College Football Playoff semifinals review

College Football Playoff semifinals review

We officially have our 2026 College Football Playoff championship matchup: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 1 Indiana. But how did we end up with these two teams? How did the semifinals pan out to give us this matchup of a team in a championship drought and a program looking for its first.

No. 10 Miami vs. No. 6 Ole Miss (The VRBO Fiesta Bowl)

This was absolute cinema. I would even argue that this is a contender for game of the year. To start the game, Miami’s defense looked as dominant as it has been all season. However, early in the second quarter, Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy would break off a 73-yard touchdown run to put the Rebels up 7-3. Lacy would finish with 11 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown.

In response, Miami would put up two touchdowns, including a 52-yard deep shot delivered by quarterback Carson Beck to receiver Keelan Marion. However, just when it looked like the Hurricanes had all of the momentum, the Rebels would close out the first half with a successful 58-yard field goal courtesy of Lucas Carneiro.

Then, after a sluggish third quarter that featured missed field goals for both Miami and Ole Miss on back-to-back drives and an interception of Ole Miss safety Kapena Gushkin, both offenses would go blow for blow in the fourth quarter.

After an Ole Miss Rebel touchdown drive and a successful two-point conversion, the Hurricanes found themselves down 27-24 with just over three minutes left. Thanks to immaculate efforts from Beck, running back Mark Fletcher Jr., Marion and others, the Hurricanes were able to swallow almost all of the three minutes of clock and drive their way down to the Ole Miss three-yard line. Then, with the ball at the Rebels’ three and 24 seconds remaining, Carson Beck scanned the field for an open receiver, but decided to take it himself and score the touchdown that would ultimately decide the game and give Miami the 31–27 victory.

No. 5 Oregon vs. No.1 Indiana (The Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl)

This game was the exact opposite of game of the year. After the Indiana Hoosiers upset the Oregon Ducks earlier in the season, fans were skeptical about whether Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza could repeat their efforts. Safe to say, any doubts that these skeptics had were put to shame.

The writing was already on the wall from the first play of the game when Oregon quarterback Dante Moore threw a pick-six to Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds.

What followed was nothing short of a duck hunt.

The Hoosiers’ starting quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, cooked the Ducks' secondary throughout the game and would total 177 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions and just three incompletions. This five-touchdown performance would be Mendoza’s third of this season.

When Mendoza went to the air, he usually found senior receiver Elijah Sarratt, who had seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

When Dante Moore wasn’t able to get the ball out in time, he was most likely being brought down by sophomore defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe. In the game, Ndukwe had two sacks.

Oregon would score a few constellation prize touchdowns, but it was too little too late. The Indiana Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first-ever National Title game with a 56-22 feast of the Oregon Ducks.

The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The game is set to kick off at 7:30ET on Monday, January 19th and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Max Malec is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mvm7264@psu.edu.