College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 9 As Selection Committee Prepares for First Rankings

Another weekend of chaos leaves a lot of questions around which teams will be included in the initial bracket from the committee on Tuesday.

Georgia running back Nate Frazier runs the ball during the fourth quarter against Florida. Sports Illustrated projects the Bulldogs as the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The last weekend in the sport before the College Football Playoff rankings commence was certainly not straightforward. Week 9 results further clouded the postseason outlook. Teams expected to be locks for the CFP are now anything but, and the programs supposedly safe in reaching bowl eligibility are looking much less certain after inexplicable losses.

That’s reflected in the Sports Illustrated latest bowl projections going into Week 10, which sees several shake-ups in the CFP pecking order. Georgia ascended to the top spot as the safe pick to win the SEC. Indiana continues to get lucky as it keeps up its title defense. LSU and Wake Forest are doing just enough to remain in the picture. 

Beyond the CFP, there are a number of compelling bowl games, including a BCS championship rematch nobody will be happy about in the Gasparilla Bowl, a compelling Mayo Bowl between two coaches who expected to be much further along this season, a CFP rematch in the Alamo Bowl between Oregon and Texas Tech and a compelling meeting of dual-threat QBs in Las Vegas that’s bound to produce a shootout.

PREVIOUS: Projections After Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 9

1. Georgia
2. Indiana
3. Notre Dame
4. Miami
5. Utah
6. LSU
7. UCLA
8. BYU
9. Kentucky
10. Ohio State
11. Wake Forest
12. UTSA

First Round

• No. 12 UTSA at No. 5 Utah
• No. 11 Wake Forest at No. 6 LSU
• No. 10 Ohio State at No. 7 UCLA
• No. 9 Kentucky at No. 8 BYU

Quarterfinals

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

Semifinals

• Orange Bowl: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 LSU
• Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Miami

National Championship

• At Las Vegas: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

---

Bowl Projections After Week 9

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

---

PODCAST: Listen to Sports Illustrated’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, hosted by Pat Forde, on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s college YouTube channel or on SI TV.