 6 Bowl Projections

Bowl Projections Quick Hits

• The hardest bowl to figure out, because it throws a whole slew of other things out of whack? The Hawaii Bowl. The Rainbow Warriors likely won’t be bowl eligible, and UNLV, New Mexico, and North Dakota State all go to Honolulu in the Mountain West regular season.
• Here’s the other gigantic piece of the puzzle: Michigan. ESPN will want it in a big bowl, but there’s a shot the Wolverines will have to fight just to get to 6-6.
• Don’t assume ESPN will add more bowls if there are too many eligible teams. Instead, they’ll have those teams at the ready if others can’t go.
  – Jump to the College Football Playoff Predictions

Cricket Celebration Bowl

South Carolina State vs Jackson 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 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 Troy
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

East Carolina vs UCF
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 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

Georgia State vs Toledo
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

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Central Michigan vs UNLV
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 Oregon 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 West Virginia
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 App State
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 Boise State
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

North Texas 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

New Mexico 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 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

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

UTSA vs Virginia Tech
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

Louisville vs Penn State
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 Louisiana Tech
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 Baylor
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 Clemson
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 Kentucky
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

Duke 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 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

Wake Forest vs Florida
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

Michigan vs Mississippi State
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

Minnesota 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

Oklahoma 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

BYU 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

Wisconsin 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

Tulsa vs NC 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

Ohio vs North Dakota State
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

Texas (9) at LSU (8)
Friday, December 18, 2026
Game Time: 8:00, ESPN
Location: To Be Determined
Iowa (11) at Alabama (6)
Saturday, December 19, 2026
Game Time: 12:00, ABC/ESPN
Location: To Be Determined
Oregon (10) Indiana (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

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

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

LSU (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 Quarterfinals

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