Spring training has been completed, and we’re about to head into the bulk of the offseason with many questions still on the table regarding position battles, portal destinations and other yearly obstacles. That isn’t stopping us from looking ahead to potential bowl matchups, however.
CBS Sports recently revealed its projections for every single bowl game — including the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff. The semifinals and championship were omitted, as no team can automatically qualify that deep into the tournament.
With that being said, here’s how CBS Sports went with their bowl game projections. It’s sure to spark debate among several fanbases.
Projection: No. 12 Navy at No. 5 Penn State
In this projection, Penn State would host a playoff game for the second year in a row. They won last year’s CFP opener inside Beaver Stadium 38-10 over the SMU Mustangs. The Nittany Lions forced three turnovers during that matchup and never trailed.
For Navy, they squeeze into the final slot in the playoffs. They have a fairly light schedule this season, minus a road trup to Notre Dame on Nov. 8.
Projection: No. 9 LSU at No. 8 Oregon
Oregon did not get to host a playoff game in the first round last year, as their status as Big Ten Conference champion and No. 1 overall seed provided them a bye into the quarterfinal. They were upset by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, who would go on to win the national title.
For the Tigers, it appeared as though they’d be making a run to the CFP last season, but lost three games in a row from between October and November. They would win their final three games, however, finishing the year with a 9-4 record.
Projection: No. 11 Georgia at No. 6 Notre Dame
This would not only be a rematch from last year’s playoff, but the first projected matchup between two teams that were a part of the College Football Playoffs last season.
Notre Dame would finish as the national runner-ups while Georgia’s season finished in the quarterfinal in the Sugar Bowl. The Fighting Irish defeated the Bulldogs 23-10 in that matchup.
Projection: No. 10 Miami (FL) at No. 7 Alabama
Miami and Alabama were two of the first teams out of last year’s College Football Playoff field, and both fanbases feel their team deserved to be in. In this projection, the two teams will be able to battle it out — in Tuscaloosa — to decide which team is worthy of a quarterfinal appearance.
This would be Miami’s first-ever appearance in the playoffs, and the Crimson Tide’s first since 2023. However, this would be a first for Kalen DeBoer’s squad, as Alabama has never hosted a home playoff game.
CFP Quarterfinal at Rose Bowl
Projection: No. Ohio State vs. (8/9 winner)
Ohio State’s history in the Rose Bowl is well-documented, as so is their success in it. They’re 10-7 overall in the game, and have won their last five appearances in it, including last year.
In this projection, the Buckeyes would either play LSU or Oregon. The Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 41-21 in the Rose Bowl in 2024, and would love to see history repeat itself. If not, it would be Ohio State vs. LSU, two longtime college football powers. This would be LSU’s first-ever appearance in a Rose Bowl game, but has played in the venue once before.
CFP Quarterfinal at Sugar Bowl
Projection: No. 2 Texas vs. (7/10 winner)
Texas is looking to make its third straight appearance in the playoffs. Last season, the Longhorns defeated both Clemson and Arizona State before losing to Ohio State in the national semifinal.
They would take on the winner of Alabama and Miami. The Longhorns and Crimson Tide have developed a bit of a rivalry in the last couple of years, not to mention head coach Steve Sarkisian’s ties to Tuscaloosa. If it’s instead Texas vs. Miami, it would be the first matchup between the two programs since 1991.
CFP Quarterfinal at Orange Bowl
Projection: No. 3 Clemson vs. (6/11 winner)
Clemson snuck its way into the College Football Playoffs last season as a three-loss ACC Champion, defeating SMU in the conference title game. They would lose in the first round to Texas on the road, but their appearance ensures the Tigers’ status as a playoff contender heading into the fall.
They’ll be in for some stiff competition in the matchup, though. They’re set to battle the winner of the projected 6 vs. 11-seed game between Notre Dame and Georgia.
CFP Quarterfinal at Cotton Bowl
Projection: No. 4 Iowa State vs. (5/12 winner)
CBS Sports is projected Iowa State to not only win the Big 12 next season as the conference’s automatic qualifier — but sees the Cyclones as the only team within its ranks to crack the final field of 12. The other three major conferences have at least two teams represented in this projection.
They will take on the winner of Penn State vs. Navy, a matchup which will likely favor the Nittany Lions. Iowa State and Penn State have never played each other in football. Neither have the Cyclones and Midshipmen, for that matter.
CBS Post-spring bowl projections
All dates and times TBA
Hawaii Bowl
Projection: Air Force vs. Liberty
Boca Raton Bowl
Projection: Georgia Southern vs. Western Michigan
Cure Bowl
Projection: James Madison vs. Boise State
Arizona Bowl
Projection: San Jose State vs. Northern Illinois
Birmingham Bowl
Projection: Arkansas vs. UCF
Bahamas Bowl
Projection: Western Kentucky vs. Buffalo
Pinstripe Bowl
Projection: NC State vs. Wisconsin
Liberty Bowl
Projection: Kansas vs. Missouri
Los Angeles Bowl
Projection: Utah vs. UCLA
68 Ventures Bowl
Projection: Fresno State vs. Louisiana
New Mexico Bowl
Projection: UNLV vs. Texas State
Salute to Veterans Bowl
Projection: Bowling Green vs. Arkansas State
Military Bowl
Projection: North Carolina vs. Tulane
GameAbove Sports Bowl
Projection: Minnesota vs. Ohio
Independence Bowl
Projection: BYU vs. Oregon State
New Orleans Bowl
Projection: Jacksonville State vs. Marshall
Idaho Potato Bowl
Projection: Miami (OH) vs. Colorado State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Projection: TCU vs. Iowa
Fenway Bowl
Projection: Duke vs. ECU
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Projection: USF vs. Coastal Carolina
Armed Forces Bowl
Projection: Army vs. Toledo
Las Vegas Bowl
Projection: Nebraska vs. Arizona State
Frisco Bowl
Projection: UTSA vs. Sam Houston
First Responder Bowl
Projection: Georgia Tech vs. West Virginia
Gasparilla Bowl
Projection: Auburn vs. Memphis
Texas Bowl
Projection: Baylor vs. Texas A&M
Music City Bowl
Projection: Illinois vs. OIe Miss
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Projection: Florida State vs. Tennessee
Holiday Bowl
Projection: Pitt vs. Washington
Alamo Bowl
Projection: Kansas State vs. USC
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Projection: SMU vs. Texas Tech
ReliaQuest Bowl
Projection: Indiana vs. South Carolina
Gator Bowl
Projection: Louisville vs. Oklahoma
Citrus Bowl
Projection: Michigan vs. Florida
Sun Bowl
Projection: Syracuse vs. Washington State
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