The Quarterfinals were not kind to me. After just one incorrect pick in the first round of the playoffs, I was reward with just one correct pick in the second round. Oregon saved me from getting skunked, but I did lose both my national runner up and champion. Maybe I am becoming more of an "expert" each and every day. Before we get into the games that matter, we'll have our last installment of Will's Corner for the 2025 season.
Will's Corner
BYU looked good early, driving the ball 74 yards on their opening possession—only to get stopped on fourth down. But they responded by scoring on their very next drive and looked as if they would be firing on all cylinders all day. That would not be the case. After Georgia Tech scored to take a 14–10 lead, BYU’s Cody Hagen muffed the ensuing kickoff and gave the Yellow Jackets the ball inside the 10-yard line. Georgia Tech capitalized and took a 21–10 lead into halftime, leaving BYU in need of yet another second-half comeback to avoid a disappointing end to the season.
The third quarter didn’t bring much hope, as the only promising drive ended with an abysmal fade attempt by Bear Bachmeier that resulted in an interception in the end zone. A stout BYU defense gave the Cougars a glimmer of hope, and the offense stepped up when it mattered. BYU scored early in the fourth quarter and converted the two-point attempt to make it a three-point game. After forcing back-to-back three-and-outs, BYU’s offense once again delivered, driving 70 yards to take the lead with under two minutes to play. Thanks to the earlier two-point conversion, the game became a four-point margin instead of three, meaning Georgia Tech needed a touchdown. After forcing the Yellow Jackets into a fourth-and-15 from their own 16-yard line, quarterback Haynes King connected on a 66-yard completion to set Georgia Tech up with a chance to tie the game. BYU defensive back Evan Johnson, who was beaten on the long play, redeemed himself four plays later by intercepting a fourth-down pass in the end zone to seal the win.
BYU finishes the year 12–2, with both losses coming to Texas Tech. They went 2–2 against ranked opponents and deserve credit for a road win at Arizona, who was unranked at the time but now sits inside the top 20.
Illinois 30, Tennessee 28
One of the more peculiar games of the bowl season saw Tennessee play poorly for long stretches yet still have a chance to win at the end. Trailing 10–7 at halftime after a missed field goal, the Vols had only three true possessions in the first half, one of which was a three-and-out. An early fumble by Joey Aguilar on a sack led to a scoop-and-score, extending Illinois’ lead to 17–7. The two teams traded touchdowns before Tennessee returned a kickoff for a score to take a 28–27 lead late in the fourth quarter. The defense, however, couldn’t get the stop it needed, as Illinois marched down the field and kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired to win the game.
Tennessee ends the season with a disappointing 8–5 record. Missed opportunities against Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma will leave a sour taste heading into the offseason. Roster turnover will be the big storyline for the Vols, and all eyes will be on the team Josh Heupel assembles for next year.
In the first game of the post–Jimmy Rogers era, Washington State aired it out and let it fly. What started as a slow opening turned into an offensive onslaught in the second half. The Cougs racked up 628 total yards of offense and built a 34–14 lead before Utah State added a late garbage-time touchdown. The outcome was never in doubt, and you could argue Wazzu left a few points on the field.
Washington State finishes the season 7–6, with close losses to Ole Miss, James Madison, and Virginia. Early-season defensive breakdowns and an inexplicable loss to Oregon State stand out as the biggest blemishes. Once again, roster construction looms large with the departure of Jimmy Rogers. New head coach Kirby Moore appears to be a strong fit in Pullman, but the focus now turns to what he can build, especially with the Pac-12 returning next year and a clear path to the playoff ahead.
The Cotton Bowl
Ohio State looked to change their luck in playoff games played on New Year’s Eve as they took on Miami. In the Buckeyes’ last two playoff games on NYE, they were shut out by Clemson and missed a game-winning field goal as time expired against Georgia. This year, unlike those two games, Ohio State entered as the clear favorite, looking to continue their path toward a repeat title.
Miami came into the game off a stellar defensive performance against Texas A&M, and they picked up right where they left off. Ohio State looked lost for most of the first half, as Julian Sayin appeared overwhelmed, facing constant pressure and getting sacked multiple times. Midway through the second quarter, Sayin telegraphed a screen pass so badly that Miami’s corner jumped the route with ease and returned the interception 72 yards for a touchdown. The pick-six made it 14-0 Miami, and Ohio State’s offense looked more like Iowa’s than its own — especially notable considering Iowa scored 34 points earlier in the day against Vanderbilt.
The Buckeyes began to figure things out in the second half, opening with an 11-play, 82-yard drive to cut the deficit to one score. Miami responded with a field goal, but Ohio State answered again, marching 75 yards on 10 plays to make it a three-point game with just over ten minutes remaining.
After forcing a punt, Ohio State had a chance to take its first lead of the game. Once again, however, the Hurricanes’ defense rose to the occasion, as a timely sack of Sayin forced the Buckeyes to punt. Miami capitalized, driving 70 yards in 10 plays and capping it off with a six-yard touchdown run by CharMar Brown to extend the lead to ten.
With just 55 seconds remaining, all hope was lost for Ohio State. The No. 2 seed in the playoff suffered its second straight loss and remained winless on New Year’s Eve.
Looking at what this result means, starting with the Buckeyes: Ohio State finished the season 12-2 and ended on a two-game losing streak. Frankly, this performance by the defending champions was not a good look for them or the Big Ten. Ohio State’s best wins ended up being against Illinois and Michigan — teams that finished with subpar seasons and ranked lower than when Ohio State played them. Overall, the end of the season leaves a sour taste, as their “high-powered” offense was handled with relative ease by their final two opponents.
Miami, meanwhile, continues its dream postseason. For the second straight year it looked like the Hurricanes might miss the playoff due to ACC tiebreaker bad luck, but they snuck in and made the most of the opportunity. Their defense has carried them, while Carson Beck has done exactly what has been asked of him. Miami now moves on to the Fiesta Bowl with a chance to reach the national championship game for the first time since 2001.
The Orange Bowl
2026 started with a highly anticipated matchup between Oregon and Texas Tech. Oregon made light work of James Madison in the first round, while Texas Tech had not lost since mid-October, when Behren Morton was injured.
Oregon looked to do what no team had done all year against the Texas Tech defense: score early and often. While the Ducks were only able to muster two field goals in the first half, the real surprise was what their defense did to Texas Tech. In the first half alone, Oregon forced three punts and turned the Red Raiders over twice. That trend continued in the second half, as Texas Tech either turned the ball over on downs or via interception or fumble five more times.
Texas Tech had scored fewer than 30 points only twice all season, with their lowest total coming in their other lone loss when they scored 22. Against Oregon, they scored zero.
Zero.
Oregon finished drives more efficiently in the second half and ended up winning by the tune of 23–0, dominating in all aspects of the game and making up for their embarrassing quarterfinal loss a year ago.
Texas Tech finishes the season 12–2 as Big 12 champions, but this performance in the CFP does nothing to help the conference’s national perception. A league trying to prove it deserves multiple playoff bids does not need its champion getting shut out on the national stage. Their NIL experiment paid dividends in year one, but it didn’t quite deliver what they were hoping for. Still, Texas Tech appears to have solidified itself as a Big 12 powerhouse moving forward.
Oregon, meanwhile, moves on to the Peach Bowl with a chance to reach its first national championship game since the 2014 season. With their lone loss coming against Indiana, the Ducks now have a shot at a rematch. Dante Moore continues to cement himself as the projected number one pick in the upcoming draft, and if he keeps playing at this level—and the defense performs like it did in the Orange Bowl—Oregon will be a very tough out.
The Rose Bowl
I really don’t know what to write about this game.
Kalen DeBoer tried to outcoach Curt Cignetti and pull some fast ones throughout the game. Cignetti wasn’t having any of it and flat-out dominated Alabama.
Alabama was embarrassed in all phases of the game—there was no question who the better team was. Indiana made Alabama look like a Group of Five program on the biggest stage. Any momentum DeBoer had built with Alabama fans over the past few months was completely wiped out in 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, Indiana looks like the team to beat. With the way the other games finished, the Hoosiers are the clear favorite to win the national title. Fernando Mendoza played as well as he needed to, but the running game featuring Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby was unstoppable.
Indiana is legit. Not that they needed to prove it—but they did.
Now the Hoosiers face Oregon with a chance to reach the national championship game. So far, rematches in the CFP haven’t favored the regular-season winner. Teams that lost in the regular season are 2–1 in playoff rematches, with the lone exception being Tulane—so you can decide how much weight that carries. Indiana will look to become the first Power Five team this season to beat the same opponent in both the regular season and the playoff.
The Sugar Bowl
New Year’s night brought the best matchup of the quarterfinals by far. In a rematch from October 18th, Ole Miss looked to avenge its only loss of the season and advance to the semifinals for the first time. Georgia, meanwhile, looked to keep its hot streak alive, having not lost since September and recently rolling through opponents.
In the regular-season meeting, Ole Miss’s defense was unable to stop Georgia’s offense at any point. The Rebels managed to keep pace for three quarters, but when you can’t get stops, even one stalled drive puts you behind—and that’s exactly what cost Ole Miss the game. This time around, the Rebels were determined to rebound with a stronger defensive showing.
The biggest difference in this rematch was on the sideline. Lane Kiffin was no longer the head coach—something everyone should be aware of unless you live under a rock. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding stepped in as interim head coach, aiming to give the Rebels a new defensive identity.
Early on, the game followed a familiar script. Georgia exploded for three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 21–12 lead into halftime. Ole Miss managed a touchdown of its own to keep it a one-score game, but it felt as though Georgia had figured something out offensively late in the half.
The third quarter featured back-and-forth scoring. Ole Miss found the end zone to cut the lead to two, Georgia missed a field goal, then converted one on its next possession to make it 24–19 heading into the fourth quarter—where things got wild.
An eight-play, 75-yard drive gave Ole Miss a 27–24 lead. On the very next possession, Georgia fumbled and handed the Rebels the ball inside the 25. Two plays later, Ole Miss made it 34–24 with nine minutes remaining. Georgia responded with a 75-yard drive of its own to cut the lead back to three.
Ole Miss needed to control the ball and score to ice the game. Instead, they went three-and-out and punted. Georgia once again had the ball with plenty of time to drive for the win. This time, though, the Ole Miss defense delivered—forcing Georgia to settle for a field goal inside the ten-yard line, tying the game. Considering Ole Miss hadn’t stopped Georgia once in October, that stand was massive. With the game tied and just 50 seconds left, it looked like the Sugar Bowl was headed for overtime.
Then came the dagger.
Ole Miss receiver De’Zhaun Stribling—formerly of Washington State—got behind the defense on third-and-five and hauled in a 40-yard pass from Trinidad Chambliss deep into Georgia territory. Four plays later, Lucas Carneiro drilled a 47-yard field goal straight through the uprights.
A failed hook-and-ladder attempt on the ensuing kickoff resulted in a safety, and even with a successful onside kick recovery, Georgia was out of time. Ole Miss had completed the revenge upset.
Georgia finishes the season 12–2 as SEC champions. However, for the second straight year under the 12-team playoff format, they earned a bye only to lose their first playoff game. They have not won a playoff game since the 63–7 dismantling of TCU in the 2022 national championship. Despite a strong second half of the season, anything short of another title was going to feel like a disappointment—and this certainly qualifies.
Ole Miss, on the other hand, is riding high. Lane Kiffin may still claim he enjoys watching what’s happening in Oxford, but this team clearly rallied around his departure. The Rebels have embraced Pete Golding and played with a cohesion and edge that showed when it mattered most. Now, Ole Miss heads to the Fiesta Bowl to face Miami with a chance to reach its first-ever national championship game.
The College Football Playoff Bracket
Peach Bowl- Oregon vs, Indiana: Indiana
Fiesta Bowl- Miami vs. Ole Miss: Ole Miss
Games this week are on Thursday and Friday to not get in the way of the NFL Playoffs starting Saturday. The Fiesta Bowl is Thursday and the Peach Bowl is Friday, both at 7:30 pm ET.
I’d love to hear from readers, too. Think my takes are dumb? Want my opinion on something I missed? Email me at thecollegefootblog@gmail.com.
