The 2023 college football season kicks off Saturday with seven FBS games and shifts into high gear Aug. 31 with the start of the full Week 1 schedule. Although it seems like a long time between then and December, it's never too early to think about bowl season and the College Football Playoff.
Who will make the four-team playoff for the national championship? What about the other New Year's Six games and the rest of the bowl matchups?
ESPN college football reporters Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach present their projections for all 43 games, and they'll have new predictions every week as the season rolls along. They'll also explain their CFP picks and offer other insights.
All times Eastern
College Football Playoff
CFP National Championship presented by AT&T
NRG Stadium (Houston)
Monday, Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia vs. Alabama
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Michigan
CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
Monday, Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Alabama
Schlabach: Michigan vs. USC
CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
Monday, Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia vs. Florida State
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Ohio State
CFP breakdown
Bonagura: In some order, there's probably a consensus top four nationally -- Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State -- but the idea that two non-champions will qualify for the playoff seems like a bad bet. With that understood, Ohio State is out and replacements are considered. There's not a clear "next team up." It would be fitting, in a way, for the Pac-12 to qualify a team when its lack of playoff participation contributed to its death, but the parity there is still a massive hurdle. TCU showed that the Big 12 can get a team through, but that's a tough conference to navigate this year, too. Which leads us to the ACC and preseason No. 8 Florida State. The Seminoles get LSU in their opener, which will be either (A) a good résumé-building win or (B) an early-enough loss to overcome late. Then they have as easy a conference path as there is for any Power 5 contender.
Schlabach: Obviously, there wasn't much originality in my four playoff teams for the first bowl projections of the 2023 season. Three of them -- two-time defending national champion Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State -- made the CFP last season. The Bulldogs and Buckeyes both have to replace star quarterbacks, while the Trojans bring back reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Unlike USC and Ohio State, Georgia and Michigan have been adept at stopping opponents the past two seasons. I have Georgia and USC winning the SEC and Pac-12, respectively, and I have Michigan beating Ohio State again but the Buckeyes sneaking in with an 11-1 record.
New Year's Six
Friday, Dec. 29
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
8 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: USC vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Texas vs. LSU
Saturday, Dec. 30
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: LSU vs. Tulane
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Alabama
Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
4 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Ohio State
Schlabach: Florida State vs. Penn State
Monday, Jan. 1
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
1 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Utah vs. Penn State
Schlabach: Washington vs. Tulane
Team ready to crash the New Year's Six party
Bonagura: Washington didn't make the cut for my New Year's Six selections, but that doesn't mean the Huskies aren't ready. After winning 11 games last year, they're on the same tier as USC and Utah in the Pac-12, and there's a case to be made they could be playoff hunting.
Schlabach: I think there are a couple of good candidates to turn the corner and make a New Year's Six bowl game. Depending on how things shake out, Florida State, Texas and Washington could all get it done. Of the three, the Longhorns might have the easiest path in the Big 12. Coach Steve Sarkisian likes quarterback Quinn Ewers' development, and the Longhorns bring back all five starting offensive linemen and a talented receiver corps. Of course, they'll have to find a capable replacement for star tailback Bijan Robinson. The Longhorns' Sept. 9 road trip to No. 4 Alabama (7 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN App) will tell us a lot about their CFP chances.
Bowl season
Saturday, Dec. 16
Bahamas Bowl
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
11 a.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Liberty
Schlabach: Eastern Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Florida A&M vs. North Carolina Central
Schlabach: Florida A&M vs. North Carolina Central
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Marshall
Schlabach: Louisiana Tech vs. Troy
Cure Bowl
Exploria Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Louisiana vs. Northern Illinois
Schlabach: Appalachian State vs. North Texas
New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
5:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: North Texas vs. San Jose State
Schlabach: New Mexico State vs. San Diego State
LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
7:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: UCLA vs. Boise State
Schlabach: UCLA vs. Boise State
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
9:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. Washington State
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Arizona
Monday, Dec. 18
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
2:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. Troy
Schlabach: Ball State vs. Georgia Southern
Tuesday, Dec. 19
Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Appalachian State vs. UNLV
Schlabach: Kansas vs. Air Force
Thursday, Dec. 21
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
8 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Ball State vs. Middle Tennessee
Schlabach: East Carolina vs. South Alabama
Friday, Dec. 22
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
6:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Duke vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Army vs. UAB
Saturday, Dec. 23
Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon, ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Auburn vs. UAB
Schlabach: Liberty vs. Florida Atlantic
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: UTEP vs. Florida Atlantic
Schlabach: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
3:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Army vs. Texas Tech
Schlabach: UTSA vs. Western Kentucky
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
3:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Ohio vs. Fresno State
Schlabach: Buffalo vs. Wyoming
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
7 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Coastal Carolina vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: Coastal Carolina vs. Toledo
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Oregon
EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
10:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: UTSA vs. San Diego State
Schlabach: BYU vs. UNLV
Tuesday, Dec. 26
Quick Lane Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
2 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Purdue vs. Toledo
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Ohio
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
5:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Fresno State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Baylor
Schlabach: Illinois vs. UCF
Wednesday, Dec. 27
Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Louisville vs. SMU
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. Memphis
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
5:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Syracuse vs. Mississippi State
Schlabach: Miami vs. Kentucky
Holiday Bowl
Petco Park (San Diego)
8 p.m., Fox
Bonagura: Miami vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Oregon State
TaxAct Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Oklahoma vs. Kentucky
Schlabach: Oklahoma vs. South Carolina
School/coach that most needs to make a bowl
Bonagura: Syracuse needed a bowl game last year to quiet talk about coach Dino Babers' future, but it's not as if a 7-6 season, capped by a loss in the Pinstripe Bowl, stabilized the long-term future. If Syracuse regresses this year and misses a bowl, what's the logical argument that Babers, who has led the Orange to just two bowls in seven years, could figure it out next season ... in Year 9?
Schlabach: It has to be Texas A&M and coach Jimbo Fisher, right? The Aggies spent a boatload of money to lure him away from Florida State, and all they've got to show for it is a five-year stretch in which they've lost at least four games in four seasons. Fisher brought in former Arkansas and Louisville coach Bobby Petrino to take over the offense. Quarterback Conner Weigman seems ready to take the next step, and Texas A&M's highly regarded recruits have to start producing at some point.
Thursday, Dec. 28
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Boston College vs. Memphis
Schlabach: Duke vs. SMU
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
2:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: NC State vs. Maryland
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. Maryland
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Texas
Schlabach: Pitt vs. Kansas State
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: TCU vs. Washington
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. Utah
Friday, Dec. 29
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, Florida)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Florida
Schlabach: NC State vs. Arkansas
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Pitt vs. Cal
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Washington State
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
3:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: UCF vs. Arkansas
Schlabach: TCU vs. Mississippi State
Saturday, Dec. 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
2 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Michigan State vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Ole Miss
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m.
Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Wyoming
Schlabach: Miami (Ohio) vs. San Jose State
Monday, Jan. 1
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. Tennessee
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
1 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Texas A&M