Admin December 8, 2024
US LBM Coaches Poll: How SMU earned a CFP nod over Alabama
The final regular season US LBM Coaches Poll is here and Paul Myerberg breaks down the top storylines now that the CFP bracket is set.
Sports Pulse
This college football postseason will be unlike any other in the sport’s history. With the first year of the expanded playoff format, the season will run through the third week of January. Along the way, there will be 11 games that decide the national champion with contests being played on campus for the first time and including the six major bowls.
Those first-round games will take place Dec. 20 and 21 and are followed by the quarterfinals on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The semifinals will be played at the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10, respectively. The national championship game will be held Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
But there’s also more than just the chase for the national championship. A full lineup of bowl games will kickoff on Dec. 14 and run concurrently with the playoff until the Bahamas Bowl on Jan. 4.
UP AND DOWNS: Winners and losers from the playoff reveal
BOWL PROJECTIONS: Forecasting the entire postseason lineup
A look at the entire 46-game postseason schedule with dates, times and television details along with all the matchups that will take you through the holiday season and beyond:
Salute to Veterans Bowl
MATCHUP: South Alabama vs. Western Michigan
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 14, Montgomery, Ala., 9 p.m., ESPN
Buy Salute to Veterans Bowl tickets on StubHub
Frisco Bowl
MATCHUP: Memphis vs. West Virginia
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 17, Frisco, Texas, 9 p.m., ESPN
Buy Frisco Bowl tickets on StubHub
Boca Raton Bowl
MATCHUP: James Madison vs. Western Kentucky
DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 18, Boca Raton, Fla., 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Boca Raton Bowl tickets on StubHub
LA Bowl
MATCHUP: UNLV vs. California
DETAILS: Wednesday, Dec. 18, Inglewood, Calif., 9 p.m., ESPN
Buy LA Bowl tickets on StubHub
New Orleans Bowl
MATCHUP: Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston State
DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 19, New Orleans, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Buy New Orleans Bowl tickets on StubHub
Cure Bowl
MATCHUP: Ohio vs. Jacksonville State
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 20, Orlando, Fla., noon, ESPN
Buy Cure Bowl tickets on StubHub
Gasparilla Bowl
MATCHUP: Florida vs. Tulane
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 20, Tampa, Fla., 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Gasparilla Bowl tickets on StubHub
College Football Playoff
MATCHUP: Indiana at Notre Dame
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 20, campus site, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Buy Indiana vs. Notre Dame tickets on StubHub
College Football Playoff
MATCHUP: SMU at Penn State
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 21, campus site, noon, TNT
Buy Penn State vs. SMU tickets on StubHub
College Football Playoff
MATCHUP: Clemson at Texas
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 21, campus site, 4 p.m., TNT
Buy Clemson vs. Texas tickets on StubHub
College Football Playoff
MATCHUP: Tennessee at Ohio State
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 21, campus site, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Buy Tennessee vs. Ohio State tickets on StubHub
Myrtle Beach Bowl
MATCHUP: Coastal Carolina vs. Texas-San Antonio
DETAILS: Monday, Dec. 23, Conway, S.C., 11 a.m., ESPN
Buy Myrtle Beach Bowl tickets on StubHub
Idaho Potato Bowl
MATCHUP: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
DETAILS: Monday, Dec. 23, Boise, Idaho, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Idaho Potato Bowl tickets on StubHub
Hawaii Bowl
MATCHUP: South Florida vs. San Jose State
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 24, Honolulu, 8 p.m., ESPN
Buy Hawaii Bowl tickets on StubHub
GameAbove Sports Bowl
MATCHUP: Pittsburgh vs. Toledo
DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 26, Detroit, 2 p.m., ESPN
Buy GameAbove Sports Bowl tickets on StubHub
Rate Bowl
MATCHUP: Rutgers vs. Kansas State
DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 26, Phoenix, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Rate Bowl tickets on StubHub
68 Ventures Bowl
MATCHUP: Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green
DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 26, Mobile, Ala., 9 p.m., ESPN
Buy 68 Ventures Bowl tickets on StubHub
Birmingham Bowl
MATCHUP: Vanderbilt vs. Georgia Tech
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, Birmingham, Ala., noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Birmingham Bowl tickets on StubHub
Armed Forces Bowl
MATCHUP: Navy vs. Oklahoma
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, Fort Worth, Texas, noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
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Liberty Bowl
MATCHUP: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, Memphis, Tenn., 7 p.m., ESPN
Buy Liberty Bowl tickets on StubHub
Holiday Bowl
MATCHUP: Washington State vs. Syracuse
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, San Diego, 8 p.m., Fox
Buy Holiday Bowl tickets on StubHub
Las Vegas Bowl
MATCHUP: Texas A&M vs. Southern California
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, Las Vegas, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
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Fenway Bowl
MATCHUP: Connecticut vs. North Carolina
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Boston, 11 a.m., ESPN
Buy Fenway Bowl tickets on StubHub
Pinstripe Bowl
MATCHUP: Boston College vs. Nebraska
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, New York, noon, ABC
Buy Pinstripe Bowl tickets on StubHub
New Mexico Bowl
MATCHUP: TCU vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Albuquerque, 2:15 p.m., ESPN
Buy New Mexico Bowl tickets on StubHub
Pop-Tarts Bowl
MATCHUP: Miami (Fla.) vs. Iowa State
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Orlando, Fla., 3:30 p.m., ABC
Buy Pop-Tarts Bowl tickets on StubHub
Arizona Bowl
MATCHUP: Miami (Ohio) vs. Colorado State
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Tucson, Ariz., 4:30 p.m., CW
Buy Arizona Bowl tickets on StubHub
Military Bowl
MATCHUP: North Carolina State vs. East Carolina
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Annapolis, Md., 5:45 p.m., ESPN
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Alamo Bowl
MATCHUP: Brigham Young vs. Colorado
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, San Antonio, 7:30 p.m., ABC
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Independence Bowl
MATCHUP: Army vs. Marshall
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Shreveport, La., 9:15 p.m., ESPN
Buy Independence Bowl tickets on StubHub
Music City Bowl
MATCHUP: Missouri vs. Iowa
DETAILS: Monday, Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn., 2:30 p.m., ESPN
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ReliaQuest Bowl
MATCHUP: Alabama vs. Michigan
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, Tampa, Fla., noon, ESPN
Buy ReliaQuest Bowl tickets on StubHub
Sun Bowl
MATCHUP: Washington vs. Louisville
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, El Paso, Texas, 2 p.m., CBS
Buy Sun Bowl tickets on StubHub
Citrus Bowl
MATCHUP: Illinois vs. South Carolina
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, Orlando, Fla., 3 p.m., ABC
Buy Citrus Bowl tickets on StubHub
Texas Bowl
MATCHUP: LSU vs. Baylor
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, Houston, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Texas Bowl tickets on StubHub
Fiesta Bowl
MATCHUP: Boise State vs. Penn State-SMU winner
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, Glendale, Ariz., 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Fiesta Bowl tickets on StubHub
Peach Bowl
MATCHUP: Arizona State vs. Texas-Clemson winner
DETAILS: Wednesday, Jan. 1, Atlanta, 1 p.m., ESPN
Buy Peach Bowl tickets on StubHub
Rose Bowl
MATCHUP: Oregon vs. Ohio State-Tennessee winner
DETAILS: Wednesday, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif., 5 p.m., ESPN
Buy Rose Bowl tickets on StubHub
Sugar Bowl
MATCHUP: Georgia vs. Notre Dame-Indiana winner
DETAILS: Wednesday, Jan. 1, New Orleans, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Sugar Bowl tickets on StubHub
Gator Bowl
MATCHUP: Duke vs. Mississippi
DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 2, Jacksonville, Fla., 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Gator Bowl tickets on StubHub
First Responder Bowl
MATCHUP: North Texas vs. Texas State
DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 3, Dallas, 4 p.m., ESPN
Buy First Responder Bowl tickets on StubHub
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
MATCHUP: Virginia Tech vs. Minnesota
DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 3, Charlotte, N.C., 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Duke’s Mayo Bowl tickets on StubHub
Bahamas Bowl
MATCHUP: Liberty vs. Buffalo
DETAILS: Saturday, Jan. 4, Nassau, Bahamas, 11 a.m., ESPN2
Orange Bowl
MATCHUP: College Football Playoff semifinal
DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 9, Miami Gardens, Fla., 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Orange Bowl tickets on StubHub
Cotton Bowl
MATCHUP: College Football Playoff semifinal
DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 10, Arlington, Texas, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy Cotton Bowl tickets on StubHub
College Football Playoff championship game
MATCHUP: CFP semifinal winners
DETAILS: Monday, Jan. 20, Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Buy CFP title game tickets on StubHub
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(This story has been updated to change a video and add a gallery.)