The College Football Playoff semifinal can't get here fast enough, as four teams remain with national title berths awaiting the final four still standing.
What's extremely unique about this year's finalists is the mix of new faces, including the SEC's Ole Miss Rebels and the Big Ten's Indiana Hoosiers, both of whom are having two of their greatest individual seasons ever, regardless of how it ends.
With what's left of the College Football Playoff, On3's Josh Pate succinctly broke down both games, which will see the Hoosiers rematch the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl. Meanwhile, the Rebels try to put an abrupt end to the ACC's Miami Hurricanes' potentially storybook postseason run in the Fiesta Bowl.
In a nutshell, Pate is sold on the idea that Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti can get to the title game with a perfect one-word label that fits their brand identity perfectly.
“Indiana’s just flat-out underrated,” Pate said. “It’s been an underrated roster all year, I think it’s underrated here. Model sees a big gap in [the] overall raw talent level between Oregon and Indiana. The answer to this is not to throw the model out. The answer is to try to find the exceptions to the rule. The general rule still works."
Pate said he is picking the Hoosiers, which would increase their in-season head-to-head record to 2-0 against coach Dan Lanning's Ducks.
“Indiana is an exception to the rule, and because of that, I’m going to take Indiana to win and Indiana to cover as well," Pate continued. "That number is 4.5 right now. I see it as Indiana winning and covering.”
In the other semifinal, though, the Fiesta Bowl is a game Pate was a lot more confident in the Hurricanes easily beating the Rebels.
“I think Miami’s going to win the game,” Pate said. “I think they’re going to win it by seven or more. I am diametrically opposed to the model here. Because what I think is going to happen is a little blend of both worlds for Miami. They are going to have a two-way edge on the line of scrimmage.
Pate said Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will not be able to settle in as well as he did during his comeback win in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs.
“But I also don’t think that Trinidad Chambliss — and I’ve just got to go on basic instinct here — I don’t think you’re going to have a copy/paste of the magic we saw last game," Pate said. "If we do, and that’s the way they win this game, just like I said about Georgia, you just tip your cap to them. I think that stuff’s really transcendent. I mean I think that’s generational type stuff for a school. And to get two of those performances in a row? I will be proven wrong by it happening, rather than expecting it to happen. So I’m going to take Miami to win. I’m going to take Miami to cover.”
Given how unpredictable the postseason has been, there's a good chance that none of this will be surprising, regardless of how it plays out.
But, keeping Pate's predictions in mind, it'll be the Hurricanes hosting the Hoosiers in the national title game.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET Monday, Jan. 19, from Hard Rock Stadium.