It’s 2026 and we still have to wrap up the 2025 college football season. Even though the transfer portal is open we still have 3 more games to finish the season. Four teams remain in the tournament, including the country’s number one program, but before we get to the semifinals previews here’s a quick look back at the quarterfinal round:

Cotton Bowl

Hyperbole maybe, the Hurricanes showed they were the tougher team and their defense (despite being outgained in the end) shut down Ohio State’s running game, harassed Julian Sayin, and forced a couple massive mistakes–including a pick six. It’s a tough way to end the season for the Bucks who lose 2 straight. In their 3 toughest games of the season (Texas, Indiana, Miami) they only scored a combined 38 points. Julian Sayin went from a Heisman contender to being on the quarterback hot seat heading into 2026.

Orange Bowl

I was worried about Texas Tech’s offense against a legit non-Big 12 team and yup, that checked out. Just 10 first downs, 215 total yards, and 4 turnovers. Tech’s defense played pretty well (Oregon was limited to 3.8 YPP) but you can’t have this type of offensive performance in the playoffs and beat good teams. It’ll be back to the NIL bag drawing board for the Red Raiders this off-season.

Rose Bowl

Vindication! Although, Front Office Sports reported that 22.5 million people watched this Rose Bowl game–the most so far in the 12-team playoff era–so perhaps in the end ESPN always wins. Who did not win on the scoreboard was Alabama with a pathetic display of 193 total yards and getting blown off the field by the Hoosiers. That’s back-to-back seasons of 4 losses for Kalen DeBoer with the Tide.

Sugar Bowl

The only LSU-bound coach expected to stay with Ole Miss for the semifinals is offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr. and he’s an important one. He led the Rebels offense in the Sugar Bowl to 6.5 yards per play and a thrilling comeback win over Georgia. Most of us didn’t take Ole Miss that seriously this year and they are now 4-1 against ranked teams in 2025 with the lone loss to the Georgia team they just took care of in the quarterfinals. Georgia surely wanted more this year than to get bounced this early. This was a weak year in the SEC at the top and they couldn’t even make the semifinals.

SEMIFINAL PREVIEW

Miami [-3.5] vs. Ole Miss
Fiesta Bowl
Thursday, January 8, 7:30 PM, ESPN

Ole Miss actually doing the thing and winning a title with Lane Kiffin currently recruiting at LSU would be pretty insane and deeply, deeply funny. According to Vegas, the Rebels are the least likely (+570) to pull it off, while Miami has the 3rd worst odds (+330) just below Oregon. Basically, the country feels like this game is to see who will lose to the Peach Bowl winner in the National Championship.

Chuck Jr.’s stock is going UP.

Miami has been able to get here with strong defensive play, winning the turnover battle, and being just gritty enough on offense. What if this game does get a little shootout-y though? Carson Beck has been in game manager mode (241 passing yards through 2 playoff games) and that would take Miami way out of their comfort zone.

Latest SP+ Rankings Following the Quarterfinals

TEAM SP+ Offense SP+ Defense
Indiana 3 2
Oregon 7 3
Miami 21 6
Ole Miss 2 18

The Miami offense and Ole Miss defense are the outliers in the remaining playoffs according to the latest SP+ rankings. Is there some weird Ewing Theory stuff swirling around Ole Miss without Kiffin?

Miami just took down Ohio State and I still don’t believe in them. I’m just waiting for a back-breaking interception and Beck’s alien face to look despondent over at the sidelines like it wasn’t his fault. The Ole Miss defense really hasn’t played championship-level football yet they looked halfway decent against Georgia. Are they getting better and rallying around Pete Golding?

We’ve seen some low scoring grind-it-out games these playoffs and Miami probably would love that type of game. But if things look like Georgia and Ole Miss last week? I’m going to take the offense I have more faith can put 30 points on the board if needed.

Ole Miss 33
Miami 27

Oregon [+4] vs. Indiana
Peach Bowl
Friday, January 9, 7:30 PM, ESPN

I was on the hype train that Oregon had a really nice path to win a title this year, but man, Indiana continues to show no signs of weakness and looks like a team that isn’t going to be defeated this year.

Since 2023, Oregon has only lost once at home–to this Indiana team. Sure, it was only a 10-point win but that was the worst loss at Autzen for the Ducks since October 7, 2017!

Cignetti: “You probably no more about that [Alabama] mystique than they do. Our guys just know what they see on tape.”

Can I cling to “it’s tough to beat the same team twice in one year” excuse? Oklahoma and Georgia are over in the corner nodding disappointingly.

Both team’s crossing the country last week and back again only to come back to Atlanta for the semifinals could be an interesting story line. I’m guessing Indiana will be the fresher team and they’ll have to travel 2,100 fewer miles to the Peach Bowl. We’re inching closer to a team from Indiana winning the National Championship and it’s not Notre Dame.

Indiana 28
Oregon 19