College Football Playoff, bowl projections following week 3 - ESPN

Three weeks into the season, the college football landscape has seen its share of tumultuous results.

Two teams near the top of most preseason playoff projections — Notre Dame and Clemson — already have two losses, placing the Irish and Tigers on extremely shaky ground. The SEC looks as deep and strong as ever based on its nonconference record, meaning most of the in-league matchups will be up for grabs and have significant ramifications.

As in last season's inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams, will make the field. Unlike last year, the four highest-ranked teams (not necessarily conference champions) will be awarded first-round byes. The other eight teams will meet in first-round games 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. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

All of that is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Apart from the playoff is the 35-game slate of bowl games, beginning with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 13.

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 playoff will play out, and we'll be back every week of the season until the actual matchups are set.

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

First-round games (at campus sites)

Friday, Dec. 19/ Saturday, Dec. 20

Times and networks TBD.

Bonagura: No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 LSU
Schlabach: No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Oregon

Bonagura: No. 11 Utah at