With Alabama escaping with a narrow win over Texas A&M, the upper echelon of the college football world largely held serve in Week 6. But there were some nice wins by the likes of UCLA, TCU and Tennessee as those teams continued their steady climb up the bowl game hierarchy.
ESPN college football reporters Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach break it all down with their latest projections for all the games, including their analysis of the CFP matchups and which teams helped and hurt their causes the most over the weekend.
All times Eastern
College Football Playoff
CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
Jan. 9, time TBD, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia vs. Alabama
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Alabama
CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Dec. 31, 4 or 8 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia vs. Clemson
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Clemson
CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
Dec. 31, 4 or 8 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Ohio State vs. Alabama
Schlabach: Ohio State vs. Alabama
CFP breakdown
Bonagura: The process remains pretty simple. Alabama and Georgia both clearly deserve to be in the top four, and they won't play each other in the national semifinal. So it comes down to who is set up to play the projected Big Ten champion (Ohio State or Michigan) and who will play the No. 4 team (Clemson/USC/Oklahoma State, etc.). There's no clear distinction between Alabama and Georgia at this point, but the defending champion Bulldogs have the best win (Oregon 49-3) and played better this week (beating Auburn 42-10), which is good enough to give them the edge for now.
Schlabach: I moved Georgia back in front of Alabama -- for now -- after the Crimson Tide struggled to put away Texas A&M 24-20 at home Saturday night. Those struggles happened without reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, who didn't play because of an injured right shoulder. Backup quarterback Jalen Milroe threw for three touchdowns and ran for 83 yards, but he also threw a pick and lost two fumbles. The Tide will need Young back as they prepare for a four-game gauntlet against Tennessee (road), Mississippi State (home), LSU (road) and Ole Miss (road).
Georgia's offense looked much better in the second half of its 42-10 victory against Auburn at home. Ohio State continued to roll with a 49-20 win at Michigan State; quarterback C.J. Stroud threw six touchdowns. Clemson remains my fourth team after its 31-3 rout at Boston College. The Tigers surrendered only 34 rushing yards on 30 attempts. Michigan, USC, Oklahoma State and UCLA were also considered for the fourth spot.
New Year's Six
Dec. 30
Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Time TBD, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. Penn State
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. Penn State
Dec. 31
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee
Jan. 2
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
1 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: TCU vs. Cincinnati
Schlabach: UCLA vs. Cincinnati
Teams that helped their cause the most
Bonagura: TCU. After jumping into the AP Top 25 last week, TCU took another significant step forward with a win against another undefeated ranked team (Kansas). That sets up perhaps the biggest game of the year in the Big 12 on Saturday when Oklahoma State comes to town. If the Horned Frogs get past OSU, they'll be the new favorites in what is proving to be a deep conference.
Schlabach: I wasn't sure Chip Kelly's second tenure in the Pac-12 would turn out as good as his first one at Oregon did. But Kelly seems to have finally turned the corner at UCLA, and the Bruins look like they're going to have a lot to say about who's the best college football team in L.A. and the Pac-12. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 299 yards with four touchdowns, and Zach Charbonnet ran for 198 yards with one score in a 42-32 win against Utah. The Bruins will face a stiff test at Oregon on Oct. 22, but then it should be smooth sailing against Stanford, Arizona State and Arizona before their Nov. 19 showdown against USC at the Rose Bowl.
Rose Bowl Game
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
5 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Michigan vs. USC
Schlabach: Michigan vs. USC
Bowl season
Dec. 16
HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
11:30 a.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Middle Tennessee State vs. Miami (Ohio)
Schlabach: Louisiana Tech vs. Kent State
Duluth Trading Cure Bowl
Exploria Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Southern Miss vs. Ball State
Schlabach: Navy vs. Rice
Dec. 17
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Miami vs. UCF
Schlabach: Marshall vs. Memphis
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: North Carolina Central vs. Jackson State
Schlabach: North Carolina Central vs. Jackson State
New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: BYU vs. UNLV
Schlabach: North Texas vs. San Diego State
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
3:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Washington vs. San Jose State
Schlabach: California vs. Boise State
LendingTree Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Appalachian State vs. Rice
Schlabach: Troy vs. BYU
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Utah vs. Mississippi State
Schlabach: Washington State vs. Kentucky
Bonagura's team whose stock took the biggest hit
Utah: After losing on the road to Florida to start the season, Utah left itself just about no margin for error as far as the playoff was concerned. After losing to UCLA to drop to 4-2, the Utes are completely out of the conversation. It's a deflating place to be after six games for a team that came into the season with expectations to build off of last year's Rose Bowl appearance. Instead, the best Utah can do is rebound from here to earn a return trip to Pasadena.
Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: East Carolina vs. Marshall
Schlabach: Appalachian State vs. Wyoming
Dec. 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
2:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Kent State vs. Liberty
Schlabach: East Carolina vs. Middle Tennessee State
Dec. 20
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
3:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Air Force vs. Toledo
Schlabach: San Jose State vs. Toledo
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
7:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. Troy
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Georgia Southern
Dec. 21
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: UAB vs. South Alabama
Schlabach: UAB vs. Coastal Carolina
Dec. 22
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Oklahoma vs. Memphis
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. UCF
Dec. 23
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
3 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Army vs. SMU
Schlabach: Oklahoma vs. Oregon State
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
6:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Missouri vs. Houston
Schlabach: Liberty vs. UTSA
Dec. 24
EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
8 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Boise State
Schlabach: Western Kentucky vs. Air Force
Dec. 26
Quick Lane Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
2:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Indiana vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Buffalo
Dec. 27
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Ohio vs. San Diego State
Schlabach: Eastern Michigan vs. South Alabama
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
Time TBD, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Oregon State vs. UTSA
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. SMU
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Protective Life Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Time TBD, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina
Schlabach: South Carolina vs. Tulane
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
10:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Texas Tech vs. Iowa
Schlabach: Kansas vs. Iowa
Dec. 28
Military Bowl presented by Peraton
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Duke vs. Tulane
Schlabach: Duke vs. Houston
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
5:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Kansas vs. Florida
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Texas A&M
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Petco Park (San Diego)
8 p.m., Fox
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Florida State vs. Utah
TaxAct Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Arkansas
Dec. 29
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
2 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Maryland
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. Illinois
Cheez-It Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Syracuse vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. Texas
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Texas vs. UCLA
Schlabach: TCU vs. Oregon
Dec. 30
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin
Schlabach: Miami vs. Purdue
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Florida State vs. Washington State
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Washington
Schlabach's team whose stock took the biggest hit
Washington: After a 4-0 start, the Huskies have dropped two in a row. Their defense was again the problem in a 45-38 loss at Arizona State, which had already fired its coach and then lost quarterback Emory Jones in the second quarter. Washington has surrendered 85 points in its past two games, and any chance at a New Year's Six game is probably over.
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: NC State vs. Kentucky
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Florida
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m.
Bonagura: Wyoming vs. Buffalo
Schlabach: UNLV vs. Miami (Ohio)
Dec. 31
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
Noon, ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Arkansas
Schlabach: Maryland vs. LSU
Jan. 2
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Purdue vs. LSU
Schlabach: NC State vs. Mississippi State
Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
1 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Ole Miss