TAMPA, Fla. – The College Football Playoff is down to the final four with the semifinal winners playing for the national title at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on the evening of January 19.
Here is a glimpse at this week’s semifinal matchups.
Fiesta Bowl: Miami (12-2) vs. Ole Miss (13-1)
Thursday, Jan. 8, 7:30 ET ESPN
Line: Miami -3.5
Rebels: Ole Miss continues to be a feel-good story in the aftermath of Lane Kiffin’s disgraceful soap opera. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who will return to Oxford provided he receives a medical waiver from the NCAA, running back Kewan Lacy, who is returning, and the Rebels’ offense will be a formidable test for an exceptional Miami defense.
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Chambliss, who has totaled 29 touchdowns and thrown only three interceptions this season, is coming off a quarterfinal against Georgia in which his performance was glowing even beyond his eye-opening numbers that included 362 yards passing, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. Lacy did his part in rushing for 89 yards and a pair of TDs to give him 23 on the season.
Defensive tackle Will Echoles, who is also returning, has been a disruptive force, to say the least. He batted down a couple of Gunner Stockton passes and contributed a pair of tackles for loss on a night the Rebels recorded nine.
Hurricanes: Cory Hetherman’s defense has limited Texas A&M (3) and Ohio State (14) to 17 points and has forced five turnovers while piling up a dozen sacks in two playoff games. While Reuben Bain, Jr. and Akheem Mesidor have been their usual superb selves coming off the edge – they combined for 6.5 of those 12 sacks – the entire unit has been dominant. It has come up with big plays, too, and none bigger than corner Keionte Scott’s pick six of Buckeyes’ quarterback Julian Sayin to give the ‘Canes a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter of a 24-14 win.
Carson Beck has only 241 yards passing in two playoff games, though there is this critical fact: he has not turned the ball over. While Malachi Toney has only 51 yards from scrimmage in the playoff to this point, he scored the only touchdown in the contest at A&M. The wealth was spread around against the Buckeyes with CJ Daniels and Keelan Marion both catching five passes after combining for nine receptions the previous two games.
Prediction: Miami 27-20
Peach Bowl: Oregon (13-1) vs. Indiana (14-0)
Friday, Jan. 9, 7:30 ET ESPN
Line: Indiana -3.5
Ducks: Coach Dan Lanning was not too pleased with the defensive effort (34 points, 509 yards) in the first round against James Madison. So, what happened? The Ducks blanked the nation’s highest scoring team in the quarterfinal. A 23-0 win over Texas Tech, in which Oregon forced four turnovers – two interceptions by freshman corner Brandon Finney — and yielded only 10 first downs and 215 yards, was a thing of beauty for Tosh Lupoi’s unit. The DC, who is also Cal’s new head coach, has to scheme for Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers, who defeated the Ducks in Eugene (30-20) in October. Oregon held Indiana to 326 yards, but allowed three 75-yard touchdown drives.
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Dante Moore has completed 75 percent of his passes in two playoff games, but three of his 15 incompletions were intercepted. In the first meeting against IU, Moore threw for 186 yards, one touchdown and was intercepted twice. The Ducks were held to a season-low 267 yards.
Hoosiers: They can do no wrong. A 38-3 quarterfinal win in the Rose Bowl over Alabama was an embarrassment for the ages. In his first game since winning the Heisman, Mendoza completed 14 of 16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns, the seventh time this season he has thrown at least three TDs. Mendoza threw for 215 yards and 1/1 in the first meeting with Oregon. The Hoosiers likely need another strong game from running back Kaelon Black (99 yards, TD vs. ALA) against a defense that smothered Texas Tech.
Speaking of defense, the Hoosiers have allowed only one touchdown in the postseason and that was in the 13-10 Big Ten championship win over Ohio State. Only twice in 14 games have they allowed more than 15 points with the most (24) in a last-minute win at Penn State. All parts have been working together for a unit that sustained a major loss when edge Stephen Daley was lost to a freak injury celebrating the conference championship. The void was filled in a manner similar to how IU has gone about its business all season: by committee.
Prediction: Indiana 20-13
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