College Football Bowl Projections for 2025-26

The 2025-26 bowl schedule features 41 games, including six in the 12-team College Football Playoff following the first-round matchups. With the season less than 50 days away, Athlon Sports is here with complete projections and predictions for all of the bowl matchups and playoff games.

The postseason begins on Dec. 13 with one matchup and continues until Jan. 19 with the national championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The playoffs start on Dec. 19 with one first-round game, followed by three on Saturday, Dec. 20, at on-campus sites. The quarterfinals are slated for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The semifinals for the College Football Playoff take place on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9; the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl host the matchups.

Due to conference realignment, some of the bowl tie-ins will be scrambled again in '25. Former Pac-12 teams are eligible for bowl appearances in the conference's old tie-ins.

Just missing the projections: Southern Miss, Boston College, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Wisconsin, Louisiana Tech, and Washington State.

How will the postseason matchups look by December? Below are Athlon Sports' preseason predictions for every bowl and playoff game in 2025-26:

Conference Predictions for 2025

Power 4: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC | Ranking All 136 Teams

Group of 5: American | CUSA | MAC | Mountain West | Sun Belt 

College Football Bowl Projections for 2025-26

LA Bowl (Dec. 13)

Location: SoFi Bowl in Inglewood, Calif.
Tie-In: Mountain West vs. Pac-12
Projection: UNLV vs. Colorado

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (Dec. 16)

Location: Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.
Tie-In: MAC vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Jacksonville State* vs. Old Dominion

Cure Bowl (Dec. 17)

Location: Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Tie-In: Sun Belt vs. AAC/CUSA/MAC
Projection: James Madison vs. Toledo

68 Ventures Bowl (Dec. 17)

Location: Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala.
Tie-In: Sun Belt/AAC/CUSA/MAC
Projection: East Carolina vs. Western Kentucky

Myrtle Beach Bowl (Dec. 19)

Location: Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.
Tie-In: Sun Belt vs. AAC/CUSA/MAC
Projection: UConn vs. Georgia Southern

Gasparilla Bowl (Dec. 19)

Location: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
Tie-In: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: NC State vs. Missouri

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Dec. 22)

Location: Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho
Tie-In: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Ohio vs. Colorado State

Boca Raton Bowl (Dec. 23)

Location: Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.
Tie-In: AAC/CUSA/MAC/Sun Belt
Projection: Memphis vs. South Alabama

New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 23)

Location: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.
Tie-In: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Liberty vs. Louisiana

Frisco Bowl (Dec. 23)

Location: TBD in Frisco, Texas
Tie-In: AAC/CUSA/MAC/Sun Belt
Projection: Arkansas State vs. North Texas

Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24)

Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawaii
Tie-In: American vs. Mountain West
Projection: UTSA vs. Hawaii

GameAbove Sports Bowl (Dec. 26)

Location: Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. MAC
Projection: Rutgers vs. Buffalo

Rate Bowl (Dec. 26)

Location: Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Big Ten
Projection: TCU vs. Minnesota

First Responder Bowl (Dec. 26)

Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas
Tie-In: Big 12/AAC/CUSA/ACC
Projection: Houston vs. Air Force

Military Bowl (Dec. 27)

Location: Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Tie-In: ACC vs. American
Projection: North Carolina vs. Navy

Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 27)

Location: Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y.
Tie-In: ACC vs. Big Ten
Projection: Pitt vs. Iowa 

Fenway Bowl (Dec. 27)

Location: Fenway Park in Boston, Mass.
Tie-In: ACC vs. American
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Tulane

Pop-Tarts Bowl (Dec. 27)

Location: Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Tie-In: ACC vs. Big 12
Projection: Louisville vs. Baylor

Arizona Bowl (Dec. 27)

Location: Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
Tie-In: MAC vs. Mountain West
Projection: Northern Illinois vs. San Jose State

New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 27)

Location: University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M.
Tie-In: Conference USA vs. Mountain West
Projection: Texas State* vs. Fresno State

Gator Bowl (Dec. 27)

Location: EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
Tie-In: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Texas A&M

Texas Bowl (Dec. 27)

Location: NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma

Birmingham Bowl (Dec. 29)

Location: Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala.
Tie-In: ACC/American vs. SEC
Projection: South Florida vs. Arkansas

Independence Bowl (Dec. 30)

Location: Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La.
Tie-In: American vs. Pac-12
Projection: Vanderbilt* vs. Oregon State

Music City Bowl (Dec. 30)

Location: Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Nebraska vs. Ole Miss

Alamo Bowl (Dec. 30)

Location: Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Projection: Texas Tech vs. USC

ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31)

Location: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Indiana vs. South Carolina

Sun Bowl (Dec. 31)

Location: Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas
Tie-In: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Duke vs. Utah

Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31)

Location: Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. SEC
Projection: Michigan vs. Florida

Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 31)

Location: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev.
Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Projection: Illinois vs. Arizona State

Armed Forces Bowl (Jan. 2)

Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. AAC/CUSA
Projection: BYU vs. Army

Liberty Bowl (Jan. 2)

Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn.
Tie-In: Big 12 vs. SEC
Projection: Kansas vs. Auburn

Duke's Mayo Bowl (Jan. 2)

Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Tie-In: ACC vs. SEC
Projection: SMU vs. Tennessee

Holiday Bowl (TBD)

Location: Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
Tie-In: ACC vs. Pac-12
Projection: Florida State vs. Washington

Bahamas Bowl (TBD)

Location: TBD
Tie-In: Conference USA vs. MAC
Projection: UTEP vs. Miami (Ohio)

College Football Playoff

College Football Playoff First Round

Games to be played on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20. Contests will be played at home site of higher-ranked team.

No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Kansas State
No. 7 LSU vs. No. 10 Miami
No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 9 Oregon

College Football Playoff Quarterfinals

Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31)

Location: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Projection: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Notre Dame

Orange Bowl (Jan. 1)

Location: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Projection: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 5 Clemson

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)

Location: Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
Projection: No. 2 Penn State vs. No. 7 LSU

Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1)

Location: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.
Projection: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Alabama

Semifinals

Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 8)

Location: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Projection: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Georgia

Peach Bowl (Jan. 9)

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.
Projection: No. 2 Penn State vs. No. 3 Ohio State

National Championship

Date: Jan. 19, 2026
Location: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Projection: Texas over Penn State

*Indicates conference not projected to fulfill all of its bowl tie-ins. An at-large team will be selected to fill those spots.