{"id":402230,"date":"2026-01-09T15:20:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T15:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/402230\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T15:20:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T15:20:08","slug":"miami-beats-ole-miss-in-thriller-to-reach-cfp-title-game-nfl-wild-card-weekend-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/402230\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami beats Ole Miss in thriller to reach CFP title game; NFL Wild Card Weekend preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Good morning and happy Friday! It’s Carter Bahns at the keyboard to close out the week. Hopefully the first full week of 2026 treated you as well as it treated the Miami Hurricanes, who are set to play for the College Football Playoff National Championship after their wild win in the Fiesta Bowl over Ole Miss. As a college football diehard myself, and a longtime resident of Oregon, I’ll be locked into tonight’s semifinal showdown between Oregon and Indiana.<\/p>\n

For the NFL fans here, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with playoff content of your own in today’s newsletter. It’s Wild Card Weekend, baby! <\/p>\n

Let’s talk about it. <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf00 Five things to know Friday Miami will play for the College Football Playoff National Championship. The No. 10 seed Hurricanes controlled the Fiesta Bowl at the point of attack, flexing their advantages on both the offensive and defensive lines in a 31-27 win<\/a> over No. 6 Ole Miss with quarterback Carson Beck leading the winning drive<\/a>. The victory sets Miami one step shy of its first national championship in more than two decades and stretched the SEC’s CFP title game drought<\/a> to three years. And because the title game is scheduled to unfold at Hard Rock Stadium, Mario Cristobal will get to coach in front of his home fans. Is The U back? It will be hard to argue with the sentiment if the Hurricanes get one more victory.The Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel, and the Buccaneers ditched five assistant coaches. It took longer than many expected, but a coaching change is underway<\/a> in Miami. McDaniel is out after an up-and-down four-year tenure that soured with consecutive losing seasons and the benching of Tua Tagovailoa. What’s next for the offensive guru? While he could bounce back running another team, many of the most logical landing spots<\/a> would be interested in him as an offensive coordinator. As for his replacement, Miami will undoubtedly be in the mix<\/a> to land John Harbaugh and other premier candidates. Meanwhile, just up the road, more coaching changes occurred in the Sunshine State with the Buccaneers firing five assistant coaches<\/a>, including OC Josh Grizzard.Days after his controversial transfer portal announcement, Demond Williams Jr. is headed back to Washington. The Huskies’ quarterback will remain in Seattle after all<\/a>. For those keeping score, Williams signed a new deal with Washington, announced his intention to enter the portal, was threatened with potential legal action, hired a lawyer, got dropped by his agent<\/a> and is now set to return to the Huskies. Got all that? It has been a whirlwind of a week for Williams and a rough chain of events for college football’s image, which continues to take body blows as the portal reveals the sport’s biggest issues.Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Gunnar Henderson are among the MLB stars to secure raises and avoid arbitration. The arbitration salary filing day has come and gone, and with it, a bevy of standouts locked up raises for the 2026 season<\/a>. Randy Arozarena ($15.65 million), Taylor Ward ($12.175 million) and Jesus Luzardo ($11 million) are the arbitration-eligible players to secure the largest contracts for the upcoming campaign while Tarik Skubal is by far the most notable player set for a hearing.Chloe Kim’s 2026 Winter Olympics status is uncertain after an injury.\u00a0The two-time defending Olympic gold medalist in women’s snowboard halfpipe dislocated her shoulder<\/a> and said she does not yet know whether she will be able to participate in next month’s Milano Cortina Games. Kim will undergo an MRI today which will reveal an initial timeline for her return. Positively, she noted that she has range of motion and is not in too much pain. The Winter Olympics begin on Feb. 6. \ud83c\udf51 Do not miss this: College Football Playoff semifinals continue at the Peach Bowl
\n Imagn Images<\/p>\n

One half of the national championship matchup is set. The other will be determined tonight in the Peach Bowl. Either No. 1 Indiana\u00a0or No. 5 Oregon will meet Miami in the title game, but they must first duel in a rematch of the Hoosiers’ regular-season win at Autzen Stadium on Oct. 11. The CFP semifinal showdown is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.\u00a0Here’s how to watch<\/a>. <\/p>\n

For Oregon to avenge its only loss of the season and advance to the title game for the first time since 2014, it has to get quarterback Dante Moore going against the No. 2 scoring defense in the country. Indiana bottled him up in his worst outing of the year, and it made life difficult on Julian Sayin and Ty Simpson in its last two games. John Talty explained<\/a> why this is the Ducks’ biggest challenge. <\/p>\n

Talty: “It’ll be supremely important for Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein to find some early opportunities to get Moore comfortable and moving the ball. The run game is missing a critical piece in running back Jordon Davison, putting even more pressure on Moore to carry this offense.”<\/p>\n

On the Indiana side, Curt Cignetti — who detailed why<\/a> he always looks so stoic on the sideline<\/a> — has to overcome the “it’s hard to beat a team twice” element. If his team keeps up the form that helped it win 14 consecutive games, including back-to-back victories over Ohio State and Alabama, he will dispel that mantra. Oh, and the Hoosiers’ deep playoff run has not stopped them from making waves in the transfer portal<\/a>, setting up another championship push in 2026. <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udccf The road to the Super Bowl opens with NFL’s Wild Card Weekend
\n Getty Images<\/p>\n

NFL Wild Card Weekend is here! Since we have six games on the slate as the playoffs get underway, I selected six different angles from our NFL staff to help give you a comprehensive preview. <\/p>\n

Fatal flaws: Nobody is safe when the playoffs roll around. Even the top seeds have imperfections<\/a> that could send them packing early. Is Bo Nix consistent enough for the Broncos to live up to their billing as the AFC’s No. 1 squad? Will the turnover bug bite the NFC-favorite Seahawks at the wrong time?Coach rankings: The Rams and 49ers are in a tier of their own with the best coaching staffs in the playoffs. A few teams, on the other hand, have little to no postseason experience. Where does your team’s staff rank<\/a>?Rookie rankings: Some teams were more reliant on their rookies this season than others. None of the postseason teams got more out of their rookie class<\/a> than the Bears, who saw Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Ozzy Trapilo and Kyle Monangai hit their stride in the second half of the campaign.Incentives: While the Vince Lombardi Trophy is the ultimate goal, players also have financial reasons to give their best effort in the playoffs. A number of\u00a0performance bonuses are on the line<\/a> over the next few weeks. Aaron Rodgers has the most to gain with $4.35 million in playoff incentives. And\u00a0Justin Herbert and Sam Darnold could each pocket another $2.5 million.History lesson: Monday will mark the fourth time the Steelers have played a Houston-based team in the playoffs. First, it was the Oilers. Now, it is the Texans. Bryan DeArdo gave a written history of the postseason rivalry<\/a>.Expert picks:\u00a0As they have done all year, our terrific tandem of Jordan Dajani and Jared Dubin went head-to-head in picking the winners of this week’s games. Both foresee the Rams blowing out the Panthers and covering a 10.5-point spread. See the rest of their predictions<\/a>, and take a look at our staff’s early Super Bowl picks<\/a>. \ud83d\udc4d\ud83d\udc4e The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
\n Getty Images
\n \ud83d\udcfa What we’re watching this weekend Friday <\/p>\n

\u26bd Borussia Dortmund at Eintracht Frankfurt, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2
\ud83c\udfc8 CFP semifinal — Peach Bowl: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Indiana, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc0 Thunder at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. on NBA TV
\ud83c\udfd2 Blues at Mammoth, 9 p.m. on NHL Network
\ud83c\udfc0 Bucks at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV <\/p>\n

Saturday <\/p>\n

\u26bd FA Cup, third round: Sunderland at Everton, 7 a.m. on ESPN2
\ud83c\udfc0 Boston College at No. 20 Louisville (M), Noon on The CW
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 22 Kansas at West Virginia (M), Noon on Fox
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 10 Nebraska at Indiana (M), Noon on Big Ten Network
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 21 Tennessee at Florida (M), Noon on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc0 DePaul at No. 4 UConn (M), 12:30 p.m. on TNT
\ud83c\udfc0 Timberwolves at Cavaliers, 1 p.m. on Prime Video
\ud83c\udfd2 Rangers at Bruins, 1 p.m. on ABC
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 7 Houston at Baylor (M), 1 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
\ud83c\udfc0 LSU at No. 11 Vanderbilt (M), 1 p.m. on SEC Network
\ud83c\udfc0 Wisconsin at No. 2 Michigan (M), 1 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc8 Navy All-American Bowl, 1 p.m. on NBC
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 18 Georgia at South Carolina (M), 2 p.m. on ESPN2
\ud83c\udfc0 Penn State at No. 5 Purdue (M), 2 p.m. on Big Ten Network
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 23 SMU at No. 6 Duke (M), 2 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc0 Samford at No. 23 Virginia (M), 2:15 p.m. on The CW
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 1 Arizona at TCU (M), 4 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc0 Oklahoma State at No. 3 Iowa State (M), 4 p.m. on ESPN2
\ud83c\udfc8 NFL playoffs: Rams at Panthers, 4:30 p.m. on Fox
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 15 Arkansas at Auburn (M), 6 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc0 Wake Forest at No. 17 North Carolina (M), 6 p.m. on ACC Network
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 14 Texas Tech at Colorado (M), 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
\ud83c\udfc8 NFL playoffs: Packers at Bears, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
\ud83c\udfc0 Texas at No. 13 Alabama (M), 8 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 9 BYU at Utah (M), 10 p.m. on ESPN <\/p>\n

Sunday <\/p>\n

\u26bd FA Cup, third round: Arsenal at Portsmouth, 8:30 a.m. on ESPN2
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 16 Illinois at No. 19 Iowa (M), Noon on Fox
\ud83c\udfc8 NFL playoffs: Bills at Jaguars, 1 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 22 North Carolina at Notre Dame (W), 1 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfd2 Devils at Jets, 2 p.m. on NHL Network
\ud83c\udfc0 Georgia at No. 3 South Carolina (W), 2 p.m. on SEC Network
\ud83c\udfc0 Pittsburgh at No. 10 Louisville (W), 2 p.m. on The CW
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 1 Uconn at Creighton (W), 2 p.m. on truTV
\u26bd Supercopa de Espa\u00f1a, final: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, 2 p.m. on ABC
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 2 Texas at No. 12 LSU (W), 3 p.m. on ESPN
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 19 Ohio State at No. 8 Maryland (W), 4 p.m. on Peacock
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 5 Oklahoma at No. 6 Kentucky (W), 4 p.m. on SEC Network
\ud83c\udfc8 NFL playoffs: 49ers at Eagles, 4:30 p.m. on Fox
\ud83c\udfc0 Cincinnati at No. 25 UCF (M), 5 p.m. on ESPN2
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 14 Iowa at Indiana (W), 5 p.m. on Big Ten Network
\ud83c\udfc0 Mississippi State at No. 18 Ole Miss (W), 6 p.m. on SEC Network
\ud83c\udfc0 No. 4 UCLA at No. 25 Nebraska (W), 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network
\ud83c\udfd2 Golden Knights at Sharks, 8 p.m. on NHL Network
\ud83c\udfc8 NFL playoffs: Chargers at Patriots, 8 p.m. on NBC <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":402231,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,104240,145497,186921,594,3376,212707,213422,213681,134855,5140,134853,213679,593,59487,169244,30843,118373,213683,213682,27966,213680,85],"class_list":["post-402230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-carson-beck","tag-cfp","tag-cfp-bracket","tag-college-football","tag-college-football-playoff","tag-curt-cignetti","tag-fiesta-bowl","tag-indiana-oregon","tag-mario-cristobal","tag-miami","tag-miami-football","tag-miami-ole-miss","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-picks","tag-nfl-playoff-bracket","tag-nfl-playoffs","tag-nfl-schedule","tag-nfl-wil","tag-nfl-wild-card-weekend","tag-ole-miss","tag-peach-bowl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=402230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/402231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=402230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=402230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=402230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}