College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 7: Title Game Rematch on Tap

BYU vaults to the No. 1 playoff seed, while the bowl games see Bill Belichick’s North Carolina in the Mayo Bowl and North Dakota State’s FBS postseason debut.

Miami running back Javian Mallory carries the ball against Florida State. The Hurricanes are projected to be national title game participants again this season. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

The wildest weekend of the college football season was nonstop drama from the noon slate all the way through to the final snap of the night out West, so naturally that had a massive impact on the way the postseason looks. As much focus as there is on the expansion to the College Football Playoff, this year there are still only 12 teams and the at-large spots are getting tight given the number of potential 10–2/9–3 teams in the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC.

That’s reflected in the Sports Illustrated latest bowl projections going into Week 8, which sees some fascinating CFP matchups from the first round (Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire gets his much-anticipated game against Notre Dame) all the way through to a rematch of last year’s title game in Las Vegas. The rest of the postseason is full of equally fun games, from the possibility of Bill Belichick getting drenched in mayo against Penn State, another West Coast meeting between USC and Texas (in Vegas), an old Big Eight reunion in the Liberty Bowl and a heck of a FBS caper for North Dakota State against a fellow Group of 6 power in the desert.

PREVIOUS: Projections After Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6

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College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 7

1. BYU
2. Georgia
3. Indiana
4. Miami
5. UCLA
6. Mississippi
7. Ohio State
8. Notre Dame
9. Texas Tech
10. Kentucky
11. Iowa
12. Boise State

First Round

• No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 UCLA
• No. 11 Iowa at No. 6 Mississippi
• No. 10 Kentucky at No. 7 Ohio State
• No. 9 Texas Tech at No. 8 Notre Dame

Quarterfinals

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

Semifinals

• Orange Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 3 Indiana
• Sugar Bowl: No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Miami

National Championship

• At Las Vegas: No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 4 Miami

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Bowl Projections After Week 7

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

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