Playoff Games Today: Full Schedule, TV Channels & Live Score Updates

It’s New Year’s Day, and the College Football Playoff quarterfinals headline the slate of playoff games today, promising wall-to-wall action for fans eager to ring in 2026 with high-stakes showdowns. Schedule at a Glance • Noon ET – Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 5 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL, ESPN). • 4 p.m. ET – Rose Bowl Game: No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA, ESPN). • 8 p.m. ET – Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA, ESPN). Why These Playoff Games Matter Today • Quarterfinal Winners Advance: Victors move to the Fiesta Bowl or Peach Bowl semifinals (Jan. 8–9) and keep their national title hopes alive. • Historic Stakes: This is the first season the expanded 12-team CFP bracket lands three quarterfinals on January 1, amplifying the traditional bowl lineup. • Recruiting & Legacy: Programs can lock in five-star recruits and define coaching legacies with a statement win on the sport’s grandest holiday stage. Game-By-Game Preview 1. Oregon vs. Texas Tech – Orange Bowl • Key Matchup: Dual-threat QB Bo Nix (ORE) vs. nation-leading pass-rush tandem Tyree Wilson Jr. & Isaiah Smith (TTU). • X-Factor: Oregon’s tempo (82.4 plays per game, 3rd in FBS) could tire a Red Raider defense ranked 77th in snaps allowed. • Fun Fact: Ducks chase their first playoff semifinal appearance since 2015. 2. Alabama vs. Indiana – Rose Bowl • Key Matchup: Crimson Tide linebacker Dallas Turner shadowing Big Ten Offensive POY QB Connor Bazelak. • Storyline: Nick Saban returns to Pasadena seeking an eighth national crown, but upstart Indiana owns the FBS’ top scoring offense (46.1 ppg). • Weather Edge: Forecast calls for 68° and clear—perfect for Indiana’s aerial attack. 3. Georgia vs. Ole Miss – Sugar Bowl • Key Matchup: Bulldogs DT Mykel Williams vs. Rebels RB Quinshon Judkins (1,847 yds, 21 TD). • Coaching Chess Match: Kirby Smart’s No. 1 scoring defense (11.3 ppg) meets Lane Kiffin’s hurry-up scheme averaging 2.8 touchdown drives under two minutes. • Trend Watch: Georgia is 8-0 all-time when holding opponents under 100 rush yards in postseason play. How to Watch & Live Stream • TV: All three playoff games air on ESPN; alternate broadcasts available on ESPN2 (Field Pass) and ESPNU (SkyCast). • Streaming: ESPN app, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV; authentication required. • Radio: ESPN Radio nationwide; SiriusXM channels 80–84. SEO Quick Hits (Searchers Ask…) • “What playoff games are on today?”—Three CFP quarterfinals, starting at noon ET. • “What channel is the Rose Bowl on?”—ESPN. • “How to live stream Oregon vs Texas Tech free?”—Use a free trial from fuboTV or YouTube TV. • “Who plays in the Sugar Bowl tonight?”—No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia. What’s Next? Quarterfinal winners collide in next week’s semifinals, setting the stage for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 19 in Miami. Bookmark this page for real-time score updates, injury news and postgame analysis as today’s playoff games rewrite the 2025-26 season storylines.