There was no shortage of drama and wild finishes in Week 4 of the college football season, from Missouri needing double overtime to fend off Vanderbilt to Michigan's comeback win over USC to Colorado's heart-stopping rally to beat Baylor.
Amid all that, we saw a key road win for Utah at Oklahoma State and decisive wins from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas, Ohio State, Miami and Clemson.
How did it all impact our playoff and bowl projections?
In the new, expanded 12-team playoff, the five highest-ranked conference champions will make the field along with the next seven highest-ranked teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be awarded first-round byes, with the other eight teams meeting at the campus sites of Seeds 5 through 8.
From there, the quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in what had been the New Year's Six bowls, with this season's national championship game scheduled for Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
All of that is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Apart from the playoff is the 36-game slate of bowl games, from the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 to the Bahamas Bowl on Jan. 4.
We're here for all of it.
ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are projecting every postseason matchup, including their breakdowns of how the CFP will play out, every week until the actual matchups are set on Selection Day on Dec. 8.
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Playoff picks | Quarterfinals
Semis, title game | Bowl season
College Football Playoff
First-round games
Dec. 20-21 -- ABC/ESPN or TNT Sports*
Bonagura: No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 12 UNLV at No. 5 Georgia
Bonagura: No. 11 Michigan at No. 6 Alabama
Schlabach: No. 11 Clemson at No. 6 Tennessee
Bonagura: No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Tennessee
Schlabach: No. 10 Oregon at No. 7 Alabama
Bonagura: No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Ole Miss
Schlabach: No. 9 Penn State at No. 8 Ole Miss
* Specific times and networks for each game TBD
First-round breakdown
Bonagura: After dropping 70 points on North Carolina, James Madison enters the playoff discussion as the favorite in the Sun Belt. Consideration for the No. 12 spot was also given to UNLV, but given the sheer dominance of James Madison's performance this week, it got the nod for the chance to get run over by Georgia. Other changes for me this week are USC's exit after its loss to Michigan, with the Wolverines jumping back in -- even if their return feels temporary -- and Penn State returning in place of Kansas State.
Schlabach: Utah is back in my top four after its big 22-19 victory at Oklahoma State, which gives the Utes early control of the Big 12. Texas, Ohio State and Miami remain my top three. I still have five SEC teams in my top 12, and we're about to find out which ones are truly the cream of the conference. Georgia plays at Alabama on Saturday night in one of the biggest games of the season. Clemson is also back in my top 12 (replacing USC) after it blasted NC State 59-35 on Saturday. The Tigers seem to have recovered from their ugly opening loss to Georgia. UNLV replaces Memphis as the highest-ranked Group of 5 conference champion.
CFP quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 31
CFP quarterfinals at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Utah
Schlabach: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Utah
Wednesday, Jan. 1
CFP quarterfinals at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
1 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 3 Miami
Schlabach: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Miami
CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 2 Ohio State
CFP quarterfinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
8:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 1 Texas
Quarterfinals breakdown
Bonagura: My only change here is Ole Miss in for USC at No. 8, which helps keep the SEC fever dream of a potential semifinal round with four of its teams alive. The assumption here is that with more conference games ahead, a shake-up is coming, but with 16 teams in the SEC, a lot of them are going to miss each other on the schedule. Ole Miss, for example, misses four of the five other SEC teams in the AP top 10: Texas, Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri.
Schlabach: I also have five SEC teams advancing to the quarterfinals, along with Utah, Miami and Ohio State. I have three of those SEC teams -- Georgia, Texas and Tennessee -- getting through to the semifinals. Texas still looks like the best team in the league right now, even with quarterback Arch Manning replacing the injured Quinn Ewers.
CFP semifinals, national championship game
Thursday, Jan. 9
CFP semifinals at the Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 1 Texas
Friday, Jan. 10
CFP semifinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Monday, Jan. 20
CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 1 Texas
Schlabach: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Georgia
National championship breakdown
Bonagura: The only noteworthy development at the top seems to be the idea that if there is a drop-off from Ewers to Manning for Texas, it's not a meaningful one (not that a game against Louisiana Monroe is going to reveal much). The Longhorns should roll next week against Mississippi State, then it's a two-game stretch against Oklahoma and Georgia that will likely define their regular season as they have a light backstretch, by SEC standards. The schedule-makers weren't kind to Georgia, which travels to Alabama this week for the first of three away games against top-5 teams in its next six games. If the Bulldogs can manage that stretch, they'll emerge as the national title favorite.
Schlabach: Again, we're going to find out a lot about the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide on Saturday night. Can Georgia's offensive line, which was a bit shaky at Kentucky, hold up on the road? Can quarterback Carson Beck bounce back from a less-than-impressive performance against the Wildcats? Is Jalen Milroe ready to take the next step in coach Kalen DeBoer's offense? Is Tide freshman Ryan Williams that good? Ohio State didn't look great in the first half of its 49-14 victory over Marshall on Saturday, but I still think the Buckeyes are one of the top two teams in the FBS at the moment.
Complete bowl season schedule
Saturday, Dec. 14
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Grambling vs. NC Central
Schlabach: Florida A&M vs. NC Central
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Coastal Carolina
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. UTSA
Schlabach: Georgia State vs. North Texas
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Coastal Carolina vs. South Florida
Schlabach: Buffalo vs. Tulane
LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Washington vs. Boise State
Schlabach: California vs. Boise State
Thursday, Dec. 19
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7 p.m., ESPN2
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Texas State
Schlabach: Liberty vs. James Madison
Friday, Dec. 20
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Louisiana vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. UTSA
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Cincinnati
Schlabach: Virginia vs. South Alabama
Monday, Dec. 23
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Georgia Southern vs. UConn
Schlabach: Marshall vs. South Florida
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Northern Illinois vs. San José State
Schlabach: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
Tuesday, Dec. 24
Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Colorado State
Schlabach: Western Kentucky vs. Colorado State
Thursday, Dec. 26
Detroit Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Toledo vs. Michigan State
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Michigan State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Maryland vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Maryland vs. Texas Tech
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Marshall
Schlabach: Oregon State vs. Georgia Southern
Friday, Dec. 27
Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kentucky vs. Tulane
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Auburn
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
Noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Colorado vs. Army
Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Army
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas
Schlabach: UCF vs. Arkansas
DirecTV Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
8 p.m.
Bonagura: Clemson vs. USC
Schlabach: SMU vs. Arizona
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
10:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. California
Schlabach: South Carolina vs. Washington State
Saturday, Dec. 28
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Memphis vs. Duke
Schlabach: Memphis vs. Syracuse
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Rutgers
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Nebraska
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UNLV vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Nevada vs. Texas State
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Louisville vs. UCF
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Iowa State
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., CW Network
Bonagura: Bowling Green vs. Fresno State
Schlabach: Bowling Green vs. San José State
Go Bowling Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
5:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs. Navy
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. Navy
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Washington State vs. BYU
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. USC
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
9:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: TCU vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Colorado vs. Indiana
Monday, Dec. 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa vs. LSU
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Kentucky
Tuesday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Illinois vs. Missouri
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Boston College vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Duke vs. Washington
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Indiana vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Michigan vs. LSU
Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Oklahoma
Thursday, Jan. 2
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
7:30 p.m. ESPN
Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Texas A&M
Friday, Jan. 3
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
4 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Texas Tech vs. North Texas
Schlabach: BYU vs. Georgia Tech
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: SMU vs. Nebraska
Schlabach: Boston College vs. Rutgers
Saturday, Jan. 4
Bahamas Bowl
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
11 a.m., ESPN2
Bonagura: Sam Houston vs. Buffalo
Schlabach: Sam Houston vs. Eastern Michigan