Week 1 is (almost) in the books and, thanks to our first look at teams across the country, we now have a better idea about who is tracking for a good season on the field and who may be quietly engaging a search firm to find a new head coach. That’s reflected in Sports Illustrated’s latest bowl projections going into Labor Day, which includes several notable newcomers (hello, Colorado and UMass!) and plenty of intriguing matchups—from old FCS foes getting together in the Frisco Football Classic to an old Big Eight reunion in the similarly named Frisco Bowl. Here’s our projection of the College Football Playoff and 35 bowl games for the 2026–27 season after Week 1.College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 1Notre DameOhio StateGeorgiaMiami LSUTexasOregon BYUIndianaOklahomaUSCBoise StateFirst RoundNo. 12 Boise State at No. 5 LSUNo. 11 USC at No. 6 TexasNo. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 OregonNo. 9 Indiana at No. 8 BYUQuarterfinalsCotton Bowl: No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 LSUPeach Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 TexasRose Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 OregonFiesta Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 BYUSemifinalsSugar Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 6 TexasOrange Bowl: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 MiamiNational ChampionshipAt Las Vegas: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 4 MiamiBowl Projections After Week 1Bowl GameDateMatchupSalute to Veterans BowlDec. 15Arkansas State vs. Jacksonville StateFrisco Football ClassicDec. 15James Madison vs. North Dakota StateBoca Raton BowlDec. 18UMass vs. FAUGasparilla BowlDec. 18NC State vs. AuburnMyrtle Beach BowlDec. 21USF vs. Louisiana TechPotato BowlDec. 21Miami (Ohio) vs. Air ForcePuerto Rico BowlDec. 22Central Michigan vs. Kennesaw StateCure BowlDec. 22Memphis vs. Western MichiganIndependence BowlDec. 22UCF vs. TulsaNew Orleans BowlDec. 23Liberty vs. Old DominionArmed Forces BowlDec. 23UTSA vs. New MexicoFrisco BowlDec. 23Kansas State vs. Nebraska Poinsettia BowlDec. 23San Diego State vs. UCLANew Mexico BowlDec. 24Cal vs. Colorado StateHawai’i BowlDec. 24Fresno State vs. Hawai’iPinstripe BowlDec. 26Louisville vs. IowaFenway BowlDec. 26Duke vs. East CarolinaMayo BowlDec. 26Virginia Tech vs. Illinois68 Ventures BowlDec. 26Troy vs. TempleCactus BowlDec. 26Cincinnati vs. WisconsinMilitary BowlDec. 26Wake Forest vs. NavyArizona BowlDec. 27Toledo vs. UNLVHoliday BowlDec. 28Utah vs. ClemsonBirmingham BowlDec. 29Western Kentucky vs. ArmyPop-Tarts BowlDec. 29Houston vs. PittAlamo BowlDec. 29Texas Tech vs. WashingtonGator BowlDec. 30SMU vs. AlabamaMusic City BowlDec. 30Florida vs. MinnesotaReliaQuest BowlDec. 31Michigan vs. Texas A&MSun BowlDec. 31Colorado vs. VirginiaLas Vegas BowlDec. 31Arizona State vs. TennesseeTexas BowlDec. 31TCU vs. MissouriCitrus BowlJan. 2Penn State vs. MississippiFirst Responder BowlJan. 2Maryland vs. ArizonaLiberty BowlJan. 2West Virginia vs. South CarolinaPODCAST: Listen to Sports Illustrated’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, hosted by Pat Forde, on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s college YouTube channel or on SI TV.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow