College football’s Week 1 slate for the 2026 season wasn’t loaded with matchups featuring two ranked teams. However, as always, it delivered plenty of must-see games and intrigue. LSU crushed Clemson 51-10 in Saturday night’s top contest, and coach Lane Kiffin’s Bayou Bengals are on the rise in this week’s bowl projections. Outside of the Tigers moving up, not much changed in the playoff projections, as there were no major upsets among top teams. As a result of easy victories, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas maintain their hold on the top three spots in the projected 12-team field.
The postseason begins on Dec. 15 with two matchups and continues until Jan. 25 with the national championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The playoffs start on Dec. 18 with one first-round game, followed by three on Saturday, Dec. 19, hosted at on-campus sites. The quarterfinals are slated for Dec. 30 and Jan. 1. The semifinals for the College Football Playoff take place on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15; the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl host the matchups.
Due to conference realignment, some of the bowl tie-ins will be scrambled again in ’26. Former Pac-12 teams are eligible for bowl appearances in the conference’s old tie-ins. One postseason contest — the Arizona Bowl — has yet to set a date for its matchup…