Dreaming of the CFP already? Projections for every bowl game, including the playoff

The long wait is nearly over. Another college football season is almost upon us.

We all love the thrills and chills, and ups and downs we get every week along the way, but if you can't help but mentally skip ahead three months and daydream about the most wonderful time of the year, we're here for you.

The festivities of bowl season kick off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 12, and wrap up with the CFP National Championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday, Jan. 25.

ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are looking deep into their crystal balls to project every postseason matchup, including how the 12-team College Football Playoff will play out. We'll be back every week of the season to update the picks until the actual matchups are set.

All times Eastern

College Football Playoff

First-round games (at campus sites)

Friday, Dec. 18
8 p.m., ESPN

Saturday Dec. 19
Noon, ABC/ESPN
3:30 p.m., TNT
7:30 p.m., TNT

Bonagura: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Georgia
Schlabach: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Texas

Bonagura: No. 11 BYU at No. 6 Oregon
Schlabach: No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 6 BYU

Bonagura: No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Miami
Schlabach: No. 10 LSU at No. 7 Miami

Bonagura: No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Texas Tech
Schlabach: No. 9 Texas Tech at No. 8 Indiana

CFP quarterfinals

Wednesday, Dec. 30

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Indiana
Schlabach: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Oregon

Friday, Jan. 1

Time slots for quarterfinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to be determined on Selection Day (Dec. 6)

Quarterfinals Game 2
Noon, TNT
Bonagura: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Georgia

Quarterfinals Game 3
4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State

Quarterfinals Game 4
8 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 3 Texas
Schlabach: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

CFP semifinals, national championship game

Thursday, Jan. 14

Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:30 p.m., TNT
Bonagura: No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 4 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State

Friday, Jan. 15

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
Schlabach: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia

Friday, Jan. 25

2027 CFP National Championship
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Bonagura: No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Ohio State

Bowl season schedule

Saturday, Dec. 12

Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by Toyota
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Coppin State vs. Prairie View A&M
Schlabach: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M

Tuesday, Dec. 15

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Georgia Southern
Schlabach: Central Michigan vs. Louisiana

Frisco Football Classic
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Kansas vs. UTSA
Schlabach: Memphis vs. New Mexico

Friday, Dec. 18

Boca Raton Bowl
Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Appalachian State vs. Miami (Ohio)
Schlabach: East Carolina vs. Western Michigan

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Duke vs. Wisconsin
Schlabach: Florida State vs. South Florida

Monday, Dec. 21

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Delaware vs. Arkansas State
Schlabach: Jacksonville State vs. Old Dominion

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Toledo vs. San Diego State
Schlabach: Toledo vs. North Dakota State

Tuesday, Dec. 22

Puerto Rico Bowl
Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Bayamón, Puerto Rico)
1:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs. Wyoming
Schlabach: Miami (Ohio) vs. Air Force

StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, Florida)
5 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Marshall vs. North Texas
Schlabach: Troy vs. Florida International

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UCF vs. Western Kentucky
Schlabach: West Virginia vs. Liberty

Wednesday, Dec. 23

New Orleans Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Liberty vs. Troy
Schlabach: Kennesaw State vs. James Madison

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Cincinnati vs. Army
Schlabach: UCLA vs. Army

Frisco Bowl
The Star (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Ohio vs. New Mexico
Schlabach: California vs. Western Kentucky

Thursday, Dec. 24

Isleta New Mexico Bowl
University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: UNLV vs. California
Schlabach: UNLV vs. Fresno State

Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu)
7 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Navy vs. Hawai'i
Schlabach: San Diego State vs. Hawai'i

Saturday, Dec. 26

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium (New York)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Pittsburgh vs. Louisiana
Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Illinois

Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Fenway Park (Boston)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. Tulane
Schlabach: NC State vs. Navy

Duke's Mayo Bowl
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Louisville vs. Southern Miss
Schlabach: Virginia vs. Wisconsin

68 Ventures Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Old Dominion vs. Air Force
Schlabach: Georgia Southern vs. UTSA

Cactus Bowl
Mountain America Stadium (Tempe, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Washington State vs. Illinois
Schlabach: UCF vs. Nebraska

Monday, Dec. 28

Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Florida State vs. South Florida
Schlabach: Virginia Tech vs. Tulane

Tuesday, Dec. 29

JLab Birmingham Bowl
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
2 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: East Carolina vs. Vanderbilt
Schlabach: Duke vs. Auburn

Pop-Tarts Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: SMU vs. Kansas State
Schlabach: Louisville vs. TCU

Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamodome (San Antonio)
9p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Houston vs. USC
Schlabach: Houston vs. USC

Wednesday, Dec. 30

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
11:30 a.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Clemson vs. Florida
Schlabach: SMU vs. Florida

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Nissan Stadium (Nashville)
3 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Iowa vs. Tennessee
Schlabach: Iowa vs. South Carolina

Thursday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN
Bonagura: Michigan vs. LSU
Schlabach: Michigan vs. Oklahoma

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas)
2 p.m., CBS
Bonagura: Virginia Tech vs. Arizona
Schlabach: Pittsburgh vs. Arizona

Las Vegas Bowl
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
3:45 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma
Schlabach: Washington vs. Ole Miss

Kinder's Texas Bowl
Reliant Stadium (Houston)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Bonagura: TCU vs. Auburn
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee

Saturday, Jan. 2

Citrus Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon, ABC
Bonagura: Penn State vs. Texas A&M
Schlabach: Penn State vs. Alabama

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
3:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Arizona State vs. James Madison
Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Minnesota

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7:30 p.m., ABC
Bonagura: Baylor vs. Missouri
Schlabach: Kansas State vs. Missouri

Dates TBD

The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, Arizona)
Time TBD, The CW
Bonagura: Fresno State vs. Western Michigan
Schlabach: Colorado State vs. Ohio

Trust & Will Holiday Bowl
Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California)
Time TBD
Bonagura: Virginia vs. Washington
Schlabach: Clemson vs. Utah