College Football Bowl Projections Week 8: Full list of matchups, playoff predictions

There’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty surrounding the bowl system with the College Football Playoff expanding to 24 teams next season. How many bowls will survive? What will it look like? But forget about next year. What about this season? You came to the right place. My College Football Playoff and bowl projections for Week 8. Four new teams are in my bowl projections: Auburn, TCU, Tulane and Texas State. There are also some new teams in my 12-team playoff field: Tennessee and Utah. Here are my full College Football Playoff and bowl projections for Oct. 19. First Round (Dec. 18-19)No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ole MissNo. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 IndianaNo. 11 Utah at No. 6 UCLANo. 10 Tennessee at No. 7 Texas Tech QuarterfinalsFiesta Bowl (Dec. 30)State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.No. 4 BYU vs. No. 5 Ole Miss Cotton Bowl (Jan. 1, 2027)AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TexasNo. 1 Miami vs. No. 8 Indiana Rose Bowl (Jan. 1, 2027)Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 UCLA Peach Bowl (Jan. 1, 2027)Mercedes-Benz Stadium in AtlantaNo. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Texas Tech SemifinalsOrange Bowl (Jan. 14, 2027)Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.No. 1 Miami vs. No. 5 Ole Miss Sugar Bowl (Jan. 15, 2027)Caesars Superdome in New OrleansNo. 2 Georgia vs. No. 3 Ohio State National Championship (Jan. 25, 2027)Allegiant Stadium in Las VegasNo. 1 Miami vs. No. 2 Georgia (Miami winner) Salute to Veterans Bowl (Dec. 15)Montgomery, Ala.Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia State Frisco Football Classic (Dec. 15)Frisco, TexasSouth Florida vs. South Alabama Boca Raton Bowl (Dec. 18)Boca Raton, Fla.Florida Atlantic vs. Miami (Ohio) Gasparilla Bowl (Dec. 18)Tampa, Fla.Texas A&M vs. Virginia Myrtle Beach Bowl (Dec. 21)Conway, S.C. Tulane vs. Louisiana Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Dec. 21)Boise, IdahoWyoming vs. Ohio Puerto Rico Bowl (Dec. 22)Puerto RicoUMass vs. FIU Cure Bowl (Dec. 22)Orlando, Fla.UAB vs. UConn Independence Bowl (Dec. 22)Shreveport, La.Cincinnati vs. Western Kentucky Frisco Bowl (Dec. 23)Frisco, TexasJacksonville State vs. Appalachian State New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 23)New OrleansJames Madison vs. Liberty Poinsettia Bowl (Dec. 23)San Diego, Calif.Fresno State vs. North Texas Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 23)Fort Worth, TexasArmy vs. Pitt New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 24)Albuquerque, N.M.New Mexico vs. Toledo Hawai’i Bowl (Dec. 24)HonoluluUNLV vs. Texas State Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 26)Bronx, N.YNC State vs. Minnesota Fenway Bowl (Dec. 26)BostonMemphis vs. Duke Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Dec. 26)Charlotte, N.C.North Carolina vs. Michigan 68 Ventures Bowl (Dec. 26)Mobile, Ala.Louisiana Tech vs. Tulsa Cactus Bowl (Dec. 26)Tempe, Ariz.UCF vs. Nebraska Military Bowl (Dec. 28)Annapolis, Md.Virginia Tech vs. UTSA Holiday Bowl (Dec. 28)San DiegoWake Forest vs. Arizona Birmingham Bowl (Dec. 29)Birmingham, Ala.Auburn vs. TCU Pop-Tarts Bowl (Dec. 29)Orlando, Fla.SMU vs. Oklahoma State Alamo Bowl (Dec. 29)San Antonio, TexasHouston vs. USC Gator Bowl (Dec. 30)Jacksonville, Fla.LSU vs. Louisville Music City Bowl (Dec. 30)Nashville, Tenn.Alabama vs. Wisconsin ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31)Tampa, Fla.Florida vs. Northwestern Sun Bowl (Dec. 31)El Paso, TexasClemson vs. Oregon State Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 31)Las VegasMissouri vs. Oregon Texas Bowl (Dec. 31)HoustonTexas vs. Kansas State Arizona Bowl (Jan. 2)Tucson, Ariz.Western Michigan vs. North Dakota State Citrus Bowl (Jan. 2)Orlando, Fla.Kentucky vs. Iowa First Responder Bowl (Jan. 2)DallasAir Force vs. Mississippi State Liberty Bowl (Jan. 2)Memphis, Tenn.South Carolina vs. Baylor