College Football Playoff: CBS Sports projects 12-team field, full bowl slate after Week 2

The College Football Playoff field projections were updated from CBS Sports as they gave their full 12-team field and bowl slate. Now that we’re done with Week 2, we have something to work with!

There will be some new teams in the College Football Playoff field this year, if we ended the season today of course. But a wild Week 2 led us to this point!

So let’s dive into CBS’ projections after the first couple of games of the year! We’ll look at the first-round matchups below.

College Football Playoff First Round Game #1

No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 12 USF

Georgia looks pretty solid as usual and will return to the College Football Playoff. It’s who they’d play is the big surprise through two weeks.

Welcome to the College Football Playoff South Florida! The Bulls are 2-0 and ranked top 20 in the AP Poll following their win over Florida on the road! But good luck going to Athens for the CFP.

College Football Playoff First Round Game #2

No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 11 South Carolina

The Ducks have been dominant through two games and it’s kind of crazy to say they’re the third best team in the Big Ten. But, that’s reality right now as they’re projected to return to the College Football Playoff.

South Carolina would be the opponent coming to Eugene after impressing through two games. The Gamecocks just missed out last year but are projected to finally get into the bracket.

College Football Playoff First Round Game #3

No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Florida State

Texas bounced back, as did Arch Manning, against San Jose State. It would still be pretty surprising to not see the Longhorns in the College Football Playoff.

Florida State is rolling two games in, especially with a win over Alabama already on the resume. Mike Norvell could get this team to bounce back in a huge way in 2025.

College Football Playoff First Round Game #4

No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 9 Notre Dame

Texas Tech coming out of the Big 12? You bet. Massive investments in NIL payoff for a College Football Playoff appearance and a home game in Lubbock!

Notre Dame’s only played one game this year, a loss to Miami. But, the Fighting Irish are projected to a be a 10 or 11-win team at this point, getting them back into the dance.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl

Ohio State vs. TBD

Ohio State is 2-0 this year and already has a resume boosting win over Texas to open the season. It seems like the defending champs picked up right where they left off.

Julian Sayin looks like the real deal at QB right now and it helps that there are playmakers on both sides. Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs will definitely spearhead a repeat effort.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl

LSU vs. TBD

LSU had a less than stellar second win, but winning Clemson Week 1 might be some sort of confirmation. This is the year Brian Kelly and the Tigers make the College Football Playoff.

Garrett Nussmeier looks like an NFL quarterback right now and the Tigers will rely on him heavily., But if the defense stays at this pace, a revamped one at that, LSU could go pretty far.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl

Miami vs. TBD

The Hurricanes beat Notre Dame to start the year and followed it up with a blowout win over Bethune-Cookman. Like LSU, this could be the year for Miami.

The biggest takeaway so far? It might be the bounce back for Carson Beck, considering the injuries and the criticism of how he’d fare in a new spot after leaving Georgia.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl

Penn State vs. TBD

Penn State is projected to go to the Cotton Bowl and get a bye in this year’s College Football Playoff. As far as the Big Ten is concerned, it’s Ohio State or Penn State right?

We’ll see how the Nittany Lions fare when they play Oregon first. THat’ll be the true litmus test and it could very well shake up these projections from CBS.

CBS Bowl Projections after Week 2

Saturday, Dec. 13

LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
9 p.m., ESPN
UCLA vs. Washington

Tuesday, Dec. 16

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Northern Illinois vs. Texas State

Wednesday, Dec. 17

StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Louisiana Tech vs. South Alabama

68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Miami (Ohio) vs. Georgia Southern

Friday, Dec. 19

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
Noon, ESPN
James Madison vs. Memphis

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Jacksonville State vs. Southern Miss

Monday, Dec. 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2 p.m., ESPN
Ohio vs. Colorado State

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
2 p.m., ESPN
Tulane vs. Liberty

New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana

Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
Frisco, Texas
9 p.m., ESPN
Fresno State vs. North Texas

Wednesday, Dec. 24

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
8 p.m., ESPN
Hawaii vs. UTSA

Friday, Dec. 26

GameAbove Sports Bowl
Ford Field (Detroit)
1 p.m., ESPN
Old Dominion vs. Buffalo

Rate Bowl
Chase Field (Phoenix)
4:30 p.m., ESPN
Baylor vs. Minnesota

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
8 p.m., ESPN
Army vs. UConn

Saturday, Dec. 27

Go Bowling Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
11 a.m., ESPN
Pittsburgh vs. Navy

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
Noon, ABC
Virginia Tech vs. Iowa

Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2:15 p.m., ESPN
Louisville vs. East Carolina

Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Clemson vs. TCU

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., CW Network
UNLV vs. Toledo

Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
5:45 p.m., ESPN
San Jose State vs. UTEP

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
7:30 p.m. ABC
Georgia Tech vs. Oklahoma

Kinder’s Texas Bowl
NRG Stadium (Houston)
9:15 p.m., ESPN
BYU vs. Tennessee

Monday, Dec. 29

Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina vs. Missouri

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
2 p.m., ESPN
Kansas State vs. Sam Houston

Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Indiana vs. Alabama

Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9 p.m., ESPN
Iowa State vs. USC

Wednesday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Florida vs. Nebraska

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Duke vs. Utah

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ABC
Michigan vs. Auburn

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Illinois vs. Arizona State

Friday, Jan. 2

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
1 p.m., ESPN
Air Force vs. Kansas

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
4:30 p.m., ESPN
Houston vs. Ole Miss

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
8 p.m., ESPN
NC State vs. Texas A&M

Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
Time TBD, Fox
SMU vs. California