The field is down to two. After a weekend of contrasting semifinal matchups—one a blowout, the other a nail-biter—#1 Indiana and #10 Miami are the last teams standing in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.
Peach Bowl: #1 Indiana 56, #5 Oregon 22
The Curt Cignetti revolution shows no signs of slowing down. Playing in the Peach Bowl on Friday (Jan 9), the top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers dismantled the Oregon Ducks in a 56-22 rout that was effectively over by halftime.
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza was surgical, throwing for 5 touchdowns and dissecting an Oregon defense that had looked dominant just a week prior. The Hoosiers' defense forced three first-half turnovers, suffocating Dante Moore and the Ducks' high-octane attack. With the win, Indiana improves to 14-0 and advances to their first-ever National Championship game.
Fiesta Bowl: #10 Miami 31, #6 Ole Miss 27
Thursday night's Fiesta Bowl (Jan 8) provided the drama. In a back-and-forth affair in Glendale, the 10th-seeded Miami Hurricanes rallied late to defeat #6 Ole Miss.
Trailing 27-24 with under four minutes to play, Miami quarterback Carson Beck engineered a legacy-defining 75-yard drive. Beck, who transferred from Georgia last January, capped the march with a 3-yard touchdown run with just 18 seconds remaining.
Beck finished with 268 passing yards and two scores, earning Offensive MVP honors. The victory completes a remarkable turnaround for Miami under Mario Cristobal, sending "The U" back to the title game for the first time in over two decades.
The Matchup is Set
It will be #1 Indiana vs. #10 Miami for the National Championship on January 19 in Miami Gardens. A true home-field advantage for the Hurricanes against the unstoppable force of the Hoosiers.
Historical Lens: Remades of 2011?
Indiana's suffocating defense (allowing less than 10 points/game in the playoffs) is drawing comparisons to the 2011 Alabama Defense. Just as that Tide unit strangled LSU in the BCS title game, Cignetti's squad wins by removing hope. Miami, conversely, brings the chaotic energy of the 2013 Auburn team—living on the edge, surviving thrillers, and believing in destiny.