Week 1 is (almost) in the books and, thanks to our first look at teams across the country, we now have a better idea about who is tracking for a good season on the field and who may be quietly engaging a search firm to find a new head coach.
That’s reflected in Sports Illustrated’s latest bowl projections going into Labor Day, which includes several notable newcomers (hello, Colorado and UMass!) and plenty of intriguing matchups—from old FCS foes getting together in the Frisco Football Classic to an old Big Eight reunion in the similarly named Frisco Bowl.
Here’s our projection of the College Football Playoff and 35 bowl games for the 2026–27 season after Week 1.
College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 1
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Miami
- LSU
- Texas
- Oregon
- BYU
- Indiana
- Oklahoma
- USC
- Boise State
First Round
- No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 LSU
- No. 11 USC at No. 6 Texas
- No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Oregon
- No. 9 Indiana at No. 8 BYU
Quarterfinals
- Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 LSU
- Peach Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Texas
- Rose Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Oregon
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 BYU
Semifinals
- Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Texas
- Orange Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Miami
National Championship
- At Las Vegas: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Miami
Bowl Projections After Week 1
| Bowl Game | Date | Matchup |
|---|---|---|
| Salute to Veterans Bowl | Dec. 15 | Arkansas State vs. Jacksonville State |
| Frisco Football Classic | Dec. 15 | James Madison vs. North Dakota State |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Dec. 18 | UMass vs. FAU |
| Gasparilla Bowl | Dec. 18 | NC State vs. Auburn |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | Dec. 21 | USF vs. Louisiana Tech |
| Potato Bowl | Dec. 21 | Miami (Ohio) vs. Air Force |
| Puerto Rico Bowl | Dec. 22 | Central Michigan vs. Kennesaw State |
| Cure Bowl | Dec. 22 | Memphis vs. Western Michigan |
| Independence Bowl | Dec. 22 | UCF vs. Tulsa |
| New Orleans Bowl | Dec. 23 | Liberty vs. Old Dominion |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Dec. 23 | UTSA vs. New Mexico |
| Frisco Bowl | Dec. 23 | Kansas State vs. Nebraska |
| Poinsettia Bowl | Dec. 23 | San Diego State vs. UCLA |
| New Mexico Bowl | Dec. 24 | Cal vs. Colorado State |
| Hawai’i Bowl | Dec. 24 | Fresno State vs. Hawai’i |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Dec. 26 | Louisville vs. Iowa |
| Fenway Bowl | Dec. 26 | Duke vs. East Carolina |
| Mayo Bowl | Dec. 26 | Virginia Tech vs. Illinois |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | Dec. 26 | Troy vs. Temple |
| Cactus Bowl | Dec. 26 | Cincinnati vs. Wisconsin |
| Military Bowl | Dec. 26 | Wake Forest vs. Navy |
| Arizona Bowl | Dec. 27 | Toledo vs. UNLV |
| Holiday Bowl | Dec. 28 | Utah vs. Clemson |
| Birmingham Bowl | Dec. 29 | Western Kentucky vs. Army |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | Dec. 29 | Houston vs. Pitt |
| Alamo Bowl | Dec. 29 | Texas Tech vs. Washington |
| Gator Bowl | Dec. 30 | SMU vs. Alabama |
| Music City Bowl | Dec. 30 | Florida vs. Minnesota |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | Dec. 31 | Michigan vs. Texas A&M |
| Sun Bowl | Dec. 31 | Colorado vs. Virginia |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Dec. 31 | Arizona State vs. Tennessee |
| Texas Bowl | Dec. 31 | TCU vs. Missouri |
| Citrus Bowl | Jan. 2 | Penn State vs. Mississippi |
| First Responder Bowl | Jan. 2 | Maryland vs. Arizona |
| Liberty Bowl | Jan. 2 | West Virginia vs. South Carolina |
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
- Trinidad Chambliss, the SEC’s Best QB, Passed a Test the Rest of the League Avoided
- Michigan Shouldn’t Have Needed an Extra Second vs. Western Michigan in Uninspiring Kyle Whittingham Debut
- Lane Kiffin’s LSU Debut Was a Message to College Football—Even Without NFL Players
- College Football Week 1 Winners and Losers: The Saturday the Earth Stood Still
