College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 8: Texas Back in CFP Mix

Plus, a new bowl game was added to the slate while unbeaten UCLA could host at first-round playoff game.

After Week 8, we’re projecting that Texas will face coach Steve Sarkisian’s alma mater, BYU, in the first round of the College Football Playoff. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What a weekend it was in college football to cap off a wild two-week stretch that significantly shook up the postseason picture from the playoff on down to the bowl games in early December. It was so absurd that we even got a bowl game added to the slate midseason in Puerto Rico of all places that should help provide a spot for an increasing glut of 6–6 teams.  

That’s reflected in the Sports Illustrated latest bowl projections going into Week 9, which sees some fascinating CFP matchups in the first round from Texas traveling to its head coach’s alma mater BYU, Ohio State having to go on the road to, uh, Kentucky, and UCLA hosting Alabama at the Rose Bowl. Beyond the CFP, there are a number of compelling other games on tap, including a whopper of a Group of 6 game in the Cure Bowl between likely conference champions, the Jimbo Fisher bowl in Tampa and a Holiday Bowl neither fan base is happy to be at between USC and Clemson.

PREVIOUS: Projections After Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7

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College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 8

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

First Round

• No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 LSU
• No. 11 Texas at No. 6 BYU
• No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 UCLA
• No. 9 Ohio State at No. 8 Kentucky

Quarterfinals 

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

Semifinals 

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

National Championship

• At Las Vegas: No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 4 Miami

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Bowl Projections After Week 8

Bowl Game	Date	Matchup
Salute to Veterans Bowl	Dec. 15	Middle Tennessee State vs. UAB
Frisco Football Classic	Dec. 15	FAU vs. Texas State
San Juan Bowl	Dec. 16	Boston College vs. South Alabama
Boca Raton Bowl	Dec. 18	Georgia State vs. Delaware
Gasparilla Bowl	Dec. 18	Texas A&M vs. Florida State
Myrtle Beach Bowl	Dec. 21	USF vs. Air Force
Potato Bowl	Dec. 21	Arkansas State vs. Toledo
Puerto Rico Bowl	Dec. 22	Ohio vs. Army
Cure Bowl	Dec. 22	New Mexico vs. James Madison
Independence Bowl	Dec. 22	Cincinnati vs. Arizona State
New Orleans Bowl	Dec. 23	Louisiana Tech vs. Jacksonville State
Armed Forces Bowl	Dec. 23	North Texas vs. Minnesota
Frisco Bowl	Dec. 23	Tulsa vs. Liberty
Poinsettia Bowl	Dec. 23	Oregon State vs. Duke
New Mexico Bowl	Dec. 24	Louisiana vs. Wyoming
Hawai’i Bowl	Dec. 24	Fresno State vs. UNLV
Pinstripe Bowl	Dec. 26	Iowa vs. SMU
Fenway Bowl	Dec. 26	Pitt vs. Memphis
Mayo Bowl	Dec. 26	Northwestern vs. Louisville
68 Ventures Bowl	Dec. 26	Appalachian State vs. Central Michigan
Cactus Bowl	Dec. 26	Kansas State vs. Penn State
Military Bowl	Dec. 26	Virginia vs. UTSA
Holiday Bowl	Dec. 28	USC vs. Clemson
Birmingham Bowl	Dec. 29	Mississippi State vs. Washington
Pop-Tarts Bowl	Dec. 29	Houston vs. Virginia Tech
Alamo Bowl	Dec. 29	Oklahoma State vs. Utah
Gator Bowl	Dec. 30	Tennessee vs. Wake Forest
Music City Bowl	Dec. 30	Michigan vs. South Carolina
ReliaQuest Bowl	Dec. 31	Nebraska vs. Florida
Sun Bowl	Dec. 31	Arizona vs. North Carolina
Las Vegas Bowl	Dec. 31	Missouri vs. Oregon
Texas Bowl	Dec. 31	Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma
Citrus Bowl	Jan. 2	Wisconsin vs. Ole Miss
First Responder Bowl	Jan. 2	Illinois vs. West Virginia
Liberty Bowl	Jan. 2	UCF vs. Auburn
Arizona Bowl	Jan. 2	Western Michigan vs. North Dakota State

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