Another week, another round of shakeups in our bowl projections.
With Texas suffering its first loss of the season -- at the hands of Georgia, another playoff contender -- there are changes at the top of the College Football Playoff outlook.
And how about surprising Indiana, which remained unbeaten by drubbing Nebraska? The Hoosiers have staked a surprising claim for a CFP spot out of the Big Ten.
In other key games this weekend, Tennessee handed Alabama its second loss of the season, while Oregon, Miami, BYU and Iowa State remained undefeated.
What does it all mean for the College Football Playoff and the overall bowl picture?
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 the Nos. 5-8 seeds.
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 bowls, 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 Dec. 8 on Selection Day.
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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 Notre Dame at No. 5 Penn State
Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State
Bonagura: No. 11 Iowa State at No. 6 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 11 Iowa State at No. 6 Penn State
Bonagura: No. 10 BYU at No. 7 Texas
Schlabach: No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Texas
Bonagura: No. 9 Clemson at No. 8 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 9 Clemson at No. 8 Tennessee
* Specific times and networks for each game TBD
First-round breakdown
Bonagura: The biggest mover this week was Indiana, which left no doubt in a 56-7 win against Nebraska. The Hoosiers still haven't beaten a ranked opponent, but they've won decisively each week. The only ranked team left on their schedule is Ohio State, so while it's still too early to feel overly confident about Indiana's postseason chances, it feels as if we've reached more-likely-than-not territory. Both Iowa State and BYU eked out close wins and deserve to be in the field, but I'm even more confident this week that Boise State is better than both of them and deserves to be in the No. 4 spot.
Schlabach: I also moved Indiana into the CFP, along with Tennessee, which came back into the field after its 24-17 victory over Alabama. They're probably still smoking cigars in Knoxville. I dropped Notre Dame from my 12-team bracket, although the Irish are still very much in the discussion after their 31-13 win at banged-up Georgia Tech. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Fighting Irish in the CFP selection committee's bracket at the end, but for now I'm holding them off because of their ugly loss to Northern Illinois earlier this season. Oregon moves into the No. 1 spot after Texas' 30-15 loss to Georgia at home Saturday night. The Bulldogs, who also have an impressive win over Clemson in their opener, move up to No. 2. Miami remains No. 3, and BYU is No. 4. I also considered LSU, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh and Kansas State for the final at-large spots. Boise State was once again my Group of 5 conference champion pick over Army, Navy, Liberty and UNLV.
CFP quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 31
CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 Penn State vs. No. 4 Boise State
Schlabach: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 4 BYU
Wednesday, Jan. 1
CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
1 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Miami
Schlabach: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Miami
CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 1 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 9 Clemson vs. No. 1 Oregon
CFP Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
8:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 2 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 2 Georgia
Quarterfinals breakdown
Bonagura: Oregon rises to No. 1 after cruising to a win against Purdue and Texas' loss to Georgia. In this scenario, the Ducks would get a difficult quarterfinal matchup against Clemson, which has been comfortable in six straight wins since dropping its season opener against Georgia. There is a case for Miami at No. 2 thanks to its undefeated record, but the Hurricanes' lack of quality wins makes it hard to gauge how they would stack up against the nation's elite. Either way, Cam Ward made a strong push for the Heisman this week and the Canes look ready to run the table in the regular season.
Schlabach: Under my scenario, Georgia and Texas would meet again -- possibly for the third time if they face each other in the SEC championship game -- in the Sugar Bowl in the quarterfinals. The Longhorns couldn't handle the Bulldogs' tenacious defense, which had seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss Saturday night. The Horns are going to have to restore quarterback Quinn Ewers' confidence if they're going to remain in the CFP title mix. He was shaky against Georgia. I also have Oregon playing Clemson in the Rose Bowl, which would be a potentially difficult matchup for the Ducks. Give Tigers coach Dabo Swinney credit for turning his team around after its ugly performance against Georgia in the opener.
CFP semifinals, national championship game
Thursday, Jan. 9
CFP Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon
Friday, Jan. 10
CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 Penn State vs. No. 1 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 3 Miami vs. No. 2 Georgia
Monday, Jan. 20
CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 1 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 1 Oregon
National championship breakdown
Bonagura: Of the four teams I have in the semifinals, Penn State is the one I feel least confident about. The Nittany Lions are there almost by default as a result of their 6-0 record, which includes just one strong win (Illinois). I don't think they have the firepower to keep up with Oregon in that hypothetical matchup. The Ducks are the deserved No. 1 team in the country right now, but there are a handful of teams that can go toe-to-toe with them. There really isn't a strong favorite at this point. Every top team -- except Indiana? -- has either lost or come very close, so there are lots of circular arguments to be had.
Schlabach: I have an all-Big Ten semifinal in the Orange Bowl with Ohio State and Oregon meeting in South Florida. That could also be the third meeting between those teams if they face each other in the Big Ten championship game. I'm going with the Ducks to advance, but familiarity might make for some odd scenarios in the CFP. I have Georgia meeting Miami in the Cotton Bowl in the other semifinal. Hurricanes star Cam Ward is the type of quarterback who gives the Bulldogs trouble on defense, but I'm not sure Miami's offensive line would hold up. I've got Georgia meeting Oregon in the CFP National Championship, which would be an intriguing matchup between Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Oregon's Dan Lanning, his former defensive coordinator.
Complete bowl season schedule
Saturday, Dec. 14
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Jackson State vs. NC Central
Schlabach: Jackson State vs. NC Central
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Virginia vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Louisiana Monroe
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: USC vs. Georgia Southern
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. North Texas
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Texas State vs. USF
Schlabach: Buffalo vs. Tulane
LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: California vs. UNLV
Schlabach: Washington vs. UNLV
Thursday, Dec. 19
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7 p.m., ESPN2
Bonagura: Sam Houston vs. James Madison
Schlabach: Liberty vs. Georgia Southern
Friday, Dec. 20
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Coastal Carolina
Schlabach: East Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Vanderbilt
Schlabach: Virginia vs. Florida
Monday, Dec. 23
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Alabama vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: Marshall vs. Charlotte
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Eastern Michigan vs. San José State
Schlabach: Western Michigan vs. Fresno State
Tuesday, Dec. 24
Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Colorado State
Schlabach: Western Kentucky vs. Colorado State
Thursday, Dec. 26
GameAbove Sports Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Northern Illinois vs. Rutgers
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Michigan State
Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Michigan State vs. UCF
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Utah
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UConn vs. Marshall
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. James Madison
Friday, Dec. 27
Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Arkansas vs. Tulane
Schlabach: South Carolina vs. Boston College
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
Noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Oklahoma vs. Navy
Schlabach: West Virginia vs. Army
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: TCU vs. Missouri
Schlabach: TCU vs. Vanderbilt
DirecTV Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
8 p.m.
Bonagura: SMU vs. Colorado
Schlabach: SMU vs. Colorado
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
10:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Alabama vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Alabama vs. Arizona State
Saturday, Dec. 28
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Memphis vs. Georgia Tech
Schlabach: Memphis vs. Virginia Tech
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York City)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Michigan
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. Iowa
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Washington
Schlabach: San Diego State vs. Texas State
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Texas Tech
Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Texas Tech
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., CW Network
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Nevada
Schlabach: Eastern Michigan vs. San José State
Go Bowling Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
5:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Syracuse vs. Army
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Navy
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. Washington State
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Washington State
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
9:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Utah vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Arizona vs. NC State
Monday, Dec. 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. LSU
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Missouri
Tuesday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Ole Miss
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Boston College vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Oregon State
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Illinois vs. LSU
Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. South Carolina
Schlabach: Cincinnati vs. Arkansas
Thursday, Jan. 2
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Texas A&M
Friday, Jan. 3
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
4 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Maryland
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Maryland
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Duke vs. Nebraska
Schlabach: Duke vs. Nebraska
Saturday, Jan. 4
Bahamas Bowl
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
11 a.m., ESPN2
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Toledo
Schlabach: Sam Houston vs. Northern Illinois