ESPN’s early CFP projections split over Ohio State’s title challenger
Week 1 results have reshaped ESPN’s projected playoff and bowl fields, but the analysts disagree on several key match-ups.
ESPN analysts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have released their first projections for the 2026–27 College Football Playoff and bowl season following Week 1. The projections are not official selections or rankings, and the analysts differ on several teams and match-ups.
LSU is projected to reach the playoff quarter-finals after opening the Lane Kiffin era with a 51–10 win over Clemson. UMass has also entered the projected bowl field after beating Rutgers 37–21 to end a 16-game losing streak.
ESPN’s projected CFP would feature a 12-team field. Power 4 conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team would receive automatic bids, with the remaining places going to the next seven highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame is guaranteed a place if it is ranked among the top 12.
The four highest-ranked teams would receive first-round byes, while the other eight would play first-round games at the campus sites of seeds five to eight. Bonagura projects Notre Dame to face Ohio State in the national championship, while Schlabach projects Georgia to meet Ohio State.
ESPN says its analysts will update the projected match-ups each week until the actual field is set on 6 December. Bowl season is scheduled to begin with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on 12 December and conclude with the CFP National Championship on 25 January.
