College Football Playoff Final Four Set: Miami’s Historic Upset of Ohio State Headlines Stunning Quarterfinal Round
Okay so like, can we talk about what just happened? Because the College Football Playoff quarterfinals might have broken my brain a little bit.
Miami. THE Miami Hurricanes. Just beat Ohio State 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl. The defending national champions. Nine and a half point favorites. Gone in the quarterfinals because a bunch of Canes decided defense still exists.
This is the biggest upset in CFP history. Not just 12-team era history. ALL of CFP history. And honestly? Its beautiful chaos and Im here for it.
The Semifinals Are Set
Fiesta Bowl, Thursday January 8th, 7:30 PM ET: No. 10 Miami vs No. 6 Ole Miss
Peach Bowl, Friday January 9th, 7:30 PM ET: No. 5 Oregon vs No. 1 Indiana
National Championship: Monday January 19th at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Wait. Hard Rock Stadium. Thats Miami’s home field. If the Hurricanes win two more games, theyd be playing for a national title in their own stadium. The script writers are getting lazy at this point.
How Miami Stunned the World
Look, Ohio State was supposed to cruise. Theyre Ohio State. They won it all last year. They had three weeks to prepare after getting a first-round bye.
But heres the thing about byes – theyre kinda cursed now? Teams with first-round byes are now 0-6 since the 12-team format started. And the Buckeyes continued that tradition in spectacular fashion.
Miami’s defense was absolutely suffocating. Five sacks on Julian Sayin. Seven tackles for loss. They held Ohio State to 45 rushing yards. FORTY. FIVE. Thats not a typo.
Keionte Scott picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown. Carson Beck – yeah, the transfer from Georgia – managed the game perfectly with 138 yards passing. CharMar Brown and Mark Fletcher just pounded the rock when Miami needed to kill clock.
Ryan Day is gonna have some questions to answer in Columbus. Again.
Indiana’s Cinderella Story Continues
The Hoosiers rolled Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. That scoreline is real. Indiana just hung 38 on the Crimson Tide and held them to three points.
This is Indiana’s first Rose Bowl victory ever. Their first bowl win since 1991. And now theyre two games from a national championship.
Fernando Mendoza – the Heisman Trophy winner – threw three touchdowns while Indiana’s defense limited Alabama to 193 total yards. The Tide couldnt run. Couldnt pass. Couldnt do anything against a team that most experts predicted would lose in the first round.
Hoosier nation is losing their minds right now and honestly? They deserve it.
Oregon’s Defensive Masterpiece
The Ducks shut out No. 4 Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl. Completely blanked the Red Raiders and their second-ranked scoring offense.
Brandon Finney Jr. had himself a day – two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Oregon forced four turnovers, stopped three fourth-down attempts, and held Texas Tech to 215 total yards.
This is why you dont sleep on Oregon’s defense. They might not get the headlines like the offense, but when they need to lock down? They lock DOWN.
Ole Miss Survives Georgia Thriller
The Sugar Bowl was insane. Ole Miss beat Georgia 39-34 in a game that had everything – lead changes, momentum swings, a fourth quarter comeback by the Bulldogs that tied it inside the final minute.
But Trinidad Chambliss – who finished eighth in Heisman voting – connected with De’Zhaun Stribling for a 40-yard completion with 25 seconds left to set up the game-winning field goal.
Pete Golding took over after Lane Kiffin bolted for LSU, and now hes got the Rebels in the semifinals. Respect.
What It All Means
Heres the wild part: none of these four teams have won a CFP national championship. Ever.
Indiana and Oregon are seeking their first national titles in program history. Ole Miss hasn’t won one since 1960 (and that was shared with Minnesota). Miami’s last title was that BCS championship in 2001.
No matter who wins on January 19th, were getting a first-time CFP champion. The dynasty era might finally be over. ESPN has the full bowl schedule and NCAA.com has all the broadcast details.
Semifinal Preview
Miami vs Ole Miss is gonna be a chess match. The Hurricanes defense against Chambliss’s playmaking ability. Can Miami’s run game control the clock against a battle-tested SEC squad? We said this 12-team CFP would be beautiful chaos – but nobody expected this much chaos.
Oregon vs Indiana is a Big Ten rematch – the Hoosiers actually beat the Ducks 30-20 back in October at Eugene. Can Oregon get revenge on the biggest stage? Or does Indiana’s magic season continue?
Im not ready to make predictions yet. Honestly, after watching Miami shut down Ohio State, I dont think anyone should be making predictions about anything anymore.
The only guarantee? These games are gonna be absolute fire.
