The College Football Playoffs are over halfway complete, and there have already been a number of upsets. As a result, the semi-final will not feature Ohio State, Georgia, or Alabama. Instead, the remaining teams are either looking for their first official National Championship, or first in decades.
Let’s dive into the remaining games, and predict who will come out on top.
VRBO Fiesta Bowl: 10 Miami vs 6 Ole Miss
What a path these two teams have had to reach this point. First, let’s look at Miami, who weren’t even slated to be in the CFP until the final rankings. Then, went to Kyle Field and knocked off Texas A&M in one of the toughest environments in college football. Then, manhandled Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, knocking off the defending national champs, and sending the Canes into the semi-finals.
Then, there’s Ole Miss, who has seen their head coach leave their team for another SEC school right before heading into the playoffs. With a number of Ole Miss’ staff heading to LSU with Lane Kiffin, it has caused disarray as to whether they’d stay at Ole Miss for the CFP run, or abandon the team as well. Regardless, Ole Miss easily handled Tulane in the first round, and then knocked off the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs in an instant classic. No matter which coaches will stay around for the rest of this run, Ole Miss is just one game from appearing in the National Championship.
Now for the game, where Miami will look to continue their physical play shown in the previous rounds, and Ole Miss will continue to lean on Trinidad Chambliss, who has been on another level in the first two rounds. Expect a close, largely low-scoring game that will come down to the wire. But, Miami’s physicality and tough defense will be too much for Ole Miss, as Miami returns to the National Championship for the first time in decades.
Score: Miami 20, Ole Miss 16
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl: 5 Oregon vs 1 Indiana
What a matchup of two dominant Big Ten teams we have here in the semi-finals. This matchup has all the potential to be an instant classic. Thes two teams are led by two of the best coaches in the game, Dan Lanning and Curt Cignetti. As well as the top two projected QBs to be taken off the board in this year’s NFL Draft, Dante Moore and Fernando Mendoza. We should be in for a great matchup.
These two teams have had the benefit of already seeing each other earlier this year, as Indiana went into Eugene and knocked off the Ducks earlier in this year in 30-20 game. With that being said, Indiana has already beaten Oregon in Autzen, one of the toughest places to play in College Football, so surely they’d have the upper hand in a rematch on a neutral field. But, look no further than Oregon’s demise last year, as they had beaten Ohio State earlier in the year, only to get blown out by them in the Rose Bowl.
With all this being said, I expect Indiana to continue to show why they are the #1 ranked team in the country, and build off their Rose Bowl blowout of Alabama to advance to the National Championship. Fernando Mendoza and their high flying offense, combined with their stout defense will be too much for Oregon to handle, expect Oregon to keep it close early, but Indiana to pull away late.
Score: Indiana 34, Oregon 21
National Championship: 10 Miami vs 1 Indiana
Is the U back? It certainly seems so, and Miami will be looking to win their first National Championship since 2001, in their own home stadium as well.
On the other side, Indiana is looking to show that they are much more than just a basketball school. Curt Cignetti’s meteoric rise has been unprecedented, and he is on the brink of bringing Indiana their first ever National Championship, and potentially start a dynasty in Bloomington.
This game always means so much to whoever is in it, but especially for these two teams who are looking to bring their schools to national glory. So, who has the edge?
Miami has shown to be a physical and dominant football team throughout their run, and Carson Beck has shown that he can be the QB who many thought he was. Their style of play is tough for any school that matches up against them. The question will be how Mendoza and the Hoosier offense can line up against them.
But, there’s a reason Mendoza is projected to go number 1 in the NFL Draft, and he will continue to show why in this matchup. Even though Miami’s defense will keep this low-scoring, the Indiana Hoosiers will prevail, win their first ever National Championship, and launch Cignetti into the list of all-time College Football coaching greats.
Score: Indiana 24, Miami 14
