College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 1: Notre Dame Remains Top Team

The first full weekend of the season is nearly over, and Sports Illustrated has updated its projections for every postseason game.

Notre Dame wide receiver Matt Jeffery hypes up the crowd during the first half against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field on Sunday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Week 1 is (almost) in the books and, thanks to our first look at teams across the country, we now have a better idea about who is tracking for a good season on the field and who may be quietly engaging a search firm to find a new head coach. 

That’s reflected in Sports Illustrated’s latest bowl projections going into Labor Day, which includes several notable newcomers (hello, Colorado and UMass!) and plenty of intriguing matchups—from old FCS foes getting together in the Frisco Football Classic to an old Big Eight reunion in the similarly named Frisco Bowl.

Here’s our projection of the College Football Playoff and 35 bowl games for the 2026–27 season after Week 1.

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College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 1

1. Notre Dame
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Miami 
5. LSU
6. Texas
7. Oregon 
8. BYU
9. Indiana
10. Oklahoma
11. USC
12. Boise State

First Round

• No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 LSU
• No. 11 USC at No. 6 Texas
• No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Oregon
• No. 9 Indiana at No. 8 BYU

Quarterfinals

• Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 LSU
• Peach Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Texas
• Rose Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Oregon
• Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 BYU

Semifinals

• Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Texas
• Orange Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Miami

National Championship

• At Las Vegas: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Miami

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Bowl Projections After Week 1

Bowl Game	Date	Matchup
Salute to Veterans Bowl	Dec. 15	Arkansas State vs. Jacksonville State
Frisco Football Classic	Dec. 15	James Madison vs. North Dakota State
Boca Raton Bowl	Dec. 18	UMass vs. FAU
Gasparilla Bowl	Dec. 18	NC State vs. Auburn
Myrtle Beach Bowl	Dec. 21	USF vs. Louisiana Tech
Potato Bowl	Dec. 21	Miami (Ohio) vs. Air Force
Puerto Rico Bowl	Dec. 22	Central Michigan vs. Kennesaw State
Cure Bowl	Dec. 22	Memphis vs. Western Michigan
Independence Bowl	Dec. 22	UCF vs. Tulsa
New Orleans Bowl	Dec. 23	Liberty vs. Old Dominion
Armed Forces Bowl	Dec. 23	UTSA vs. New Mexico
Frisco Bowl	Dec. 23	Kansas State vs. Nebraska
Poinsettia Bowl	Dec. 23	San Diego State vs. UCLA
New Mexico Bowl	Dec. 24	Cal vs. Colorado State
Hawai’i Bowl	Dec. 24	Fresno State vs. Hawai’i
Pinstripe Bowl	Dec. 26	Louisville vs. Iowa
Fenway Bowl	Dec. 26	Duke vs. East Carolina
Mayo Bowl	Dec. 26	Virginia Tech vs. Illinois
68 Ventures Bowl	Dec. 26	Troy vs. Temple
Cactus Bowl	Dec. 26	Cincinnati vs. Wisconsin
Military Bowl	Dec. 26	Wake Forest vs. Navy
Arizona Bowl	Dec. 27	Toledo vs. UNLV
Holiday Bowl	Dec. 28	Utah vs. Clemson
Birmingham Bowl	Dec. 29	Western Kentucky vs. Army
Pop-Tarts Bowl	Dec. 29	Houston vs. Pitt
Alamo Bowl	Dec. 29	Texas Tech vs. Washington
Gator Bowl	Dec. 30	SMU vs. Alabama
Music City Bowl	Dec. 30	Florida vs. Minnesota
ReliaQuest Bowl	Dec. 31	Michigan vs. Texas A&M
Sun Bowl	Dec. 31	Colorado vs. Virginia
Las Vegas Bowl	Dec. 31	Arizona State vs. Tennessee
Texas Bowl	Dec. 31	TCU vs. Missouri
Citrus Bowl	Jan. 2	Penn State vs. Mississippi
First Responder Bowl	Jan. 2	Maryland vs. Arizona
Liberty Bowl	Jan. 2	West Virginia vs. South Carolina

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