The haters told us we were in for a relative snoozefest of a first round of the College Football Playoff, and ... well, the haters were correct, honestly great call from the haters. Sure, Miami and A&M went down to the very end, but that had as much to do with offensive and special teams incompetence as anything else. Alabama stormed back from a 17-0 deficit in Norman to beat Oklahoma, but beyond watching the message-board discourse on Kalen DeBoer shift in real time, it wasn't exactly easy on the eyes. (And anyone who willingly watches that Sooners offense deserves hazard pay.)
Add in two complete flops from the G5 entrants, and there wasn't a ton to write home about. But fear not: As is often the case with playoff brackets, a boring opening round just means that we have some absolute bangers to look forward to next.
Updated College Football Playoff bracket after first round
This is wall-to-wall appointment viewing, with all four spreads opening within a touchdown and both on- and off-field intrigue to spare. Alabama traveling to the Rose Bowl to face Indiana ... as an underdog? An Oregon offense that overwhelmed JMU in the first round against a Texas Tech defense that overwhelmed the entire Big 12 all year long? Georgia and Ole Miss in a rematch of an SEC shootout that featured 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter from the Dawgs? Miami, fresh off that stirring win in College Station, now trying to take down Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs — while extracting some 2002 revenge against Ohio State?
There isn't a weak link in this bunch, which is exactly what proponents of an expanded Playoff were hoping for. Sure, New Year's is nice and all, but you better start clearing your calendar and making excuses with your loved ones in advance.
College Football Playoff quarterfinals schedule, predictions
No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State (Cotton Bowl)
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Tex.
Spread: Ohio State -10
Points will be at a premium here. We just watched Miami put the screws on Marcel Reed while holding A&M to just three points at home, and Rueben Bain and Co. will be a stern test for an Ohio State offensive line that had a hard time handling Indiana at times in the Big Ten title game. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, might be the single sturdiest defense in the country, with stars at all three levels.
Both quarterbacks in this game have questions to answer. How will Julian Sayin respond in a big moment, after his high-leverage struggles against the Hoosiers? Can Carson Beck avoid making the big mistake? Ohio State wants to play at a snail's pace, which leaves them prone to upsets when someone throws a wrench into the works, but ultimately I think Sayin and Smith (who nearly went to MIami before committing to the Buckeyes) make enough plays and Beck throws a late pick to ice it.
Prediction: Ohio State 24, Miami 17
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech (Orange Bowl)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Spread: Oregon -1.5
Oregon's offense against Texas Tech's defense might be the juiciest matchup of the entire quarterfinals. The Red Raiders have manhandled basically all comers, but Dante Moore and the Ducks are a different level of competition (at least athletically speaking).
Then again, we did just watch Oregon struggle to handle Indiana's physicality in a 30-20 loss at Autzen back in October. The Ducks averaged just 4.2 yards per play in that game, and Moore spent much of it running for his life. That doesn't bode well against David Bailey, Romello Height and Co., and while I don't have a ton of faith in Tech QB Behren Morton on this stage, I think the Red Raiders defense carries them through a tight game.
Prediction: Texas Tech 27, Oregon 24
No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana (Rose Bowl)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Spread: Indiana -7
Be honest: If you took the logos off the helmets and evaluated these two teams blind, would you really expect this game to be all that close?
Indiana ran roughshod over the Big Ten during the regular season, then became the only team to beat Ohio State in a thrilling conference championship game. Mendoza gets the shine as the quarterback and team leader, but this Hoosiers defense is legit, especially up front. Alabama, on the other hand, has been herky-jerky on offense for weeks now, with zero running game to speak of and a vulnerable offensive line.
If you want to pay deference to prestige, be my guest. But I know what my eyes have told me this season, which is that Alabama won't be able to handle the physicality Indiana brings in this game. (What a time to be alive.)
Prediction: Indiana 35, Alabama 24
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia (Sugar Bowl)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Spread: Georgia -7
The Rebels showed no signs of missing Lane Kiffin in their opening-round win over Tulane. Then again, the road is about to get a whole lot tougher, with a rematch with Georgia in what should be a raucous Superdome up next.
Ole Miss lost Round 1 because they simply could not stop Gunner Stockton in the second half. Based on how they played in the first round of the CFP, I'm not sure how much has changed: The 41-10 final score wouldn't show it, but Tulane moved the ball just fine all day, averaging nearly six yards per play; it was their inability to finish in the red zone, plus three turnovers and an 0-for-4 mark on fourth down, that turned the game into a laugher.
The upshot is that I still don't trust this Rebels defense very much, and Georgia should be able to score more or less at will here. The margin for error is very, very small for Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense.