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
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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: Mountain West vs. Pac-12
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
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Cure Bowl
MATCHUP: Ohio vs. Jacksonville State
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 20, Orlando, Fla., noon, ESPN
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Gasparilla Bowl
MATCHUP: American, ACC or SEC
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 20, Tampa, Fla., 3:30 p.m., ESPN
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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
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College Football Playoff
MATCHUP: Clemson at Texas
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 21, campus site, 4 p.m., TNT
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College Football Playoff
MATCHUP: Tennessee at Ohio State
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 21, campus site, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN
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Myrtle Beach Bowl
MATCHUP: American, MAC or Sun Belt
DETAILS: Monday, Dec. 23, Conway, S.C., 11 a.m., ESPN
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Idaho Potato Bowl
MATCHUP: MAC vs. Mountain West
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
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GameAbove Sports Bowl
MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. MAC
DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 26, Detroit, 2 p.m., ESPN
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Rate Bowl
MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. Big Ten
DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 26, Phoenix, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
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68 Ventures Bowl
MATCHUP: Sun Belt, Conference USA or MAC
DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 26, Mobile, Ala., 9 p.m., ESPN
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Birmingham Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC, SEC or American
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, Birmingham, Ala., noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
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Armed Forces Bowl
MATCHUP: American vs. Conference USA
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, Fort Worth, Texas, noon or 3:30 p.m., ESPN
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Liberty Bowl
MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. SEC
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, Memphis, Tenn., 7 p.m., ESPN
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Holiday Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC vs. Pac-12
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, San Diego, 8 p.m., Fox
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Las Vegas Bowl
MATCHUP: Pac-12 vs. SEC
DETAILS: Friday, Dec. 27, Las Vegas, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
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Fenway Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC vs. American
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Boston, 11 a.m., ESPN
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Pinstripe Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC vs. Big Ten
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, New York, noon, ABC
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New Mexico Bowl
MATCHUP: Mountain West vs. Group of Five
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Albuquerque, 2:15 p.m., ESPN
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Pop-Tarts Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC vs. Big 12
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Orlando, Fla., 3:30 p.m., ABC
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Arizona Bowl
MATCHUP: MAC vs. Mountain West
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Tucson, Ariz., 4:30 p.m., CW
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Military Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC vs. American
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Annapolis, Md., 5:45 p.m., ESPN
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Alamo Bowl
MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. Pac-12
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, San Antonio, 7:30 p.m., ABC
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Independence Bowl
MATCHUP: American vs. Pac-12
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 28, Shreveport, La., 9:15 p.m., ESPN
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Music City Bowl
MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. SEC
DETAILS: Monday, Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn., 2:30 p.m., ESPN
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ReliaQuest Bowl
MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. SEC
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, Tampa, Fla., noon, ESPN
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Sun Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC vs. Pac-12
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, El Paso, Texas, 2 p.m., CBS
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Citrus Bowl
MATCHUP: Big Ten vs. SEC
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, Orlando, Fla., 3 p.m., ABC
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Texas Bowl
MATCHUP: Big 12 vs. SEC
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, Houston, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
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Fiesta Bowl
MATCHUP: Boise State vs. Penn State-SMU winner
DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 31, Glendale, Ariz., 7:30 p.m., ESPN
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Peach Bowl
MATCHUP: Arizona State vs. Texas-Clemson winner
DETAILS: Wednesday, Jan. 1, Atlanta, 1 p.m., ESPN
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Rose Bowl
MATCHUP: Oregon vs. Ohio State-Tennessee winner
DETAILS: Wednesday, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif., 5 p.m., ESPN
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Sugar Bowl
MATCHUP: Georgia vs. Notre Dame-Indiana winner
DETAILS: Wednesday, Jan. 1, New Orleans, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
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Gator Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC vs. SEC
DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 2, Jacksonville, Fla., 7:30 p.m., ESPN
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First Responder Bowl
MATCHUP: American, ACC or Big 12
DETAILS: Friday, Jan. 3, Dallas, 4 p.m., ESPN
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Duke’s Mayo Bowl
MATCHUP: ACC vs. Big Ten
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.)