College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 5: CFP Movement Affects Postseason Picture

Elsewhere, bowl season could pit familiar foes against each other in the Poinsettia Bowl and Texas Bowl.

Florida quarterback Aaron Philo and the Gators tumbled out of College Football Playoff projections after their loss to Missouri. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We still haven’t quite reached the point where conferences see separation between the contenders and the teams who are only aiming to make a bowl game at the end of the season. We’re rapidly approaching such a point after a number of ranked teams went on the road and collected victories Saturday. Combine that with a few surprises in the Group of 6 ranks and the postseason has shifted quite a bit up and down the bowl pecking order as October arrives in earnest.

That’s reflected in the Sports Illustrated latest bowl projections exiting Week 5, which sees some compelling CFP matchups in every round to marquee bowls involving familiar foes (such as the Poinsettia Bowl and Bedlam-inspired Texas Bowl) down to interesting meetings between double-digit win teams like in the Frisco Football Classic and the ReliaQuest Bowl.

PREVIOUS: Projections After Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

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College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 5

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

First Round

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

Quarterfinals

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

Semifinals

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

National Championship

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

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Bowl Projections After Week 5

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

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