Week 13 Bowl Projections & College Football Playoff Predictions

Originally posted on College Football News | Last updated Nov 16, 2025 9:13 PM ET

Will the SEC get five teams into the College Football Playoff?

Will the Big 12 push an extra team in, and will Miami make it, and Notre Dame, and ...

It's a trickle-down effect. The bowl slots change wildly based on one big move, like Oklahoma all of a sudden appearing to be a lock for a CFP spot.

Here are the latest CFN bowl projections and College Football Playoff predictions.

Bowl Projections and College Football Playoff Predictions, Week 13

A few notes before going forward.

- The available Conference USA teams run out right away. The Liberty vs Louisiana Tech loser will likely be out, and it'll be a scramble to put other Group of Five teams in the right places.

- Cal is a tough "former Pac-12" team to face. The LA Bowl vs San Diego State would be perfect, but those two already faced each other.

- If five SEC teams really do get into the playoff, as expected, there will be a few missing bowl slots for the tie-ins. There's a little bit of educated guessing here.

Friday, December 19, 2025
8:00 pm, ESPN
Home site of higher seed
Last Season: Notre Dame 27, Indiana 17
Projection: (10) Virginia Cavaliers at (7) Ole Miss Rebels

Saturday, December 20, 2025
12:00 pm, ESPN
Home site of higher seed
Last Season: Texas 38, Clemson 24
Projection: (12) North Texas Mean Green at (5) Georgia Bulldogs

Saturday, December 20, 2025
3:30 pm, TNT/truTV
Home site of higher seed
Last Season: Penn State 38, SMU 10
Projection: (9) Oklahoma Sooners at (8) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Saturday, December 20, 2025
7:30 pm, TNT/truTV
Home site of higher seed
Last Season: Ohio State 42, Tennessee 17
Projection: (11) Alabama Crimson Tide at (6) Oregon Ducks

College Football Playoff Quarterfinals

Nov 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Kewan Lacy (5) celebrates after rushing for a touchdown against the Florida Gators during the first quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Wednesday, December 31, 2025
7:30, ESPN
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Last Season: Ohio State 28, Texas 14 (CFP Semifinal)
Projection: (6) Oregon Ducks vs (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders

Capital One Orange Bowl

Thursday, January 1, 2025
12:00, ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Bowl Affiliations: ACC
Last Season: Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24 (CFP Semifinal)
Projection: (5) Georgia Bulldogs vs (4) Indiana Hoosiers

Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential

Thursday, January 1, 2025
4:00, ESPN
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Bowl Affiliations: Big Ten
Last Season: Ohio State 41, Oregon 21 (CFP Quarterfinal)
Projection: (8) Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs (1) Ohio State Buckeyes

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Thursday, January 1, 2025
8:00, ESPN
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Bowl Affiliations: Big 12 or SEC (higher ranked champion)
Last Season: Notre Dame 23, Georgia 10 (CFN Quarterfinal)
Projection: (7) Ole Miss Rebels vs (2) Texas A&M Aggies

College Football Playoff Semifinals

Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Will Kacmarek (89) reacts in the first half of the NCAA college football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.© Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

Thursday, January 8, 2026
7:30, ESPN
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Bowl Affiliations: 1/8/9 seed vs 4/5/12 seed or 3/6/11 seed vs 2/7/10 seed
Last Season: Penn State 31, Boise State 14 (CFP Quarterfinal)
Projection: (5) Georgia Bulldogs vs (1) Ohio State Buckeyes

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Friday, January 9, 2026
7:30, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Bowl Affiliations: 1/8/9 seed vs 4/5/12 seed or 3/6/11 seed vs 2/7/10 seed
Last Season: Texas 39, Arizona State 31 2OT (CFP Quarterfinal)
Projection: (6) Oregon Ducks vs (2) Texas A&M Aggies

College Football Playoff National Championship

Monday, January 19, 2026
7:30, ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Last Season: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23
Projection: (6) Oregon Ducks (5) Georgia Bulldogs

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: