Cover 3 College Football Podcast

Episode: CFP Quarterfinals INSTANT REACTION: Ole Miss Upsets Georgia | Indiana & Oregon Dominate

Date: January 2, 2026
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Bud Elliott

Overview

This episode delivers an energetic, in-depth instant reaction to the College Football Playoff (CFP) quarterfinals. The Cover 3 crew dissects one of the wildest playoff slates in recent memory, headlined by a shocking Ole Miss upset over Georgia, a historic beatdown by Indiana over Alabama, and Oregon’s defensive masterclass against Texas Tech. The hosts marvel at the “new money” semifinal lineup: Indiana, Oregon, Ole Miss, and Miami, and explore the seismic implications for the college football landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Stunning Ole Miss Upset Over Georgia

(Starting ~03:53, major discussion 04:10–25:25)

• Unprecedented Semifinals: Ole Miss, Indiana, Oregon, and Miami are the unexpected CFP semifinalists—no Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, or Oklahoma.

  "This is the most new money college football playoff that we have seen. This is a college football playoff for the modern era." – Chip Patterson (04:33)

• Game Flow & Surprises:

  • Ole Miss jumped out early; Georgia rebounded for a halftime lead.
  • Ole Miss, led by QB Trinidad Chambliss, stormed back in the second half, outscoring Georgia 27-13 in the final two quarters.
  • Chambliss’s improvisational brilliance, especially under pressure, stunned the panel.

    “He was running around like crazy. High wire act, high danger and just making plays down the field, escaping from pressure with just insanity.” – Tom Fornelli (07:36)

• Ole Miss’s Approach:

  • Blitz pick-up was excellent, Chambliss distributed the ball dynamically despite injuries and fumbles.
  • The wide receiver committee delivered clutch grabs.

• Critical Game Management Issues:

  • Kirby Smart’s endgame clock management and crucial fourth-down confusion proved costly.

    “Brutally bad game mismanagement by Kirby. You gave Ole Miss a full minute to get down and beat you with the field goal.” – Bud Elliott (12:15)

• Notable Fourth-Down Sequence:

  • Mass confusion on a fake punt attempt; miscommunication between Georgia’s players and coaches exposed a lack of preparation (14:05).

• Ole Miss Defense:

  • Defensive tackle Xavian Harris was a standout (10 tackles).
  • Cetera Perkins had a huge strip sack (20:09).

• Targeting Ejection Rant:

  • Lengthy and passionate argument against the current targeting rule after Georgia lost a safety to an ejection (21:30–23:48).

    “Nothing egregious about that… you don’t need to eject a player for that. You want to flag them, fine, but to eject… for that hit, which is clearly not dirty, was just a football play, is ridiculous.” – Host, paraphrased (21:48)

Notable Quote:

• “This is a college football playoff for the modern era… just kind of a remarkable sort of pinch yourself moment.” – Chip Patterson (04:30)
• “Lane Kiffin was at an LSU women's basketball game tonight while Ole Miss was beating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Imagine I told you that five months ago.” – Chip Patterson (19:48)
• “Trinidad Chambliss… I’m kind of still in shock, honestly.” – Tom Fornelli (08:28)

Timestamps:

• 04:10 – The shock of the Ole Miss win
• 07:36 – Chambliss’s heroic QB play
• 12:15 – Kirby’s clock mismanagement
• 14:05 – Fourth-down confusion
• 21:30-23:48 – Targeting/ejection rule rant

2. Indiana Destroys Alabama: “Physical Manhandling”

(Discussion from 27:26–39:56)

• Indiana’s Domination:

  • Complete physical and tactical dominance: Indiana's first long drive (16 plays, 84 yards, 9 minutes) set the tone.

    “Indiana grabbed Alabama, held it up by its ankles, stuck its face in the toilet and started flushing the toilet.” – Tom Fornelli (28:10)

• Alabama’s Physical Wake-Up Call:

  “Alabama finally learned what it was like to be on the other end of the Nick Saban Alabama teams… It was an ass whooping.” – Tom Fornelli (28:46, 32:43)

• Indiana Defense:

  • Masterful pressure packages by DC Brian Haynes.
  • Indiana’s linebackers and safety play, showing great recognition and fast closing ability, allowed them to play light boxes while still stuffing the run (33:16).

• QB Brendan Mendoza’s Efficiency:

  • More touchdowns than incompletions; 192 yards on 16 attempts (33:41).

    “He just diced them…that was pretty surgical.” – Bud Elliott (31:09)

  • Ran for several crucial first downs.

• Historical Perspective:

  • The hosts contemplate how Kurt Signetti’s turnaround at Indiana may be one of the greatest stories in modern college sports.

    "Transformation of Indiana… beating Alabama is another piece of this… slaying the dragons of the sport on their way to the mountaintop." – Chip Patterson (38:31)

Timestamps:

• 28:10 – Indiana’s physical dominance
• 32:43 – Comparing to Saban’s old Bama teams
• 37:58 – Signetti’s turnaround, a “greatest ever” story

3. Oregon’s Defense Shuts Out Texas Tech

(Discussion from 46:43–54:44)

• Ducks’ Defense Leads the Way:

  • Oregon’s defense forced four turnovers, limited big plays, and totally stifled Texas Tech’s offense.

    "To me, this was a story about the Ducks defense just really imposing their will." – Chip Patterson (46:27)

• Offensive Struggles:

  • Neither Dante Moore nor Baron Morton (Texas Tech) played well—both took drive-killing sacks.

    “I thought [Dante Moore] and Baron [Morton] were both suffering from Julian Sayanitis where they were running backwards but not really escaping pressure. Every single sack they were taking was for like a 10 yard loss…” – Tom Fornelli (46:57)

  • Oregon’s run game was ineffective, averaging under 2 yards per carry.

• Texas Tech’s Defense:

  • Played well and tackled efficiently, but got worn down due to offense’s ineptitude.

• Looking Forward:

  • Texas Tech’s rise likened to the first steps Indiana took; optimism about the program’s long-term prospects.

Timestamps:

• 46:43 – Oregon’s defensive dominance
• 51:35 – Texas Tech’s offensive woes
• 53:16 – Texas Tech’s future and recruiting

4. Semifinal Previews & Early Takes

(56:13–end)

Oregon vs. Indiana (Peach Bowl)

• Key will be whether Oregon can establish the run against Indiana’s suffocating front.

  “If Oregon’s not able to run the ball in that game… it’s going to be problems.” – Tom Fornelli (56:13)

• First meeting saw Indiana dominate up front (six sacks of Dante Moore); Oregon needed fourth-down conversions to stay alive.
• Early spread: Indiana by ~3.5-4, total points at 46—implying a low-scoring, defense-driven matchup.

Miami vs. Ole Miss (Fiesta Bowl)

• Both teams’ playoff runs have been improbable, and now one will play for a national title.

• Miami favored by 3, but the crew notes Ole Miss’s offensive firepower could test Miami’s pass rush.

  “I think Miami’s pass rush is not going to disappear. I don’t know if Trinidad’s going to be able to get the hell away like he was able to get away against Georgia tonight.” – Tom Fornelli (62:38)

• The tempo battle: Expect Ole Miss to go hurry-up in hopes of wearing out Miami’s top pass rushers (Bane, Mezador).

• Quarterback Edge:

  • All three hosts lean toward Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) over Miami’s much-hyped, well-compensated signal-caller.

    “Which team, which quarterback would you rather have? Chambers/Trinidad.” – Bud Elliott and the group (65:24)

Timestamps:

• 56:13 – Indiana vs. Oregon preview
• 58:42 – Critical stats from prior meeting
• 62:01 – Miami vs. Ole Miss breakdown
• 64:39 – QB debate: Chambliss vs. Miami QB

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "This is a college football playoff for the modern era… just kind of a remarkable sort of pinch yourself moment." – Chip Patterson (04:30)
• "Brutally bad game mismanagement by Kirby." – Bud Elliott (12:15)
• “Indiana grabbed Alabama, held it up by its ankles, stuck its face in the toilet and started flushing the toilet.” – Tom Fornelli (28:10)
• “Transformation of Indiana… slaying the dragons of the sport on their way to the mountaintop.” – Chip Patterson (38:31)
• “To me, this was a story about the Ducks defense just really imposing their will.” – Chip Patterson (46:27)
• “I thought [Dante Moore] and Baron [Morton] were both suffering from Julian Sayanitis…” – Tom Fornelli (46:57)
• “Quarterback debate: Give us the D2 guy over the five-star every time.” – (Paraphrased group consensus, 65:24)

Overall Tone & Style

The hosts are fired up, occasionally incredulous, and delighted by the unpredictable chaos of the new CFP landscape. Their style is spontaneous, fun, and deeply knowledgeable, mixing sharp tactical analysis with big-picture college football culture talk. There’s substantial friendly ribbing and some heartfelt appreciation for the underdogs making history.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:08: Ads, intro
• 03:08–25:25: Ole Miss upsets Georgia, instant reaction
• 27:26–39:56: Indiana humiliates Alabama, college football history in the making
• 46:43–54:44: Oregon shuts out Texas Tech, defensive showcase
• 56:13–65:55: Semifinals previews, QB debates, early leans

Conclusion

This was an epic night for fans who root for college football chaos. The hosts traffic in both tactical detail (blitz pickup, tackling, route distribution) and big-picture narratives (the end of blueblood dominance, the rise of Indiana and Ole Miss, criticism for long-standing myths and rules). The core message: the sport is witnessing a generational shift, and these CFP semifinals will be historic no matter who wins.