The SEC and Big Ten championship games are heating up, and fans are buzzing with excitement over potential rematches from earlier top-five clashes. Imagine this: Oregon and Ohio State are set to rekindle their thrilling 32-31 showdown from October 12—if the Buckeyes can get past Michigan this Saturday. Meanwhile, Georgia is poised for a rematch against Texas, whom they defeated 30-15 on October 19, provided the Longhorns can overcome Texas A&M this weekend.
Assessing the Playoff Landscape
So, how do we position these matchups within the College Football Playoff bracket? It’s a tricky puzzle, and our Week 14 Bowl Projections reflect that uncertainty. Right now, we’re leaning towards Oregon and Texas emerging victorious in their respective games. But what does that mean for the playoff picture?
If Georgia falls short in the SEC championship, they could find themselves as the No. 8 seed, facing off against the top-seeded Oregon. That’s a daunting task for the Bulldogs, while Oregon would have to navigate a challenging matchup against a formidable SEC opponent. On the flip side, if Texas wins the SEC, they would enter as the No. 2 seed. This gives them a more favorable path compared to Ohio State, who could potentially face No. 12 Boise State or No. 4 Arizona State, depending on the seeding.
Looking Ahead: Championship Game Predictions
In the end, we anticipate a championship game featuring some combination of Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, and Georgia. Don’t count out Notre Dame, either; they could very well shake things up! The excitement is palpable as fans eagerly await the third set of College Football Playoff rankings, set to be unveiled on Tuesday.
Upcoming Playoff Schedule
Mark your calendars! The first round of the new College Football Playoff will kick off with one game on Friday, December 20, followed by three more on Saturday, December 21. The quarterfinals will take place at iconic venues: the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on December 31, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl—all on January 1.
The semifinals will follow, with the Capital One Orange Bowl on January 9 and the Cotton Bowl Classic on January 10. Finally, the grand stage for the CFP national championship will be set for January 20 in Atlanta.
Week 14 Bowl Projections
As we gear up for the playoffs, let’s take a look at our bowl projections for Week 14. With 35 bowls featuring FBS teams outside the College Football Playoff, there’s plenty of action to anticipate. Here’s a glimpse at some exciting matchups:
| DATE | BOWL | MATCHUP |
| Dec. 14 | Camellia Bowl | Ohio vs. James Madison |
| Dec. 17 | Boca Raton Bowl | Arkansas State vs. South Florida |
| Dec. 18 | Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl | Louisiana vs. Liberty |
| Dec. 18 | LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk | UNLV vs. Kansas State |
| Dec. 19 | R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl | Marshall vs. Jacksonville State |
| Dec. 20 | Staffdna Cure Bowl | East Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina |
| Dec. 20 | Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl | UConn vs. Florida |
| Dec. 23 | Myrtle Beach Bowl | Miami, Ohio vs. South Alabama |
| Dec. 23 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Toledo vs. San Jose State |
| Dec. 24 | Hawaii Bowl | Army vs. Colorado State |
| Dec. 26 | Detroit Bowl | Western Michigan vs. Rutgers |
| Dec. 26 | Guaranteed Rate Bowl | Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech |
| Dec. 26 | 68 Ventures Bowl | Georgia Southern vs. Buffalo |
| Dec. 27 | Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | West Virginia vs. Arkansas |
| Dec. 27 | Birmingham Bowl | Kansas vs. Vanderbilt |
| Dec. 27 | Autozone Liberty Bowl | TCU vs. LSU |
| Dec. 27 | SDS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl | Colorado vs. Duke |
| Dec. 27 | DirecTV Holiday Bowl | Cal vs. Texas Tech |
| Dec. 28 | Wasabi Fenway Bowl | Tulane vs. Syracuse |
| Dec. 28 | Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl | North Carolina vs. Nebraska |
| Dec. 28 | Isleta New Mexico Bowl | Western Kentucky vs. New Mexico |
| Dec. 28 | Pop-Tarts Bowl | Pitt vs. Baylor |
| Dec. 28 | Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice | Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State |
| Dec. 28 | Go Bowling Military Bowl | Navy vs. Boston College |
| Dec. 28 | Valero Alamo Bowl | Washington State vs. BYU |
| Dec. 28 | Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl | Memphis vs. Washington |
| Dec. 30 | Transperfect Music City Bowl | Minnesota vs. Missouri |
| Dec. 31 | Reliaquest Bowl | Michigan vs. Texas A&M |
| Dec. 31 | Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl | Georgia Tech vs. USC |
| Dec. 31 | Cheez-It Citrus Bowl | Illinois vs. Alabama |
| Dec. 31 | Texas Bowl | Iowa State vs. Ole Miss |
| Jan. 2 | Taxslayer Gator Bowl | Louisville vs. South Carolina |
| Jan. 3 | Servpro First Responder Bowl | UTSA vs. Texas State |
| Jan. 3 | Duke’s Mayo Bowl | Clemson vs. Iowa |
| Jan. 4 | Bahamas Bowl | Bowling Green vs. Sam Houston |
Playoff Matchups to Watch
As we look ahead to the playoffs, let’s dive into the first-round matchups for the 2024-25 season. These games will be hosted on campus, adding an electric atmosphere to the proceedings:
| DATE | BOWL | MATCHUP |
| Dec. 20 | First-Round CFP game | No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State |
| Dec. 21 | First-Round CFP game | No. 9 Indiana at No. 8 Georgia |
| Dec. 21 | First-Round CFP game | No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State |
| Dec. 21 | First-Round CFP game | No. 10 Tennessee at No. 7 Notre Dame |
The matchup between Tennessee and Notre Dame stands out as particularly intriguing. These two storied programs have split their previous eight meetings, and it’s been nearly two decades since they last faced off.
Quarterfinal and Semifinal Predictions
Looking further down the line, here are our predictions for the quarterfinal matchups:
| DATE | BOWL | MATCHUP |
| Dec. 31 | Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (quarterfinal) | No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Ohio State |
| Jan. 1 | Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl (quarterfinal) | No. 3 Miami vs. No. 6 Penn State |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential (quarterfinal) | No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Georgia |
| Jan. 1 | Allstate Sugar Bowl (quarterfinal) | No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Notre Dame |
And for the semifinals, we’re looking at:
| DATE | BOWL | MATCHUP |
| Jan. 9 | Capital One Orange Bowl (semifinal) | No. 2 Texas vs. No. 6 Penn State |
| Jan. 10 | Cotton Bowl Classic (semifinal) | No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 5 Ohio State |
What a thrilling playoff season we have ahead! With so much talent on display, the excitement is palpable. Will Texas capitalize on their home-field advantage? Can Oregon and Ohio State meet again in the semifinals? The questions are endless, and the answers will unfold on the field.
As we gear up for the championship game on January 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, one thing is certain: this season has the potential to be one for the ages!
