With the calendar about to turn to November, the heat is turning up in college football as teams with postseason aspirations are running out of opportunities to show they belong.
Georgia asserted itself with its most impressive win of the season, Oregon posted a strong road win at Utah, and Florida State, Ohio State and Texas looked solid. But Oklahoma and Oregon State suffered critical losses, Washington and Penn State both had shaky outings, and numerous teams are teetering on the possibility of not qualifying for a bowl game at all.
How did Week 9's results impact the bowl matchups? Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are here to sort it out, making their projections for all 43 games, plus offering their takes on the College Football Playoff picture, teams that need to turn things around quickly and the games they'd be most excited to see.
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. Michigan
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. Florida State
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Florida State
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. Washington
Schlabach: Georgia vs. Washington
CFP breakdown
Bonagura: The biggest result of the weekend was Oklahoma's loss to Kansas. It doesn't change anything in the short term because the Sooners were just on the outside looking in anyway, but the loss does create some breathing room for other conferences. Had Oklahoma run the table, it might have forced Washington and Florida State to do the same to get in. Now that the Big 12 champion is guaranteed to have at least one loss, FSU and UW -- along with Oregon -- can feel more confident about their chances to get into the playoff with a loss. The one scenario where that changes is if Texas and Alabama both win out. In that case, the Longhorns would have the head-to-head win against the SEC champ, and it's hard to imagine how that wouldn't be good enough for a playoff spot.
My top four teams are the same this week, but after Washington struggled again with an inferior opponent, the Huskies move from No. 3 to No. 4. That leaves Georgia at the top to play Washington and Michigan to play Florida State in the Rose Bowl. It would be better for college football's sake if Washington (or Oregon) and Michigan played in Pasadena, but letting tradition die is the new tradition, it seems.
Schlabach: My top four teams remain the same, although the order changed with two-time defending national champion Georgia remaining No. 1, followed by Michigan, Florida State and Washington. I flipped the Seminoles and Huskies after the latter's closer-than-expected victory at Stanford (42-33) on Saturday night. It was Washington's fourth straight victory by nine points or fewer. The Huskies will play USC (road), Utah (home), Oregon State (road) and Washington State (home) to close the regular season, so they will have plenty of opportunities to impress the selection committee.
Georgia dismantled Florida 43-20 to win its 25th consecutive game (and 41st in the past 42) in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, Florida. Playing their first game without injured tight end Brock Bowers, the Bulldogs piled up 486 yards of offense. Georgia's defense had four sacks and eight tackles for loss and limited the Gators to 109 rushing yards. Now, the Bulldogs face a tough stretch with home games against No. 16 Missouri and No. 12 Ole Miss, followed by road trips to No. 21 Tennessee and surging Georgia Tech.
Florida State made quick work of Wake Forest in a 41-16 victory on the road, scoring 24 points in the second quarter. The Seminoles might have the easiest path to an unbeaten regular season with games left against Pittsburgh (road), Miami (home), FCS opponent North Alabama (home) and Florida (road). The Wolverines had an open date before hosting Purdue on Saturday. Ohio State and Oregon were also considered for the fourth spot this week.
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: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Penn State vs. Texas
Saturday, Dec. 30
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Texas vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
4 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Ohio State
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Ohio State
Monday, Jan. 1
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
1 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Oregon vs. Penn State
Schlabach: Oregon vs. Air Force
Favorite matchups
Bonagura: I'm curious to see what kind of shenanigans come with Rob Gronkowski as the host of the LA Bowl -- ahem, the LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk -- especially if his alma mater, Arizona, is in the game. The Wildcats have quietly turned into a really good team, and a matchup with Fresno State to end the year would be a sneaky good game.
Schlabach: Alabama and Notre Dame have combined to win nearly 2,000 games, but they've met on the field only eight times during their storied histories (the Irish lead the series 5-3). Thanks to losses by Oklahoma, Oregon State, Utah and others this past weekend, the Fighting Irish might work their way back into consideration for a New Year's Six bowl game. With remaining regular-season games against struggling Clemson, Wake Forest and Stanford, Notre Dame should finish 10-2. A Fighting Irish team with 10 victories is going to be difficult for the CFP selection committee to pass up.
Bowl season
Saturday, Dec. 16
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Coastal Carolina vs. South Florida
Schlabach: Georgia State vs. Western Kentucky
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: New Mexico State vs. Georgia Southern
Schlabach: Liberty vs. James Madison
Cure Bowl
FBC Mortgage Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Marshall vs. Colorado State
Schlabach: Coastal Carolina vs. South Florida
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
5:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: San José State vs. Central Michigan
Schlabach: Wyoming vs. Eastern Michigan
LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
7:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Arizona vs. Fresno State
Schlabach: UCLA vs. UNLV
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
9:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: TCU vs. Washington State
Schlabach: TCU vs. Washington State
Monday, Dec. 18
Bahamas Bowl
Jerry Richardson Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
2:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. Western Kentucky
Schlabach: Central Michigan vs. Jacksonville State
Tuesday, Dec. 19
Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Texas State vs. Utah State
Schlabach: Troy vs. Navy
Thursday, Dec. 21
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
8 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Rice vs. South Alabama
Schlabach: UTSA 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: Auburn vs. Liberty
Schlabach: Mississippi State vs. Rice
Saturday, Dec. 23
Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon, ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Troy
Schlabach: Auburn vs. Tulane
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Appalachian State vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: Louisiana 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: BYU vs. Virginia Tech
Schlabach: West Virginia vs. Northwestern
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
3:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Ohio vs. UNLV
Schlabach: Bowling Green vs. BYU
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
7 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Georgia State vs. Bowling Green
Schlabach: Georgia Southern vs. Toledo
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Utah
EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
10:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Florida Atlantic vs. Boise State
Schlabach: Florida Atlantic vs. Fresno State
Tuesday, Dec. 26
Quick Lane Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
2 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Memphis 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: UCF vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Texas State vs. New Mexico State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Maryland vs. Iowa State
Schlabach: Maryland vs. Kansas
Team that needs to right the ship
Bonagura: Washington State started 4-0 with a pair of ranked wins against Wisconsin and Oregon State, but since then the Cougars have lost four straight, including Saturday's 38-27 loss to Arizona State, as the Sun Devils snapped their six-game losing streak. The Cougars need two wins from their last four games to go bowling with this stretch ahead: Stanford, at Cal, Colorado, at Washington.
Schlabach: Clemson has won two national titles and eight ACC crowns under coach Dabo Swinney. But if the Tigers don't turn it around quickly, they might be in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2004. That season, the Tigers finished 6-5 under coach Tommy Bowden but were prohibited from playing in the postseason because of a brawl in their game against South Carolina. The Tigers have dropped three of their past five games, including a 24-17 loss at NC State on Saturday, to fall to 4-4 (2-4 ACC). The Tigers will play three straight home games against No. 14 Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and No. 17 North Carolina before closing the regular season at South Carolina.
Wednesday, Dec. 27
Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Clemson vs. SMU
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Memphis
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
5:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Duke vs. Kentucky
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Florida
DirecTV Holiday Bowl
Petco Park (San Diego)
8 p.m., Fox
Bonagura: Miami vs. UCLA
Schlabach: Miami vs. Oregon State
TaxAct Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
9 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Kansas vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Missouri
Thursday, Dec. 28
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Boston College vs. Tulane
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. SMU
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
2:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: NC State vs. Minnesota
Schlabach: Boston College vs. Rutgers
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:45 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Kansas State
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9:15 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Utah
Schlabach: Oklahoma vs. USC
Friday, Dec. 29
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
Noon, ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Florida
Schlabach: Duke vs. Texas A&M
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Syracuse vs. USC
Schlabach: NC State vs. Arizona
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
3:30 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN App
Bonagura: West Virginia vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. Kentucky
Saturday, Dec. 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
2 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Rutgers vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Tennessee
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m.
Bonagura: Northern Illinois vs. Wyoming
Schlabach: Miami (Ohio) vs. Boise State
Monday, Jan. 1
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN2 and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. LSU
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. LSU
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
1 p.m., ABC and the ESPN App
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Ole Miss