It’s the most magical time of the year. No, we’re not quite to the holiday season, but we are rapidly approaching the college football bowl season. Teams across the country are furiously trying to nab that elusive sixth win while many others are aiming much, much higher on the totem pole.
With all that in mind, CFTalk decided to peer into our crystal ball and take a look at the postseason picture -- figuring out which teams wind up in certain bowl games prior to the official announcement. Running through all the scenarios, here’s how the bowl picture could play out from the final four to the very first one on December 15th:
College Football Playoff Semifinals
| Bowl | Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Bowl | No. 2 Clemson | No. 3 Notre Dame |
| Cotton Bowl | No. 1 Alabama | No. 4 Michigan |
New Year’s Six
| Bowl | Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Peach Bowl | Penn State | Florida |
| Fiesta Bowl | LSU | UCF |
| Rose Bowl | Ohio State | Washington State |
| Sugar Bowl | Oklahoma | Georgia |
2018 FBS Bowl Games
| Bowl | Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico Bowl | Nevada | North Texas |
| Cure Bowl | Appalachian State | SMU |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Arizona State | Boise State |
| Camellia Bowl | Ohio | Georgia Southern |
| New Orleans Bowl | Troy | UAB |
| Boca Raton Bowl | USF | FIU |
| Frisco Bowl | Northern Illinois | Wyoming |
| Gasparilla Bowl | Miami | Cincinnati |
| Bahamas Bowl | Toldeo | MTSU |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Eastern Michigan | Fresno State |
| Birmingham Bowl | Houston | Cal |
| Armed Forces Bowl | TCU | Temple |
| Dollar General Bowl | Buffalo | Arkansas State |
| Hawaii Bowl | Hawaii | FAU |
| First Responder Bowl | Louisiana Tech | BYU |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Boston College | Army |
| Cheez-It Bowl | Texas Tech | Arizona |
| Independence Bowl | Virginia | Marshall |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Syracuse | Purdue |
| Texas Bowl | West Virginia | Auburn |
| Music City Bowl | Pitt | Mississippi State |
| Camping World Bowl | Iowa State | N.C. State |
| Alamo Bowl | Texas | Utah |
| Belk Bowl | Georgia Tech | South Carolina |
| Arizona Bowl | UL-Monroe | San Diego State |
| Military Bowl | Virginia Tech | Memphis |
| Sun Bowl | Duke | Stanford |
| Redbox Bowl | Oregon | Utah State |
| Liberty Bowl | Oklahoma State | Tennessee |
| Holiday Bowl | Washington | Iowa |
| Gator Bowl | Missouri | Wisconsin |
| Outback Bowl | Texas A&M | Michigan State |
| Citrus Bowl | Kentucky | Northwestern |
+ Southern Miss, Miami(OH), Tulane, Western Michigan, UL-Lafayette and Coastal Carolina also qualified for a bowl