Thursday Quarterfinals How To Watch and Preview

If you had Ohio State tabbed as your College Football Playoff winner please accept my sympathies.

One thing we’re learning here in the new, expanded playoff era is that when you have to run a gauntlet of some of the best teams in America you can take nothing for granted. Today brings three more contests that could easily go either way.

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No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon | Orange Bowl | 12 p.m. (ESPN, WatchESPN)

We’ve been waiting all year to see how Texas Tech will fair against elite competition, and in the opening game of today’s action we get our chance. I think the key matchup in this one is Oregon QB Dante Moore versus the Red Raider pass rush. If Moore can take care of the football and create off script I expect the Duck defense to get enough stops to pull them through.

No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 9 Alabama | Rose Bowl | 4 p.m. (ESPN, WatchESPN)

Personally, this game means either I don’t have to listen to Curt Cignetti’s weird, corny postgame remarks or I get to enjoy Alabama fans starting the egg timer on Kalen DeBoer’s time in Tuscaloosa. Either way I’m happy. This feels a little like the game where we find out if the moment is still a little too big for feel-good Indiana, or if the problems Alabama struggled with in SEC play (no running game whatsoever, penalties, special teams miscues) will dig them once again.

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No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss | Sugar Bowl | 8 p.m. (ESPN, WatchESPN)

Obviously the main event. As you would expect we’ll be along later this evening with an open thread devoted to this one. But in the meantime if you want to read about the key matchups, the relevant stats, or want something to Munson about, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s wishing yours a safe and happy New Year’s Day and a prosperous 2026.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!