The 2024 college football season is nearly here, and while we all look forward to 16 weeks of excitement, upsets and general mayhem, it's hard to not look ahead to what is surely the most anticipated postseason in the sport's history.
In the new, expanded College Football Playoff, the five highest-ranked conference champions will make the 12-team field along with the next seven highest-ranked teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be awarded first-round byes, with the other eight teams meeting at the campus sites of seeds Nos. 5 through 8.
From there, the quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in what had been the New Year's Six bowls, with this season's national championship game scheduled for Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
All of that is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Apart from the playoff is the 36-game slate of bowl games, from the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 to the Bahamas Bowl on Jan. 4.
We're here for all of it.
Although no games have yet been played, ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are nonetheless projecting every postseason matchup, including their breakdowns of how the playoff will play out, just to whet your appetite for the mayhem ahead.
And we'll be back every week of the season until the actual matchups are set on Selection Day on Dec. 8.
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Playoff picks | Quarterfinals
Semis, title game | Bowl season
College Football Playoff
First-round games
Dec. 20-21 -- ABC/ESPN or TNT Sports*
Bonagura: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Oregon
Bonagura: No. 11 Clemson at No. 6 Alabama
Schlabach: No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Texas
Bonagura: No. 10 Arizona at No. 7 Texas
Schlabach: No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Penn State
Bonagura: No. 9 Penn State at No. 8 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Alabama
*Specific times and networks for each game TBD
First-round breakdown
Bonagura: In the transfer portal era, preseason projections in college football are becoming even more of a crapshoot than they already were. These will be comical to look back at in December. There shouldn't be any major surprises here, it's mostly the usual suspects. Arizona is the team that, by reputation, doesn't belong, but the Wildcats have most of their key pieces coming back from a team that finished on a seven-game winning streak and was No. 11 in the final AP poll. This wasn't by design, but my first-round projections have a regional feel to them, which would be a nice way to usher in the expanded playoff.
Schlabach: Three of my first-round matchups are pretty intriguing; I think Oregon would absolutely demolish Memphis at Autzen Stadium. A matchup between two great playcallers and high-profile quarterbacks in Texas' Quinn Ewers and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart would be a lot of fun to watch. I'm still not completely sold on Miami being a legitimate CFP contender, but I've got the Hurricanes in my bracket for now. Notre Dame-Alabama would be must-see TV given their brand names. I also strongly considered Oklahoma State and Kansas State from the Big 12. I think either of those teams could win the league and contend for an at-large bid. Clemson, Tennessee, Michigan, Missouri and Iowa were also considered for at-large bids. Memphis gets the nod as the fifth conference champion over Liberty, Boise State and UTSA.
CFP quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 31
CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 3 Utah
Schlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Utah
Wednesday, Jan. 1
CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
1 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Florida State
Schlabach: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 3 Florida State
CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 1 Ohio State
CFP Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
8:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 2 Georgia
Quarterfinals breakdown
Bonagura: This is a perfect example of why this playoff format is so much better than the four-team playoff. As we sit here today in August, all of these matchups are appointment viewing. There will undoubtedly be some blowouts, but multiple rounds involving teams with passionate fan bases is so much better than letting just four teams play, leaving the other bowls -- even the supposed big ones -- to feel like exhibitions.
Schlabach: Here's where the new 12-team playoff gets fun. A Rose Bowl featuring Ohio State and Alabama, and a Sugar Bowl matchup between Georgia and Penn State. The Ducks and Utes butted heads in the old Pac-12, and the Longhorns would probably give the Seminoles a stiff test in Atlanta. I'm going with Oregon over Utah and Texas over Florida State. I think they're stronger teams and would have been seeded in the top four without the automatic bids for conference champions.
CFP semifinals, national championship game
Thursday, Jan. 9
CFP Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 2 Georgia
Friday, Jan. 10
CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Monday, Jan. 20
CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 1 Ohio State
National championship breakdown
Bonagura: One likely consistent quirk about the 12-team playoff is that the third and fourth seeds -- often the champions of the ACC and Big 12 -- won't be ranked No. 3 and No. 4. They'll get the byes by being among the top-four ranked conference champions, but will still be underdogs in the quarterfinals. In this hypothetical, No. 3 seed Utah and No. 4 Florida State are projected to run into better teams (Alabama and Oregon). I have Ohio State and Georgia projected to play for the title a year after they combined to go 23-1 during the regular season and were both left out of the playoff. Again, this is a real playoff format.
Schlabach: If my bracket holds up, there will be plenty of complaints about there being two SEC and two Big Ten teams in the semifinals. College football fans had better get used to it. I'll go with the Buckeyes in a close one over the Ducks. Ohio State coach Ryan Day finally wins a big one and gets fans off his back. Georgia is the team to beat, and I'd lean with quarterback Carson Beck and that defense over Texas in what might be the third matchup of the teams this season if they both advance to the SEC championship game as well. Georgia takes down Ohio State again in Atlanta to win its third national championship in the past four years.
Complete bowl season schedule
Saturday, Dec. 14
Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Alabama State vs. NC Central
Schlabach: Alabama State vs. NC Central
Camellia Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Tulsa vs. Troy
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Coastal Carolina
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl
Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Texas State vs. Hawaii
Schlabach: Arkansas State vs. Rice
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl
FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: Western Michigan vs. East Carolina
LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: California vs. Fresno State
Schlabach: California vs. Boise State
Thursday, Dec. 19
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7 p.m., ESPN2
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: Liberty vs. Appalachian State
Friday, Dec. 20
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Georgia State vs. Florida Atlantic
Schlabach: Louisiana vs. Western Kentucky
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: West Virginia vs. South Carolina
Schlabach: Syracuse vs. South Carolina
Monday, Dec. 23
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UAB vs. Buffalo
Schlabach: Marshall vs. Middle Tennessee
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Miami (Ohio) vs. San Diego State
Schlabach: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
Tuesday, Dec. 24
Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. San José State
Schlabach: New Mexico State vs. Colorado State
Thursday, Dec. 26
Detroit Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Toledo vs. Purdue
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Maryland
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. Texas Tech
Schlabach: Minnesota vs. UCF
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Alabama vs. Central Michigan
Schlabach: Troy vs. Wyoming
Friday, Dec. 27
Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
Noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: James Madison vs. Kentucky
Schlabach: Army vs. Florida
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
Noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Syracuse vs. Tulane
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. UTSA
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: West Virginia vs. Kentucky
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
10:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: LSU vs. Washington
Schlabach: Auburn vs. Washington
Saturday, Dec. 28
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Memphis vs. Duke
Schlabach: Tulane vs. Wake Forest
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Maryland
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Wisconsin
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UNLV vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Air Force vs. Texas State
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Miami vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Oklahoma State
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., CW Network
Bonagura: Bowling Green vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Bowling Green vs. UNLV
Go Bowling Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
5:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Pitt vs. UTSA
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. South Florida
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. USC
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. USC
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
9:15 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Baylor vs. UCLA
Schlabach: Iowa State vs. Oregon State
Monday, Dec. 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Rutgers vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
Tuesday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Iowa vs. Missouri
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: SMU vs. Washington State
Schlabach: SMU vs. Washington State
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Tennessee
Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kansas vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Kansas vs. LSU
Thursday, Jan. 2
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
7:30 p.m. ESPN
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: NC State vs. Oklahoma
Friday, Jan. 3
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
4 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: TCU vs. Rice
Schlabach: TCU vs. James Madison
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Nebraska
Schlabach: Louisville vs. Rutgers
Saturday, Jan. 4
Bahamas Bowl
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
11 a.m., ESPN2
Bonagura: Western Kentucky vs. Ohio
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Miami (Ohio)
Date TBD
DirecTV Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
Time TBD
Bonagura: NC State vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Arizona