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About and data sources Suggest an improvement
season, through week 6

If bowl season started today

Not official.These are projections from this site's own model, built on its power index. They are not the playoff committee's rankings or any bowl's actual selections, and early in the season they move a lot from week to week.

Uses only the games played so far, plus any results you set in the what-if section. 454 games are still to be played.

Projected national champion Alabama Wins the title in 25% of this bracket's outcomes. Game by game, the favorites' path ends with Georgia.
Alabama25%
Georgia24%
Notre Dame16%
BYU13%
Miami10%

What if

Pick the winner of any game that has not been played. The rankings, the playoff field, the bracket and the bowls on this page are rebuilt around your results. Click a pick again to clear it.

Week 65 games
Week 718 games
Week 815 games
Week 919 games
Week 1016 games
Week 1121 games, 1 set
Week 1220 games, 1 set
Week 1322 games

The percentage is each team's chance to win as the model sees it. The small number is this page's ranking. Your results change records and strength of record. They do not change how good the model thinks a team is.

12-team playoff bracket

First round

at Ohio StateDec 18 or 19
8 Ohio State 64%
9 Utah 36%
at IndianaDec 18 or 19
5 Indiana 80%
12 North Dakota State 19%
at Notre DameDec 18 or 19
7 Notre Dame 84%
10 Texas 16%
at UCLADec 18 or 19
6 UCLA 56%
11 Missouri 44%

Quarterfinals

Peach BowlJan 1
1 Alabama 65%
8 Ohio State 35%
Rose BowlJan 1
4 Miami 60%
5 Indiana 40%
Cotton BowlJan 1
2 Georgia 52%
7 Notre Dame 48%
Fiesta BowlDec 30
3 BYU 73%
6 UCLA 27%

Semifinals

Sugar BowlJan 15
1 Alabama 66%
4 Miami 34%
Orange BowlJan 14
2 Georgia 64%
3 BYU 36%

Championship

Las VegasJan 25
1 Alabama 47%
2 Georgia 53%
WinnerGeorgia

The percentage is each team's chance in that game. The favorite advances. The top four seeds get a first-round bye, and lower seeds play at the higher seed's stadium in the first round. Quarterfinal and semifinal sites are the real ones for the 2026 season, handed out here by region.

The field

SeedTeamRecordHow they got inReach semifinalReach finalWin title
1 Alabama 5-0 SEC champion 67% 46% 25%
2 Georgia 5-0 At-large 56% 39% 24%
3 BYU 5-0 Big 12 champion 72% 27% 13%
4 Miami 5-0 ACC champion 65% 26% 10%
5 Indiana 6-0 At-large 32% 10% 3%
6 UCLA 6-0 Big Ten champion 15% 3% <1%
7 Notre Dame 6-1 Ranked in the top 12 40% 27% 16%
8 Ohio State 5-1 At-large 22% 12% 5%
9 Utah 4-0 At-large 10% 5% 2%
10 Texas 4-1 At-large 3% 1% <1%
11 Missouri 5-1 At-large 12% 2% <1%
12 North Dakota State 5-0 Mountain West champion 3% <1% <1%

First four out: Texas Tech (5-0), Houston (5-1), LSU (4-1), Mississippi State (4-1). The four power conference champions and the best champion from the other six conferences are in automatically. Notre Dame is in if it is ranked in the top 12. Seeds follow the ranking straight down.

Conference champions

ACCMiami3-0 in conference
AmericanUTSA2-0 in conference
Big 12BYU3-0 in conference
Big TenUCLA4-0 in conference
Conference USALiberty2-0 in conference
MACEastern Michigan3-0 in conference
Mountain WestNorth Dakota State2-0 in conference
Pac-12Boise State1-0 in conference
SECAlabama3-0 in conference
Sun BeltJames Madison2-0 in conference

Bowl projections

Citrus BowlJan 2, Orlando
LSU4-1 65%
Nebraska5-1 35%

Pick: LSU by 6

ReliaQuest BowlDec 31, Tampa
Mississippi State4-1 62%
Wake Forest5-1 38%

Pick: Mississippi State by 4

Alamo BowlDec 29, San Antonio
Texas Tech5-0 51%
Boise State4-1 49%

Pick: Texas Tech in a toss-up

Pop-Tarts BowlDec 29, Orlando
Pittsburgh5-1 42%
Houston5-1 57%

Pick: Houston by 3

Gator BowlDec 30, Jacksonville
Oklahoma3-2 60%
SMU4-1 40%

Pick: Oklahoma by 3

Holiday BowlDec 28, San Diego
Duke4-1 52%
Fresno State4-1 48%

Pick: Duke by 1

Las Vegas BowlDec 31, Las Vegas
Iowa5-1 58%
Oregon State3-2 42%

Pick: Iowa by 3

Texas BowlDec 31, Houston
Arizona5-1 68%
Ole Miss4-1 32%

Pick: Arizona by 7

Music City BowlDec 30, Nashville
Kentucky4-1 45%
Wisconsin4-1 55%

Pick: Wisconsin by 2

Duke's Mayo BowlDec 26, Charlotte
Virginia Tech4-2 45%
USC5-1 55%

Pick: USC by 2

Liberty BowlJan 2, Memphis
Oklahoma State4-1 58%
Tennessee5-1 42%

Pick: Oklahoma State by 3

Sun BowlDec 31, El Paso
Clemson3-2 20%
James Madison5-0 80%

Pick: James Madison by 12

Pinstripe BowlDec 26, New York
North Carolina3-2 26%
Northwestern4-1 74%

Pick: Northwestern by 9

Cactus BowlDec 26, Tempe
Oregon3-2 54%
Baylor4-1 46%

Pick: Oregon by 1

Military BowlDec 28, Annapolis
Florida State3-3 56%
UTSA5-1 44%

Pick: Florida State by 2

Fenway BowlDec 26, Boston
Syracuse2-2 42%
Memphis4-1 58%

Pick: Memphis by 3

Independence BowlDec 22, Shreveport
Kansas2-2 62%
Liberty5-1 38%

Pick: Kansas by 4

Birmingham BowlDec 29, Birmingham
Florida4-2 66%
Florida Atlantic4-1 34%

Pick: Florida by 6

Gasparilla BowlDec 18, Tampa
Auburn3-2 48%
East Carolina3-2 52%

Pick: East Carolina by 1

First Responder BowlJan 2, Dallas
Cincinnati4-1 47%
North Texas4-2 53%

Pick: North Texas by 1

Armed Forces BowlDec 23, Fort Worth
Kansas State3-2 64%
Jacksonville State4-2 36%

Pick: Kansas State by 5

Poinsettia BowlDec 23, San Diego
New Mexico4-1 57%
Georgia State4-1 43%

Pick: New Mexico by 3

Hawaii BowlDec 24, Honolulu
Air Force3-1 56%
South Florida4-2 44%

Pick: Air Force by 2

New Mexico BowlDec 24, Albuquerque
UNLV3-2 54%
Army3-2 46%

Pick: UNLV by 1

Arizona BowlDate not set, Tucson
Toledo4-2 40%
Louisiana4-1 60%

Pick: Louisiana by 3

Famous Idaho Potato BowlDec 21, Boise
Ohio4-2 34%
Louisiana Tech2-2 66%

Pick: Louisiana Tech by 6

68 Ventures BowlDec 26, Mobile
Troy3-2 54%
Florida International3-2 46%

Pick: Troy by 1

New Orleans BowlDec 23, New Orleans
App State3-2 39%
Minnesota4-1 61%

Pick: Minnesota by 4

Salute to Veterans BowlDec 15, Montgomery
UCF3-3 82%
Western Michigan4-2 18%

Pick: UCF by 14

Myrtle Beach BowlDec 21, Conway
Michigan3-3 87%
UAB3-2 13%

Pick: Michigan by 17

Cure BowlDec 22, Orlando
Penn State3-2 62%
Arizona State2-2 38%

Pick: Penn State by 4

Boca Raton BowlDec 18, Boca Raton
Virginia3-2 60%
Iowa State3-3 40%

Pick: Virginia by 4

Frisco BowlDec 23, Frisco
Louisville3-3 65%
Texas A&M3-3 35%

Pick: Louisville by 5

Puerto Rico BowlDec 22, Bayamón
South Carolina3-3 48%
Illinois3-3 52%

Pick: Illinois by 1

Frisco Football ClassicDec 15, Frisco
Vanderbilt3-3 62%
Boston College3-3 38%

Pick: Vanderbilt by 4

With the season young, a team counts as on pace for a bowl if it has won at least half its games. Each bowl takes the best team left from the conferences it has a deal with. When a conference runs out of teams, the best team left from anywhere fills the spot. Real selections also weigh travel, rematches and ticket sales, which this does not.

Record projections

RankTeamRecordProjectedExpected winsChance of 6 winsChance to win out
1 Alabama 5-0 11-1 11.0 >99% 27%
2 Georgia 5-0 11-1 11.1 >99% 31%
3 BYU 5-0 10-2 10.4 >99% 13%
4 Miami 5-0 11-1 10.7 >99% 15%
5 Indiana 6-0 11-1 10.7 >99% 20%
6 UCLA 6-0 11-1 11.2 >99% 40%
7 Notre Dame 6-1 10-2 10.1 >99% 34%
8 Ohio State 5-1 10-2 9.6 >99% 17%
9 Utah 4-0 10-2 10.1 >99% 10%
10 Texas 4-1 9-3 8.8 >99% 4%
11 Missouri 5-1 9-3 8.9 >99% 3%
12 Texas Tech 5-0 10-2 9.5 >99% 4%
13 Houston 5-1 9-3 9.5 >99% 12%
14 LSU 4-1 9-3 9.4 >99% 12%
15 Mississippi State 4-1 9-3 8.5 >99% 2%
16 Nebraska 5-1 9-3 9.3 >99% 11%
17 North Dakota State 5-0 11-1 11.0 >99% 26%
18 James Madison 5-0 11-1 10.9 >99% 28%
19 Arizona 5-1 9-3 9.0 >99% 7%
20 Wake Forest 5-1 10-2 9.6 >99% 19%
21 Pittsburgh 5-1 9-3 9.4 >99% 9%
22 Iowa 5-1 9-3 8.8 >99% 6%
23 Oklahoma 3-2 7-5 7.4 95% 2%
24 Ole Miss 4-1 7-5 6.8 90% <1%
25 Wisconsin 4-1 8-4 7.9 98% <1%
26 USC 5-1 8-4 7.6 98% <1%
27 Boise State 4-1 9-2 8.9 >99% 26%
28 Oklahoma State 4-1 8-4 7.8 97% 1%
29 Northwestern 4-1 8-4 7.9 98% <1%
30 Baylor 4-1 7-5 7.3 95% <1%
31 Oregon 3-2 7-5 7.2 93% 1%
32 Kentucky 4-1 7-5 6.7 84% <1%
33 Liberty 5-1 10-2 10.5 >99% 56%
34 New Mexico 4-1 10-2 9.8 >99% 24%
35 SMU 4-1 8-4 8.3 >99% <1%
36 Tennessee 5-1 8-4 7.8 99% <1%
37 Georgia State 4-1 9-3 9.2 >99% 8%
38 UTSA 5-1 8-4 8.4 >99% 3%
39 Memphis 4-1 9-3 8.6 >99% 5%
40 Florida 4-2 7-5 6.6 84% <1%
41 Kansas 2-2 7-5 6.5 79% <1%
42 Fresno State 4-1 8-3 8.0 >99% 6%
43 Air Force 3-1 9-3 9.2 >99% 9%
44 Cincinnati 4-1 6-6 6.2 73% <1%
45 Louisiana 4-1 9-3 9.2 >99% 8%
46 Minnesota 4-1 6-6 6.0 64% <1%
47 Duke 4-1 8-4 7.6 97% <1%
48 Florida Atlantic 4-1 8-4 7.8 97% 1%
49 East Carolina 3-2 8-4 8.1 99% 10%
50 Oregon State 3-2 7-4 7.4 98% 10%
51 Virginia Tech 4-2 8-4 7.7 99% 2%
52 Kansas State 3-2 7-5 6.8 84% 1%
53 Auburn 3-2 6-6 5.7 58% <1%
54 Clemson 3-2 7-5 6.6 84% <1%
55 UCF 3-3 6-6 5.8 61% <1%
56 North Carolina 3-2 5-7 5.4 46% <1%
57 Michigan 3-3 6-6 6.3 80% 1%
58 North Texas 4-2 8-4 7.8 98% 5%
59 Louisiana Tech 2-2 8-4 7.7 96% 5%
60 Penn State 3-2 7-5 7.2 92% 2%
61 Jacksonville State 4-2 9-3 8.8 >99% 25%
62 Arizona State 2-2 5-7 4.8 25% <1%
63 Florida State 3-3 6-6 5.7 57% <1%
64 Syracuse 2-2 5-7 5.5 49% <1%
65 Virginia 3-2 7-5 6.6 82% <1%
66 Iowa State 3-3 5-7 4.8 26% <1%
67 Louisville 3-3 7-5 6.9 90% 5%
68 Texas A&M 3-3 5-7 5.3 42% <1%
69 South Florida 4-2 8-4 7.8 99% 5%
70 Purdue 2-3 4-8 4.4 18% <1%
71 TCU 2-3 4-8 4.4 17% <1%
72 Troy 3-2 7-5 6.6 84% <1%
73 South Carolina 3-3 5-7 5.0 30% <1%
74 Toledo 4-2 8-4 8.4 >99% 14%
75 UNLV 3-2 7-5 7.1 95% <1%
76 Vanderbilt 3-3 5-7 4.8 20% <1%
77 Ohio 4-2 8-4 7.7 97% 4%
78 Colorado 2-3 4-8 4.3 15% <1%
79 Army 3-2 6-6 5.6 53% <1%
80 App State 3-2 7-5 6.8 87% <1%
81 Maryland 2-4 5-7 4.9 30% <1%
82 Texas State 2-3 6-5 5.6 54% 2%
83 Illinois 3-3 4-8 4.3 11% <1%
84 Florida International 3-2 7-5 6.7 86% <1%
85 Boston College 3-3 5-7 4.5 15% <1%
86 Western Michigan 4-2 8-4 7.5 97% 3%
87 UAB 3-2 6-6 5.7 53% <1%
88 NC State 3-3 6-6 6.2 74% 2%
89 Michigan State 2-4 4-8 4.3 13% <1%
90 Massachusetts 4-2 8-4 8.1 >99% 6%
91 Tulsa 3-3 7-5 6.8 88% 5%
92 Navy 2-3 6-6 5.7 58% <1%
93 Washington 3-3 5-7 4.5 16% <1%
94 Georgia Southern 2-3 5-7 5.3 42% <1%
95 West Virginia 3-3 4-8 4.0 5% <1%
96 California 3-3 5-7 4.6 15% <1%
97 Marshall 3-2 6-6 5.9 61% <1%
98 Miami (OH) 3-3 7-5 7.1 92% 9%
99 Sam Houston 1-4 6-6 6.3 81% 11%
100 South Alabama 4-2 6-6 5.9 61% <1%
101 UConn 3-3 6-6 6.0 68% <1%
102 Tulane 2-3 5-7 4.9 30% <1%
103 Central Michigan 3-3 6-6 5.9 62% 1%
104 Stanford 2-4 4-8 3.7 2% <1%
105 Colorado State 2-3 4-7 3.8 4% <1%
106 Eastern Michigan 4-3 6-6 6.3 79% 2%
107 Arkansas 2-4 3-9 2.6 <1% <1%
108 Georgia Tech 2-3 3-9 3.2 <1% <1%
109 San Diego State 2-3 4-7 3.7 3% <1%
110 Delaware 2-3 5-7 5.1 36% <1%
111 San José State 3-3 6-7 5.7 57% <1%
112 Temple 2-4 5-7 4.8 24% <1%
113 Utah State 2-4 4-7 3.5 2% <1%
114 Wyoming 3-3 5-7 5.1 31% <1%
115 Arkansas State 2-4 5-7 4.9 28% <1%
116 Old Dominion 2-4 4-8 4.4 15% <1%
117 Middle Tennessee 2-3 4-8 4.1 10% <1%
118 Buffalo 3-3 6-6 5.5 50% <1%
119 Rutgers 1-4 2-10 1.9 <1% <1%
120 Western Kentucky 2-4 3-9 3.4 2% <1%
121 Kennesaw State 1-4 4-8 4.3 15% <1%
122 Rice 1-5 3-9 2.9 1% <1%
123 New Mexico State 2-4 4-8 4.1 10% <1%
124 Nevada 1-3 3-9 3.3 2% <1%
125 Coastal Carolina 1-4 3-9 3.0 1% <1%
126 Kent State 2-4 4-8 3.8 6% <1%
127 Southern Miss 1-4 3-9 3.2 2% <1%
128 Northern Illinois 0-4 2-10 2.4 <1% <1%
129 Missouri State 1-4 3-9 2.7 <1% <1%
130 Sacramento State 1-5 4-8 4.4 17% 3%
131 Hawai'i 1-4 4-8 3.6 4% <1%
132 Ball State 1-5 3-9 3.2 2% <1%
133 Bowling Green 2-4 3-9 3.5 2% <1%
134 Washington State 1-5 2-9 2.2 <1% <1%
135 UTEP 1-4 2-10 2.1 <1% <1%
136 Akron 1-5 3-9 2.7 <1% <1%
137 UL Monroe 0-5 1-11 1.3 <1% <1%
138 Charlotte 0-6 0-12 0.4 <1% <1%

Rank is this page's committee-style ranking: half the power index, half strength of record. Projected is the record a team is most likely to finish near, from its chance in each remaining game. Bowls and playoff games are not counted in these records, and a conference title game counts only once it is on the schedule.

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