Texas comeback reshuffles ESPN bowl, CFP projections — SkimNews
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- Texas erased a 20-point deficit to beat then-No. 1 Ohio State in the lone top-25 Week 2 matchup, vaulting up the playoff seedings in ESPN's latest projections
- Michigan and Oklahoma State delivered statement wins, while Oregon fell out of both analysts' 12-team CFP fields and Notre Dame climbed to the top seed in one projection
- The new-look 2026 CFP format grants automatic bids to all four Power conference champions plus the highest-ranked Group of 6 team, with seven at-large spots and a guaranteed berth for Notre Dame if it finishes top-12
- ESPN's Kyle Bonagura slots Notre Dame as the No. 1 overall seed with a first-round bye, while colleague Mark Schlabach projects Texas at No. 1 and Georgia at No. 2 — they disagree on the entire top eight
- First-round CFP games will be played Dec. 18-19 at the campuses of seeds 5 through 8, with quarterfinals at the Fiesta, Cotton, Rose, and Peach bowls on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1
- Bowl season opens Dec. 12 with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and concludes Jan. 25 with the CFP National Championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
Why it matters: With Selection Day not arriving until Dec. 6, the two ESPN analysts are already projecting meaningfully different 12-team fields — Bonagura has Notre Dame as the No. 1 seed while Schlabach has Texas there, and they disagree on four of the eight first-round quarterfinal matchups, meaning fans of borderline teams like Oregon, LSU, and Miami face months of uncertainty about whether their team makes the bracket at all.
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