The College Football Playoff semifinal between Miami and Ole Miss kicks off Thursday, January 8th, at 7:30 PM Eastern Time (4:30 PM Pacific). The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, making it accessible to a broad audience with standard cable or streaming subscriptions.
Upset Paths to the Semifinals
Both teams arrived at this stage as underdogs. Miami, ranked #10, shocked the defending champions – the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes – with a dominant performance. The Hurricanes controlled the line of scrimmage, effectively running the ball and disrupting Ohio State’s passing game, thanks to standouts like Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor on defense.
Ole Miss, seeded #6, overcame the unexpected departure of their head coach before the tournament to defeat #3 Georgia. Despite facing adversity, they remain underdogs against Miami, though only by a narrow margin: Miami is favored by 3 points at kickoff.
Where to Stream or Watch Live
For those without cable, several streaming options carry ESPN:
- ESPN Unlimited: $30/month for all CFP games.
- Sling Orange: $46/month, includes ESPN.
- Fubo Sports: $56/month, carries ESPN.
- DirecTV MySports: $70/month, with ESPN access.
- YouTube TV: $83/month, includes ESPN.
- Hulu + Live TV: $83/month, also carries ESPN.
What’s at Stake?
The winner of the Fiesta Bowl will advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 19th, where they will face either Indiana or Oregon. The game will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
This year’s CFP has already seen significant upsets, demonstrating that traditional rankings don’t always reflect on-field performance. Miami and Ole Miss have proven their ability to beat highly-ranked opponents, making this semifinal matchup unpredictable.
