With the College Football Playoff set to begin tonight, Dec. 19, The Daily Mississippian used EA College Football ‘26 on Xbox Series S to simulate the upcoming 12-team playoff and analyze potential postseason outcomes.
This being the second year of the 12-team playoff format, four teams have the opportunity to host on-campus first round games: Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Oklahoma will host for this year’s 2025-26 playoff.
Round one
No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
Both teams scored touchdowns on their opening drives and the game went into the second quarter tied. Oregon pulled ahead 24–10 after two touchdowns from Noah Whittington.
In a major turning point, JMU capitalized on a pick-six by safety Wayne Knight. A three-and-out by the Oregon offense gave the Dukes the ball back, and they tied the game at 24 to send it to overtime.
After the first overtime ended still tied at 24, the CFP’s two-point conversion overtime rules came into effect. Oregon marched down and scored three times, and JMU matched them each time.
In the fourth overtime, a JMU stop on fourth-and-two in the red zone gave the Dukes the ball with a chance to win. JMU hit a field goal to seal the victory and advance to round two.
No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss
A shaky playoff start for the Rebels resulted in a 10–10 tie at halftime. After the break, Ole Miss found its stride. Chambliss threw 10 completions for 146 yards, while Kewan Lacy added 92 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The Rebel defense completely shut down the Green Wave offense in the second half. The visitors had just 71 total yards and no points. Ole Miss advanced with a 30–10 victory.
No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M
Defensive domination saw the Hurricanes take total control of the game. Canes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. had 12 carries for 102 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per carry and adding two touchdowns.
Four Hurricane sacks and two interceptions capped off a dominant performance in College Station. The Canes advanced with a 17-6 win.
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma
Wonky scoring throughout the game led to a defensive slugfest. On the final drive of a 15–15 tie, quarterback John Mateer completed three passes for 62 yards to set up a game-winning field goal. Both defenses held the offenses to under 250 total yards, and each defense forced two turnovers.
Quarterfinals
The Rose Bowl: No.1 Indiana vs No. 8 Oklahoma
The Big Ten and SEC met for the first time in this simulation and delivered a cinematic matchup. The Sooner defense got to the new Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza as he released his first pass and caused an interception. Oklahoma capitalized on the turnover with seven points.
Back-to-back touchdowns on consecutive drives by Indiana running back Roman Hemby gave the Sooners a 17–7 lead at halftime.
A kickoff return to start the third quarter by Sooner DB Peyton Bowen, covering 101 yards, brought the game back to 17–14. An early fourth-quarter field goal by the Sooners was the only score until the final minutes of the game.
In a clutch final drive of a 17–17 tie, Mendoza completed two passes for 47 yards to set up a 52-yard game-winning field goal that sent the Hoosiers to the Peach Bowl.
The Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs No. 10 Miami
A defensive bloodbath saw the first half end 7–0. In the fourth quarter, Julian Sayin connected on a 34-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith to put the Buckeyes on top. Carson Beck completed only 11-of-23 passes and threw two interceptions.
The Buckeye defense recorded two takeaways and held Miami to under 180 total yards of offense and forced five punts. The Buckeyes head to the Fiesta Bowl with a 28-14 win over Miami.
Sugar Bowl No. 6 Ole Miss vs No. 3 Georgia
An early stalemate turned into a high scoring offensive battle. Through the first 30 minutes of play, each team had only three points heading into the locker rooms. The first play of the second half was a 75-yard touchdown rush by Lacy to put the Rebels up 10–3.
A quick response from the Bulldogs led to a five-play, 82-yard drive. Gunnar Stockton threw three times for 68 yards, and two rushes from running back Nate Frazier tied the game at 10–10.
The game was tied 28–28 with three minutes remaining. Each offense had racked up 350 yards of total offense.
Gunner Stockton then led the Bulldogs on a two-minute drill. They drove 65 yards to set up a 37-yard field goal. Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring drilled it down the middle to win the game.
The Orange Bowl: No. 12 JMU vs No. 4 Texas Tech
Dominance from Texas Tech early in the game saw a halftime score of 28–0. A late comeback from JMU brought the score to 31–28 with five minutes remaining. A clutch third-and-one rush from Texas Tech’s Behren Morton put the game away with 46 seconds left. The Dukes’ Cinderella run ended.
Semifinals
The Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs No. 2 Ohio State.
Complete domination from the Bulldogs saw Stockton complete 19 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. The running back duo of Chauncey Bowens, who ran 11 times for 97 yards, and Frazier, who rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown, powered the ground game.
The Dawgs’ defense contributed with a takeaway and four sacks to send them to the National Championship after a 38-21 victory.
The Peach Bowl: No. 4 Texas Tech vs No. 1 Indiana
A solid offensive showing and domination from the Hoosiers’ defense saw the No. 1 seed pull away with a 33–12 victory. Mendoza threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, while Hemby rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown. The defense also contributed with a scoop-and-score from Mikail Kamara.
National Championship
No. 3 Georgia vs No. 1 Indiana
A back-and-forth thriller saw the Hoosiers run out the final seconds to win the championship. Mendoza threw for 372 yards and two touchdowns, while Hemby added two goal-line scores. A takeaway from the Hoosiers’ defense helped secure the national championship.
The real-life College Football Playoff will start tonight, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. on ABC for Alabama at Oklahoma.
