2024 college football bowl projections after Week 1 - ESPN

Week 1 is in the books, with some close calls and wild finishes but no earth-shattering upsets. Even so, we have a slate of results to judge teams by — our first on-field glimpse as to who could succeed, who might falter and who could be part of the College Football Playoff in 2024.

In the new, expanded 12-team playoff, the five highest ranked conference champions will make the 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.

ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are projecting every postseason matchup, including their breakdowns of how the CFP will play out, every week until the actual matchups are set on Selection Day on Dec. 8.

Jump to a section:
Playoff picks | Quarterfinals
Semis, title game | Bowl season

First-round games

Dec. 20-21 — ABC/ESPN or TNT Sports*
Bonagura: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Alabama
Schlabach: No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Alabama

Bonagura: No. 11 Arizona at No. 6 Texas
Schlabach: No. 11 Kansas at No. 6 Texas

Bonagura: No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Notre Dame

Bonagura: No. 9 Michigan at No. 8 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Penn State

*Specific times and networks for