Predicting the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals

by Eric Fulton

​As we say goodbye to the Christmas season and enter the New Year, the college football playoff enters the second round with eight teams remaining with a chance to win the national championship.

First-round recap: I went 2-2 on my predictions. I am not surprised that Ole Miss and Oregon both dominated at home. The biggest surprise of the first round was Alabama coming back from a 17-point deficit to outlast Oklahoma in Norman. Meanwhile, Miami defeated Texas A&M in a very low-scoring affair in College Station. Now we will see the top four seeds in their first playoff games. Which teams will have some rust, and which teams will continue their hot starts?

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Arlington, Texas
10. Miami Hurricanes vs. 2. Ohio State Buckeyes
December 31st - 7:30 PM (CST) on ESPN

The quarterfinals kick off with Miami making a return trip to the state of Texas after its victory over Texas A&M in the first round of the playoffs. This time, the Hurricanes will travel to Arlington to take on the defending national champion Buckeyes. Ohio State will play its first game since its loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. For Miami to win this game, they will need quarterback Carson Beck to play much better than he did in round one. This game could be decided by which defense allows the fewest plays. I like Ohio State's offensive personnel more than Miami's, led by quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes are the better team going in, but I won't be surprised if Miami wins because of its defense. Ultimately, I think the Buckeyes will win because they are the better team with more depth on both sides of the ball.

Capital One Orange Bowl - Miami Gardens, Fla.
5. Oregon Ducks vs. 4. Texas Tech Red Raiders
January 1st - 11 AM (CST) on ESPN

The first game of the New Year's Day trio is the Orange Bowl between the Ducks and the Red Raiders. Of all the teams remaining in the quarterfinals, you can say that Texas Tech is the biggest surprise to reach this part of the season. Texas Tech was clearly the best team in the not-so-good Big 12 Conference, but they will get a huge test from an Oregon team that looked good against James Madison in the first round of the playoffs. The key for Texas Tech is to play incredible defense against Oregon's Dante Moore. The Red Raiders are led defensively by linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who was the best defensive player in college football in 2025. While I do think Texas Tech is a good team, I do not believe they have enough offense to challenge Oregon. The Ducks are going to win pretty easily, by at least 10 points.

Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential - Pasadena, Calif.
9. Alabama Crimson Tide vs. 1 Indiana Hoosiers
January 1st - 3:00 PM (CST) on ESPN

2025 Heisman Trophy Winner Fernando Mendoza is three wins away from accomplishing a dream season, winning the Heisman, and leading his team to a national championship. But first, he and the rest of the Hoosiers will have to take on an Alabama team that overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat Oklahoma in the first round. For the Crimson Tide to win, quarterback Ty Simpson must outplay Mendoza in the quarterback battle. Simpson must also connect well with his receivers, such as Ryan Williams. While Alabama brings in a ton of momentum into the Rose Bowl, Indiana is not afraid of any challenge. They have proven all year long why they are the number one team in the country, and I think they will continue to do so on New Year's Day.

Allstate Sugar Bowl - New Orleans
6. Ole Miss Rebels vs. 3. Georgia Bulldogs
January 1st - 7:00 (CST) on ESPN

The final quarterfinal matchup in the College Football Playoff features two SEC teams that are familiar with one another. Each team has won the last two matchups at home. Georgia won the previous matchup 43-35 on October 18th. On that day, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for 263 yards, and Georgia quarterback Gunnar Stockton threw for 289 yards. I expect both quarterbacks to play really well. The biggest question for both teams is which defense will step up in key situations. If we see a high-scoring affair like last time, I think it will benefit Ole Miss, even though Lane Kiffin is no longer the head coach. However, I think Georgia has the better defense and scheme in this matchup that will help them advance to the semifinals.