Previewing the first round games of the College Football Playoff

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It’s postseason time in college football. Bowl season and the College Football Playoff are the only games left before the long offseason, but there’s still so much intrigue left to be sorted out in December and January.

The first round of the CFP is this weekend, with four games that will determine who moves on to the quarterfinals on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Four great on-campus environments await us this Friday and Saturday, in Norman, College Station, Oxford and Eugene, as one of the best parts of the 12-team playoff continues to be the home games in Round 1.

Our focus will be on one of the biggest games in a long time for the Oklahoma Sooners, and one of the biggest games ever on Owen Field, but the first round of the playoff should provide some great games on the weekend before Christmas.

Today, we’ll preview all four first round games, with what you need to be keeping an eye on for each contest. The field will shrink from 12 teams to eight teams by the end of Saturday night, with huge matchups on the docket this weekend.

Alabama at Oklahoma, Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT

It’s a rematch between the Crimson Tide and the Sooners in the first round, as Alabama lost at home back on November 15th. Oklahoma will play the host this time around, and the winner will play in the Rose Bowl against Indiana on January 1st.

The Tide didn’t look great in the SEC title game a couple of weeks ago, losing to Georgia, but this is a team that is as dangerous as any in college football when everything is clicking. Kalen DeBoer and ‘Bama will be looking to avoid the turnovers that plagued them in the regular season matchup.

OU will again be leaning on their stingy defense, as that unit has powered them all season long. Brent Venables is hoping his team can continue the momentum that they built during “Red November”, as he goes for his third win over big, bad Bama in 13 months. OU will be home underdogs, but it seems like a role they’re comfortable in this season.

Miami at Texas A&M, Saturday at 11:00 a.m. CT

Miami and Texas A&M will meet in a very intriguing matchup between teams making their first-ever playoff appearance. The Hurricanes snuck into the field on Selection Sunday, and their reward is a trip to face the Aggies, with the winner going to the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State on December 31st.

The ‘Canes didn’t win the ACC this year, but they started and finished the season strong after a couple of hiccups in the middle. When Carson Beck and the offense are rolling, they’re a formidable team that can play with almost anyone. Mario Cristobal’s team has enough talent to pull off the upset on the road.

The Aggies started 11-0 this year, before a loss to Texas on Thanksgiving weekend. That meant that Mike Elko’s team couldn’t play in the SEC title game, but this squad was in the running for a bye week in the playoff up until that loss. If Marcel Reed can rebound from a tough performance and get back to form at home, Texas A&M might be too good on both sides for the ‘Canes to handle.

Tulane at Ole Miss, Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT

Tulane and Ole Miss will play in another rematch from the regular season, as the Green Wave lost by 35 in this matchup back in September. The Rebels will look a little bit different this time around, but they’ll be heavy favorites to advance to play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st.

Before Tulane’s Jon Sumrall leaves to be the head coach at Florida, he’ll try to avenge the loss on the road. The Green Wave won the American Conference this year, which put them in the playoff for the first time ever. They’ve won five straight games, and eight out of nine since the first matchup. Before Will Hall takes over as the new head coach, they’ll try to pull off the shocker on the road.

With Lane Kiffin’s exit to LSU, the Rebels promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to permanent head coach, and he’ll look to get his first win ever on Saturday. Ole Miss will have some offensive coaches coming back to coach for the CFP, but they’ll need to lean on their defense if they want to make a run. Two programs going through changes right now will be squaring off on Saturday afternoon.

James Madison at Oregon, Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT

The final game of the first round sees James Madison as heavy underdogs on the road against Oregon. The Dukes make their first-ever CFP appearance just a few years after becoming an FBS team, while the Ducks will look to last a bit longer in the playoff this year, after last year’s early exit. The winner heads to the Orange Bowl on January 1st to take on Texas Tech.

James Madison is the first team from the Sun Belt Conference to ever make the playoff, and their only loss came to Louisville, way back in September. Head coach Bob Chesney is off to coach UCLA once JMU’s playoff run ends, but the Dukes would love to shock the college football world with a road win before Billy Napier steps into command. They were the fifth-highest ranked conference champion, and they claimed the last spot on the bracket.

Dan Lanning and the Ducks just missed out on a bye, but they’re in a good position heading into the playoff. Their only loss came at the hands of Indiana, and they’re as dangerous as any team in college football when they’re rolling. Oregon has the talent to beat anybody, and they’re even tougher at home. They’ll be projected to handle JMU, and it would be a huge upset if they aren’t advancing to the second round.

Top non-CFP bowl games to keep an eye on

Georgia Tech vs. BYU (Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida), Saturday, December 27th at 2:30 p.m. CT
Iowa vs. Vanderbilt (ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida), Wednesday, December 31st at 11:00 a.m. CT
Michigan vs. Texas (Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida), Wednesday, December 31st at 2:00 p.m. CT

2025 regular season recap

Week 0 – Featured Game: Iowa State vs. Kansas State (in Dublin, Ireland)
Week 1 – Featured Game: Texas at Ohio State
Week 2 – Featured Game: Michigan at Oklahoma
Week 3 – Featured Game: Georgia at Tennessee
Week 4 – Featured Game: Auburn at Oklahoma
Week 5 – Featured Game: Alabama at Georgia
Week 6 – Featured Game: Miami at Florida State
Week 7 – Featured Game: Oklahoma vs. Texas (in Dallas, Texas)
Week 8 – Featured Game: Ole Miss at Georgia
Week 9 – Featured Game: Ole Miss at Oklahoma
Week 10 – Featured Game: Oklahoma at Tennessee
Week 11 – Featured Game: BYU at Texas Tech
Week 12 – Featured Game: Oklahoma at Alabama
Week 13 – Featured Game: USC at Oregon
Week 14 – Featured Game: Ohio State at Michigan
Week 15 – Featured Game: Georgia vs. Alabama (in Atlanta, Georgia)
Week 16 – Featured Game: Army vs. Navy (in Baltimore, Maryland)

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Game previews for the first round of the College Football Playoff

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