Bonagura, Schlabach Pick Ohio State-Notre Dame for CFP Title
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- ESPN analysts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach projected matchups for every bowl game and all 12-team College Football Playoff rounds, with both ultimately picking Ohio State to face Notre Dame in the title game (Jan. 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas).
- Bonagura's bracket sends No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State in the Orange Bowl semifinal and No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, while Schlabach's bracket has No. 4 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State and No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia.
- Bowl season opens Dec. 12 with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and runs through the CFP National Championship on Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium.
- First-round CFP games are scheduled Dec. 18-19 at campus sites, with Bonagura projecting No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Georgia in the Friday primetime slot and Schlabach projecting Boise State at No. 5 Texas.
- The analysts diverge on most CFP quarterfinal pairings as well, including Bonagura's No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Notre Dame Cotton Bowl versus Schlabach's No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Georgia.
- Selections for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl quarterfinals will be locked in on Selection Day (Dec. 6), and the article notes ESPN will update picks weekly through the season.
Why it matters: The fact that two independent bracket-builders landed on Ohio State vs. Notre Dame as the title game from completely different semifinal paths — Bonagura via Texas, Schlabach via Georgia — signals unusual consensus at the sport's summit before a snap is played. Fans get a 40-plus-game roadmap to track from the Dec. 12 Celebration Bowl opener to the Jan. 25 championship, with ESPN committing to weekly updates until Selection Day (Dec. 6) locks in the actual matchups.
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