The new year has just begun, and college football fans are already tuning in as the first games of 2026 kick off. The day is filled with College Football Playoff quarterfinals, starting with the Oregon Ducks facing the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl.
Texas Tech, sitting at fourth place with a 12-1 record, moved to the quarterfinals after getting a bye.
Meanwhile, the Oregon Ducks, ranked fifth and also boasting a record of 12 wins and 1 loss, had to navigate through the first round. They secured their spot in this game by defeating James Madison with a score of 51-34.
2025 Orange Bowl: Quick Details
- Teams: 5th-ranked Oregon Ducks vs. 4th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Date: January 1st, Time: 12:00 PM Eastern Time
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Broadcast: ESPN
- Streaming: Available through DIRECTV (trial available)
The winner of this matchup will advance to play either No. 9 Alabama or No. 1 Indiana in the upcoming Peach Bowl on January 9th.
Oregon vs. Texas Tech Orange Bowl Start Time:
The game is set to kick off today, January 1, at 12:00 PM ET.
How to Watch the Orange Bowl for Free:
If cable isn’t part of your setup, you might consider using a live TV streaming service to catch the Oregon vs. Texas Tech game.
DIRECTV offers a beneficial 5-day free trial, which includes ESPN and various other channels essential for the College Football Playoff. Post-trial, options begin at around $49.99 per month for over 90 live channels.
If you’re looking for something more temporary, Sling offers an orange one-day pass priced at $4.99, allowing access to everything on Sling TV Orange, including ESPN. They also have weekend and week-long passes available.
College Football Playoff 2025-26 Key Schedule:
- Quarterfinals (December 31st, January 1st)
- Cotton Bowl: December 31, 7:30 PM ET – No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State
- Orange Bowl: January 1, 12 PM – No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
- Rose Bowl: January 1, 4 PM – No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana
- Sugar Bowl: January 1, 8 PM – No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia
- Semi-finals (January 8th to 9th)
- Fiesta Bowl: January 8, 7:30 PM – Ole Miss/Georgia vs. Miami/Ohio State
- Peach Bowl: January 9, 7:30 PM – Oregon/Texas Tech vs. Alabama/Indiana
- National Championship Tournament (January 19, 7:30 PM)
