College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 4: Iowa Enters CFP Picture

A shake-up in the postseason order has begun with a few teams separating themselves, while upstart programs are trying to ace their first tests.

Iowa running back Kamari Moulton and the Hawkeyes scored a huge Big Ten win over Michigan in Week 4. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The past weekend in college football was a massive one for a wide swath of teams, with some seeing their postseason trajectory change significantly (hello, playoff Iowa?) and others wonder where the wins are going to come from after a rough start to the season (sorry, Navy). 

That’s reflected in the Sports Illustrated latest bowl projections exiting Week 4, which were shaken up quite a bit after Saturday to produce a slate of intriguing matchups from Group of 6 showdowns like in the Frisco Bowl to CFP-caliber meetings like the one in the Alamo Bowl.

Here’s our projection of the College Football Playoff and 35 bowl games for the 2026–27 season after Week 4.

PREVIOUS: Projections After Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3

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College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 4

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

First Round

• No. 9 Indiana at No. 8 Iowa
• No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 BYU
• No. 11 Florida at No. 6 LSU
• No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Texas

Quarterfinals

• Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 Texas
• Rose Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Florida
• Peach Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 10 Alabama
• Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Indiana

Semifinals

• Orange Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 Texas
• Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 3 Ohio State

National Championship

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

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Bowl Projections After Week 4

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

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