If you woke up looking for bowl game scores today, you might notice the silence. It's Friday, January 16, 2026, and for the first time in weeks, the stadiums are actually quiet. We are in that weird, jittery "calm before the storm" window. The chaotic 12-team playoff bracket has finally been whittled down to just two teams.
Honestly, if you had told me in August that Indiana would be the betting favorite to win a national title, I would’ve asked for a hit of whatever you were smoking. But here we are. The Hoosiers are 15-0. Curt Cignetti hasn’t just "turned around" a program; he’s basically performed a digital lobotomy on the traditional blue-blood hierarchy.
The Most Recent Bowl Game Scores Today (And How We Got Here)
The semifinals were a total bloodbath. Or, well, one of them was a bloodbath and the other was a heart-stopper. If you missed the action on January 8th and 9th, here is the wreckage left behind.
The Peach Bowl: Indiana 56, Oregon 22
This wasn't a game. It was a statement. Indiana didn't just beat the Ducks; they dismantled them. D'Angelo Ponds picked off Dante Moore on the very first play from scrimmage and took it 25 yards for a score. From that moment, Oregon looked like they were running in sand.
Fernando Mendoza has been surgical. He’s not the flashiest guy in the world, but he hasn't made a mistake in three weeks. By the time the third quarter ended, Indiana was up by 30 and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium crowd was mostly just Hoosier fans doing the "IU" chant while Oregon fans headed for the exits.
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The Fiesta Bowl: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27
Now, this was a game. Carson Beck, the guy who has been through every possible high and low in college football, finally had his "moment." Miami trailed for most of the second half. Lane Kiffin’s Rebels were moving the ball at will with Trinidad Chambliss, but the Hurricanes' defense—the same one that held Texas A&M to three points in the first round—clamped down when it mattered.
Beck led a 15-play drive that felt like it took three hours. He scrambled into the end zone with 18 seconds left. It was gritty. It was ugly. It was exactly what Mario Cristobal needed to prove he can actually win the big one.
The Path to the 2026 Championship
The scores leading up to today tell a story of absolute chaos. Remember the Quarterfinals? We saw Indiana humiliate Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. Seeing the Tide score only a field goal in Pasadena felt like a glitch in the simulation.
Meanwhile, Miami has been the ultimate survivor. They were the No. 10 seed. Nobody—literally nobody—expected them to beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, yet they walked out with a 24-14 win.
- CFP First Round: Miami 10, Texas A&M 3
- Cotton Bowl (QF): Miami 24, Ohio State 14
- Fiesta Bowl (SF): Miami 31, Ole Miss 27
They are the first double-digit seed to make the title game. It’s kinda poetic that they get to play the final game in their own backyard at Hard Rock Stadium.
Why There Are No Bowl Game Scores Today
It’s a scheduling thing. The NCAA and the CFP committee decided to give the finalists a ten-day layoff before the National Championship on Monday, January 19th.
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It makes sense. These kids have played 15 or 16 games now. That's an NFL schedule. If they played today, half the starters would probably be in wheelchairs. The break gives Beck’s reconstructed elbow and Mendoza’s throwing shoulder some much-needed ice time.
What the Experts Get Wrong About the 12-Team Format
A lot of people complained that the 12-team playoff would "ruin the regular season." Look at these scores and tell me it's ruined. We had a James Madison vs. Oregon matchup in the first round that was actually competitive for three quarters. We saw Ole Miss and Georgia go to war in the Sugar Bowl (39-34 Rebels).
The real shocker is the "Big Three" collapse. Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama—the trio that has dominated our lives for a decade—are all watching from home today.
Actionable Insights for the National Championship
If you're looking at the betting lines or just trying to sound smart at the sports bar this weekend, keep these three things in mind:
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- The Indiana Defense is Real: They haven't allowed more than 26 points in a playoff game yet. They aren't just "good for the Big Ten"; they are elite.
- Home Field Advantage: Miami is playing at Hard Rock Stadium. Even though it's technically a neutral site game, the "U" fans are going to be out in force.
- The Mendoza Factor: Indiana's QB is playing with house money. He wasn't even the starter in some people's eyes back in August. Now he's the Heisman winner.
The bowl game scores today might be blank on the scoreboard, but the tape from the last month tells us everything we need to know. We are headed for a finale between an undefeated underdog that became a powerhouse and a storied program that finally found its soul again.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the injury reports for Malachi Toney and the Indiana secondary over the next 48 hours. The depth of the Hurricanes' receiving corps against the Hoosiers' ball-hawking safeties is going to be the matchup that decides who holds the trophy on Monday night. Check the official CFP portal or the ESPN app late Saturday for the finalized active rosters.