The mayhem of the college football season reached new levels this weekend with No. 1 Alabama going down, and as a result, our bowl projections got yet another shake-up.
In addition to predicting the matchups for every single bowl game, Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura provide analysis on their playoff picks, most intriguing bowl matchup, fast-rising teams that could make a New Year's Six push and teams that helped or hurt their cause the most.
All times Eastern
College Football Playoff
CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
Jan. 10, 8 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia vs. Iowa
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Iowa
CFP Semifinal at Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Cincinnati
CFP Semifinal at Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Dec. 31, 3:30 or 7:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Cincinnati
Schlabach: Iowa vs Oklahoma
Playoff breakdown
Bonagura: Well, that was unexpected. Considering how Texas A&M had been playing, Alabama's loss is one of the most shocking upsets of the playoff era, and while it would be silly to count out a one-loss Crimson Tide team, it does change the CFP picture for now. Georgia becomes the overwhelming No. 1, and what appears to be the most difficult game left on the Bulldogs' regular-season schedule -- undefeated Kentucky! -- comes this week in Athens. Iowa is easy to slot in at No. 2 after it beat Penn State, and the Hawkeyes don't play Michigan, Michigan State or Ohio State in the regular season. Cincinnati is still in position to become the first Group of 5 team to reach the playoff and will continue to root for further chaos among the Power 5 schools. Finally, Oklahoma squeaks its way back into the top four after an epic comeback win against Texas. The Sooners haven't been convincing, but the pathway is there.
Schlabach: Georgia has played like arguably the best team in the country through the first six weeks of the season, and the Bulldogs will get the No. 1 ranking after Alabama fell 41-38 at Texas A&M on Saturday night. Georgia's defense was again dominant in a 34-10 win at Auburn, limiting the Tigers to just 46 rushing yards. The Bulldogs will face a big test at home against undefeated Kentucky this week. The Crimson Tide's stunning loss to the Aggies won't eliminate them from the CFP race, but they'll probably have to win the SEC championship game to get back in the top four. Iowa moves to my No. 2 spot after holding off Penn State 23-20 at home. The Hawkeyes have limits on offense, but their defense is very good. Oklahoma is No. 3 after the Sooners' came back from a 21-point deficit in a 55-48 thriller against Texas -- and OU coach Lincoln Riley might have found a new quarterback in freshman Caleb Williams in the process. Cincinnati gets the fourth spot for now, although I'm not sure the Bearcats' remaining AAC schedule will be good enough to keep them there.
New Year's Six
Dec. 30
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
7 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. Michigan State
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. Ole Miss
Jan. 1
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
1 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Coastal Carolina vs. Kentucky
Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Ohio State
Rose Bowl Game
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
5 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Oregon
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans)
8:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Alabama vs. Oklahoma State
Schlabach: Alabama vs. Oklahoma State
Team knocking on the door of the NY6
Bonagura: I have Arizona State in the Rose Bowl for a second consecutive week, but the Sun Devils didn't knock so much as they slipped in the back door when everyone was distracted by Oregon's loss to Stanford. Late Friday night, ASU looked good in a win against Stanford to reaffirm the position that it belongs ahead of the Ducks for the time being. In the Pac-12, that doesn't mean much, but ASU deserves some shine.
Schlabach: If Oklahoma wins out and beats Oklahoma State in the Bedlam game, the Cowboys might still get to a New Year's Six bowl with an 11-1 or 10-2 record. The Pokes had the weekend off and remain one of the last two unbeatens in the Big 12. Their schedule is about to get more challenging with consecutive road games at Texas on Saturday and at Iowa State on Oct. 23.
Bowl season
Dec. 17
Bahamas Bowl
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
Noon on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Toledo vs. Marshall
Schlabach: Kent State vs. Florida Atlantic
Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
6 p.m. on ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Appalachian State vs. Liberty
Schlabach: Army vs. UAB
Team that helped its cause the most
Bonagura: Iowa. A loss to Penn State would have made the road to a New Year's Six bowl game a difficult one for the Hawkeyes. With the win, though, the Hawkeyes have a clear path to the playoff, and a loss -- or maybe two -- along the way could still leave Iowa in position to play in the Rose Bowl or another NY6 game.
Schlabach: Oklahoma is starting to look like a contender again -- at least on offense. Riley will have to decide whether to stay with Williams over Spencer Rattler, who struggled again against Texas. Williams came off the bench and completed 16 of 25 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns, while rushing for 88 yards with one score. He provided a spark the Sooners desperately needed in the highest-scoring Red River Showdown ever. Oklahoma piled up 662 yards of offense: 323 passing and 339 rushing. The Sooners took a step back defensively, however, allowing 516 yards to the Longhorns. The Sooners won't face another ranked opponent until their Nov. 27 trip to Oklahoma State for the Bedlam game.
Dec. 18
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
11 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Eastern Carolina vs. Florida Atlantic
Schlabach: Appalachian State vs. Utah State
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon on ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Jackson State vs. Norfolk State
Schlabach: Jackson State vs. Norfolk State
New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wyoming vs. Buffalo
Schlabach: Wyoming vs. Washington
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
3:30 p.m. on ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: BYU vs. Texas-San Antonio
Schlabach: BYU vs. Texas-San Antonio
LendingTree Bowl
Ladd-Peebles Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: South Alabama vs. Charlotte
Schlabach: Troy vs. Western Michigan
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
7:30 p.m. on ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: USC vs. San Diego State
Schlabach: USC vs. San Diego State
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans)
9:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Louisiana vs. UAB
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. Louisiana Tech
Dec. 20
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
2:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Ball State vs. Louisiana Tech
Schlabach: Charlotte vs. Coastal Carolina
Dec. 21
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
3:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Western Michigan vs. Nevada
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Boise State
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
7:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Air Force vs. UTEP
Schlabach: Nevada vs. UTEP
Dec. 22
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
8 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. SMU
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. Air Force
Dec. 23
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
7 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: LSU vs. Miami
Schlabach: Mississippi State vs. Miami
Bonagura's take: If this plays out with LSU facing Miami, will we be looking at a game with two interim coaches? Both LSU and Miami have been significant disappointments, and because of what the programs mean for college football, this game is interesting because of how it would shape the future.
Dec. 24
EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
8 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Stanford
Schlabach: Hawaii vs. SMU
Dec. 25
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
2:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Kent State vs. Troy
Schlabach: Ball State vs. Texas State
Dec. 27
Quick Lane Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
11 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Maryland vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: Purdue vs. Northern Illinois
Military Bowl presented by Peraton
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Central Florida
Schlabach: Louisville vs. East Carolina
Dec. 28
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Protective Life Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Memphis
Schlabach: Missouri vs. Central Florida
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
3:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Utah State vs. Army
Schlabach: Houston vs. North Carolina
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
6:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: TCU vs. Mississippi State
Schlabach: TCU vs. Arkansas
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Petco Park (San Diego)
8 p.m. on Fox
Bonagura: Clemson vs. UCLA
Schlabach: NC State vs. Stanford
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
10:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Texas Tech
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Kansas State
Dec. 29
Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Houston
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Temple
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
2:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Rutgers vs. Pittsburgh
Schlabach: Rutgers vs. Boston College
Cheez-It Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Notre Dame
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Notre Dame
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Texas vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Texas vs. UCLA
Team that hurt its cause the most
Bonagura: The Longhorns were an underdog going into the Red River Showdown, so at the start of the day, a loss might not have seemed so bad. But considering Texas was in complete control, up 28-7, and in position to become the favorite in the Big 12, the loss to Oklahoma is devastating.
Schlabach: Thanks to three victories over Pac-12 opponents, BYU had climbed to No. 10 in the AP poll after a 5-0 start. An at-large bid to a New Year's Six bowl game seemed like a possibility if the Cougars kept winning. But BYU's dreams came crashing down in a 26-17 loss to Boise State at home Saturday. The Cougars had four turnovers and scored just seven points in the final three quarters. Regardless of how the season goes the rest of the way, BYU will probably do no better than an invitation to its guaranteed spot in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.
Dec. 30
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
11:30 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Tennessee vs. Boston College
Schlabach: Tennessee vs. Virginia
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
3 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Arkansas vs. Minnesota
Schlabach: Auburn vs. Minnesota
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
10:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. Utah
Schlabach: Maryland vs. Utah
Dec. 31
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, Florida)
11 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Auburn vs. NC State
Schlabach: Texas A&M vs. Clemson
Schlabach's take: Clemson and Texas A&M aren't as good as expected, but the Aggies finally delivered with the season's biggest upset by beating defending national champion Alabama on Saturday night. The Tigers have won three straight meetings with the Aggies going back to the 2005 season, and two of them were decided by a total of three points. Clemson's Dabo Swinney and Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher spent eight seasons battling each other for ACC supremacy while Fisher was coaching at Florida State.
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
12:30 p.m. on CBS
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Oregon State
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
5:30 p.m.
Bonagura: Boise State vs. Northern Illinois
Schlabach: Liberty vs. Fresno State
Jan. 1
Outback Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon on ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Penn State vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Michigan State vs. Florida
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
1 p.m. on ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Florida vs. Ohio State
Schlabach: Kentucky vs. Penn State
Jan. 4
Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
Time TBD on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. LSU