The College Football Playoff semifinals kick off on Thursday with No. 10 Miami and No. 6 Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl, followed a day later by a Big Ten rematch between No. 5 Oregon and No. 1 Indiana in the Peach Bowl.
Before the games begin, we stack the remaining teams, ranking them in various categories, including by quarterback, top skill position weapon, defensive line, secondary and storyline.
Quarterbacks
4. Carson Beck (Miami Hurricanes) | After throwing six interceptions in Miami’s two losses, Beck has been much more of a game manager of late. No more so than in the team’s first two CFP wins, completing 71.7 percent of his pass attempts with two touchdowns while only averaging 120.5 yards per game.
3. Dante Moore (Oregon Ducks) | A potential top-five 2026 NFL Draft pick, Moore has been razor-sharp in the playoffs, going 45-of-60 (75 percent) for 547 yards (9.1 yards per attempt). His three interceptions are a concern, but Moore can more than make up for them with his explosive playmaking ability.
2. Fernando Mendoza (Indiana Hoosiers) | In Indiana’s 38-3 Rose Bowl romp over Alabama, Mendoza threw more touchdowns (three) than incompletions (two). He also had an 87.5 percent completion rate, his fifth game this season completing at least 80 percent of his passes, tied with Ohio State’s Julian Sayin for the most by a starting quarterback in the FBS this season. (h/t Stathead)
1. Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss Rebels) | It was a toss-up between Mendoza and Chambliss, but this three-play sequence from the Sugar Bowl from the former Ferris State quarterback sealed the deal.
