Week 7 raised havoc, but Week 8 continued the mayhem as we witnessed more big wins and surprising upsets.
Five ranked teams fell to unranked opponents Saturday. The Big 12 got a big shake-up as No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 2 BYU suffered their first losses of the season. The Cougars fell in a double-overtime thriller against UCF. In the SEC, No. 19 Texas rebounded from back-to-back conference losses to pull off a big league victory over No. 7 Ole Miss.
Following all the chaos, we take a look at how the postseason picture shifted after Week 8.
New to the 2026 season, the Power 4 conference champions will receive automatic bids to the CFP along with the highest-ranked Group of 6 team regardless of whether it is a league champ. The remaining slots in the 12-team field will go to the next seven highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot in the field if it is among the top 12 teams.
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 5 through 8.
The festivities of bowl season kick off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 12 and wrap up with the CFP National Championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Jan. 25.
ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach will make their predictions for all the postseason matchups every week of the season until the actual matchups are set Dec. 6.
All times Eastern
Jump to:
First-round games | Quarterfinals
Semis, title game | Bowl season
College Football Playoff
First-round games (at campus sites)
Friday, Dec. 18
8 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 19
Noon, ABC/ESPN
3:30 p.m., TNT
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 UCLA
Bonagura: No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Indiana
Bonagura: No. 10 Wake Forest at No. 7 BYU
Schlabach: No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Kentucky
Bonagura: No. 9 Kentucky at No. 8 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 9 BYU at No. 8 Utah
CFP quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 30
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Utah
Schlabach: No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
Friday, Jan. 1
Time slots for quarterfinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to be determined on Selection Day (Dec. 6)
Quarterfinals Game 2
Noon, TNT
Bonagura: No. 6 Indiana vs. No. 3 UCLA
Schlabach: No. 8 Utah vs. No. 1 Miami
Quarterfinals Game 3
4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 7 BYU vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia
Quarterfinals Game 4
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Miami
Schlabach: No. 10 Texas vs. No. 2 Ohio State
CFP semifinals, national championship game
Thursday, Jan. 14
Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Miami
Friday, Jan. 15
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 4 Utah vs. No. 1 Miami
Schlabach: No. 10 Texas vs. No. 3 Georgia
Monday, Jan. 25
CFP National Championship
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Miami
Schlabach: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 1 Miami
Bowl season schedule
Saturday, Dec. 12
Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by Toyota
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: South Carolina State vs. Jackson State
Schlabach: South Carolina State vs. Alabama A&M
Tuesday, Dec. 15
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Miami (Ohio)
Schlabach: Buffalo vs. Louisiana
Frisco Football Classic
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Tulsa vs. Florida International
Wednesday, Dec. 16
TransPerfect San Juan Bowl
Hiram Bithorn Stadium (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
7:30 p.m. ET, TBD
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Georgia State
Schlabach: Boston College vs. Appalachian State
Friday, Dec. 18
Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Tulsa
Schlabach: South Florida vs. Western Michigan
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Auburn vs. South Florida
Schlabach: Virginia vs. South Carolina
Monday, Dec. 21
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Arkansas State
Schlabach: Liberty vs. South Alabama
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Western Michigan vs. UNLV
Schlabach: Toledo vs. Air Force
Tuesday, Dec. 22
Puerto Rico Bowl
Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Bayamón, Puerto Rico)
1:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UMass vs. South Alabama
Schlabach: FAU vs. Western Kentucky
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. James Madison
Schlabach: Louisiana Tech vs. Middle Tennessee
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UConn vs. West Virginia
Schlabach: Washington vs. West Virginia
Wednesday, Dec. 23
New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Jacksonville State vs. Appalachian State
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. James Madison
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kansas State vs. North Texas
Schlabach: UCF vs. Army
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
7:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Arizona State
Schlabach: Texas State vs. Arizona State
Frisco Bowl
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Illinois vs. Memphis
Schlabach: UConn vs. New Mexico
Thursday, Dec. 24
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Wyoming vs. UTSA
Schlabach: UNLV vs. Tulane
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Texas State vs. North Dakota State
Schlabach: Fresno State vs. North Dakota State
Saturday, Dec. 26
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: North Carolina vs. Iowa
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Florida State vs. East Carolina
Schlabach: Duke vs. Memphis
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Duke vs. Penn State
Schlabach: North Carolina vs. Northwestern
68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Louisiana Tech vs. Air Force
Schlabach: UAB vs. Miami (Ohio)
Cactus Bowl
Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Michigan vs. Cincinnati
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Cincinnati
Monday, Dec. 28
Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Army
Schlabach: Louisville vs. UTSA
Trust & Will Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
5 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Oregon State
Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. Oregon
Tuesday, Dec. 29
JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. Tulane
Schlabach: Illinois vs. Auburn
Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: SMU vs. Houston
Schlabach: SMU vs. Houston
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Texas Tech vs. Oregon
Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. USC
Wednesday, Dec. 30
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
11:30 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Florida
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
3 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Ole Miss
Schlabach: Wisconsin vs. Alabama
Thursday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Wisconsin vs. Texas
Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Florida
Old El Paso Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Oregon State
Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: USC vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Arizona vs. Missouri
Kinder's Texas Bowl
Reliant Stadium (Houston)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma
Saturday, Jan. 2
Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Northwestern vs. LSU
Schlabach: Iowa vs. LSU
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Florida Atlantic
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. North Texas
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., The CW
Bonagura: Toledo vs. New Mexico
Schlabach: Ohio vs. Wyoming
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: UCF vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Baylor vs. Mississippi State
