CFP Quarterfinal Preview: Miami vs Ohio State Kickoff

The Elite Eight Begins Tonight

The College Football Playoff moves to the Quarterfinal stage tonight, New Year's Eve, with a marquee matchup at the Cotton Bowl, followed by a triple-header of action on New Year's Day.

Tonight: (10) Miami vs. (2) Ohio State

Goodyear Cotton Bowl | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN

The first ticket to the Semifinals will be punched tonight in Arlington.

• The Matchup: The high-flying Miami Hurricanes offense, led by Heisman finalist Cam Ward, takes on the defensive juggernaut of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
• Key Storyline: Can Ohio State's secondary contain Miami's vertical passing game? Ohio State is favored by 9.5 points, largely due to their balanced attack and rest advantage (they had a first-round bye).
• Player to Watch: Jeremiah Smith (WR, Ohio State). The freshman sensation has been unstoppable all year and presents a nightmare matchup for Miami's corners.

Tomorrow: New Year's Day Triple-Header

Noon ET: (5) Oregon vs. (4) Texas Tech Capital One Orange Bowl Texas Tech is the surprise of the tournament, securing the #4 seed as Big 12 champs. They face a daunting task in Dillon Gabriel and the Oregon Ducks, who many power-rated as the best team in the country despite their seed. Expect points in bunches.

4:00 PM ET: (9) Alabama vs. (1) Indiana Rose Bowl Game The Cinderella story of the century meets the bluest of blue bloods in the Granddaddy of Them All. The undefeated Indiana Hoosiers (#1 seed) host Alabama. The Crimson Tide are battle-tested coming off a tough win against Oklahoma, while Indiana has been idle. Vegas actually favors Indiana by 6 points—a testament to Curt Cignetti's incredible coaching job.

8:00 PM ET: (6) Ole Miss vs. (3) Georgia Allstate Sugar Bowl A heavyweight SEC rematch to close out the round. Georgia won the regular-season meeting 43-35, but Lane Kiffin's Rebels have been scorching hot since. Georgia's defense looked vulnerable in the SEC Championship game; can Jaxson Dart exploit those cracks again?

Prediction Time

• Cotton Bowl: Ohio State covers and wins comfortably.
• Orange Bowl: Oregon wins a shootout.
• Rose Bowl: Alabama pulls the upset with superior depth.
• Sugar Bowl: Georgia grinds out a close victory in a defensive struggle.