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Just when you think you have an idea about who is good in college football, a Saturday like there was in Week 2 comes in to upend any of those prior notions. We saw quite a few wins out of nowhere that significantly changed the trajectory of a few teams, while other programs might be looking for a new head coach sooner rather than later.
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That’s reflected in the Sports Illustrated latest bowl projections, which include several familiar faces like Oklahoma State returning to the fold and plenty of intriguing matchups coming together across the postseason.
Here’s our projection of the College Football Playoff and 35 bowl games for the 2026–27 season after Week 2.
PREVIOUS:Projections After Week 1
College Football Playoff Projected Rankings After Week 2
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Miami
- LSU
- Georgia
- Indiana
- USC
- BYU
- Texas A&M
- Ole Miss
- Boise State
First Round
- No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 LSU
- No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Georgia
- No. 10 Texas A&M at No. 7 Indiana
- No. 9 BYU at No. 8 USC
Quarterfinals
- Peach Bowl: No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 LSU
- Rose Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Georgia
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Indiana
- Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 USC
Semifinals
- Orange Bowl: No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Ohio State
- Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Miami
National Championship
- At Las Vegas: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
Bowl Projections After Week 2
| Bowl Game | Date | Matchup |
|---|---|---|
| Salute to Veterans Bowl | Dec. 15 | Kennesaw State vs. UMass |
| Frisco Football Classic | Dec. 15 | Arkansas State vs. UNLV |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Dec. 18 | Old Dominion vs. Colorado State |
| Gasparilla Bowl | Dec. 18 | Wake Forest vs. USF |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | Dec. 21 | Western Kentucky vs. Temple |
| Potato Bowl | Dec. 21 | Miami (Ohio) vs. Louisiana Tech |
| Puerto Rico Bowl | Dec. 22 | New Mexico vs. James Madison |
| Cure Bowl | Dec. 22 | Arizona vs. Cincinnati |
| Independence Bowl | Dec. 22 | West Virginia vs. Washington |
| New Orleans Bowl | Dec. 23 | FIU vs. Appalachian State |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Dec. 23 | North Texas vs. Minnesota |
| Frisco Bowl | Dec. 23 | Tulsa vs. Ohio |
| Poinsettia Bowl | Dec. 23 | San Diego State vs. Cal |
| New Mexico Bowl | Dec. 24 | Louisiana vs. Troy |
| Hawai’i Bowl | Dec. 24 | Fresno State vs. Hawai’i |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Dec. 26 | Iowa vs. Virginia Tech |
| Fenway Bowl | Dec. 26 | Clemson vs. Memphis |
| Mayo Bowl | Dec. 26 | Nebraska vs. NC State |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | Dec. 26 | Jacksonville State vs. Toledo |
| Cactus Bowl | Dec. 26 | TCU vs. Illinois |
| Military Bowl | Dec. 26 | Duke vs. UTSA |
| Arizona Bowl | Dec. 27 | Western Michigan vs. North Dakota State |
| Holiday Bowl | Dec. 28 | Utah vs. Pitt |
| Birmingham Bowl | Dec. 29 | Maryland vs. UCF |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | Dec. 29 | Oklahoma State vs. Louisville |
| Alamo Bowl | Dec. 29 | Texas Tech vs. Oregon |
| Gator Bowl | Dec. 30 | Florida vs. SMU |
| Music City Bowl | Dec. 30 | Wisconsin vs. Auburn |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | Dec. 31 | Michigan vs. Tennessee |
| Sun Bowl | Dec. 31 | Colorado vs. Virginia |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Dec. 31 | South Carolina vs. Arizona State |
| Texas Bowl | Dec. 31 | Houston vs. Oklahoma |
| Citrus Bowl | Jan. 2 | Penn State vs. Alabama |
| First Responder Bowl | Jan. 2 | Navy vs. UCLA |
| Liberty Bowl | Jan. 2 | Kansas State vs. Missouri |
PODCAST: 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.
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MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
- Texas Shocks Ohio State, Michigan’s Revival and Oregon Flops in Stillwater
- College Football Week 2 Superlatives: Arch Manning’s Moment, Oklahoma State Goalpost Takes a Dip
- Projecting AP Top 25 After College Football Week 2: Texas Stuns Ohio State, and There’s a New No. 1
- Arch Manning Finally Answered the Biggest Question About His Career
- College Football Week 2 Winners and Losers: Oregon’s Dan Lanning Leads a Saturday of Overthinking
This article was originally published on www.si.com as College Football Playoff and Bowl Projections After Week 2: Making Sense of the Chaos.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 11:29 AM.