Why college football is awesome - Week 13 - Playoff life is hard

Playoff football is here!

Eight of the final twelve schools standing began their postseason tournament this weekend, with four moving on to the quarter-finals and four heading home. Here are the biggest talking points from all the first-round action:

Power 4 flexes it’s muscles

There were twelve days between the playoff committee announcing its final rankings and the first round commencing, giving the college football illuminati nothing better to do than overanalyse the field. The biggest talking point; did the inclusion of two Group of Five champions dilute the quality of matchups?

Sport loves an underdog. But sadly, neither James Madison or Tulane did anything to dispel the notion that they were out of their depth this weekend. The Green Wave in particular failed to land a significant blow against their opponent, with Ole Miss easing to a 41-10 victory at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The Rebels were up two scores early and never looked in danger, despite quarterback Trinidad Chambliss having a spell on the sidelines after a big collision. The only time the Green Wave saw paydirt was when the game was effectively out of reach; quarterback Jake Retzlaff finding Justyn Reid on a 20-yard strike.

James Madison was similarly outclassed, but didn’t leave Eugene without putting up a fight. Head Coach Bob Chesney emptied his bag before departing for UCLA, with the Dukes using every trick play and fake punt in their playbook to keep in touch with Oregon.

The Ducks never looked in danger, and the final 51-34 scoreline didn’t reflect their dominance on the field, most apparent in the trenches. JMU struggled to clog run lanes and didn’t lay a glove on quarterback Dante Moore, whose two thrown interceptions kept this game closer than it should have been.

These beatdowns will inevitably lead to more calls for a rethink when it comes to future playoff participants. But take away the chance for a Cinderella story and you lose what makes college football special. You need to only Google ‘Boise State Fiesta Bowl’ or ‘Tulane Cotton Bowl’ for examples of why there should be a pathway for smaller programs.

 

If you’re looking for a dose of classic college football madness from these two games, then perhaps Ole Miss came through; the game in Oxford on Saturday will go down in the record books as the largest gathering of people wearing Santa hats (68,002) in history. I hope this sport never changes.

Big road wins shakes up playoff bracket

There were two other playoff games this weekend, beginning with an All-SEC matchup in Norman on Friday night. Oklahoma had beaten Alabama in the regular season, and Gaylord Family Stadium was packed with 80,000 Sooners fans who thought they were going to witness a repeat of Week 12.

But no team has beaten the Crimson Tide twice in the same season for over 100 years - and there’s a reason for that. A college football powerhouse, Alabama has a standard not many other schools can match. And despite giving Oklahoma a 17-point lead, stormed back to a famous 34-24 road win.

The Tide had used the two-week break to get healthy, and after the early setback dominated. Quarterback Ty Simpson linked up twice with Lotzeir Brooks, whilst the defense held the Sooners to just 55 rushing yards. John Mateer was hit eleven times as he tried to single-handedly drag Oklahoma over the line, but this one felt inevitable when he threw a pick six ninety seconds before the half.

Things looked a lot different in College Station. The Miami-Texas A&M matchup had the feel of a game that could deliver a bonafide national champion contender, and it appeared as if both defenses were determined to back up those claims.

Blustery conditions helped to keep the scoreline down, with four field goals missing the target. But it was ferocious pass rushes and swarming secondaries that ultimately had this game scoreless at halftime; the Hurricanes’ defense in particular was possessed, with seven sacks and a further eight hits on Aggies QB Marcel Reed.

One drive decided this game. Running back Mark Fletcher took over, rushing for 75 yards on five carries before Carson Beck found Malachi Toney for the go-ahead touchdown. The Hurricanes then picked off Reed in their own endzone to ice the game, and Miami moves on to the quarterfinals.

Speaking of; we now have our matchups for the next round, played across New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day:

• Cotton Bowl: #2 Ohio State vs #10 Miami
• Orange Bowl: #4 Texas Tech vs #5 Oregon
• Rose Bowl: #1 Indiana vs #9 Alabama
• Sugar Bowl: #3 Georgia vs #6 Ole Miss

I can’t think of a better four games to begin 2026.

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