Overview
- The four campus-hosted games are No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma on Friday night, then No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss, and No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon on Saturday.
- Oddsmakers list Texas A&M as a small home favorite over Miami (roughly 3–3.5 points) with tight odds for Oklahoma–Alabama and big spreads for Ole Miss and Oregon.
- The winner of Miami–Texas A&M advances to face No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal on Dec. 31.
- Miami’s selection ahead of Notre Dame on a head-to-head tiebreaker remains contentious, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love publicly voiced support for Texas A&M.
- Coaching movement factors into preparations, with Ole Miss handing the reins to Pete Golding after Lane Kiffin’s exit, Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and JMU’s Bob Chesney bound for new jobs, and Oregon set to lose both coordinators after the playoff.