College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Preview
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The College Football Playoff has reached the quarterfinal round, after a mixed bag of first round matchups have landed us with eight teams remaining that can still win the national title. With less than a week left in the non-CFP bowl season, and the playoff ramping up, it’s time to take a look at all four second round matchups.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day will be the showcase for each of the quarterfinal games, and four iconic bowl games will be in the spotlight, determining who makes it to the semifinal round the following week. While our primary focus will be on the roster churn for the Oklahoma Sooners in the transfer portal and the players heading off to the pros, there’s no denying that there should be some great football to watch as the calendar turns to 2026.
Here are previews for each CFP quarterfinal game, as we’ll know college football’s final four teams by the end of Thursday night.
Cotton Bowl: Miami vs. Ohio State, Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT
Miami and Ohio State will kick off the quarterfinals in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday night, with the winner heading to the Fiesta Bowl to take on the Ole Miss–Georgia winner. The Hurricanes went on the road in the first round and defeated Texas A&M, notching the program’s first-ever CFP win. Mario Cristobal campaigned hard for his team to make the playoff, and now they have a chance to pull off another upset in the second round.
Ryan Day and the Buckeyes last played in a loss to Indiana in the Big Ten title game, but they’re as dangerous as anyone in the field, and are one of the favorites to win it all again. With just one loss all season, they’re a talented and deep team that knows better than anyone how to navigate the 12-team CFP. Two high-powered offenses, led by productive quarterbacks in Carson Beck and Julian Sayin, should make this one a high-scoring affair.
Orange Bowl: Oregon vs. Texas Tech, Thursday at 11:00 a.m. CT
The Ducks and the Red Raiders will face off in the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida on Thursday. The winner between two programs that have become a force in the NIL era of college football will face the Alabama-Indiana winner in the Peach Bowl. Oregon handled James Madison in the first round at home, but they weren’t satisfied with just getting that one win. Dan Lanning, quarterback Dante Moore, and the Ducks have as much firepower as any team in the country, and their talent may very well carry them far in this field.
Texas Tech is a program that suddenly has the talent to compete with the big boys in college football, and they were clearly the Big 12’s best team in 2025. Joey McGuire’s team earned a bye in their first-ever CFP appearance, and it could be how quarterback Behren Morton and the Tech offense handle one of the best defenses in the country on the other side. The start of a triple-header of CFP quarterfinals on Thursday has plenty of intrigue baked into it.
Rose Bowl: Alabama vs. Indiana, Thursday at 3:00 p.m. CT
The Rose Bowl features a great matchup between Alabama and Indiana on Thursday in Pasadena, California. Whoever can find a way to win this game will head to the Peach Bowl, and will play the Oregon-Texas Tech winner. The Crimson Tide won on the road in the first round, defeating Oklahoma. Kalen DeBoer’s squad looked like the ‘Bama team from earlier this season for the final 2 and 1/2 quarters in that game, and quarterback Ty Simpson and the Tide offense played excellent football after falling behind.
On the other side, Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers are the No. 1 team in the country, the only unbeaten FBS team to this point in 2025, and they boast the Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Despite all of that, it’s Alabama that boasts more overall team talent, and their stingy defense should be a great matchup against an explosive and dynamic offense from Indiana. One of the great settings in all of college football gets a doozy again in 2025.
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Georgia, Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CT
The Sugar Bowl gives us a rematch from one of the best games of the regular season between Ole Miss and Georgia. Whoever wins this clash in New Orleans, Louisiana on Thursday night will play the Miami-Ohio State winner in the Fiesta Bowl. The Rebels are still in the aftermath of the Lane Kiffin departure, but Pete Golding’s team dominated Tulane in the first round at home. Led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and a wide-open offense, the Rebs are playing with a lot of confidence right now.
Their only loss all season came that the hands of Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. That game was an instant classic in Athens, with the ‘Dawgs coming back to win, despite trailing in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Gunner Stockton and the offense have gotten better and better as the season has gone on, and this team appears to be in a better position than they were in 2024. Can Ole Miss’ high-octane offense avenge the October loss, or will Georgia’s stifling defense stand tall and advance to the semifinals?
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Previewing the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff
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