It’s still way too early, but someone has to do it. This week we have our first major change to the bowl projections as one Southeastern Conference team is officially out of the College Football Playoff race. For now at least. The SEC has looked really strong so far this season, but how many teams will be in the postseason come December?
Here’s the third installment of my weekly bowl projections for the 2026 postseason.
College Football Playoff
Georgia (No. 2 Seed)
Texas (No. 4 Seed)
LSU (No. 6 Seed)
Tennessee (No. 10 Seed)
Bowl Games
Gasparilla Bowl, Dec. 18, Tampa, Florida — American/ACC/SEC
Mississippi State vs Tulane
Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Dec. 26, Charlotte, N.C. — SEC vs. ACC
Florida vs Clemson
JLab Birmingham Bowl, Dec. 29, Birmingham, Ala – SEC/ACC/AAC
Auburn vs North Carolina
Gator Bowl, Dec. 30, Jacksonville, Florida — SEC vs. ACC
Oklahoma vs Virginia
Music City Bowl, Dec. 30 Nashville, Tenn. — SEC vs. Big Ten
South Carolina vs Iowa
ReliaQuest Bowl, Dec. 31, Tampa, Fla. — SEC vs. Big Ten
Ole Miss vs. Washington
Texas Bowl, Dec. 31, Houston, Texas — SEC vs. Big 12
Texas A&M vs Oklahoma State
Citrus Bowl, Jan. 2, Orlando, Fla. — SEC vs. Big Ten
Alabama vs Southern Cal
Liberty Bowl, Jan. 2, Memphis, Tenn. — SEC vs. Big 12
Missouri vs Kansas State