By the end of Saturday, we will know the eight quarterfinalists in the College Football Playoff. We already know five of them, and now it’s time to learn who will be joining Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech and Alabama in a little over a week.
If you don’t remember much about the round of 12 the first time we saw this format a year ago, well, you’re not alone. All the on-campus games were quite forgettable. As neutral observers we are hopeful that will not be the case again this year, but we suspect it might be. Alabama’s win over Oklahoma on Friday night was a step in the right direction as the Crimson Tide erased a 17-0 deficit to advance to face No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
Here’s what you need to know about today’s CFP matchups:
No. 10 Miami (Fla.) at No. 7 Texas A&M
Time/TV: Saturday, noon ET, ABC/ESPN.
Why watch: This is arguably the most intriguing of the opening-round quartet of games. Both the Aggies and Hurricanes are in the 12-team field for the first time, and both teams are here in large measure because of September victories against Notre Dame. Miami QB Carson Beck is accustomed to the big stage from his time at Georgia, though he can still make critical mistakes at inopportune moments. If he is on target, WR Malachi Toney could take advantage of an Aggies’ secondary that can be susceptible at times. A&M DE Cashius Howell will try to keep him off balance. Aggies’ QB Marcel Reed can also be streaky but has outstanding playmakers like WRs K.C. Concepcion and Mario Craver at his disposal. The Hurricanes have a disruptive force of their own in DE Rueben Bain, who often gets help from the opposite side from Akheem Mesidor.
Why it could disappoint: There are enough big-play weapons on both sides to suggest either team is capable of a comeback. If one team does pull away it will likely be because of a turnover barrage, and it could happen to either of them.
No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi
Time/TV: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV.
Why watch: This is the second playoff pairing of teams that met in the regular season. The first encounter was not especially competitive as the Rebels romped 45-10, but the Green Wave have rolled to double-digit wins in their last four outings, including the American championship final against North Texas. Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff has five receivers with at least 23 catches, and he might need all of them to keep the ball moving against DT Will Echoles and the Ole Miss defense. Rebels’ QB Trinidad Chambliss and RB Kewan Lacy found the end zone early and often in their prior meeting with the Green Wave. The Tulane defense might again be overmatched, but S Jack Tchienchou can usually be found at the point of attack.
Why it could disappoint: We’ll be pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t, but sometimes a movie shouldn’t have a sequel. If the first few drives don’t go the Green Wave’s way, there might not be much they can do.
No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
Time/TV: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV.
Why watch: The Sun Belt champion Dukes have the toughest of assignments as they make their playoff debut on the opposite coast against the battle-tested Ducks. You won’t hear any complaining from JMU, however, even as a heavy underdog. JMU’s backfield tandem of QB Alonza Barnett III and RB Wayne Knight do a good job staying on schedule, enabling a 47.67% conversion rate on third down and a time of possession advantage of over eight minutes a game. But finding gaps might be more difficult this week against the likes of Ducks’ LB Bryce Boettcher. Oregon QB Dante Moore and RB Noah Whittington also know how to keep the sticks moving, but their blockers must account for Dukes’ DE Sahir West.
Why it could disappoint: This is not a rematch, of course, but see above on the importance of the opening few possessions. The Ducks would like nothing better than to have things in hand quickly.
(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)