College football playoffs rundown 25-26

The 2025-2026 college football playoffs are here, with top teams in the country competing for the national championship. With big matchups with even bigger things at stake. With every game going by, more teams are having heartbreaking losses, but also unexpected wins. As the final rounds are coming up, teams are working and preparing for the biggest and most important games of their careers.

The first round of the playoffs is being played on December 19th and 20th, which sets the tone for the upcoming games. Several higher-seeded teams advanced as expected, while those lower-seeded teams’ seasons ended with underperformance. With Notre Dame. Penn State, Texas, Ohio State, Boise State, Arizona State, Oregon, and Georgia all advanced to the quarter finals.

In the quarterfinals, games are hosted as bowl games. Most of the quarterfinal bowl games were blowouts out like Oregon going 23-0 against Texas Tech at the Capital in one orange Bowl. But on the other hand, there was one exciting match-up in the quarter finals that left fans on the edge of their seats. Ole Miss started off the game with a 6-0 lead and a 21-12 lead by halftime. But as the game went on, Georgia forced many tight situations for Ole Miss, which led to a tie game 34-34 in the fourth quarter. But with a 47-yard field goal with just seconds left in the Ole Miss took the lead and ended up winning the game against the number three seed. Miami, Oregon, Indiana, and Ole Miss are the four teams that advanced to the semifinals, where only two teams would move on to the championship.  

The Fiesta Bowl with Miami going up against Ole Miss. This game was a very back-and-forth battle between these two teams with many lead changes in the fourth quarter. Ole Miss took an early lead, 7-3, but Miami, after falling behind, regained the lead 10-7. Later into the game, with less than a minute left, the hurricanes were trailing behind 27-24. Miami’s offense drives 75 yards over 15 plays with a 3-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the game, putting Miami ahead 31-27 and getting their spot in the national championship. Now, on the other hand, the Peach Bowl with Indiana and Oregon going up against each other was a dominant performance by Indiana, winning 56-22.

Now with the college football playoffs over there is just one game left, all eyes are on January 19, 2026, where two powerhouse teams are going head-to-head for the National Championship. With high stakes set extremely high for each team, many fans are waiting for the champion to be revealed.

Written by Addison Calvet  | Graphic Designed by Addison Calvet

Published October 17, 2025 | ePathfinder | Sports