College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 2: Making Sense of the Chaos

Oklahoma State is back in the postseason mix, while the CFP top seed belongs to the team with the biggest win of the weekend: Texas.

Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Bowick celebrates during Saturday’s win over Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Just when you think you have an idea about who is good in college football, a Saturday like there was in Week 2 comes in to upend any of those prior notions. We saw quite a few wins out of nowhere that significantly changed the trajectory of a few teams, while other programs might be looking for a new head coach sooner rather than later.

That’s reflected in the Sports Illustrated latest bowl projections, which include several familiar faces like Oklahoma State returning to the fold and plenty of intriguing matchups coming together across the postseason.

Here’s our projection of the College Football Playoff and 35 bowl games for the 2026–27 season after Week 2.

PREVIOUS: Projections After Week 1

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College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 2

1. Texas
2. Notre Dame
3. Ohio State
4. Miami
5. LSU
6. Georgia
7. Indiana
8. USC
9. BYU
10. Texas A&M
11. Ole Miss
12. Boise State 

First Round

• No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 LSU
• No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Georgia
• No. 10 Texas A&M at No. 7 Indiana
• No. 9 BYU at No. 8 USC

Quarterfinals

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

Semifinals

• Orange Bowl: No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Ohio State
• Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Miami

National Championship

• At Las Vegas: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Notre Dame

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Bowl Projections After Week 2

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

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