Of all the vivid dreams my bestie has had in her provocative life she claims the one that has stood tallest is her fervent hope that the schools most representative of her two respective homes–the University of Miami and the University of Oregon–would somehow wind up meeting for a national college football championship. Even after they both advanced with first round victories on a joyous December 20th they both faced underdog status in their respective quarterfinals, the first of which took place last night when the #10 seed Hurricanes took to the AT&T Stadium turf in suburban Dallas for a particularly uphill battle. I tried to remind her of exactly what they were up against, but when she has a dream, she’s as determined as anyone I’ve ever known to see it through.
Well, as THE ATHELTIC’s ever-prolific Chris Branch reminded in this morning’s newsletter, she’s halfway toward keeping her dream alive. And hoo boy did Branch lead the charge into disbelief:
There is madness in football’s NCAA Tournament, it seems, and its author is Miami.
The 10th-seeded Hurricanes advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals with a jaw-dropping 24-14 upset last night of the defending national champion, Ohio State. The wildest part? There was no fluke here.
Miami’s defense was unrelenting, especially on the line. Its run offense, particularly late in this one, was stupefying, racking up 153 yards against a defense that allowed 89 yards per game coming in. Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck made no massive mistakes, unlike his counterpart Julian Sayin.
And with the win, two stats I can’t get out of my head:
- We’ve had five quarterfinal games in the 12-team Playoff, in which the higher seed is coming in off a bye week. The lower seed is 5-0 in these contests. Something to think about today.
- Miami, for all its faults, went 6-0 against ranked opponents this year. The Hurricanes should be considered a legitimate contender at this point.
And with that as an appetizer we now get a main course that as of this writing has already begun that’s a de facto Throwback Thursday. Thanks to the quirks of the bowl rotation of the so-called New Year’s Six that aligned this year, we’re getting the OG four that once exclusively programmed New Year’s Day to serve as the framework for these quarters. Way back when I first starting following college football we didn’t have the waste and feeble attempt to overpopulate New Year’s Day with secondary bowls that was so prominent prior to last year’s expansion of the College Football Playoff to a 12-team tournament. At least we can focus on games that matter, and Branch also did his part to do just that.
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
Noon ET on ESPN
Any of these games has the potential to be the day’s best, which is a lovely reality for us viewers. This one takes place at the Orange Bowl in Miami, and BetMGM oddsmakers like the Ducks by 2.5 points, but count me as skeptical. I think the Red Raiders have real potential to make the final here. 
- In his extremely specific CFP predictions, Manny Navarro picked the Ducks to pull away late, though. One of us has to be right. See all his premonitions here. Manny picked Miami in that column, by the way.
No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana
4 p.m. ET on ESPN
The juiciest narrative belongs here. Mighty brand Alabama clearly is not the best team in this tournament but still has a stacked roster and a QB that shows NFL potential at times. Indiana, a lower-level Power 5 program just two years ago, is obviously the No. 1 team in the land, enough to be favored by a touchdown. This is either a crowning or a collapse in one of college football’s most historic venues at the Rose Bowl. Fun.
- It’s easy to point to Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza as Indiana’s main catalyst for greatness, but as five college coaches told The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, the Hoosiers defense is a nightmare. Something to keep in mind tonight.
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Another delight. The Rebels won their Playoff opener despite losing Lane Kiffin to LSU, just 60 miles up the road from this Sugar Bowl game, and Ole Miss’ only loss this year was a tight one to … Georgia.
- You know who’s boring in a good way? Georgia. As Seth Emerson wrote this week, the Bulldogs have not slipped in college football’s new topsy-turvy reality, where Indiana reigns and bluebloods stay home for the Playoff. Here’s how they’ve done it.
Forgive today’s brevity if you can; I’m already preoccupied and I’m reasonably certain you’re probably seeking out bloody Marys–and perhaps something even more calming–as much as my sleepless bestie is. Sober up, cheer on your favorites and let’s savor the first day of 2026 in the manner it always should have been.
Courage…