College Football Playoff semifinals set: Miami vs. Ole Miss, Oregon vs. Indiana

Jan 02, 2026 at 06:20 AM CST

Julia Marshall, Craig Nigrelli

The college football semifinals are set, featuring a rematch between two Big Ten teams and two other programs that pulled upsets. — Image credit: Tony Gutierrez / The Associated Press

This recording was made using enhanced software.

Summary

Playoff matchups

The college football semifinals are set with Oregon facing Indiana and Ole Miss taking on Miami. Indiana and Oregon are scheduled to play in the Peach Bowl on January 9, while Miami and Ole Miss will compete in the Fiesta Bowl on January 8.

Recent upsets

Miami and Ole Miss both achieved unexpected victories to advance to the semifinals. Miami defeated the defending champions, Ohio State, 24-14 during the Cotton Bowl, and Ole Miss overcame Georgia with a 39-34 win in the Sugar Bowl.

Upcoming championship

The national championship game is scheduled for Monday, January 19 in Miami, where a new champion will be determined.

Full story

The College Football Playoff semifinals are set! The four teams left standing will feature a rematch between two Big Ten teams and two other programs that pulled upsets.

WE’RE DOWN TO 4️⃣‼️#CFBPlayoff #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/2sxSjuTQvY
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 2, 2026

Oregon vs. Indiana

The Oregon Ducks and the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers are set to play in one of two college football playoff semifinals. The news comes after both teams won blowout games Thursday. An undefeated Indiana crushed Alabama in the Rose Bowl 38- 3. Oregon defeated Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl earlier in the day, 23-to-nothing.

QR code for SAN app download

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

When they met in October 2025, Indiana defeated the Ducks 30-20 in one of the Hoosiers’ most impressive victories of the year. But can Oregon finally break the Hoosiers’ season-long winning streak?

MATCHUP LOCKED.

See y’all January 9 😏#CFAPeachBowl pic.twitter.com/fpWnuydDCZ
— Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (@CFAPeachBowl) January 2, 2026

The most interesting aspect of the matchup is the quarterbacks for each team, who are both projected as the top two picks on many 2026 draft boards. According to The Associated Press, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza could join a list of quarterbacks who have won the Heisman and a national title in the same year, should Indiana pull off the win.

We’ll find out who is moving on to the championship game on Friday, Jan. 9, during the Peach Bowl.

Ole Miss vs. Miami

On the other side, Miami and Ole Miss will play in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8 in Arizona.

The sixth-seeded Rebels, minus their former coach, Lane Kiffin, who left for LSU, rallied from nine points down at halftime and stunned Georgia 39-34 in Thursday night’s Sugar Bowl. Since Kiffin departed the team, the Rebels have gone 2-0. Can they keep the streak alive?

SEMIS SET! 🔒 @OleMissFB (No. 6) stuns Georgia (No. 3) to advance to the @CFBPlayoff Semifinal at the @vrbo #FiestaBowl, where they will meet @CanesFootball (No. 10) next Thursday, Jan. 8!

Get your tickets NOW via @SeatGeek:
🎟️ https://t.co/UPbNG3WHPd pic.twitter.com/4hPouSvKSq
— Fiesta Sports Foundation (@Fiesta_Bowl) January 2, 2026

One night earlier, Miami, a team many said should not be in the playoffs, upset the defending champions, Ohio State. They won 24-14 during the Cotton Bowl.

The national title game is Monday, Jan. 19, in Miami, crowning a new champion.

Julia Marshall is a morning digital producer at Straight Arrow News. Thanks to her extensive newsroom experience, Julia has a keen eye for news and extensive experience in writing and editing content across all topics and platforms.

Craig Nigrelli is an anchor and reporter for Straight Arrow News.

Tags: college football playoff, Football, Sports

Speaker 0 00:00:02 Finally this morning, the college football semi-finals are set, and the Final four will feature a rematch between a couple of Big 10 teams and two other programs that have pulled upsets. The Oregon Ducks and the top seated Indiana Hoosiers are set to play in the Peach Bowl next Friday after Indiana crushed Alabama. Yesterday in the Rose Bowl, 38 to three, it wasn’t even close. Oregon defeated Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl earlier in the day, 23 to nothing. Another blowout when they met back in October, Indiana defeated the Ducks 30 to 20 in one of the Hoosiers most impressive victories of the year. Now, on the other side, Miami and Ole Miss will play in the semi-final, the six seated rebels minus their former coach. Lane Kiffin, who left for LSU, remember rallied from nine points down at halftime and stunned Georgia 39 to 34 in last night, sugar Bowl one night earlier Miami. The team, many said, should not even be in the playoff, upset, defending champion Ohio State, 24 to 14 in dominating fashion in the Cotton Bowl. The national title, by the way, is Monday, January 19th in Miami, and there will be a new champion this year. Whoever wins that game.

Why this story matters

The College Football Playoff semifinals feature rematches and notable upsets that highlight the evolving landscape of college football, with implications for teams, players, and the sport’s championship structure.

Playoff rematches

Indiana and Oregon will face each other again in the semifinals after a regular season contest, according to multiple sources, demonstrating the significance of rematches and the dynamics of postseason competition.

Upsets and underdogs

Miami and Ole Miss advanced with unexpected wins, emphasizing the potential for lower-seeded teams to affect championship outcomes and reflecting the unpredictability of the new playoff format.

Quarterback spotlight

Quarterbacks like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore are highlighted as central figures, with several sources noting their draft prospects and impact on both current games and future football narratives.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 45 media outlets

History lesson

The College Football Playoff has rarely seen teams with first-round byes win their quarterfinal matches until Indiana's recent victory, marking a new trend in the expanded 12-team playoff era.

Solution spotlight

Indiana's turnaround is credited to a new coaching leadership and the transfer of quarterback Fernando Mendoza, both considered key to their success this season.

Health

Yesterday

8 min read

What a sweeping new review reveals about Tylenol use during pregnancy
Energy

Yesterday

4 min read

Greenland holds vast mineral wealth. Getting it out of the ice is the hard part
U.S.

Yesterday

4 min read

DeSantis’ crusade to decouple Florida’s local governments from property taxes
Politics

Yesterday

7 min read

A ‘refocus’ or First Amendment threat? Pentagon takes over Stars and Stripes

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left largely de-emphasize unique details, remaining highly repetitive.
Media outlets in the center offer detailed player statistics and play-by-play for other games, using terms like "blowouts" to describe victories.
Media outlets on the right distinctively portray Indiana as the "clear favorite" after a "dismantling," providing specific quarterfinal scores and betting odds.

Report an issue with this comparison

Media landscape

Click on bars to see headlines

56 total sources

Key points from the Left

No summary available because of a lack of coverage.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Center

On Jan. 9, the Peach Bowl will host Oregon Ducks versus Indiana Hoosiers in Atlanta, with Miami facing the Sugar Bowl winner during the Jan. 8-9 window.
A pair of quarterfinal blowouts — Indiana 38-3 and Oregon 23-0 — set the semifinal field as Indiana routed Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Oregon shut out Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl.
Indiana's earlier 30-20 road win over Oregon set up a narrative-rich rematch after Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza led the Hoosiers to a 13-0 regular season and a Heisman Trophy.
Next week the Peach Bowl winner earns a berth in the Jan. 19 national title game, preserving the Big Ten's shot at a third straight championship.
Logistics matter too, as Oregon would face a 17,500-mile travel scenario if returning to Eugene between games, while Indiana's nine wins by at least 20 points highlight its semifinal strength.

Report an issue with this summary

See Hide headlines from Center sources 33 sources

Key points from the Right

Indiana emerged as the only team with a bye to win in the College Football Playoff semifinals, beating Alabama 38-3.
Oregon secured a 23-0 victory over Texas Tech to advance.
Ole Miss won against Georgia 39-34 and is viewed as a 3.0-point underdog against Miami in the upcoming rematch.
The rematch between Indiana and Oregon in the Peach Bowl follows a prior victory for Indiana on October 11.

Report an issue with this summary

See Hide headlines from Lean Right sources 4 sources
See Hide headlines from Right sources 1 sources
- Indiana, Miami open as CFP semifinal favorites
  KMJ-AF1
No coverage from Far Right sources 0 sources

Other (sources without bias rating):

See Hide headlines from Other sources 8 sources

Powered by Ground News™

Sources