College Football Playoff: A quick look at the semifinals as Miami is the most recent national champion remaining
- - College Football Playoff: A quick look at the semifinals as Miami is the most recent national champion remaining
Nick Bromberg January 1, 2026 at 9:48 PM
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Whoever wins the national championship game on Jan. 19 will be breaking a significant national championship drought.
No. 10 Miami is the most recent national champion of the four teams remaining in the College Football Playoff. The Hurricanes won their last national title after a 2001 season that was capped by a blowout win in the Rose Bowl.
After Miami, the next most-recent national champion is No. 6 Ole Miss. The Rebels claim the 1960 national title after a 10-0-1 season that ended with a 14-6 Sugar Bowl win over Rice.
No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon? Neither team has a national title to its name. And one of them is guaranteed to be playing for the first in school history.
Here’s a quick look at the semifinal matchups on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.
Fiesta Bowl
No. 6 Ole Miss (13-1) vs. No. 10 Miami (12-2)
Jan. 8 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN | Miami -3 | Total: 51.5
The Hurricanes have opened as the early favorites even though Ole Miss avenged a regular-season loss to Georgia in a 37-34 Sugar Bowl win over the Bulldogs.
Miami took down Texas A&M in the first round and Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday night thanks to a relentless pass rush. Can the Hurricanes pressure Trinidad Chambliss the same way? Chambliss’ escapability was on full display against Georgia, especially in the second half. He showed how great of an improvisor he can be after Georgia’s pass rush flushed him from the pocket.
The Rebels’ win denied Miami QB Carson Beck the opportunity to play his old team for a shot at the national title. But if the betting line is to be believed, a matchup with Ole Miss gives Miami a better shot at making it to the national title game.
Peach Bowl
No. 1 Indiana (14-0) vs. No. 5 Oregon (13-1)
Jan. 9 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN | Indiana -4 | Total: 46.5
The Hoosiers are now the clear national title favorites after a 38-3 Rose Bowl romp over Alabama. Indiana is +130 to win the national title ahead of Oregon and Miami at +300 each and Ole Miss at +600.
The Ducks shut out Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl. It was the third shutout in CFP history and the first in nearly 10 years.
Indiana beat Oregon 30-20 in the regular season. Thanks to Ole Miss’ games against Tulane and Georgia in the first two rounds, the first three rounds in this year’s playoff will have had one rematch.
Oregon QB Dante Moore threw two interceptions in the Ducks’ October loss as the Hoosiers held Oregon to 267 yards on 64 plays. Oregon’s win over Texas Tech was impressive but it could also have been a lot bigger. The Ducks’ offense squandered a lot of opportunities after getting into Texas Tech territory.
Source: “AOL Sports”
