We now know the four teams left in the 2026 National Collegiate Athletic Association College Football playoff. They are the number one ranked University of Indiana Hoosiers, the fifth ranked University of Oregon Ducks, the sixth ranked University of Mississippi Rebels, and the 10th ranked University of Miami Hurricanes.
In the College Football semifinals, the Rebels will now play the Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl from Glendale, Arizona on January 8 and the Hoosiers are playing the Ducks in the Peach Bowl from Atlanta, Georgia on January 9.
What happened in the College Football quarterfinals?
The College Football quarterfinals began on New Year’s Eve. In an evening game between the University of Miami Hurricanes and Ohio State Buckeyes, we saw an upset as Miami knocked out the second seed Buckeyes 24-14 at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. Ohio State had a bizarre season. They won their first 12 games of the season, and then lost their last two. Ohio State also lost 13-10 to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game on December 6. This was the Hoosiers’s first Big Ten title since 1967. The Hoosiers were a 4.5 point underdog against the Buckeyes, and the Hurricanes were a 9.5 point underdog against the Buckeyes.
The Hurricanes’s most notable quarter was the second frame. Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck of Jacksonville, Florida threw a nine yard touchdown pass to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. of Plantation, Florida, and cornerback Keionte Scott had a 72-yard pick six. Fletcher Jr. had 115 total yards (90 yards rushing and 25 yards receiving).
Then on New Year’s Day we saw great defense from Oregon in a 23-0 shutout win over Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl. The Ducks limited the Red Raiders to 78 yards rushing. Ducks freshman cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. of Owings Hills, Maryland had two interceptions.
In the Rose Bowl on Thursday afternoon, we saw why Indiana is ranked number one in the country, and why Alabama has simply been vulnerable this season. The Hoosiers had a fantastic start as they had a 24-0 lead en route to a dominant 38-3 victory. Hoosiers running back Kaelon Black of Virginia Beach, Virginia had 110 total yards (99 yards rushing and 11 yards receiving).
Finally in the Sugar Bowl the Rebels beat the Georgia Bulldogs 39-34 in a classic. Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss of Birmingham, Alabama had 362 yards passing and two touchdown passes, running back Kewan Lacy of Dallas, Texas had two touchdown runs and 110 total yards (98 yards rushing and 12 yards receiving), wide receiver Harrison Wallace III of Montgomery, Alabama had 156 yards receiving and one touchdown, and wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling of Honolulu, Hawaii had 122 yards receiving.
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