Entering Week 10, we knew there would be some movement at the top of the College Football Playoff pecking order based on the outcome of the top-five matchup between Ohio State and Penn State. But we got a whole lot more to chew on beyond the Buckeyes' win at Happy Valley, with surprising results impacting numerous conference and CFP contenders.
In the SEC, Texas A&M suffered its first conference loss, creating a logjam at the top of the league standings. In the ACC, SMU thumped previously unbeaten Pitt and Clemson fell hard to Louisville. And in the Big 12, Iowa State took it on the chin for the first time this season and Kansas State was upset by Houston.
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 on Selection Day (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 Alabama at No. 5 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State
Bonagura: No. 11 Boise State at No. 6 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Texas
Bonagura: No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Texas
Schlabach: No. 10 Tennessee at No. 7 Indiana
Bonagura: No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Penn State
* Specific times and networks for each game TBD
First-round breakdown
Bonagura: The best news for the Big Ten and SEC on Saturday was that Iowa State and Clemson lost. Those results boost the probability of the Big Ten and SEC both getting four teams in the playoff. Notre Dame also benefits because it's hard to see a scenario in which the Irish (7-1) would get left out if they finish at 11-1. We're also getting to a point where Boise State has a case to start moving up and won't necessarily be at No. 12 (or No. 4). If the Broncos finish 12-1 -- with their only loss coming to undefeated Oregon in a close road game -- they'll be in the mix for the No. 4 spot, depending on what shakes out in the ACC and Big 12 title games.
Schlabach: There were five big upsets Saturday that shook up the CFP race. South Carolina blasted Texas A&M 44-20 and exposed the Aggies. Texas Tech took down previously unbeaten Iowa State 23-22, giving BYU control of the Big 12. Houston knocked off Kansas State 24-19, all but knocking the Wildcats out of the Big 12 race. But the biggest surprises were Louisville's 33-21 victory at Clemson, which had been playing very well, and SMU crushing previously unbeaten Pittsburgh 48-25, which was quite a statement for the Mustangs. As a result, I dropped Texas A&M and Clemson from my bracket and replaced them with SMU and Tennessee.
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 Indiana vs. No. 4 BYU
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 Texas 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 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 9 Notre Dame 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 Indiana vs. No. 2 Georgia
Quarterfinals breakdown
Bonagura: This round of games is a good example to show how silly the pushback for an expanded playoff was. These would all be marquee games in the regular season and to have them played in a playoff format is going to be significantly more exciting than any postseason format college football has ever had. It will be interesting, however, to see how well attended these games would be. To win a national title, a team will now likely have to play neutral-site games for the conference title and in the quarterfinal, semifinal and championship rounds. It's just unrealistic to expect the same type of traveling support that existed for one-off bowl games.
Schlabach: I have three Big Ten teams -- Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana -- playing in the quarterfinals, along with two SEC teams (Georgia and Texas) and one from the ACC (Miami) and Big 12 (BYU), and Notre Dame. A Notre Dame-Oregon matchup in the Rose Bowl would get plenty of eyeballs, as would Texas playing Miami in the Peach Bowl. I'm guessing Ohio State would be heavily favored over BYU in the Fiesta Bowl and Georgia over Indiana in the Sugar Bowl.
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. 5 Indiana vs. No. 1 Oregon
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. 3 Miami vs. No. 2 Georgia
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: Oregon continues to look like the real deal, and it would take an epic collapse for the Ducks not to reach the playoff. But they'll be shooting higher than that. Each week, it seems, the Ducks are improving, and that bodes well for their chances come January. Georgia, meanwhile, is tough to figure out. The talent is obvious, but the consistency hasn't been there.
Schlabach: Like Kyle, I had Oregon and Georgia advancing to the national championship game, but my confidence in the Bulldogs is waning every week. Quarterback Carson Beck simply has to take better care of the football. He has 11 interceptions in the past five games, including three in Saturday's 34-20 win over rival Florida. The Bulldogs are going to face a difficult test next week at Ole Miss, which hung 63 points on Arkansas on the road Saturday.
Complete bowl season schedule
Saturday, Dec. 14
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State
Schlabach: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Boston College vs. West Virginia
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Oregon State vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Arkansas State vs. North Texas
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: East Carolina vs. UConn
Schlabach: Miami (Ohio) vs. Memphis
LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Washington 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: Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern
Schlabach: East Carolina vs. Marshall
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: NC State vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Boston College vs. UTSA
Monday, Dec. 23
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Florida vs. Marshall
Schlabach: South Florida vs. Old Dominion
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. San José State
Schlabach: Buffalo 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: Toledo vs. Michigan State
Schlabach: Western Michigan vs. Michigan State
Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Baylor
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. TCU
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Northern Illinois vs. Texas State
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. James Madison
Friday, Dec. 27
Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Florida vs. Rutgers
Schlabach: Arkansas vs. North Carolina
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
Noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Louisiana vs. Navy
Schlabach: West Virginia vs. Army
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. Arkansas
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Vanderbilt
DirecTV Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
8 p.m.
Bonagura: SMU vs. Colorado
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Colorado
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
10:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Missouri vs. California
Schlabach: Ole Miss vs. Arizona State
Saturday, Dec. 28
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Tulane vs. Georgia Tech
Schlabach: Tulane vs. NC State
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York City)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Syracuse vs. Wisconsin
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Wisconsin
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Buffalo
Schlabach: San Diego State vs. Texas State
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., CW Network
Bonagura: Western Michigan vs. Hawai'i
Schlabach: Eastern Michigan vs. San José State
Go Bowling Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
5:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Army
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Navy
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Washington State
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Washington State
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
9:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: USC vs. UCF
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. Cincinnati
Monday, Dec. 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. LSU
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Missouri
Tuesday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. Texas A&M
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Duke vs. USC
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Alabama
Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Texas Tech vs. South Carolina
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. South Carolina
Thursday, Jan. 2
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Vanderbilt
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. LSU
Friday, Jan. 3
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
4 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: TCU vs. Memphis
Schlabach: UConn vs. Toledo
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Duke vs. Michigan
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Illinois
Saturday, Jan. 4
Bahamas Bowl
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
11 a.m., ESPN2
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Miami (Ohio)
Schlabach: Sam Houston vs. Bowling Green