CFP semifinals set after Ole Miss shocks Georgia; NFL predictions, picks for Week 18

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Good morning, and happy Friday! Today's report is a tag-team effort written by Otto Strong, though not without significant contributions from Brad Crawford on all of yesterday's College Football Playoff action and Zachary Pereles previewing Week 18 of the NFL regular season.

So how about those CFP quarterfinal games? If not for Indiana trampling Alabama, the real elephant in the room would be how in the first two years of the 12-team field era the top four seeded teams are now a combined 1-7. But we'll have all offseason to debate that. For now let's examine how we got to the CFP's final four.

🏆 Five things to know Friday

The College Football Playoff semifinals are set. The Big Ten is guaranteed a third consecutive trip to the national championship game following blowout victories from Indiana and Oregon, which sets up a seismic Peach Bowl rematch between the conference foes in the upcoming semifinals. And after consecutive upset wins, Miami will meet Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl following the Rebels' upset win over Georgia in New Orleans.
With the AFC North title on the line, Lamar Jackson to play for Ravens. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson says he will play in the win-or-go-home regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson suffered a back contusion in Week 16 and missed Week 17, but he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and is in line for his first full week of practice in nearly two months. Keep reading for more on this matchup, and Zach's other three major Week 18 games.
Dolphins bringing in Troy Aikman as consultant to assist in team's GM search. Troy Aikman has accepted a temporary role to help find the Dolphins' next general manager, a position that has been open since Chris Grier was let go in October. Aside from being a three-time Super Bowl champion, our NFL insider Jonathan Jones said that Aikman's years of studying every NFL team and questioning players and other personnel for his analyst role makes him an ideal fit for the task.
It's the first weekend of conference play in college basketball. Michigan has been destroying opponents around the country to start the season, but now it's time for conference foes to get a taste of what the No. 2 Wolverines have been doing. No. 24 USC (12-1) will visit Michigan (12-0) Friday night in Big Ten play. Meanwhile, on the women's side, No. 19 USC visits crosstown rival No. 4 UCLA on Saturday.
The Panthers will host the Rangers at the Marlins' ballpark in the Winter Classic. Miami's loanDepot Park, home of the MLB's Marlins, will be the site of the first outdoor NHL game in the state of Florida. Although the Panthers are the two-time defending, neither team is crushing it so far this season. But that probably won't matter for the expected sell-out. Game time temperature is forecast to be 63 degrees.

😲 Ole Miss uses epic comeback to defeat Georgia, will meet Miami in first College Football Playoff semifinal

Whoa! Ole Miss' take down of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl was one for the ages.

The Rebels avenged a previous loss to the SEC champion Bulldogs on Thursday night inside New Orleans' Superdome behind a 362-yard, multi-touchdown performance from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss during a wild 39-34 victory. Ole Miss scored 20 points during a jaw-dropping fourth quarter, pushing ahead with six seconds to play on Lucas Carneiro's 47-yard field goal. Our David Cobb broke down how Chambliss got the Rebels going in the final frame.

Cobb: "Chambliss produced a three-play sequence for the Ole Miss history books to begin the fourth quarter. With the Rebels trailing 24-19, the Division II transfer turned into a magician. His first act was to evade a huge loss with a no-look shovel pass to Kewan Lacy.

Next came a Houdini act on a third-and-7 play in Ole Miss territory. He retreated, changed directions, evaded defenders and found Lacy for a 7-yard gain. Chambliss promptly followed up with another circus play that resulted in a 44-yard downfield strike to Harrison Wallace III. Lacy finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game, and the Rebels converted a 2-point play to go ahead 27-24.

Chambliss came through in a number of key situations with a number of highlight-reel plays, but no sequence embodied his performance better than those three plays to begin the fourth."

And Lane Kiffin may be gone, but he's still going to draw at least $500,000 as a result of the Rebels' two CFP victories. Kiffin collected a cool quarter-million for the first-round victory and he's got another $250,000 coming for the New Year's Day win, terms stipulated by his new agreement with LSU.

The Rebels' win pushes Ole Miss into the Fiesta Bowl semifinal in Glendale, Arizona, on Jan. 8 against a tough-as-nails Miami squad that upset Ohio State, 24-14, on New Year's Eve. Big picture, it means college football could have a first-time national champion this season unless the Hurricanes win out.

🌹🍊 No. 1 Indiana aces Rose Bowl test, Oregon dominates to set up second College Football Playoff semifinal

Indiana earned its stripes as the College Football Playoff's lone unbeaten entering the quarterfinals and Curt Cignetti's group once again left no doubt during the Hoosiers' 38-3 demolition of ninth-seeded Alabama. Playing in their first Rose Bowl since 1968, the surgical Big Ten champions seized control with a couple haymakers from Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza during a 17-point second quarter following two Alabama miscues and never looked back.

Battered on the canvas after the knockout blow, Alabama's at a crossroads of sorts following its worst bowl loss in program history. An unlikely horror movie unfolded for Kalen DeBoer down the stretch and it got real ugly in the finale, leading many to question if he's the long-term answer following his second season with the Crimson Tide. John Talty said Alabama's setback warrants sweeping changes.

Talty: "This was the kind of devastating, humiliating loss that must invoke introspection. The current blueprint is not going to cut it. Everything from roster construction to staffing to cultural identity should be under review this offseason."

After Oregon's disarming of Texas Tech in Miami, the Ducks will play the unbeaten Hoosiers on Jan. 9 at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta for an opportunity at their first appearance in the national championship game since 2014. Thanks to a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery from freshman cornerback Brandon Finney Jr., Oregon nullified Texas Tech's historic season with four takeaways to subdue one of the nation's high-powered offenses. The Big 12 is now 1-8 all-time in the CFP.

🏈 Week 18 of the NFL season has arrived, and these are THE four games everyone will be watching

Week 18 of the regular season has finally arrived, and while 12 of the 14 playoff spots have been sealed, there are seemingly endless seeding scenarios, draft order scenarios and, of course, all the drama that comes with the NFL, week-in and week-out. Four games stand above the rest:

Panthers at Buccaneers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. -- If the Panthers win this game, they head to the playoffs as the NFC South champions. If the Buccaneers win, both teams will be watching Saints-Falcons very carefully on Sunday, because if the Falcons win, the Panthers would still go to the playoffs. But if the Buccaneers win Saturday and the Saints win Sunday, the Buccaneers will be playoff-bound. One Saints star has been ruled out.
Seahawks at 49ers, Saturday, 8 p.m. -- This is the battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The loser will fall to a wild card spot.
Chargers at Broncos, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. -- If the Broncos win this game, they will be the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Considering the Chargers will be resting several starters, including Justin Herbert, Denver should win. But this is the NFL, where the weird, the random and the unexpected happens. If the Broncos somehow lose, though, the Patriots can get the No. 1 seed with a win over the Dolphins. And if the Broncos and the Patriots lose, the Jaguars can get the No. 1 seed if they beat the Titans. Like I said, lots of scenarios here.
Ravens at Steelers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. -- Fittingly, these two rivals play with the AFC North title on the line in the very last game of the season. Game 272 out of 272. It's a huge game for Jackson, who's had a tough year and has a big, uncertain offseason ahead. Oh, and it might also be Aaron Rodgers' last game ... ever.

So let's get to the picks. Here's a taste of of what our guys are saying for two of these games. For Panthers at Buccaneers, Pete Prisco is going with ...

Prisco: "This might be for the division title -- it is if Carolina wins -- even if both teams are limping into this game. The Bucs have dragged in the second half of the season, but they are at home and have guys who have played in a lot of big games. Look for the offense to get it going here as Baker Mayfield gets the better of Bryce Young. Projected score: Bucs 26, Panthers 20

For Ravens at Steelers, Tyler Sullivan says ...

Sullivan: "While Henry's resurgence is a key element in why I think Baltimore wins, it's not the main reason. Specifically, it's because Pittsburgh will not have the key X-factor from its win against the Ravens earlier this season: DK Metcalf. The standout receiver is still serving his two-game suspension stemming from an altercation with a fan in Detroit. Back in Week 14, Metcalf posted a season-high 148 receiving yards against the Ravens, which included three receptions of at least 20 air yards. Without him, Pittsburgh has no viable deep passing attack, which will likely stifle its chances in this matchup. Projected score: Ravens 24, Steelers 20

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

Why not start the year with a bang? Sam Quinn has some bold NBA predictions -- five stars who'll be on the move in 2026. (Hint: These are two of them.)
Our college basketball writers have some New Year's resolutions for this year's NCAA Tournament contenders.
The race for the NFL's Most Valuable Player award isn't over yet.
And keeping with the award spirit, here's CBS Sports' NFL All-Rookie team.
The Astros have reached a deal with Tatsuya Imai, Japan's best pitcher this offseason, to a three-year contract that could be worth up to $63 million. And here's our MLB free agency tracker.
Joe Burrow is calling for the Bengals to make some changes.
Five-time all-star Naphessa Collier will miss four to six months after having surgery on both ankles, meaning she may not be able to play for the Lynx when the WNBA season starts.
Micah Parsons thinks that the Cowboys' defensive woes are a laughing matter.
Chuck Booth has predicted USMNT's World Cup roster.
Saints wide receiver Chris Olave will miss the season finale due to a blood clot diagnosis.
Here are our awards for boxing's best in 2025: Best fighter | Best fight | Best knockout

📺 What we're watching this weekend

Friday

🏈 Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State, 1 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati, 4:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 24 USC at No. 2 Michigan (M), 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
⛳ Boston Common Golf vs. Los Angeles Golf Club, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Nuggets at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video
🏈 Holiday Bowl: No. 17 Arizona vs. SMU, 8 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Duke's Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 NHL Winter Classic: Rangers vs. Panthers, 8 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 No. 16 Louisville at Stanford (M), 8 p.m. on ACC Network
🏀 No. 9 Michigan State at No. 13 Nebraska (M), 9 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 West Virginia at No. 3 Iowa State (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Thunder at Warriors, 10 p.m. on Prime Video

Saturday

⚽ Nottingham Forest at Aston Villa, 7:30 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Burnley at Brighton & Hove Albion, 10 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ West Ham United at Wolverhampton Wanderers, 10 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 No. 21 Virginia at NC State (M), 11 a.m. on ESPN2
🏒 Penguins at Red Wings, Noon on ABC
🏀 Kentucky at No. 14 Alabama (M), Noon on ESPN
🏀 Seton Hall at No. 1 UConn (W), Noon on FS1
⚽ Arsenal at AFC Bournemouth, 12:30 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Auburn at No. 23 Georgia (M), 1 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 Oklahoma State at No. 15 Texas Tech (M), 1 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 10 BYU at Kansas State (M), 1:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 No. 8 Houston at Cincinnati (M), 2 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 17 Kansas at UCF (M), 2 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 No. 11 Vanderbilt at South Carolina (M), 2 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 No. 12 North Carolina at SMU (M), 2:15 p.m. on The CW
🏀 No. 19 Tennessee at No. 18 Arkansas (M), 3 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 6 Duke at Florida State (M), 3:45 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 No. 1 Arizona at Utah (M), 4 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏈 Panthers at Buccaneers, 4:30 p.m. on ABC/ESPN
🏀 Timberwolves at Heat, 5 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 UCLA at No. 25 Iowa (M), 6 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏒 Maple Leafs at Islanders, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
🏒 Jets at Senators, 7 p.m. on NHL Network Alternate
🏀 No. 20 Illinois at Penn State (M), 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏀 76ers at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on NBA TV
🏈 Seahawks at 49ers, 8 p.m. on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
🏀 No. 5 Purdue at Wisconsin (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 19 USC at No. 4 UCLA (W), 8 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 No. 22 Florida at Missouri (M), 8:30 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 Celtics at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV

Sunday

⚽ Manchester United at Leeds United, 7:30 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Liverpool at Fulham, 10 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Sunderland at Tottenham Hotspur, 10 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 Illinois at No. 24 Michigan State (W), Noon on Big Ten Network
🏀 Missouri at No. 12 Kentucky (W), Noon on SEC Network
🏀 No. 20 Notre Dame at Duke (W), Noon on ACC Network
⚽ Chelsea at Manchester City, 12:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏈 Browns at Bengals, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Packers at Vikings, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Colts at Texans, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Cowboys at Giants, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Saints at Falcons, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Titans at Jaguars, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Stanford at No. 18 North Carolina (W), 1 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Marquette at No. 4 UConn (M), 2 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Rutgers at No. 21 Ohio State (W), 2 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏀 No. 3 South Carolina at Florida (W), 2 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 No. 15 Baylor at No. 10 Iowa State (W), 3 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 14 Ole Miss at No. 2 Texas (W), 3 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 17 Tennessee at Auburn (W), 4 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 Virginia Tech at No. 16 Louisville (W), 4 p.m. on ACC Network
🏈 Chiefs at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Chargers at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Jets at Bills, 4:25 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Commanders at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Cardinals at Rams, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Lions at Bears, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Dolphins at Patriots, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 5 LSU at No. 13 Vanderbilt (W), 5 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Indiana at No. 7 Maryland (W), 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏈 Ravens at Steelers, 8:20 p.m. on NBC