College Football Playoff: CBS Sports projects 12-team field, full bowl slate after Week 5

Week 5 featured some of the biggest matchups that we’ll see all season long. So, after the final weekend of September, CBS Sports has taken those results and made a new projection for the postseason, for the bowl games and the playoff, in college football.

CBS Sports posted that update following Saturday’s action. It featured several changes throughout their bowl schedule as well as ones to their current field for the College Football Playoff.

Here are those updated projections from those at CBS Sports:

College Football Playoff First Round Game #1

No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 USF

Texas Tech didn’t even play this week, as they had a bye coming off their first conference win last weekend at 34-10 over Utah to move to 4-0. However, with what happened ahead of them, the Red Raiders moved up two seeds to No. 5 overall as the projected champion out of the Big 12.

South Florida was also on a bye after their start at 3-1, including a pair of ranked wins over Boise State and at Florida before being blown out at Miami. Still, that’s enough for the Bulls, out of the American, to still be slotted in as the Group of Five representative in the CFP.

College Football Playoff First Round Game #2

No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 11 Notre Dame

With Georgia losing their first of the season and Notre Dame winning their second, CBS Sports is projecting a playoff rematch here. That’s after these two teams met in the quarterfinals last postseason, with the Irish winning 23-10 over the ‘Dawgs in the Sugar Bowl down in New Orleans.

The Bulldogs fell one seed line to No. 6 overall after losing again to Alabama, at 24-21 down in Athens. The Fighting Irish, at 2-2 now, are then back into the playoff picture after going on the road in the SEC and blowing out Arkansas at 56-13 in Fayetteville.

College Football Playoff First Round Game #3

No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Alabama

This is another semifinal matchup where both programs saw significant shifts in their respective seeding based on yesterday’s results. That’s with each opening conference play in big-time games as one lost in one of the better home-field environments of the fall and the other went on the road and earned a massive win.

Albeit in double overtime, Penn State lost yet another highly-ranked game to Oregon, causing the Nittany Lions to fall four spots from the byes down to being the No. 7 seed. Alabama is then also back in the playoff field currently, making up completely for what happened in week one at this point over the past three games, by winning 24-21 between the hedges at Georgia

College Football Playoff First Round Game #4

No. 8 Texas A&M vs. No. 9 Indiana

Texas A&M remains undefeated at 4-0, with the Aggies moving up two slots to be the No. 8 seed. A&M earned that by coming out of their bye to win their first conference game by six over Auburn down in College Station.

Indiana, similarly, also remains undefeated at 5-0, as the Hoosiers also moved up two seeds themselves to be the No. 9 seed after winning their second league game at 20-15 over Iowa. IU will now go on a bye before playing a massive game against Oregon in Eugene in two weeks.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl

Ohio State vs. TBD

It was thought by some that Ohio State could take even a slight step back this season with what all they lost from last year’s national title team. Instead, the Buckeyes have opened their title defense with a 4-0 start, with them having won another this weekend to open conference play on the road.

While the Huskies were a trendy pick up in Seattle on Saturday, Ohio State went to the northwest and handled business, behind yet another great outing from their defense, with a 24-6 victory over Washington. Now, the Buckeyes, the defending champions who are still ranked as the best in the country, have a run of winnable league games here in the next month before they could even be truly tested again come November 1st.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl

Miami vs. TBD

Miami has had as good of a start to the season as anyone. Down in Coral Gables, The ‘U sits at 4-0 again with quality wins over Notre Dame, South Florida, and Florida before having their bye this past weekend.

The Hurricanes will now open conference play on the road this weekend with another in-state matchup at Florida State. That outcome could further solidify the ‘Canes as the favorite to go on and win the ACC coming into the CFP.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl

Ole Miss vs. TBD

2024 was supposed to be the season for Ole Miss, and it could have been before losing their penultimate game to give them three losses on the year. However, 2025 is now setting up for the Rebels to have an even better chance to make the field.

With their win this weekend, Ole Miss sits at 5-0, including a conference record already at 3-0 with wins at Kentucky, against Arkansas, and over LSU as well a a solid mid-major win over Tulane. There are still difficult games on the schedule following their bye this weekend, but they’re sitting well right now as far as the playoff goes in The ‘Sip.

CFP Quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl

Oregon vs. TBD

Oregon was off to a great start to their season before Saturday. But, with what the Ducks did in University Park this weekend, they’ve again solidified themselves as a national title contender in the playoff.

The Ducks went into the Whiteout and, in double overtime, got out of Beaver Stadium with a 30-24 win over Penn State. Now, sitting at 5-0 going into their bye this weekend, Oregon is back in the championship conversation, with another top-ten game up next being one of their only difficult remaining games already left in the Big Ten.

CBS Bowl Projections after Week 4

Date TBA

Bahamas Bowl (TBD)
TBD
TBD
Miami (OH) vs. Louisiana Tech

Saturday, Dec. 13

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

Tuesday, Dec. 16

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN
Connecticut vs. Jacksonville State

Wednesday, Dec. 17

StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
James Madison vs. Toledo

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

Friday, Dec. 19

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
Noon, ESPN
Troy vs. Liberty

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Memphis vs. Virginia

Monday, Dec. 22

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

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
2 p.m., ESPN
North Texas vs. Old Dominion

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

Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
Frisco, Texas
9 p.m., ESPN
Rice vs. Arkansas State

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
Minnesota vs. Ohio

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

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
8 p.m., ESPN
UCF vs. Fresno State

Saturday, Dec. 27

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

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
Noon, ABC
Louisville vs. Maryland

Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2:15 p.m., ESPN
Pittsburgh vs. Tulane

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

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
4:30 p.m., CW Network
San Jose State vs. Bowling Green

Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
5:45 p.m., ESPN
UNLV vs. Texas State

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

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

Monday, Dec. 29

Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Mississippi State vs. Syracuse

Tuesday, Dec. 30

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

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

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

Wednesday, Dec. 31

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

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

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

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

Friday, Jan. 2

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

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

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
8 p.m., ESPN
Duke vs. Vanderbilt

Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
8 p.m., Fox
Florida State vs. Utah