Things were relatively stable at the top of the college football hierarchy in Week 11, but there were some surprises further down the rankings that impacted the conference landscapes.
What does it all mean to the bowl picture? Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura predict all the bowl matchups and provide analysis on the CFP picture, what teams helped or hurt their cause this weekend and the most intriguing matchups.
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. Alabama
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Ohio State
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. Ohio State
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: Alabama vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Playoff breakdown
Schlabach: Georgia continued its dominance with a 41-17 victory at Tennessee on Saturday and remains No. 1. The Bulldogs finished 8-0 in the SEC for the first time in school history. They won each of those games by at least 17 points and an average of 31.9 points. I'm still betting on the Bulldogs finally taking down Alabama in the Dec. 4 SEC championship game, and I'm not convinced a two-loss, non-league champion -- even the Crimson Tide -- would be among the four teams in the playoff.
I've got Ohio State at No. 2, followed by Oregon and Cincinnati. Even though the Ducks won 35-28 on the road at Ohio State on Sept. 11, I think the Buckeyes are playing better football right now. Oklahoma's 27-14 loss at Baylor opened the door for the Bearcats to become the first non-Power 5 team to make the CFP. I still think they're going to need more help in the end. Michigan is my fifth team.
Bonagura: There's not much movement at the top. Georgia remains the unquestioned No. 1, while Oregon and Ohio State have clear paths to the playoff if they win out. It's hard to make the argument the committee would bump Cincinnati ahead of either the Ducks or Buckeyes if they finish with one loss considering where the teams have ranked so far. Oregon received a boost when Oklahoma lost to Baylor. Had the Sooners run the table, they likely would have had enough quality wins to move past Oregon.
I still don't think the committee will rank Cincinnati ahead of Alabama if the Tide lose to Georgia. If they think Alabama is better than Cincinnati going into the SEC title game, how would losing to the most dominant team in the nation change their opinion? It's not that simple, of course. How each team looks the rest of the way will factor in to the voting, and Cincinnati hasn't made a convincing case of late.
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
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: Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Schlabach's most intriguing matchup: The Fighting Irish and Wolverines are two of the true blue bloods in college football, but they've never played each other in the postseason. They've met 44 times during the regular season, with the Wolverines coming out on top 25 times. Michigan has won five of the past eight meetings, including a 45-14 victory in the last one on Oct. 26, 2019. The schools played each other in 31 of 37 seasons from 1978 to 2014, but sadly they're not scheduled to play again until 2033 and 2034.
Rose Bowl Game
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
5 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Michigan State vs. Utah
Schlabach: Michigan State vs. Arizona State
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans)
8:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama
Team that helped its cause the most this weekend
Schlabach: Cincinnati is the obvious answer, not so much for what the Bearcats did in beating South Florida 42-28 on the road Friday night, but for what Oklahoma's loss did for their CFP chances. But Ole Miss really helped itself out by taking down No. 11 Texas A&M 29-19 at home Saturday night. The Rebels ended the Aggies' four-game winning streak and spoiled their hopes of winning the SEC West. Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) closes the regular season against Vanderbilt at home on Saturday (7:30 p.m ET, SEC Network & ESPN App) and at rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving night. In Lane Kiffin's second season, the Rebels have a chance to win 10 games, something they've done only twice in the past 50 years. Winning out would put them in great position for a New Year's Six bowl game.
Bonagura: Michigan. The Wolverines didn't necessarily look great, but their 21-17 win against Penn State kept them in the mix in the Big Ten East -- and by extension the playoff. If they get past Maryland this week, that would set up the biggest game of Jim Harbaugh's tenure at Michigan against Ohio State in the regular-season finale.
Team that hurt its cause the most this weekend
Schlabach: The CFP selection committee didn't like Oklahoma that much to begin with, so it's really not going to like the Sooners after their 27-14 loss at Baylor on Saturday. The Sooners can still get to the Big 12 championship game, but it's hard to imagine them getting into the playoff. The Bears limited OU to 260 yards of offense, the fewest in Lincoln Riley's five seasons as head coach. The Sooners also lost in November for the first time in his tenure and saw their 17-game winning streak end.
Bonagura: Oklahoma is really the only option here. The Sooners' loss at Baylor validated the committee's assessment of them and removes them from the playoff discussion. It was a long time coming after several unconvincing wins this year, and it makes it tougher for Oklahoma fans to enjoy the ongoing meltdown in Austin.
Team most disappointed with its landing spot
Bonagura: Cincinnati. To be ranked No. 3 in the AP poll and land outside the playoff is about as disappointing as it gets. Any feeling of disrespect is warranted. But the Bearcats also can't be surprised at how this has played out considering past history with Group of 5 teams and the playoff, and they should still be optimistic they'll be the first to crack the party. There are several likely scenarios that could unfold and allow Cincinnati to make history.
Schlabach: Texas. The Longhorns aren't even included in my projections after their stunning 57-56 loss in overtime to Kansas at home on Saturday. Texas has dropped five straight games, its longest losing streak since 1956. The Jayhawks, who were 31-point underdogs, ended a 56-game losing streak in Big 12 road games, which dated back to 2008. Steve Sarkisian's first season in Austin wasn't supposed to be a cakewalk, but it has suddenly turned into a five-alarm fire. The Longhorns are 4-6 and will have to win their final two games to go bowling. They play at West Virginia on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN2 and ESPN App) and home against Kansas State on Nov. 26.
Bowl season
Dec. 17
Bahamas Bowl
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
Noon on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Central Michigan vs. Marshall
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Middle Tennessee
Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
6 p.m. on ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Kent State vs. Liberty
Schlabach: Memphis vs. Alabama-Birmingham
Dec. 18
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
11 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Charlotte vs. Miami (Ohio)
Schlabach: Appalachian State vs. Central Michigan
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon on ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State
Schlabach: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State
New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Boise State vs. UTEP
Schlabach: Nevada vs. Miami (Ohio)
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: Georgia State vs. Toledo
Schlabach: Western Kentucky 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: Oregon State 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. Alabama-Birmingham
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. Marshall
Dec. 20
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
2:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Coastal Carolina vs. Florida Atlantic
Schlabach: Coastal Carolina vs. Charlotte
Dec. 21
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
3:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Western Michigan vs. Utah State
Schlabach: Eastern Michigan 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. Western Kentucky
Schlabach: Utah State 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: West Virginia vs. Houston
Schlabach: Air Force vs. Houston
Bonagura's most intriguing matchup: Bowl games are almost impossible to project accurately once you get down the pecking order, but West Virginia vs. Houston would be a tasty matchup pitting Dana Holgorsen against his previous school.
Dec. 23
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
7 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Missouri vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Army
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. Virginia Tech
Schlabach: Hawaii vs. USC
Dec. 25
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
2:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Ball State vs. Middle Tennessee
Schlabach: Ball State vs. Georgia State
Dec. 27
Quick Lane Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
11 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Maryland vs. Northern Illinois
Schlabach: Maryland 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: Louisville vs. SMU
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. East Carolina
Schlabach: Florida vs. Central Florida
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
3:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Memphis vs. Army
Schlabach: West Virginia vs. Liberty
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
6:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Florida
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Missouri
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Petco Park (San Diego)
8 p.m. on Fox
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Washington State
Schlabach: NC State vs. Washington
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
10:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Rutgers vs. Texas Tech
Schlabach: Rutgers vs. Texas Tech
Dec. 29
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Central Florida
Schlabach: Boston College vs. SMU
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
2:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Purdue vs. Boston College
Schlabach: Penn State vs. Virginia
Cheez-It Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:45 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Pittsburgh
Schlabach: Oklahoma vs. Pittsburgh
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Utah
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. Miami
Schlabach: Tennessee vs. North Carolina
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
3 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Arkansas vs. Penn State
Schlabach: Mississippi State vs. Minnesota
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
10:30 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. UCLA
Schlabach: Purdue vs. UCLA
Dec. 31
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, Florida)
11 a.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: NC State vs. Kentucky
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Auburn
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
12:30 p.m. on CBS
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Miami vs. Washington State
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
5:30 p.m.
Bonagura: Nevada vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: Fresno State vs. Kent State
Jan. 1
Outback Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon on ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. Mississippi State
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Kentucky
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
1 p.m. on ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Texas A&M vs. Iowa
Schlabach: Texas A&M vs. Wisconsin
Jan. 4
Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
Time TBD, on ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. Arkansas