Miami continued its stunning playoff run by upsetting defending national champion Ohio State 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl, fueled by a 72-yard pick-six from Keionte Scott and a steady, mistake-free performance from Carson Beck. The Hurricanes, now in the CFP semifinals for the first time, advanced to the Fiesta Bowl as their opportunistic defense stifled Julian Sayin and ended the Buckeyes’ bid for a repeat title.

Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman analyze all four quarterfinal matchups in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

Dante Moore accounted for five touchdowns as No. 5 Oregon pulled away early and never trailed in a 51-34 College Football Playoff win over No. 19 James Madison. The Ducks scored four straight touchdowns after the opening minutes to build a commanding lead and advanced to face Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl quarterfinal.

Malachi Toney redeemed an earlier fumble by catching an 11-yard touchdown with under two minutes left, lifting No. 10 Miami to a gritty 10-3 win over No. 7 Texas A&M in the College Football Playoff. A suffocating Hurricanes defense sacked Marcel Reed seven times and sealed the upset with a late end-zone interception, sending Miami to the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State.

Trinidad Chambliss accounted for three touchdowns as No. 6 Ole Miss rolled past No. 17 Tulane 41-10 in the first round of the College Football Playoff, showing no drop-off after Lane Kiffin’s departure.

Ty Simpson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns as Alabama erased a 17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma 34-24 in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Oregon's Dierre Hill Jr. and Miami's Bryce Fitzgerald stood out during the first round of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman break down all four games in the first round of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

As we gear up for the second 12-team College Football Playoff, we’ll provide an in-depth breakdown of each contender, recapping their journey to this point and highlighting what makes them tick while leveraging PFF data.

James Madison has the defense and run game that could give Oregon some issues. If Barnett can keep his hot streak going, the Dukes may have an outside chance at an upset.

Tulane’s passing attack can keep the Green Wave within striking distance in these playoff games, but the defense must perform better if Tulane is going to pull off a massive upset.

If Carson Beck can play clean football for four straight games, Miami has the talent to make a deep run in the playoff and potentially win the whole thing.

Alabama has the defense, offensive line and receiving corps capable of making a deep run in the playoff. The question is whether a cold Ty Simpson can carry this offense without much of a run game to rely on.

Oklahoma’s defense can keep it close with any team it faces in the playoff. The question is whether the offense can pull its weight enough to make a run.

Texas A&M has the defense and supporting cast on offense to compete for the program’s first national championship since 1939. It may just come down to whether or not Marcel Reed can play clean and consistent football for four straight games.

Ole Miss will be eager to show Lane Kiffin what he’s missing in the College Football Playoff. The Rebels should at least make the quarterfinals, where they’ll need to avenge their loss to Georgia in order to move further than that.

Oregon might not be the favorite going into the playoff like it was last year, but the Ducks could be primed for a deeper run than the 2024 squad thanks to a complete roster.

Texas Tech has a national championship-caliber defense. The question is whether the passing game can pull its weight for the Red Raiders to capture their first title.