The 2026 Sugar Bowl is set to deliver another unforgettable New Year's Day showdown, and this season's matchup may be one of the most anticipated quarterfinal games in the expanded

For weeks leading up to the College Football Playoff bracket reveal, Notre Dame looked like it was in good position to make its second straight appearance. The Irish had done everything they could after an 0-2 start to reposition themselves for a berth.

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish found the right balance ...

Let me see if I’ve got this straight. The team that gets more help, more deference from the College Football Playoff and the bowl system than any other, is taking its ball and going home. Well, boo-freaking-hoo. No bowl game for Notre Dame, everyone.

Kickoff for the Sugar Bowl is 8 p.m. ET at the Caesars Superdome on ESPN. If Georgia wins the CFP quarterfinal, it would play No. 2 Ohio State or the winner of No. 7 Texas A&M-No. 10 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8 in a semifinal matchup. This is the fifth CFP appearance for Georgia and fourth in the last five seasons.

As a result, the Hurricanes will go on the road to face Texas A&M and Alabama will travel for a rematch with Oklahoma as the two standout games of the first round. The first round is rounded out by another rematch between Tulane and Ole Miss, and James Madison taking on Oregon as the biggest underdog of this year's playoff.