Bowl projections: Big Ten, SEC dominate College Football Playoff field with Ohio State, Texas leading charge

We’re seven months away from the start of college football’s most wonderful time of the year, but it’s never too early for bowl projections involving teams we’re anticipating to reach the postseason and, more importantly for some, punch their ticket as College Football Playoff participants. Final rosters and two-deeps are coming into focus after spring practice with transfer portal hauls and player acquisitions essentially decided.

A total of 41 bowl games are expected for the 2025-26 postseason schedule, including six within the College Football Playoff. For now, there’s no significant changes in terms of seeding with four Power Four conference champions receiving auto-bids along with the Group of Five’s highest-ranked team. Those five teams will be further power-ranked for the top four seeds and receive opening-round byes. The other seven at-large selections are seeded based on placement in the final playoff rankings from the selection committee in December.

Quarterfinal round of games this season feature the Cotton, Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowl games and will be played on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Semifinal sites are held at the Fiesta and Peach Bowl and played the following week (Jan. 8-9). College football’s expanded calendar concludes with Hard Rock Stadium in Miami hosting the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 19, 2026.

Let’s look ahead at how things may shake out with spring practices and the transfer portal in the rearview. 

College Football Playoff

Quarterfinals

First round

Former Pac-12 teams — Oregon, USC, Washington and UCLA — within the Big Ten are eligible for Pac-12 tie-ins through the end of the current bowl contract (2025). The same goes for Washington State and Oregon State, who ironically will play each other twice in November to help fill out each team’s respective schedule this fall. Several bowl games have multiple conference tie-ins, and as we saw with last season’s slate, final pairings will not necessarily match expected designations for a portion of the slate owned and operated by ESPN.

Beginning with the early projected playoff matchups, the second year of expansion may include seven repeat teams along with a first-time Group of Five representative. The unpredictable Big 12 race could produce a different champion and new at-large selections from within the SEC and ACC are eyeing inclusion.

Don’t see your team? Check out Brad Crawford’s complete post-spring bowl projections.