Alabama vs. Indiana prediction: Beat writers pick Rose Bowl winner

AlabamaandIndianawill meet for the first time in today'sCollege Football Playoffquarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.

Indiana entered the 2025 season as thelosingest team in college football history. Now,Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers (13-0) are ranked No. 1 and in the Rose Bowl for thefirst time since 1968. Awaiting them is perennial power Alabama (11-3) in a prove-it moment.

HowHeisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendozaand Ty Simpson handle the wet conditions could be a huge factor.

Writers fromIndyStar,The Herald-TimesandTuscaloosa News, all part of USA TODAY Co., provided their predictions for Thursday's CFP quarterfinal matchup. The winner advances to the Peach Bowl for a semifinal showdown with either Texas Tech or Oregon.

Best of bowl season: Mascots, trophies, celebrations, Gatorade baths

Alabama vs Indiana prediction

∎Depends on weather: I will stand, as the kids say, on business. If Thursday isn't played in a downpour, I think Alabama will be comfortable living without a lot of what Indiana takes away defensively, and I think the Crimson Tide found something in Norman in the first-round comeback. Provided decent weather,Alabama 27, Indiana 24. If it is pouring down rain,Indiana 28, Alabama 10, because at that point, the game will be defined by who can run the football, and only one of these teams can. So I'm standing mostly on business.— Zach Osterman, IndyStar

∎Indiana 31, Alabama 17:Alabama has plenty of talent and the comeback win over Oklahoma seemed to give it some momentum, but it has plenty of flaws. The Tide don't have a balanced offense (they have the No. 120-ranked run offense in the FBS), struggle to protect quarterback Ty Simpson at times and don't consistently rush the passer, either.

Those three things are of particular concern in the Rose Bowl when going up against Indiana that can score in a hurry if Fernando Mendoza has time in the pocket and has a defense that's dominated one-dimensional opponents.

Indiana will be coming off a lengthy layoff and the weather is a wild card, but none of that kind of 'clutter' as Curt Cignetti likes to say has tripped them up before. The Hoosiers have beaten better teams (Ohio State) that are just as athletic (Oregon) in much tougher environments. This would have been a more challenging moment for last year's team, but this battle-tested group knows its strengths and will come out on top on New Year's Day.— Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times

∎Alabama 24, Indiana 21:Indiana is, by far, the best team Alabama has faced all season with a top-five scoring offense and a top-two scoring defense nationally. The Crimson Tide's defense has lived up to expectation against top offenses, shutting down Tennessee and Vanderbilt in the regular season, both of which are top-10 scoring offenses nationally. Paired with a surging offense, one that was methodical and consistent against an Oklahoma defense that is one of the best in college football, Alabama could be peaking at the right time, something that could mark trouble for the Hoosiers.— Colin Gay, Tuscaloosa News

∎Alabama 20, Indiana 17:A low-scoring affair. Both defenses are legit, and neither offense is dangerous enough to take the score into the 30s. Field position will play an important role.— Chase Goodbread, Tuscaloosa News

When is Alabama vs Indiana today in Rose Bowl?

• When: 4 p.m., Thursday, Jan .1

• Where: Pasadena, Calif.

What TV channel is Alabama vs Indiana today in Rose Bowl

• TV: ESPN

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Alabama vs Indiana prediction: Writers pick Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal winner

byVincento Seyarto

in

January 01, 2026

Alabama vs. Indiana prediction: Beat writers pick Rose Bowl winner

AlabamaandIndianawill meet for the first time in today'sCollege Football Playoffquarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. ...

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Ole Miss vs. Georgia prediction: Beat writers pick Sugar Bowl winner

TheSugar Bowlis an all-SECmatchup asOle MissandGeorgiameet in aCollege Football Playoffquarterfinal tonight.

The two teams met Oct. 18, a 43-35 Bulldogs win. Gunner Stockton completed 26-of-31 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns and Georgia (12-1) held Ole Miss to 88 rushing yards.

Ole Miss (12-1) cruised in its CFP first round game against Tulane, another rematch. Pete Golding's debut was nearly perfect. Can he engineer an upset in New Orleans?

Writers fromClarion LedgerandAthens Banner-Herald, both part of USA TODAY Co., provided their predictions for Thursday night's CFP quarterfinal matchup. The winner advances to the Fiesta Bowl for a semifinal showdown with either Ohio State or Miami.

Best of bowl season: Mascots, trophies, celebrations, Gatorade baths

Ole Miss vs Georgia prediction

∎Georgia 34, Ole Miss 21:Kirby Smart's 4-0 record in rematches is not something to dismiss. The matchups are largely the same and the teams that played 10 weeks and 5 days ago have grown. Georgia, in particular, is a much better team defensively. Ole Miss gave the Bulldogs all they could handle until the fourth quarter of the first game in a 43-35 Georgia win.

Georgia seems about as locked in as can be given player movement is about to crank up with the transfer portal opening next month. A good chunk of the Ole Miss coaching staff is pulling double duty for their new jobs at LSU, but will turn attention to this game after Christmas. The Bulldogs were on a heater when they hit the playoff bye. Expect them to pick up where they left off with the defense raising its game considerably since the first matchup.— Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald

∎Georgia 28, Ole Miss 27: The Rebels dominated Tulane in the first round of the CFP, but the Bulldogs represent Ole Miss' first significant test the post-Lane Kiffin era. Georgia is coming off a 28-7 win against Alabama in the SEC championship and is playing well enough late in the season to win.— Sam Hutchens, Clarion Ledger

∎Georgia 28, Ole Miss 23: In the Oct. 18 game, Ole Miss was the better team for three quarters, but gotoutscored 17-0 in the fourth. Georgia's pass defense is the weakest part of its defensive game, giving up 205.3 yards per game. It's one of the few major defensive statistics in which the Bulldogs aren't ranked in the top 15 nationally.

Conversely, Ole Miss is third in the FBS with 312.4 passing yards per game. Chambliss has been the team's breakout star. He threw for 262 yards and a touchdown in the first matchup and rushed for two more scores. Another big game from him could be all it takes for Ole Miss to have a chance.

Beating a team twice in one season is difficult, but Georgia has found ways to win all season. It has gotten only stronger since the first meeting.—Tia Reed, Clarion Ledger

When is Ole Miss vs Georgia today in Sugar Bowl?

• When: 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan .1

• Where: New Orleans

What TV channel is Ole Miss vs Georgia today in Sugar Bowl

• TV: ESPN

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ole Miss vs Georgia prediction: Writers pick Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal

byVincento Seyarto

in

January 01, 2026

Ole Miss vs. Georgia prediction: Beat writers pick Sugar Bowl winner

TheSugar Bowlis an all-SECmatchup asOle MissandGeorgiameet in aCollege Football Playoffquarterfinal tonight. The...

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Zach Bryan Shares the First Look at His and Samantha Leonard's Wedding: 'Tougher Than the Rest'

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty; Zach Bryan/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Zach Bryan confirmed he and Samantha Leonard tied the knot on Wednesday, Dec. 31

• The country star shared the first look at the couple's wedding, including a photo of the newlyweds and a video from the celebration

• The pair were first linked in July 2025, when Leonard shared a photo of the two attending Spain's Running of the Bulls

Zach Bryanis officially married. The country star confirmed that he and Samantha Leonard tied the knot, after a videocirculatedof the couple getting into a car decorated with "Just Married" flags on the back on Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Bryan, 29, shared the first official look at his wedding, including aphotoof him and the bride. In the photo, posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Dec. 31, Bryan is seen holding Leonard, 28, as she wears a strapless white gown with a feather-trimmed hem.

"Tougher than the rest," Bryan captioned the post, referencing Bruce Springsteen's love song with the same name, hailing from the Boss' 1987 albumTunnel of Love.

Bryan's post also included a video from the celebration where he is seen covering the track while on a stage surrounded by flowers.

View this post on Instagram

Bryan and Leonard's wedding comes a day after the "Something in the Orange" performer shared a photo to Instagram of him and friends in formal wear with a caption that featured lyrics from the Black Eyed Peas hit "I Gotta Feeling."

"Tonight's the night, let's live it up/I got my money, let's spend it up (I feel)/Go out and smash it, like, 'Oh my God!'/Jump off that sofa, let's kick it off (I feel)," he captioned the post.

The couple sparked engagement rumors when Leonard was seen wearing a diamond ring on her left hand in a video where she lit a firework that Bryan posted to Instagram Stories.

Bryan and Leonard were first linked in July 2025 after Leonard posted a photo of the pair attending Spain's Running of the Bulls in anInstagram slideshow.

The couple was also seen spending time on vacation together in photos Leonard shared onInstagram, on Aug. 21. In one photo, the pair was seen embracing as they held a fishing rod while on a boat.

"Spanish eyes," Bryan wrote under her post.

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The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter was previously married to Rose Madden from 2020 to 2021, and was in relationships withDeb Peiferfrom 2022 to 2023,BFFspodcast hostBrianna 'Chickenfry' LaPagliafrom 2023 to 2024, and ex-girlfriendHannah Duncanfor a few months in early 2025.

In November 2024, LaPagliaaccused the musician of emotional abuseand alleged that he offered her $12 million and a house to not talk about their relationship.

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"You made the women before me believe that they had no other choice than to take money from you, sign their experiences away, sign what they went through away," LaPaglia claimed on theBFFs Podcast. "You get to go skip off and sing your little f------ songs on stage like you're a good dude ... Sorry, I'm not them."

Although Bryan has not commented publicly on the allegations, he subtly referenced his ex in a recent video, sharing a clip to his Instagram Stories that featured him setting fire to a flag for Barstool Sports — the media company that hosts LaPaglia's podcast.

Leonard, meanwhile, has been private about her dating and work life. In her Instagram profile, she writes that she splits her time between Newport Beach in California and New York City, and has worked as an influencer.

Read the original article onPeople

byVincento Seyarto

in

January 01, 2026

Zach Bryan Shares the First Look at His and Samantha Leonard's Wedding: 'Tougher Than the Rest'

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty; Zach Bryan/Instagram NEED TO KNOW Zach Bryan confirmed he and Samantha Leonard tied the knot on Wednesday, Dec. 3...

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