The College Football Playoff semifinals feature two teams that weren’t expected to be here. Miami (12-2) earned their CFP bid despite being on the outside for most of the season’s back end.
The Hurricanes proved they belonged with wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State. Mario Cristobal has rebuilt the program and brought Miami back to national prominence.
The next steps in that rebuild are massive ones.
Ole Miss playing in this semifinal is unexpected. The Rebels lost longtime head coach Lane Kiffin last month, who’s now at LSU. Despite Kiffin wanting to coach his team through the playoff run, Ole Miss is 2-0 without him.
That record includes an upset victory over Georgia, which beat Kiffin and the Rebels earlier this season.
Ole Miss’ semifinal berth comes from a remarkable job by Pete Golding. He was hired as Kiffin’s defensive coordinator before the 2024-25 season and named permanent head coach shortly after Kiffin’s departure.
A big reason for Ole Miss’ success is how well quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has played in high-pressure situations. He threw for a season-high 368 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia, making several plays after the pocket broke down.
Running back Kewan Lacy added 98 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
On the other side, Miami’s defense has been the star of its playoff run. The Canes held Texas A&M to a season-low seven points. Against Ohio State, they picked off Julian Sayin twice, including a pick-six in the first half.
Defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. leads Miami’s defense, which ranks fourth nationally in scoring defense and fifth in rushing defense. In his two playoff games, Bain has combined for four sacks, including 4.5 tackles for loss.
Miami was listed as a 3.5-point favorite as of Tuesday night.
The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights for Miami vs. Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Follow below for complete results from the 2026 Fiesta Bowl.
Miami vs. Ole Miss football score
Miami vs. Ole Miss live updates, highlights from 2026 College Football Playoff semifinals
All times Eastern.
This section will be updated as kickoff in Glendale approaches.
MORE MIAMI-OLE MISS NEWS:
Where to watch College Football Playoff semifinals
Miami vs. Ole Miss start time
• Date: Thursday, Jan. 8
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The Fiesta Bowl between Miami and Ole Miss will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The stadium’s capacity is 63,400, and nearly every seat should be filled as kickoff approaches.
What channel is Miami vs. Ole Miss on today?
• TV channel: ESPN
• Live stream: Fubo
The Fiesta Bowl will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, with Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (color analyst) on the call from Arizona.
ESPN is once again producing its annual Megacast for the College Football Playoff featuring alternate broadcasts across ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and the ESPN App.
Fans looking to stream the game can turn to Fubo, which offers a free trial to new users.
College Football Playoff schedule 2026
Dec. 19
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
| First-Round CFP game | Alabama 34, Oklahoma 24 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
Dec. 20
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
| First-Round CFP game | Miami 10, Texas A&M 3 | 12 p.m. | TNT |
| First-Round CFP game | Ole Miss 41, Tulane 10 | 4 p.m. | TNT |
| First-Round CFP game | Oregon 51, James Madison 34 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
Dec. 31
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
| Cotton Bowl Classic (quarterfinal) | Miami 24, Ohio State 14 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Jan. 1
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
| Capital One Orange Bowl (quarterfinal) | Texas Tech vs. Oregon | 12 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rose Bowl Game (quarterfinal) | Indiana vs. Alabama | 4 p.m. | ESPN |
| Allstate Sugar Bowl (quarterfinal) | Georgia vs. Ole Miss | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
Jan. 8
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
| Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (semifinal) | Miami vs. Ole Miss | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Jan. 9
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
| Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (semifinal) | Indiana vs. Oregon | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Jan. 19
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
| CFP National championship | TBD | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
