College Football Live - CFB Live - CFP Semifinals Begin Today

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

Join our crew Zubin Mehenti, Joey Galloway, Brock Osweiler, Stanford Steve and Pete Thamel for College Football Live. From Glendale, Arizona, we prepare for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl kickoff at 7:30 ET. We'll have live reports from Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge on what to expect from Miami and Ole Miss and also preview storylines ahead of the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl tomorrow. You don't want to miss the show, tune in to CFB Live now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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He changed the culture. He changed sports. Stream Booja, presented by Modelo, right now on the ESPN app. State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona has hosted the biggest events in sports, the Super Bowl in 23, the final 4 in 24. And on this January day in 26, the college football playoff national semifinal between the Miami Hurricane. and the Ole Miss Rebels in the Verbo Fiesta Bowl, among the most compelling and unlikely CFP games ever. People like this come down to poise.

They come down to how bad you wanted. Boys, you're in the playoffs. Everyone else will be a dogfighter. You gotta be at your best. This is the greatest era of Old Miss football ever that you is back. He's accepted touchdown Miami. He's on fire right now. He can't miss.

And if this is what your bracket look like when you filled it out on December 7th, I would love to see it for visual proof. You know the deal. Miami wins tonight. They go to the Natty in their home stadium. Ole Miss has had a dream season. Oregon and Indiana are dreaming of their first national championship. And with that, we welcome.

you inside college football live, live from the field. And if I could use a little football parlance, this is an exotic five-man front, if I've ever seen it. With Pete Dammel, the game is so big. Steve put on a tie. It's great to have Steve here first of this season. Joey Galloway and Brock Osweiler, who I recall did a little pitch and catch here in the Valley. It's great to have you here.

I'd be remiss if I didn't start by saying tonight is the 50th game in the history of the college football playoff. And for all of us that love the sport that said, we'll never have a true champion, we'll never decided on the field, 50 games into this grand experiment. What happens next? That's a Pete story for January 20th. We'll wait until we get there. Let's go big picture on what we're seeing from the semifinals around the desk.

Let's start with you, my friend. Well, the biggest upset is Steve wearing a tie. You already pointed that out. And disappointing. And this is fair. Fair. You know, this is Florida Gulf Coast. Butler, this is the busted bracket.

Zubin. If you had told me before the season, these two teams would be playing in the semi, I would have said you were crazy. If you had told me before the playoff, these two teams would be playing here, not Ohio State and Georgia. I would have told you we were crazy. But here we are, and this is why we love this ridiculous sport. What a playoff it's been and what a night is going to be tonight's team.

Yeah, I mean, everybody's talking about the bracket getting busted up, but just the stories in the path that these two teams have taken to get here. With Miami, not knowing until Selection Sunday, you know, and Ole Miss with what they've had to deal with off the field. It's just a, I commend both programs, and I can't wait for tonight. And I think coming in, the way Georgia looked in the SEC championship game, we assume they would be here. And there was a whole bunch of Ohio State fans that had plane tickets already

in that hotel rooms. book for being out here and to playing this game that aren't here. And to see what Ole Miss has gone through. It's just an amazing story and what they've been able to accomplish and getting here. And you mentioned Miami got into last second on that Sunday and they're also here. I think it's fantastic stories for both teams. But really, when you look at the final four, it's just such an exciting bracket that's left over because you can create a path and you can see the game plan for all four teams to be able to get to that

national title. And it's going to be decided out there on the field. I can't wait to watch. Yeah, just hours away. So, in fact, how did Miami and Ole Miss get here? Let's run you through it. You know the deal with the canes, right? I mean, they had the biggest upset in playoff history when they knocked off Ohio State.

They had a tight one, of course, against Texas A&M as well. They're the only double-digity to ever win a game in the playoff, and they've done it twice. For Ole Miss, it's all familiar. Remember, they played Tulane in the regular season, got him in the playoff. They played Georgia in the regular season, lost that one, but won the one that mattered the most. Miami's looking for its first national championship in 25 years.

They are ready to party if they can pull it off. Meanwhile, for Ole Miss, it's probably their best decade at football since the 1960s. We have reporters with both teams, starting with Holly Row and the Miami Hurricanes. Well, for Miami to play at their best tonight, they need their quarterback, Carson Beck, to be at his best, and they need to get the ball to their best playmaker, Malachi Tony. He has set a new single season record for receptions at Miami. That is saying something. 18 years old. Carson Beck told me that they have been able to really develop their chemistry

in an odd way. When Carson first got to Miami last January, he couldn't throw. He was coming off elbow surgery. And so he and Malachi would sit down together and watch old Georgia tape of when Carson Beck was throwing to a young man named Ladd McConkey, who's tearing it up in the NFL. He said, I was teaching Malachi those little subtleties to route running concepts so that when we hit the ground running and I could finally throw to him. We had already built in some chemistry and reps. He said we even ran a play in the college football playoff and Malachi hit the ball. He got the shot and then ran over to the sideline and said, that's that route concept we looked out on the Georgia tape. This young man has a high IQ. Carson Beck has brought him along, but more

important, their chemistry has been something palpable and important for the hurricanes. One other quick injury update. The defense had a couple of injuries against Ohio State. Their great nose tackle, the kind of anchor in the front of that defensive front, Ahmaud Moten senior. He went down. He is going to play in this game, but he likely won't start. Look for David Blay to get the start in his place. And O.J. Frederique, the corner, he did everything at practice the last two days. They are expecting him to be full go.

Guys? Well, Holly, to fully understand Trinidad Chamblis, the quarterback for Ole Miss, you really have to look at where he came from. And it's Ferris State, a division two school where he won a national championship last year. There's been a lot of talk about this, right? As Chambliss has launched onto the big stage here in college football, chance to play for national championship, of course, with Ole Miss as they try to advance. But you really have to talk to his coach, which I was able to do that. He was at Ole Miss's practice yesterday.

Tony and Nice. He coached Trinidad at Ferris State. And he said, this guy comes in. He's their fourth string quarterback. He's skinny. He basically had to lift weights like an offensive lineman to try. try to put on some weight and to get into the position where he could play the way that he needed him to play. But he said even when he was the fourth stringer, even when he had no chance to start, he still approach things from the standpoint of being a great teammate.

He said he hasn't changed at all. He's still that same guy that came into Ferris State a few years ago and has grown into somebody that's now having his talents on display and even has NFL scouts really interested. But he said that Trinidad is like a son to him because of the way that he handles himself. Tony Anise and his wife will be here in the stadium. They've been able to come to some of the games, but because he was coaching still at Ferris State, didn't get to see a whole lot. So this means a lot to him. He said, watching that Sugar Bowl,

they were on a beach vacation, didn't feel like much of a vacation, the way that he was yelling and screaming at the TV, supporting his player, who again is like family to him, Zubin. Laura, that's a great insight. You can only imagine the stress there. Strength on strength, you might as well call it in football terms, Good on good.

We know how good Miami's defense has been with Messador and Bain. All-Miss's offense has been off the charts, even if you only saw the fourth quarter of the All-State Sugar Bowl against Georgia. So that's good on good. But I want to start with a little bad here. And I think Miami fans know this. Simply put, they are 0-and-4 lifetime at the Fiesta Bowl. Two of those four losses, devastating losses in the national title game,

to Penn State in 87 and Ohio State in 2003, which you guys might have talked about last week. So let's hone in on this game, big picture. for the Fiesta Bowl, for the canes and the rebs and what you're keeping your eye on. Linear path to victory for Miami. Bulley ball. Mark Fletcher ran angry against Ohio State. The best way to neutralize

tempo, Zubin, is to keep the ball away. Yeah, I just look at Ole Miss and Pete Golding and seeing the immediate impact he's had on things. They went into that half in the Sugar Bowl and disarray. You had star players dropping passes, your star running back fumbles. They come out in the second half, a focus group. The defense, after being

at that game at Georgia the first time, he limited 20 snaps off his best players on the defense and you saw how fresh they were in the fourth quarter so seeing pete golden immediate impact he's had has been super impressive and we have we watched chamas have a great game against georgia in the second half especially in the fourth quarter completely going off but i think kiwan lacy is going to be key against this miami defense Ohio state in the second half came out running the football and it was a much different football game they couldn't come back but you could tell now the offense got rolling because they started running the football

oh miss needs to run away with kewan lacey who's had a great playoff up to date and he's going to have to be the and then you want Chamas to pick his spots to make plays. Don't put all the pressure on his quarterback to run away from Bain Jr. And Messador on the other side. We've seen those two defensive end wrecked the first two games from Miami. We don't want to see if you're Ole Miss. Don't put that on your quarterback. Run the football.

I agree with you, Joey. This game comes down to one thing. Can you neutralize or even slow down the defensive front for Miami? In the first two playoff games, 12 sacks. Right. So to me, when I look at this game, what is offensive coordinator, Charlie Weiss, Jr., What is his plan to slow down to neutralize that defense a line for Miami? Because if you don't have a good plan, it's lights out.

It's game over for Ole Miss. Let me just give you the two words I'm looking forward to here. Narrative shift. After all the grief, all the grief the ACC took all season long, they can win the championship by slaying the SEC and the Big Ten in back-to-back games and how great is that going to feel if the conference can pull it off. On the way here on college football live, we just mentioned the Big Ten. We got a Big Ten rematch in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

There's one big difference that Dante Moore is going to have to make if Oregon's going to upend Indiana and advance to the title game. The fellows will get into that in just a second. And speaking of good on good, the best unit left, the Keynes D. And the hottest quarterback anywhere in America. Fernad Chambliss, who's got the edge? D.O. Keynes Chambliss. That's when college football live returns live from State Farm Stadium.

We're going to be right here. weekend ends with the Texans and the Steelers. Payton and Eli on ESPN 2. But if Ole Miss wins tonight, Eli's going to need until at least Monday to get his voice back. Here's what it looks like. Miami and Ole Miss tonight on this very field. Oregon, Indiana, tomorrow night in Atlanta.

The championship game is January 19th. We go inside access with all four teams. And boy, oh boy, would this guy love to play his final college game and win the Natty in his own stadium? We're going to go watch film after? I don't know how long you'll be here, but at some point this week. One, three, four. Go, boy, what'd you do?

What'd you do to win it all? Let's just say Bryce needs a little redemption here. Last matchup between him, week seven with the big one coming tomorrow. Roman Hemby, don't blink. Signetti, give me a wink. Indiana leads 2013 after three in the fourth. This is the moment I think people said, okay, Indiana's going to come back down to Earth.

Mendoza to Brandon Finney, who just has a nose for the ball. Remember, he had three takeaways against Texas Tech out in the Orange Bowl. We're tied at 20. Otsons going nuts. You're like, all right, Indiana's going to come back down to Earth. But that's before we realized this boy had some championship medal and some hardware to go with it in December.

Mendoza to Elijah Surat, Indiana Leads. And Dante Moore, who had been lights out prior to seeing the Indiana defense. Funny how it works out that way for Merce quarterbacks. he's picked Indiana wins 30 20 so you kind of take a look at the difference in that first matchup it's pretty darn simple you and I both know when you go inside the matchup that Dante Moore just has to play a lot better he was sacked six times in this game against Indiana the first go around and remember he was only sacked once prior to the Indiana game in total they meet again 90 days later our reporters Katie George and Molly McGrath are with both head coaches in advance of the Chick-Billet Peach Bowl Let's start with Katie and Dan Lannning. Dan October 11th seems like a long time ago at this point, having rewatched the first meeting with Indiana, what stood out to you?

Really good team, a really good team that we got to play complete against. But I think they're a completely different team now too, and so are we. I know that, so this will be a great matchup. You've got skill all over the field, but how does not having Jordan Davison impact your offense? He's a great player, but all year we've talked about strength and numbers. and that's where somebody else gets an opportunity to step up.

Dante Moore in the offense took a little bit to get going in the Orange Bowl. What's going to be key for that group on Friday? Just play their game, right? And we've got to start off positive on first down. If we can start positive on first down, it's going to allow us to do a lot of things as we go down the road. Appreciate the time. Best of luck. Thank you so much. Have a good one.

Coach, after a dominant win in the Rose Bowl, how did you refocus your team this week ahead of the semifinal? Well, we had one extra day. and you got to do it every week during the season. And, you know, the winds this late in the year, the noise and clutter is louder. So I got to try to do a better job. And the challenges are always different with the portal opening and official visits and stuff like that. You know, the team dynamic was a little different early in the week than normal.

So you do the best you can. How is this Oregon team different from the last time that you saw them in October? Well, I think teams that are successful throughout the year, they improve through repetition. You know, repetitions and mother learning, and, you know, they're in the right spots. Everything comes natural to them. And, you know, they've lost one game, a very close game, you know, to us, which was a hard-fought football game. Got a lot of respect for that team. That's a great football team, a great coach, and they're great in all three phases.

So it's going to be a challenge. Yeah, you said it's hard to beat a great team twice. What will it take to win this one? You know, it's hard to beat great teams, period. So, you know, it's going to come down to one play at a time. The things that determine winning and look. Before you win any game, you've got to make sure you don't lose it. Turnovers, pre-snap penalties, undisciplined penalties, disasters in the kicking game.

Line scrimmage, turnover ratio, explosive situations, third, fourth down, red area, two-minute. teams and play one play at a time one to 150 the way we want them to play all right good luck coach thanks for the time thank you most games are lost not one kind of feels like he was on Sabin's staff once upon a time hearing that bottom line

better in the locker room before the day that was like what it's like coach you awake it makes the who who you're so out of character that was different that was incredible all right so Indiana season's been incredible It's been a season full of first, right?

Their first Big Ten title game. Their first Heisman Memorial Trophy winner, their first Rose Bowl win. And now maybe their first national championship. And as we hone in on the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, it's IU's defense that's catching your eye. Yeah, I got a chance to talk to Brian Haynes on the field before the Rose Bowl started. And his biggest question was they lost their best guy up front, Stephen Daley, led the team in TFL's got hurt celebrating the Big Ten title game. And he said the goal every week is to make the opposing offensive line coach not sleep that night. he's 14 and 0 in that department man that defense is real and i i tend to side with the underdog

in a rematch but indiana is so sound it's going to be tough for organ to stop him yeah i totally agree but i'm going to flip it to the other side to me i'm watching the chess match between organ's defense in indiana's offense why well what did organ just do they pitched a shutout against one of the most explosive offenses in the country in texas tech and then what did indiana do they hung 38 on alabama and the rose bowl and don't forget mendoza he's He threw more touchdowns than incompletion. So this is in the Indiana offense that they're humming, their machine-like, seems like nothing really phases them.

What can Dan Lanning do to get Mendoza uncomfortable? And what Dan Lanning needs is healthy tailbacks. They're down to three scholarship running backs right now with the injury to Jordan Davison. Jordan Davidson was the leading rusher the last time these two teams played. Jay Harris, their third string rack was in the portal, but they're allowing him to stick with the team. So it's Noah Whittington, Deer Hill.

Jay Harris only had one carry the first time these teams played. So there's going to be some inexperienced players getting big-time reps for the Ducks. I think Dante Moore comes into this game thinking to himself, this is my chance to make a splash. It didn't play well the first time they played, but he was sacked six times, as you mentioned. There aren't many quarterbacks that play well when you're sacked six times in the game. That just doesn't have to protect him. They have to protect him. But the fact that he didn't play well, the last time he's on the field with Mendoza against Mendoza,

and the NFL draft is coming up. And depends on which one you look at, you can see either one of those two guys as the number one overall picks. Dante Moore comes into this game saying, I have a chance on the biggest stage to prove I'm a better quarterback than Mendoza, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. The draft question is an interesting one, Joey. Right now, we don't know what Dante Moore is going to do. The draft nix of all put him in the draft, but in the Oregon building, I've been told Dante Moore still hasn't made a decision.

The stakes are obviously high because if he leaves, Oregon needs a quarterback. But it's great now, though, because they're getting paid on this side and that. Hey, back when me and Brock came out, it was a little different now. you had to go get the money. Now they can actually come back and make pretty good money to stay in school. Depending on which round you're going, you might be taking a pay cut if you go to the NFL. Uncle Phil could make sure you're not taking a pay cut out. Uncle Phil's waited about 85 plus years to see if Oregon could finish the job.

The one thing I just want to mention is the irony of all of this. Think about this. Tomorrow, two Big Ten teams are playing. The Big Ten is looking for its third straight national championship with three different teams. And one of those teams is going to punch their ticket to the championship game in the heart of Estableness. C.C. country. So the Big Ten SEC just will not go away in another layer tomorrow night in Atlanta.

When college football live continues, have you seen the video when this guy was announced as Ole Miss's head coach and the way his players exploded? Incredible behind-the-scenes access you've got to see as the golden era is underway when college football live returns live

from Glendale, Arizona. We're back on college football live. Coach Krista Ball, five wins, seven wins, 10 wins, 12 maybe plus wins. We're about to find out tonight at the Verbo Fiesta Bowl. I want to go back to the opening round of the playoff. You know, just hours before Tulane took on Ole Miss at Vaude Hemingway Stadium, there was a sign inside the stadium in Oxford that says, worse than Lane.

Tulane. You've got to hand it to the fans there. They had to do a double take, a triple take after what Kiffin did to him. Remember, this is a guy that said he needed Oxford more than Oxford needed him. And then he left Oxford. But his boss, athletic director, Keith Carter, had a

backup plan. And boy, has it worked out beautifully. Marty Smith has more. How do you describe the last month for Ole Miss football? I would say a little hectic. Lane Kiffin.

Lane Kiffin. Lane Kiffin. The long drawn-out Lane Kiffin saga is finally over for Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin will take the LSU head coaching job effective immediately. On his way out yesterday of Oxford, he was booed. Lane Kiffin leaves a trail of fury in his wake as he jumps from one school to another. Kiffin will not coach Old Miss in the college football playoffs. that I was coaching, but they hope they play really well

and go win the national championship. How did you react when Lane Kiffin decided he was going to go to LSU? I wish the best for him at LSU. But yeah, my decision was OK. Now we just got to focus on our first playoff game and who we're going to face. It was surprising, you know, we were at a time

where we didn't know what was going on. So we were just trying to see who's going to be our head coach. Pete Golding is a no frills football lifer, a branch on the Nick Saban coaching tree, who was in his third season as Ole Miss defensive coordinator. Maximum effort while I'm doing my job. At the moment of recognition, get my . On the same day, Lane Kiffin left Oxford,

Golding got a surprise. We have someone that is a leader of men. that can lead you guys. And that man is Pete Golding. I can promise you this. Nobody's gonna work harder at this job than I will. And we're here, and we love it here because of you. What was it like to see those young men react the way they did?

I think it validates, you know, what you've invested up to that point. I think that moment for me hit a little bit. I was like, boys, y'all know I ain't going nowhere. And so I think that message was easy for me because it's the same message that's been for three years. I think it's a very unique group. It was a unique time, but, you know, I think I was ready to roll with it.

And you play with better energy, better effort, and better body language, you win the game. It won't fucking matter. PG's just a competitor. He's a player's only coach and he'll do whatever it takes for this program to be successful. It all made us closer. I feel like it really locked everybody in again.

This is the same team. man here the whole year so just another chip on our shoulder man and I feel like coming into the season the team was hungry but just even hungry you know they don't matter who leading us it don't matter what we're playing at who we plan at who we plan and spot the ball we're gonna go play welcome to the college football playoff first round amazing atmosphere here in Oxford it's gonna be intense first playoff game with everything going on you know the crowd they feel like they got disrespect with Coach Kiffin leaving a lot of animosity in the stadium and it's gonna

Rocking. Touchdown! Just like that! Pete Golden got the job done. And Ole Miss is going to advance. There's going to be one team excited at the end of this, boys. It's going to be one team. Why not us?

You guys managed adversity through all of this. What differences do you feel around here now? Not a lot is different. We just want to win. We control our destiny. And as long we're just focused on football in the next game, then we'll be all right. All right, you presented this opportunity for yourself. I don't let this be the last one.

This is the All-State Sugar Bowl between the number six-seat Ole Miss and third-seated Georgia. We're going to make sure that routine that's been very successful is in place. Why I'm here, because for them players, they coach them extremely hard, and then hold them accountable and give us our best chance to win the game. Chambles warming it up behind the defense. Lucas Carnero.

Lucas Carnero to stand up to the semi-final. It is good! The Old Miss Rebels have knocked off to Georgia Bulldogs, Arizona. Here we come. Yeah, Rebel Bay said, are you ready? Oh, yes. Right, God, that's right. We know, we'll be.

We're going to make. After that kid's performance, they might have to change the speed limit in Oxford down to six miles an hour. That was unbelievable. Look, in game number two, all this guy did is beat a two-time national champion in Kirby Smart. And I think it's pretty safe to say PG is definitely not PG-13. From what we heard is we welcome you back inside college football live. But there's a lot of adversity swirling around this program. What else is new all season long?

you're going to get us up to date on the fluid situation with his coaching staff tonight and moving forward. So, Zubin, the coaching staff we're on? I thought we're on the portal. We're going to the coaching staff for Old Miss. Coach staff for Ole Miss. So obviously, yeah, I'm alive here. I was, yeah, my fault, guys.

So, look, the Ole Miss coaching staff is one of the big stories, Zubin, looming over this playoff. Will they come, will they go? The macro issue here is that Charlie Weiss Jr. is going to be calling plays. He's on loan, if you will, from Ole Miss. Running back coach, Kevin Smith is also here. There are really going to be two coaches stepping into new roles that are going to make a difference tonight.

And that's Patrick Carter, who's the analyst who's been in the receiver room all year. He's going to be the receiver coach effectively tonight for Ole Miss. And then Fisher Ray, he's another analyst. He's going to coach the tight ends tonight. So look, the actual play calling, the mechanics of the play calling are all going to be the same for Ole Miss. They're just simply going to be down two position coaches. Ole Miss coaches stressed to me, look, we've been preparing for this the whole time. These aren't guys who get ushered in in the last 24 hours.

So they feel like it's going to be a seamless transition. There's just going to be two new people in charge of two position groups. And fear not, we are talking about the portal in just a little bit. So hang tight with that. Brock to you, just take us inside how somebody in such a short amount of time in a pressure cooker of an environment has been nearly flawless. Well, it starts with actually what, you know, Pete just reported on. I mean, the fact that he has been able to stabilize and not just stabilize this situation.

Let's remember, this is unprecedented. We haven't seen this before. So for a head coach, what was the blueprint? Well, obviously, Pete Golding, he figured it out. And he has his players following him, believing in him, the messages that he's sending. But think about the total chaos. I mean, just paint the picture, which coaches are staying? Okay, well, which coaches are going but can still coach with me?

Which players are staying? The game planning, the whole deal. So when you just look at it from a 30,000 foot view, it's beyond impressive. And the thing that really got me, though, with Pete Golding to just show that he's real. think about his second game as a head coach it's against georgia it's fourth quarter kirby spart the bulldogs you're losing well georgia had won 75 straight games with a lead going into the fourth quarter pete golding makes some adjustments what do you know chambers puts on superman cape gets it done so my point is i think he's been excellent the better question is what hasn't he done well i just appreciate

his genuineness right like he gets the job what's the first thing he does got a haircut still got the eyes are going. You know, but you saw the fans at the Sugar Bowl, like he's resonated and just brought this fan base. It's a, it's watching people around town here. They love this idea, him taking over. And when you look at the roster,

Lane set it up. It's an offensive team. But here comes a defensive guy and they play their best offensive game in their biggest game. So I just appreciate how he's going about it being so genuine. They haven't flinched. When all this was happening with the Lane situation and the conversations and we got Pete Thamwell hanging on it,

1 a.m. and we're sitting in studio, tell us something. This team stayed focused on their goals and what they were trying to accomplish. And it's interesting because all of our conversation is about what is Lane Kiffin going to do while these players are sitting back saying we're not done. You know, we're not talking about the accomplishments in the season they've had. We're going to now what's going to happen. While this team is still focused on we're getting to this playoff and to see what they've been able to accomplish is fun to watch. And you sort of become sort of a fan of it. You know what I mean?

You start to root for these kids. There's such great storylines in this playoff that are so different than what we've had in past years because the normal blue bloods aren't here right now. There's some great stories in Ole Miss is one of them. Yeah, the Blue Bloods have been replaced by the new Bloods and they're one of them. I'm so glad you said that is we're going to get to the portal in one second, but it's just worth noting there's been so much ink spilled on the people that left. How about keeping the attention on the guys that stayed?

And that's what I think Ole Miss fans want. You mentioned the job is not done. The portal's not done. We got at least another week to go. I know you've been burning up the phone. What's the latest on what you have? I was really ready for this transition from Trinidad Chambliss last time. So I'm ready to go here.

Will Trinidad run it back? That's what I was about to say. Trinidad Chamblis has a medical hardship waiver for a sixth year that the NCAA is currently considering. Spoke just some sources today. No decision will come on that today. The future of the Ole Miss quarterback decision really lies on the NCAA making a decision sooner than later. Trinette Chambliss, his sophomore year at Ferris State didn't play. He had a long issue.

It's 91 pages of medical documents. So whether or not he can play and gets this extra year is really going to loom large over the entire college football season next year. Looming large on the landscape today is Washington quarterback DeMond Williams. He posted on Instagram that he intends to enter the portal. And this has really become a flashpoint around all of college athletics for what is going to happen to the enforceability of contracts. There's really two decisions for DeMond Williams. He can go back to Washington, or he can get ready because Washington's going to put up a legal fight and try to go to LSU. That would involve unenrolling and then enrolling and not being on scholarship.

What? Quickly, yeah, well, that's what Xavier Lucas did when he went to Miami from Wisconsin, and he'll be here tonight. Quickly, DJ Lagway has verbally committed to Baylor. I've been told whether or not he actually signs, we'll find out in the next 24 hours. There's some schools, including Ole Miss, still kind of floating around and interesting. And then Sam Levitt from Brock's alma mater is still out there right now. If LSU goes in a different direction, could Leavitt end up there? He's visited there.

His visit was obviously interrupted by the DeMond Williams News. And then Leavitt just finished a visit to Tennessee. There are some schools looming still that need a quarterback, including Miami. Unbelievable. Pete, with the latest, they'll continue to do to monitor it, and we'll have to do so for the next week. Remember, one portal window now over in just over a week. When college football live continues, it's all about the U, how one of their homegrown talents might be the biggest reason they might play for the national title in their home stadium.

His amazing story and versatility on display next. We're back. We'll cap off wildcard weekend on Monday night as Aaron Rogers and the Steelers host of Texans. Our coverage begins with SVP and the countdown crew at 6 Eastern on ESPN, getting you set for kickoff at 8 Eastern on ABC, ESPN and the app, plus a Manning cast on ESPN, too. You know, part of the reason there's been such a great ascension for Miami football is they've locked down two of the most talent-laden counties in America, Miami-Dade County and Broward County in Florida. You get those guys, you're going to have some speed. And one of those guys that Miami's got from that area is this guy. Malachi, Tony, the electric freshman. His kid is so talented.

He can do it all. This guy is must-see TV. One-handed catch, Malachi Tony. It's one of the best players I've ever played with, and he's only 18 years old, which is unbelievable. I've guarded a lot of guys in a slot, and 10, man, 10's different. Malachi Tony, touchdown Miami. Our coaching staff has done a good job scheming around him.

Tony, he's a former high school quarterback all the way inside the five. How about the throw? He'll play in the slot. He'll put him at running back. He'll put him at quarterback. When he throws, he kind of just slings it. I'm very surprised at the ball. It gets to where it's going so accurately.

He's committed to the game in every way, shape, and form. And he just wants to win. He'll do whatever it takes for this team to advance. Miami and Texas A&M ready to go in this college football. playoff first round game back over the middle caught tony the ball's out he got stripped at the end of the run

everybody makes mistakes we're all human you could see him on the sidelines he's upset he's mad fletcher trying to console Tony on the sideline nobody smacks their lips nobody complains everybody's trusting their brothers football's all about the next play you have to have amnesia and he put it behind them

he got right off off the mat and he had all the confidence in the world of him to come back and make a big play. You're going to give it to Tony. Tony scores a touchdown. He ended up coming up big for us. You know, he just don't give up. Malachi Tony gets tremendous redemption,

sending the Hurricanes to the quarterfinal. The ultimate test to who he is, not only as a football player, but as a person as well. He is the engine that makes the Miami offense go, the Ole Miss defense is going to have their hands full. Let's talk about the individual unit matchups there. Steve, let's start with you reminding us that Carson Beck has seen

Ole Miss before, albeit wearing a different jersey. Yeah, that's the best part about the portal is we get to go back and connect the dots, right? Carson Beck at Georgia two years ago goes to Ole Miss and Pete Golding, the defense coordinator made him struggle. You know, he struggled. He took him off his first read a bunch of times. I went back and looked at throws of 10 plus yards or more. He was five of 10 for 91 yards and an interception.

So the familiarity here, you expect this big kind of a stage, what's Ole Miss going to do? Are they going to struggle offensively? That's why their defense has to keep them in this game early. I think when you look at what Miami's been able to do, it's a physical run game that has helped out their past game, and Carson Beck is taking care of the football. What happened in the middle of their season is interceptions made them lose football games,

and I think they've realized, let's not turn the ball over, let's run it, let's be physical. I think it's that run game is going to be more important to Miami in this game, and I think it has been in their past two wins, wins, they have to run it, be physical. Don't make Carson Beck, do you just mention the stats of going down the field? Yeah. Don't go down to the field.

Throw the short ones, see if Tony can make a play, but run the football first. Well, you mentioned the interceptions and you mentioned the struggles when he was at Georgia against Ole Miss. Well, how do you get him in that situation? Starts with stopping the run on first and second down. If you can do that and you get Carson Beck into obvious passing situations on third, now what do you do? We got to roll a dex the looks. You can never have the same look twice, right? So whatever you show pre-snap has to change at the snap of the ball.

You have to roll to a different pitcher. Combine that with bringing some pressures. When you go through Carson Beck's interception reel for the season, he threw interceptions. There's a common theme when he's throwing them. They're changing the look at the snap of the ball. So you show them something different pre-snap, change it post, get some pressure on them.

No quarterback likes to be hit. So the more you can confuse Carson Beck, cause a little hesitation, that's how you get those turnovers. This Miami team, Zuban, is really built like an SEC team. It's built from the inside out. Why did the SEC have that run of dominance? They dominated in the trenches. So look for right tackle.

Francis Maui, Noah, projected first-round pick. He's 6-6-3-15. Left tackle Mark Hell Bell, 6-9-340. If Miami's going to win this game, it's going to be Mark Fletcher dominating on the ground, and it's going to be those big boys in the trenches. They make Steve look like a slot receiver too dominating. Do you think the line of scrimmage is a big deal in this game? I like the line of scrimmage.

It's not as much fun. We didn't show a film of the offensive line or defense. We showed a film of Malachi, Tony, who had five catches for 16 yards. But when you have a playmaker on the field, though, what it forces your defense to do and what it forces your defense to adjust to is how you get to other things. If I'm Daniels on the other side of Malikai, Tony, I'm like, yeah, keep paying attention to him, and then I get the singled up coverage. You've offered short routes.

You always go deep. I would like to go deep. But if we don't have it in our system, and Carson Beck struggles to do it, unfortunately, we got to throw it underneath. All right, fair enough. Maybe we will talk about the offensive and defensive lines of scrimmage when we discuss our X factors. That's on the way here on College Football Live. You all know the names Tony, Beck, Chambliss, Lacey. But how about some of the other names that are not as familiar that could end up playing a huge role to see who advances to the National Championship game?

That and more when College Football Live continues. an incredible performance are you not entertained unbelievable there will be a new champion the college football playoff semifinals begin tonight and continue tomorrow an iconic phrase the band is on the field not quite yet but the old miss band is in the house ready to go for my Miami in Ole Miss, Oregon, and Indiana tomorrow in the college football playoff, semifinals absolutely can't wait. It is Ole Miss's first appearance in this game. Keep in mind, a team from the South generally doesn't play in a bowl game in the Southwest

to the regionalization of college football over the years. But this sport has changed so much. So Ole Miss is playing in this game for the first time. And if my anecdotal count is right, it appears all of LaFette County, Mississippi is here. Because if you are walking around, Glendale, all you see is powder blue. The band is on the field, and they are ready to go screaming out hotty-toddy, raising glasses at the Ajax Diner as we're back inside college football live. It is pouring.

You can hear the rain coming down. Perhaps we'll be raining points a little bit later. Take us inside the injury situation that we need to know just a couple hours before kickoff. Sure, Zupin. So two key Miami defensive backs. You heard Holly mentioned earlier. O.J. Frederique is back after getting injured against Ohio State. I've been told by Corey Heatherman, the D.C., that Damari Brown,

who hasn't played since November 29th, who's another rotation defensive back, is going to be a game-time decision. They think he's going to give it a shot. For Ole Miss, starting defensive event, Cam Franklin, also a game-time decision. They're going to watch him warm up and then make a decision on him. And then finally, key defensive tackle, Amad Motin Sr., who missed the second half of that Ohio State game. He is going to be back in this game.

He will not start. Armando Blount will start in his place. He's just one of those rare, big humans that really is a difference maker, Zubin. So how much he is available tonight will loom large for that Miami-D-line. We'll monitor all of that. I know this is a visual medium, but if you could just hear the rain coming down, it is unreal. We'll wait to see if the fans can get here. At least we know the band will be here, if nothing else. Let's talk about the X-Factors.

Let's start with Miami. And Joey, we've talked a little bit about Mark Fletcher earlier in the program, but we cannot understate the impact this guy could have. Yes, it's the run game. And I think if you think about everything we've talked about. You're talking about the trenches, the offensive line, how good they were. And then you talk about the fact that Carson Beck hasn't gone down the field much at all. The way they're finishing their games is running the football,

especially in the fourth quarter against Ohio State. When they needed to put the ball away, they needed to run the clock, there's Mark Fletcher, Jr. And that ability to run the ball. I think he's the key to this game to take the pressure off the past game. And their offensive line has just been really good. Yeah, way to go out on a limb there with the best player on the offense. I really appreciate that.

The best player is the X factor. Yeah, really go. Against Ohio State, over 20% of their plays, Miami was in 12 personnel. With that, you mentioned, they dominated in the run game. Elijah Lofton, a guy that could be used in that past game, if they're going to go with the short pass game, I look at him as the next factor. Just real quick, 12 personnel, just for the audience.

Can you tell us what 12 personnel? Two tight ends, one back. Okay. Steve's favorite. He's very biased towards the night. The only way he got on the field. Oh, come on. Come on now.

That's the fact. That is a fact. I'll go. Keante Scott is my X-Factor. He had the single biggest play against Ohio State from that nickel position. He jumped that Julian Sane pass for pick six. He's Miami's best defensive back, and he could loom larger the play like that tonight. Well, I'm getting ready to show you my X-Factor, and it's a combination of the defensive line for Miami,

and it's what they do, and I want to get into the scheme of it. I think we're going there. We'll get there. There we go. Now we're rolling. All right. So when you combine the talent of the Miami- Miami defensive front along with the scheme.

You're going to see Mesidor and Bain lined up next to each other with an overload. What does that do when you bring the nickel as well in the pressure? It gets them one-on-one on a garden center. We always talk about matchups at the skill position. It can also happen on the interior. What happens because of the sack? Well, you miss out on a wide open touchdown pass to either the receiver down the middle or at the top.

That's what you get with this defensive line. Then when you start talking about the talent, okay, you're so keyed in on Bain as a left guard, left tackle, You're missing the indicator that the nickel's coming. He's capped. It's clear as day. You're sliding to him, but because you're the left tackle, you're so worried about Ruben Bain,

you forget to slide out to the nickel, Keontes Scott, who's been a difference maker in the playoffs, and that's what you get. How do you combat that? Well, if you're Ole Miss, you've got to protect the edges, put a tight end on both sides. Give a little eye candy, creates hesitation, but then you also have to get the football out of your hand.

Watch how quick this ball comes out. Ole Miss doesn't even block the defensive end in that pitcher, but when you get the football out that fast, you can avoid a pass rush like Miami. Well, since you invoked a little Ole Miss offense here, let's go to some of the X factors for Ole Miss. Joey, let's start with you. It's all about protecting your most important asset.

Yeah, and I think we just talked about it. If you can get to the quarterback, then you can disrupt things. But Chambliss and his ability to move, he adds another layer of that. But I think the O line of Ole Miss has to protect Chmless. Don't make him run around like he did against Georgia. No. That kind of stuff doesn't happen all the time. He just continued to make plays.

but I think they have to protect him, give him a chance to just relax and get into this game. We talked earlier. It might be sort of a slow start. Well, if you're pressing your quarterback, that makes your offense start slow. And that's been a huge point in Miami's defense, is open field tackling.

That's going to be enormous tonight. I'm going to stay with the best athletes on the field. Dequan Wright has been a security blanket for Trinidad Chambleus. He had a couple drops early on, didn't get out of bounds before the half, came back and had a good second half. Watch out for Dayquan Wright. I'm going to just say Ole's tempo.

Can they get a first down? and establish the tempo. Those defensive ends can't catch you if they're tired. Trinidad Chambliss is at his pirouetting best. Fifth play, sixth play, seventh play of the drive when the ends have their hands and their needs. I want to hit one big thing with you. Take me inside the mind of a quarterback

because it's amazing to think that the ascension of Trinidad Chambliss from D2 to the CFP is frankly not even the biggest story that Ole Miss has dealt with this year. I mean, think about that when you think about it from a big picture perspective. Take me inside the mind of a quarterback. How does one go from that?

That level, granted, a champion at that level to being so close to being a champion at the top of the sport. Yeah, well, I think you have to give credit where credits do. And clearly Trinidad Chambliss has put in the work to have the success that he's having out here on the field. But also look at his supporting cast, I think Charlie Weiss, Jr. has done a fantastic job. When you really go through the tape in the situations that he's putting his quarterback in, I mean, he's given him a chance to have success. I expect to see more of that tonight. We just touched on it. You got to have presence on the edge.

You've got to have those defensive ends. You've got to have their heads on a swivel, right? You've got to try to slow down that pass rush. You've got to move the launch point. And then to Pete's point, yes, get into tempo, but you have to get that first, first down in the drive before you can hit the gas pedal. Otherwise, you might put your defense in some tough spots.

And the most bullish way to look at this is this is not his penultimate game with Ole Miss, perhaps if another season is yet to come. Pete's monitoring that on his phone. We're just getting started with our pregame coverage all day long. college game day will be on the air live at 6 p.m. To get you set, 90 minutes of pregame action. And Miami and Ole Miss as soon as they're done at 7.30 Eastern to punch the first ticket to the college football playoff championship game.

On the way, if Tony and Mike were here, they would say, who you got? So I'll ask the fellas, who you got? Miami looking for their first title in 25 years or Ole Miss's dream season continues. The fellas dish the answer. The winner before kickoff even starts. That's next. I'll be very anxious to get on the field and play that first snap. I'm really, really excited for this opportunity,

and I know this team is as well. Oceans are high. Juicees are flowing right now. It's focus and just know that it's game. You dream about playing in games like this. your brother is breathtaking. My mind doesn't stop. To me, it's like cramming for a final.

And you're going through and trying to prepare yourself to be ready. Playing football in January, it's a blessing. It's a blessing, so anticipation is definitely growing. A couple minutes left to go here once again when we're off the air at 6 p.m. Eastern time. College game day is on the air for 90 minutes. Ole Miss Band is here. Miami cheerleaders are here. are here. This place will be packed soon enough

before the fellas make their picks. Pete just kind of give us a big picture overarching thing we should be thinking about. The fate of the SEC lies with Ole Miss. If Miami wins tonight, Zubin, it would mark the third straight year that the SEC does not even play for the national title. Last time that happened, 99

to 02. Time to make picks fellas, here we go. It felt like Brock's too young. When we were young, it felt like every year. Me and Brock are too young. No, you're old. You're old. Miami was in the National Championship in the Roller's Bowl every year. I feel like we get that again.

I like Miami. I like Ole Miss. I love the story. I love what they've been through. I like the way they played going through it. I'll stick with them. Miami. They have the tried and true formula to win playoff games.

They play defense. They run the football. But I wouldn't be surprised if Chambliss puts on Superman Cape again. And man, you cannot hedge your back. I'm just saying. I won't be surprised. I won't be surprised. This is the pick seconds.

I'm going with the Keynes. I'm going with the Keynes. I'm going with Keynes, but I won't be surprised. You got your wallet? I got my wallet. Leave me. 15 seconds to you. You love this sport as much as anybody.

If Miami's playing for the national title in Miami Gardens like you think, fill in the blank. They're not going to have enough room for former players on the sideline. I just told you Ole Miss is going to win, so it doesn't matter. Fair enough, guys, great stuff. The helmets are on. They're about to be strapped in. The both bands are here.

The crowd will soon file in. Thanks for joining us. College Game Day at 6 Eastern tonight. Thank you.