Oregon vs. James Madison: Time, Date, TV Channel, 2026 College Football Playoff Preview

It’s bowl season, which means we have a lot of football to watch between Dec. 13 and Jan. 19! Ohio State, Utah, Georgia Southern, Army, Texas A&M — and just about everyone in between — will take part in a total of 47 games that will ultimately conclude with the 2026 CFP National Championship.

NESN has you covered with previews for each and every game — with our next contest continuing things in the 2026 College Football Playoff:

2026 College Football Playoff First-Round Game

Matchup: Oregon Ducks vs. James Madison Dukes
Date: Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Stadium: Autzen Stadium — Eugene, Ore.
TV: TNT, HBO Max

Game Overview

The 2026 College Football Playoff continues with an odd matchup between No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 James Madison.

It’s perhaps the most lopsided matchup we’ve ever seen  in the college football playoff, with the Ducks entering the season with 1,236 worth of points and the Dukes entering with just 90 points in the initial edition of the AP Top 25.

Team Overviews

Oregon Ducks
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Dan Lanning
Record: 11–1

Oregon officially established itself as one of the premier powerhouses in college football this season, backing up their conference championship season with a one-loss campaign that included victories over Penn State, Iowa and USC.

The Ducks, who have one of the best offenses (9th of 136) and defenses (8th of 136) in the FBS, only lost once and it came against No. 1 Indiana.

Dante Moore, who has the potential to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has been superb in his first full season as a starter, passing for 2,377 yards and 24 touchdowns. It’s one of the most talented rosters in the entire country, and they’ll have quite the opportunity to show off on Saturday.

James Madison Dukes
Conference: Sun Belt
Head Coach: Bob Chesney
Record: 12-1

James Madison isn’t some overmatched team that will just happy to be playing playoff football.

The Dukes boast an impressive resume that includes an 11-game winning streak, 37.3 points scored per game (10th of 136) and 15.8 points allowed per game (10th of 136).

Bob Chesney, who has a 21-5 record over the last two seasons in Harrisonburg, Virginia and finished 44-21 across six seasons at Holy Cross, will move on following the conclusion of the season to coach the UCLA Bruins.

Players to Watch

Oregon
QB Dante Moore
RB Jordon Davison
RB Noah Whittington
WR Dakorien Moore
TE Kenyon Sadiq
DL Teitum Tuioti
DL Matayo Uiagaleilei
DL Bear Alexander
DB Dillon Theineman

James Madison
QB Alonza Bernett III
RB Wayne Knight
WR Landon Ellis
WR Braedan Wisloski
DL Sahir West
LB Trent Hendrick
DB Justin Eaglan

Key Notes

No. 4 Texas Tech will face the winner in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1.

Betting Lines

DraftKings Sportsbook: Oregon -21 | O/U 47.5
FanDuel Sportsbook: Oregon -20.5 | O/U 47.5
BetMGM Sportsbook: Oregon -20.5 | O/U 47.5

The Pick: James Madison +21