Wake Forest's Latest Bowl Projections Keep College Football Playoff Hopes Alive

The College Football Playoff is still four weeks away from having a finished field, but Wake Forest keeps finding itself in a rather wild hypothetical: a December trip to Provo, Utah, with its season on the line.

It’s a long way from where the Demon Deacons expected to be a few months ago. Now, with Jake Dickert’s team sitting at 7-1 and ranked No. 16 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, people are discussing which national power might be waiting for Wake Forest in the postseason.

One possibility has stuck around through another round of bowl projections.

Provo Remains a Possibility

Oct 31, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; The Brigham Young Cougars cheer team performs during the second half of a game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach projects Wake Forest as the No. 10 seed in the playoff, visiting No. 7 BYU in the first round.

It would be an incredible assignment for two teams that entered the fall without much national attention, especially Wake Forest. LaVell Edwards Stadium is hardly the most forgiving place to play — just ask Notre Dame — especially in December.

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Getting there would be a victory in itself. Wake Forest hasn’t been a regular member of college football’s championship conversation, and simply earning a seat at that table would rank among the program’s biggest accomplishments.

The Demon Deacons might prefer to host a playoff game in Winston-Salem, but climbing into one of the first-round hosting positions would require a substantial rise from No. 16. The committee has already placed multiple one- and two-loss teams ahead of Wake Forest, suggesting that winning alone might not produce a dramatic jump.

Orlando Is Still the Other Possibility

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Pop-Tarts mascots celebrate with BYU Cougars after beating Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Should Wake Forest miss the playoff, Wake Forest On SI’s projection remains the same. The Demon Deacons would head to Orlando for the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Houston. It would be a respectable postseason destination against another ranked team, although the difference between Orlando and Provo, or any other playoff contest, would feel enormous given how the season has developed.

The schedule still provides chances to strengthen the resume. Wake Forest hosts Merrimack this Saturday before closing the regular season at SMU, at Georgia Tech, and against Duke. Winning those games would keep the playoff conversation alive, while reaching the ACC championship game would present another chance to make a national statement.

The complication, of course, is that the committee has only released one set of rankings. Plenty of contenders still have to play each other, and the playoff picture could look completely different in two weeks.

Wake Forest has earned the right to think about December destinations. The challenge now is making sure the most exciting one becomes real.

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