The road to the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship has been narrowed down to four teams, each eager for their first championship in a long time (or first ever). The final teams, being Miami, Ole Miss, Indiana, and Oregon, are some that many people may not have expected coming into the playoffs. Indiana, even being the one seed, has been doubted throughout the year due to their lack of historical success. Ole Miss had their head coach, Lane Kiffin, leave right after the regular season, stirring drama, and people went as far as to discuss leaving Ole Miss out entirely because they thought they wouldn’t be able to compete without their head coach. Miami jumped into the playoffs during the last week of the regular season after not being in it for six weeks, and has been the underdog in its first two playoff games. Oregon has never won a national championship, along with Indiana, so they have their doubters as well.
Each of these teams has their electric, X Factor player, who is must see tv. For Ole Miss, it’s star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. For Indiana, it’s Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. For Oregon, it’s projected top 3 pick Dante Moore. For Miami, it’s the experienced Carson Beck. These games are going to be must-see tv.
First, let’s discuss Ole Miss-Miami. Miami has an elite defense, which was shown when they shut down Ohio State, limiting them to 14 points. However, Ole Miss is led by Trinidad Chambliss along with star runningback Kewan Lacy. If Miami’s offense can prevail, which has been inconsistent this year, I can see this definitely being a high-scoring shootout game. As a Notre Dame fan, it would hurt me to pick Miami, so I’ve got the final score 30-27 with an Ole Miss win. The D2 transfer Trindidad Chambliss takes his head-coachless Rebels to the national championship.
When it comes to Indiana-Oregon, the first thing I think about is how hard it is to beat a team twice, let alone a top ten team like Oregon. Granted, Indiana beat them by ten, and it was at Autzen Stadium. I see this rematch being pretty similar to the first, but a bit less scoring. I think that Indiana’s defense really buckles down on Friday. I believe Mendoza has an alright game, throwing a pick and a touchdown. Final score prediction: 23-13 Indiana.
This would lead to an electrifying national championship showcasing Indiana and Ole Miss, which would be must-see TV. Overall, be ready for two fantastic games and a Trinidad masterclass.
