ESPN Bowl Projections: LSU Cracks CFP After 51-10 Rout — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- UMass snapped its 16-game losing streak with a 37-21 win over Rutgers, earning a spot in this week's bowl projections under Schlabach
- LSU, under new coach Lane Kiffin, demolished Clemson 51-10 in his debut, vaulting into both ESPN analysts' playoff quarterfinal projections
- The new 12-team CFP format awards automatic bids to the four Power 4 conference champions plus the highest-ranked Group of 5 team, with Notre Dame guaranteed a spot if it finishes in the top 12
- ESPN analysts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach agree Ohio State is the No. 1 seed earning a first-round bye, but diverge on the title opponent — Bonagura picks Notre Dame, Schlabach picks Georgia
- Clemson, a preseason playoff contender, fell out of the 12-team field entirely after the LSU loss and projects to the Frisco Football Classic against Louisiana in Schlabach's slate
- Bowl season opens Dec. 12 with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and concludes with the CFP National Championship on Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
Why it matters: The Week 1 results instantly reshuffled the 12-team CFP bracket under its new format, where Power 4 conference champions get auto-bids and Notre Dame needs only a top-12 finish — meaning one September upset can swing a program from title contention to a mid-December Group of 5 bowl.
Ask SkimNews
