They’re playing next Monday Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for the college football national championship.
Today’s review of the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl is all about how they qualified for the semifinals.
Miami Hurricanes – Ole Miss Rebels 31:27
A spectacular semi-final. Die Miami Hurricanes mostly held the ball for three quarters (34 to 11 minutes) and dominated both visually and on the stat sheet, but only led 17-16because they allowed, among other things, a 73-yard TD run, three to dropped four potential interceptionsmissed a field goal and threw an interception in the opponent’s half of the court.
Ole Miss thanked you for that long leash and used the spectacular final quarter to take the lead twice, first 19-17 after a field goal, and later 27-24 after a touchdown bomb QB Trinidad Chambliss for Dae’Quan Wright.
But then turned QB Carson Beck with a crunch time drive he wins the game converted four 3rd downs and carried a QB keeper into the end zone to make it 31-24 with 18 seconds left. It’s a miracle that the game wasn’t over yet – Chambliss brought Ole Miss to the MIA 35 yds line again within a few seconds, but his final throw into the end zone fell incomplete to the ground.
Four lead changes in the last quarteralmost a fifth in the very last second, and several blatant big plays for Lacy’s long touchdown, or the Canes’ playsWR Keelan Marion and Malachi Toneyas well as Beck’s late validation of his million-dollar move: Everything was there.
Miami’s highly acclaimed defense Chambliss only got hold of it once, but completely strangled the running game except for one long run. This led to a lot of long 3rd downs throughout the game – Ole Miss scored a total of four field goals and punted the ball back to the opponent the rest of the time (2/10 on 3rd downs).
For Ole Miss ends with one turbulent seasonwhere you become a head coach Lane Kiffin lost to a more attractive employer before the start of the playoffs, but then one after the other Tulane and the favored one Georgia thrown out of the race. Of course, it was a miracle that the Rebels were still in a position to beat Miami in the final quarter – but not only given the circumstances (interim coach, 1st time playcaller), the playoff run was a respectable success.
Pete Golding remains head coach, and Chambliss How Lacy want to stay at Ole Miss for another year despite attempts to lure them away. Kiffin built the program with heavy input from the Transfer-Portals on. Now it remains to be seen whether there is any sustained success for this traditionally smaller SEC program.
Indiana Hoosiers – Oregon Ducks 56:22
The second semi-final had Home game atmospherebecause the huge Indiana alumni crowd (largest living student body in the USA) almost single-handedly filled the hall in Atlanta.
And the game started from the first move only in one direction: Indiana carried Oregon’s first play back for a touchdown, and even though OregonQB Dalee Moore and Co. then pulled together and equalized on the second drive, Indiana then mercilessly rolled over the Ducks: Five of the next six drives ended in touchdownstwo of them after Ducks turnovers, one of them more curious than the other.
Because the Ducks also missed a field goal with the clock running out in the first half, Indiana led 35-7 at the break. As dominant as it all looks, the following information is also part of the story: One TD was a defensive score, for two more the offense only needed 3 and 19 yards, respectively.
In the third quarter, Oregon caught up a bit, but didn’t catch up – on the contrary: Indiana increased the lead again after a blocked punt in the final quarter, and left it alone then not loose.
There’s no need to talk about details after the game: It was just a complete team win. Offense, Defense, Special Teams – Indiana war locked in and left no doubts from minute 1. The clarity of the victory, however, also made a difference Oregon’s own mistakes like the curious and unforced Dante Moore fumble, which was more attributable to the inexperienced backup running back than to a brilliant defensive performance. It was just one of these days.
QB Fernando Mendoza Like against Alabama, he had more touchdowns than incompletions, but just the fact that he only 20 dropbacks already shows how “easy” his job was that evening. Despite it: Oregons Defense had one a few days before Shutout against Texas Tech achieved and was nailed to the cross here.
Now go Indiana as a 7.5 point favorite ins National Championship Gamethat is true in Miami against Miami takes place, but at it Fans who enjoy traveling can once again expect a strong Hoosiers representation in the stands.
I don’t go along with the statements that these Indiana all-time dominators like LSU 2019 or Miami 2001 could beat, but the Hoosiers can do something to beat that predecessor not succeeded (or could not succeed at all): as the second college football team ever To go 16-0. So far only Yale has achieved this, in 1894.
For Oregon Unfortunately, this season ended like the last: with one brutal playoff defeat. Last year they were quickly down 0-34 against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and this time too it was over by halftime.
But I don’t think so Dan Lanning and his team should be in trouble for too long: The Ducks are on the threshold of the power house. They won 38 of 43 games under Lanning. Their only losses came against teams that made it to the National Championship Game in the same year (2023 Washington 2x, 2024 Ohio State, 2025 Indiana 2x).
Oregon consistently ranks among the top under Lanning Top-5 im Recruitinghas some of the best facilities, is financially strong – and above all: the team was already there this year rather built for 2026.
Die O-Line was completely renovatedimportant playmakers like that RBs Jordan Davison and Dierre Hilldie WRs Dakorien Moore and Jerry McClellan or the DBs Brandon Finney and Aaron Flowers were freshmen.
Also QB Dalee Moore was a newcomer – albeit an extremely talented one: he could Of course, he will go to the NFL – he is still considered a top 10 pick even after this debacle. But there’s also a scenario in which Moore stays in college for another year to hone his talent (and avoid ending up with the Jets). In any case, Oregon already has the long-time Nebraska regularQB Dylon Raiola recruited as a potential successor.
If Moore stays, the only question for 2026 is how he will cope with the loss of both coordinators (OffCoord Will Stein becomes head coach at Kentucky, DefCoord Stone Lupoi at Cal). As long as Lanning doesn’t check with Nick Sirianni while completing this task, everything should be fine.
