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 kicking off the college football playoff semifinals:
2026 CFP Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
Matchup: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Miami Hurricanes
Date: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Stadium: State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Ariz.
TV: ESPN
Game Overview
The 2026 College Football Playoff continues on Thursday.
The Fiesta Bowl returns to the annual tournament for the fifth time, with Ole Miss and Miami each looking to move on and join playoff winners Clemson (2016 and 2019), TCU (2022) and Penn State (2024).
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Tedy Bruschi (1994), Alex Smith (2005), Joe Burrow (2009), Trevor Lawrence (2019) and Brock Purdy (2021) are just a few of the notable names who have taken home the game’s MVP.
The Rebels and Hurricanes will look to add someone to that list on Thursday.
Team Overviews
No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Pete Golding
Record: 13–1
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Ole Miss secured one of the biggest upsets in the history of the CFP on New Year’s Day.
The Rebels took care of business in their first round matchup with the Tulane Green Wave, before securing that upset against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl.
Trinidad Chambliss was absolutely superb, completing 30-of-46 attempts for 362 passing yards and two touchdowns. Kewan Lacy pitched in with 110 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns of his own. Zxavian Harris and Princewill Umanmielen helped the defense total nine tackles for loss, their most in a single game this season.
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LSU isn’t going to make it easy on them moving forward, though, as offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and running backs coach Kevin Smith weren’t with the team for several days but will be allowed to continue coaching.
No. 10 Miami Hurricanes
Conference: ACC
Head Coach: Mario Cristobal
Record: 12–2
Miami secured the biggest upset in the history of the CFP on New Year’s Eve.
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The Hurricanes have ripped off six consecutive victories, including their final three against No. 24 Pitt in the regular season finale, No. 7 Texas A&M in the first round and No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
It’ll be difficult for anyone to defeat them if they can continue to average nearly five yards per carry and allow just single-digit points per game.
Players to Watch
Ole Miss
QB Trinidad Chambliss
RB Kewan Lacy
WR Harrison Wallace III
WR Deuce Alexander
TE Dae’Quan Wright
DL Princewill Umanmielen
DL Will Echoles
LB Suntarine Perkins
LB T.J. Dudley
DB Wydett Williams Jr.
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Miami
QB Carson Beck
RB Mark Fletcher Jr.
WR Malachi Toney
OL Francis Mauigoa
DL Rueben Bain Jr.
DL Akheem Mesidor
DB Kionte Scott
DB Bryce Fitzgerald
Key Notes
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Ole Miss tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox and wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald will not coach in this game.
Betting Lines
DraftKings Sportsbook: Miami -3.5 | O/U 52.5
FanDuel Sportsbook: Miami -3.5 | O/U 52.5
BetMGM Sportsbook: Miami -3.5 | O/U 52.5
The Pick: Under 52.5
Featured image via Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger/Imagn Images
