What an absolutely bonkers final week of the regular season we had in college football. There were upsets galore, numerous rivalry surprises and a surprisingly large number of College Football Playoff results that will reverberate far beyond the next few days.
With all that in mind, CFTalk decided to peer into our crystal ball and take a look at the postseason picture -- figuring out which teams wind up in certain bowl games prior to the official announcement. Running through all the scenarios, here’s how the bowl picture could play out from the final four to the very first one on December 15th:
College Football Playoff Semifinals
| Bowl | Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Bowl | No. 1 Alabama | No. 4 Oklahoma |
| Cotton Bowl | No. 2 Clemson | No. 3 Notre Dame |
New Year’s Six
| Bowl | Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Peach Bowl | Michigan | LSU |
| Fiesta Bowl | UCF | Washington State |
| Rose Bowl | Ohio State | Washington |
| Sugar Bowl | Texas | Georgia |
2018 FBS Bowl Games
| Bowl | Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico Bowl | Fresno State | North Texas |
| Cure Bowl | Georgia Southern | Western Michigan |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Arizona State | Boise State |
| Camellia Bowl | Troy | Buffalo |
| New Orleans Bowl | Appalachian State | UAB |
| Boca Raton Bowl | Temple | Middle Tennessee |
| Frisco Bowl | Tulane | Wyoming |
| Gasparilla Bowl | Boston College | USF |
| Bahamas Bowl | Toldeo | FIU |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Ohio | Utah State |
| Birmingham Bowl | Vanderbilt | Memphis |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Houston | Duke |
| Dollar General Bowl | Northern Illinois | Arkansas State |
| Hawaii Bowl | Hawaii | Marshall |
| First Responder Bowl | Army | BYU |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Wake Forest | Minnesota |
| Cheez-It Bowl | TCU | San Diego State |
| Independence Bowl | Virginia | La. Tech |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Miami | Purdue |
| Texas Bowl | Oklahoma State | Mississippi State |
| Music City Bowl | N.C. State | Missouri |
| Camping World Bowl | Syracuse | West Virginia |
| Alamo Bowl | Iowa State | Utah |
| Belk Bowl | Georgia Tech | South Carolina |
| Arizona Bowl | UL-Monroe | Nevada |
| Military Bowl | Virginia Tech | Cincinnati |
| Sun Bowl | Pitt | Cal |
| Redbox Bowl | Stanford | Michigan State |
| Liberty Bowl | Baylor | Auburn |
| Holiday Bowl | Oregon | Northwestern |
| Gator Bowl | Texas A&M | Wisconsin |
| Outback Bowl | Kentucky | Penn State |
| Citrus Bowl | Florida | Iowa |
+ Eastern Michigan, Southern Miss, Miami (OH), Liberty and UL-Monroe also qualified for a bowl