You’ve made it. After months of Saturday morning tailgates, frantic channel flipping, and more "bracketology" than any sane person needs, we have finally reached the summit. If you’re looking for the college football tv schedule this week, things look a little different than they did back in October. We aren't dealing with 50 games scattered across every obscure regional network anymore.
It's all about one night. One trophy.
The 2025-26 season has been, honestly, a total fever dream. We saw the 12-team playoff format basically set the sport on fire in the best way possible. Now, we are down to two teams that nobody—and I mean nobody—expected to be standing here when the preseason polls dropped in August.
The Only Game That Matters This Week
This is it. The college football tv schedule this week culminates in the CFP National Championship. It’s a matchup that sounds more like a basketball blue-blood showdown than a gridiron clash, but here we are.
No. 10 Miami vs. No. 1 Indiana
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- Date: Monday, Jan. 19, 2026
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Yeah, you read that right. Indiana. The Hoosiers are the number one seed and they’ve been steamrolling people under the lights. Meanwhile, Miami is playing essentially a home game at Hard Rock, trying to recapture that "The U" magic that’s been missing for a couple of decades.
Why the Schedule is So Light
Usually, this week is a bit of a dead zone for college football fans, and that’s intentional. The NCAA and the CFP committee basically clear the deck to let the hype build for Monday night. You won't find any mid-week MACtion or random Thursday night Sun Belt games. Those are long gone.
Instead, the sports world is currently dominated by the NFL Divisional Playoffs. If you’re looking for football on Saturday and Sunday (Jan 17-18), you’re going to be watching the pros. For instance, the Texans are taking on the Patriots and the Rams are visiting the Bears this weekend.
But for the college purists? You’re waiting for Monday.
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How to Watch if You’ve Cut the Cord
Since the game is on ESPN, you aren't going to find it on your local over-the-air antenna. You’ll need a login or a subscription.
Most people are going to be hitting up FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV. If you’re a real degenerate for the "Command Center" or "Skycast" views, the ESPN App usually carries those alternate feeds which are honestly way better for seeing how plays actually develop.
Looking Back: How We Got Here
It’s sort of wild to look at the path these two teams took. Miami had to survive a brutal road game at Texas A&M in the first round, then they somehow knocked off No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. They just beat Ole Miss in a 31-27 thriller at the Fiesta Bowl to get here.
Indiana’s path was arguably more dominant. They rested during the first round, then absolutely dismantled Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. Yes, you read that correctly. They followed that up by putting 56 points on Oregon in the Peach Bowl.
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What’s Next After the Championship?
Once the clock hits zero on Monday night, the college football world doesn't actually stop, even though the games do.
- The Transfer Portal: It’s already open, but expect it to go into overdrive on Tuesday morning.
- Draft Decisions: Underclassmen have until January 14 to declare, but many players in the title game wait until the final whistle to make it official.
- All-Star Games: Keep an eye out for the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 27 and the Senior Bowl on Jan. 31. Those are your next chances to see college helmets on a field.
Check your local listings because sometimes ESPN2 will run a "Film Room" broadcast during the game with active coaches breaking down the plays in real-time. It’s easily the best way to watch the game if you want to actually learn something about why a defense is getting shredded.
Set your reminders now. Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. Don't be the person asking what channel the game is on at 8:00 p.m. when it’s already 14-0.