The final game of the first round of the College Football Playoff takes place on the night of Saturday, Dec. 20 when No. 5 seed Oregon hosts No. 12 seed James Madison at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
What's at stake in Oregon vs. James Madison
For the winner, a chance to play for a national championship lives on. The loser’s season is over.
Oregon hopes to make a deep run into the CFP, where the Ducks are 1–2 all time. The program participated in the first-ever playoff in 2014–15, beating defending national champion Florida State at the Rose Bowl 59–20 to advance to the national championship, where it lost to Ohio State 42–20. Oregon returned for the first 12-team playoff last winter, entering the postseason as the undefeated, No. 1-ranked Big Ten champion, but fell to the eventual national champion Buckeyes 41–21, a rematch of a regular season game that Oregon won. Luckily for the 2025 Ducks, if they face Ohio State yet again, it will come in the national championship game as the No. 2-seed Buckeyes are on the opposite side of the bracket.
James Madison, meanwhile, is in its first-ever CFP.
The winner will have a date with the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the CFP quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1.
How to Watch Oregon vs. James Madison Live
The first round CFP matchup between Oregon and James Madison will be broadcast live from Autzen Stadium on TNT and TruTV on Saturday, Dec. 20. Bob Wischusen will handle the play-by-play duties, with Louis Riddick serving as the color analyst for the contest. Kris Budden and Stormy Buonantony will be the sideline reporters.
Both TNT and TruTV will broadcast the main feed of the contest. Cord-cutters can find the broadcast on YouTubeTV, Hulu, Fubo and Sling TV.
What Time Does Oregon vs. James Madison Kickoff?
The Saturday, Dec. 20 broadcast between Oregon and James Madison is set to begin on TNT and TruTV at 7:30 p.m. ET, with kickoff to follow shortly thereafter. The full breakdown of kickoff times by time zone can be found below:
| Time Zone | Start Time |
|---|---|
| Eastern | 7:30 p.m. |
| Central | 6:30 p.m. |
| Mountain | 5:30 p.m. |
| Pacific | 4:30 p.m. |
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
- Flawed but Fighting Alabama Answers Doubters With a Stunning CFP Comeback Win
- Why Oklahoma's Controversial Missed Field Goal vs. Alabama Couldn't Be Reviewed
- Alabama's Germie Bernard Stuns CFB World by Authoring Catch of the Year vs. Oklahoma
- How Alabama-Oklahoma Considerably Impacts Michigan’s Search for a New Head Coach
- College Football Transfer Quarterback Market Could Reach $5 Million This Offseason
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Oregon-James Madison Game Day Guide: What’s at Stake & How to Watch, Stream.