Miami closed out 2025 with an upset win over Ohio State, but the action continues into 2026 with a packed day of college football. Here are all the games that will take place on New Year's Day.
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College football matchup No. 1: Oregon vs Texas Tech at 12 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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The College Football Playoffs continue with the first game of 2026 and the second game of the quarterfinals — the University of Oregon (12-1) vs Texas Tech University (12-1) at the Capital One Orange Bowl.
As the fifth seed, Oregon already played once during the College Football Playoffs. The Ducks beat 12 seed JMU to advance to the quarterfinals. Texas Tech had a first-round bye as the fourth seed, so this will be the team's first matchup since the Big 12 Championship win over BYU on Dec. 6.
The winner of this game will advance to the semifinal round. They will face off with either Indiana or Alabama.
College football matchup No. 2: Alabama vs Indiana at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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The second game of the packed New Year's Day schedule features the Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential, a time-honored tradition for football fans.
One sideline will feature Alabama (11-3), a team that has regularly contended for the championship over the decades while battling against other SEC powerhouses.
It also features Indiana (13-0), a Big Ten team that has quickly risen to prominence under head coach Curt Cignetti. This team only had eight bowl game appearances between 1990 and 2023, but it has made the College Football Playoffs the last two seasons.
Alabama, the ninth seed, beat Oklahoma to advance to the quarterfinals. Indiana, the one seed, enjoyed a first-round bye after going 13-0 and defeating Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.
The winner of this afternoon game will advance to the semifinals to face off with either Oregon or Texas Tech. They will move one step closer to the national championship.
College football matchup No. 3: Ole Miss vs Georgia at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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The final game of New Year's Day features two SEC teams vying for a spot in the semifinal round — Ole Miss (12-1) and Georgia (12-1). This is the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
As the six seed, Ole Miss played in the quarterfinals. The Rebels defeated Tulane to advance to the semifinals and one step closer to the national championship. As the three seed, Georgia enjoyed a first-round bye. The last time the Bulldogs played was the Dec. 6 SEC Championship win over Alabama.
The winner of this game between Ole Miss and Georgia will advance to the semfinals. They will face off with Miami, the team that upset Ohio State on New Year's Eve.
