.png?w=1280)
Winners and Losers of 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinals
Miami outlasted Ole Miss, Indiana obliterated Oregon and the matchup is set for the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
The paths to that contest, though, were dramatically different.
In the Fiesta Bowl, Miami was clearly the superior team yet needed late heroics from Carson Beck to advance. Mistakes from Miami on both sides of the ball—plus a resilient Ole Miss squad—provided a wild finish.
Friday night, however, Indiana left no mistake about the result. An early pick-six propelled the Hoosiers to a blowout win against its Big Ten adversary.
And the result is a championship matchup that reflects the sport's rapid changes.
Winner: Miami QB Carson Beck
1 of 7
When the news broke of Carson Beck exiting the NFL draft process and instead transferring to Miami, reactions were understandably varied.
Talented player, good numbers. Also had an unspectacular 2024 season at Georgia.
Nevertheless, from a Miami perspective, it was welcomed news. The post-Cam Ward quarterback situation looked shaky at best, and Beck would bring a veteran presence for an offense retooling the pass-catching corps. But a genuine championship-level QB? That was a fair conversation.
It's not a question anymore.
Beck completed 23-of-37 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns, also running in the game-winning three-yard score in the closing seconds of a 31-27 victory over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl.
Miami paid a pretty NIL penny for Beck. And as the 'Canes head to the national championship in their home stadium, it's clear he was worth every single one.
Loser: Miami Mistakes
2 of 7
Whew, boy, did the Hurricanes try to lose the game, though.
They possessed the ball for nearly 42 minutes compared to about 18 for Ole Miss. Miami converted a staggering 13 of its 21 third- or fourth-down attempts, while Ole Miss finished 2-of-10. On those two stats, you'd think it was a rout.
However, self-inflicted mistakes from the 'Canes kept it competitive.
Miami straight-up dropped no less than four interceptions, whereas Ole Miss snatched a pick on its single real opportunity. Miami took 10 flags for 74 yards, but Ole Miss dealt with a modest four penalties for 34 yards. Several trick-play attempts or gadget formations backfired on the 'Canes, too.
Look, the important thing for Miami is a win. But the Hurricanes used up their entire margin for error in a game they overwhelmingly controlled.
Winner: Beck's Supporting Cast
3 of 7
It would be great to identify a singular impact performer for the 'Canes. In reality, it was a team effort that carried Miami to a dramatic win.
Keelan Marion, a transfer from BYU, provided his most impactful showing of the season. He caught seven passes for 114 yards and a score, drawing a pair of key penalties with a couple of clutch receptions on Miami's final two drives.
Star freshman Malachi Toney turned a screen into a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Bruising back Mark Fletcher Jr.—battling a flu bug—rushed for 133 yards, and North Dakota State transfer Marty Brown went for 54 more and a touchdown.
We could highlight so many others.
LSU transfer CJ Daniels added a critical late third-down reception, and a largely homegrown offensive line allowed The U to dominate time of possession. The defense gave up one explosive 73-yard touchdown but otherwise locked down the Ole Miss running game.
Although mistakes nearly crushed the 'Canes, they found enough contributions from all over the depth chart to survive themselves.
Loser: Ole Miss' Cinderella Story
4 of 7
What a run. And the Rebels came so close to a shot at a storybook ending.
Lane Kiffin bolted for what he believes is a greener pasture at LSU—entirely his right, no matter my feeling or yours—yet the roster he left behind impressively moved forward.
Ole Miss toppled Tulane to begin the CFP, then exacted some revenge on Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Miami outplayed the Rebs, but they fought to the final whistle behind breakout QB Trinidad Chambliss, capitalized on Miami's mistakes and fell a single defensive stand or last-second Hail Mary short of flipping the result.
Yes, the disappointment is real. I'm certain it hurts.
Still, for a program to lose its head coach immediately before the postseason and hit the doorstep of the national title, that's an incredible accomplishment.
Winner: Indiana, from the Beginning
5 of 7
In the Hoosiers' case, I mean it literally. The first snap of the Peach Bowl featured Indiana corner D'Angelo Ponds returning an interception 25 yards to the house.
There are worse ways to start a game!
Oregon responded with a long drive to even the score, but the final 22 minutes of the opening half—and 52 of the game, honestly—belonged to the Hoosiers.
Two more takeaways and two other touchdown drives later, IU entered halftime with an insurmountable 35-7 advantage. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza headed to the locker room after throwing three touchdowns and one incompletion in the first 30 minutes, ultimately tossing five scores in a 56-22 annihilation.
It was just absurd.
Given how IU has played all season, however, it was unsurprising—which is also the most impressive takeaway of all.
Loser: Oregon's Ugly CFP Exit, Again
6 of 7
I'm not calling for Dan Lanning to land on a hot seat. I'm not making some unnecessary, overly dramatic proclamation about Oregon's shaky postseason upside.
But, man, that's two horrendous Playoff losses in back-to-back seasons. Ohio State routed the Ducks in the Rose Bowl last season, leading by as many as 34 points. Indiana maxed out at 41 points on Friday night in Atlanta.
Friends, that's a brutal two-year sequence.
I cannot emphasize enough that about 125 other programs would love to have this problem. These losses happened in the CFP quarterfinals and semifinals after seasons in which Oregon won 13 games, along with a Big Ten championship.
Those are two terrific years. And two horrific endings.
Winner: The Newest Title Matchup in 15 Years
7 of 7
Since 2010, every championship game has included one of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan or Ohio State except one. The outlier happened in 2013 when Florida State beat Auburn, which had celebrated a national title just three years earlier.
That's a tidy little segue!
To secure that crowning moment in 2010, the Cam Newton-led Auburn team clipped Oregon. At the moment of the contest, Auburn hadn't claimed a championship since 1958. Oregon had never—and still has not—won a title.
That's the vibe of this upcoming clash between zero-time winner Indiana and a Miami program eyeing its first championship in 24 seasons. The schools haven't even played each other since 1966.
Point to NIL equalizing the sport. Credit the expanded CFP format allowing 10th-seeded Miami—the final at-large bid in the field—capitalizing on unprecedented access. Acknowledge how the transfer portal has reshaped every offseason, and the list could go on.
Combine all of those factors, though, and the 2025 season is officially set to crown the newest national champion in at least 15 years.
And if Indiana wins, literally ever.
.jpg?w=600 "Report: Pats Likely to Trade for A.J.")
