If Week 6 showed anything, it's to never underestimate the underdog. Only two ranked matchups were played: Georgia earned a conference road victory over Alabama, and UCLA pulled off an upset over Oregon in Eugene. But four unranked teams defeated ranked opponents, with then-No. 1 Texas falling to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, Kentucky pulling off its second surprise over a top-25 opponent, and South Carolina and North Carolina earning big wins.
In the wake of those results, ESPN's bowl experts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach look at how the postseason picture shifted. The 2026 format gives automatic bids to the Power 4 conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team, regardless of whether it is a league champion. The remaining slots in the 12-team field go to the next seven highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot if it finishes among the top 12. The four highest-ranked teams receive first-round byes, while Seeds 5 through 8 host first-round games on their campuses.
Bowl season begins with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 12 and concludes with the CFP National Championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Jan. 25. The first-round games are scheduled for Dec. 18 and 19, with Boise State, Texas Tech, UCLA, and BYU among the teams projected to open the playoff.
Bonagura and Schlabach will update their predictions for every postseason matchup each week until the bracket is finalized on Dec. 6. Their current projections point to a fluid field, and the Georgia Bulldogs remain the top seed in both experts' early forecasts.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing