Joey Galloway's surprising pick for College Football Playoff national championship

If you can't beat them, join them. That might have been the tactic that ESPN analyst Joey Galloway decided to co-opt after Ohio State was shocked by Miami in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff.

Galloway, who himself was an outstanding wide receiver with Ohio State, played for a decade and a half in the NFL before joining ESPN as an analyst. Galloway teamed up with QB Bobby Hoying in his years as a Buckeye, but it was another signal caller who drew Galloway's attention on Wednesday and shaped his CFP title pick.

Galloway, appearing on ESPN's Get Up, picked Miami to continue its upset path all the way to a CFP title. Some of the basis for his pick was an impressive performance by veteran Miami passer Carson Beck. Beck passed for only 138 yards, but managed the game well in Miami's 24-14 victory.

"I think what Carson Beck did in that game... it wasn't the 138 yards, it was the way it was done," said Galloway. "It was the timely fashion of when he needed to make a play to move the chains. The way he played in that game makes Miami now look like a team that can win it all."

.@Joey_Galloway says the Miami Hurricanes are CFP title favorites after last night 👀 pic.twitter.com/ffJZJegQ7t
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 1, 2026

Miami managed to go 7 for 14 on third down and converted its only fourth-down attempt. Ohio State allowed just 30.68% of opposing third-down conversions for the season, eighth best in FBS football. Only once in a 12-0 regular season did an opponent convert 40% of his third-down tries against OSU (Penn State was 8-for-15 in a 38-14 loss). But Indiana was 6-for-13 and Miami hit on half of its third down tries in OSU's two losses to end the season.

Not only was Beck's efficiency key in a big game for the Hurricanes, but it eliminated what Galloway saw as the major deficiency of the Hurricane offense.

[T]he weak link... when they lose games, was Carson Beck turning the ball over," said Galloway. "Now he's gone two straight games without turning it over, and so they've won those football games. The way he's playing makes them look like a favorite."

Beck threw 10 interceptions on the season and six came in Miami's two losses. But he has thrown just a single interception in Miami's last six games, all of which have been victories.

Even off of Miami's upset win, few are willing to join Galloway's pick. After Thursday's first game, future prediction market Kalshi gives the Hurricanes just an 18% chance at winning the championship, which is fourth among active teams, behind Indiana, Oregon, and Georgia. The path would be past the winner of Thursday's Georgia/Ole Miss battle and then likely against a Big10 favorite in a title game. But after Wednesday, Joey Galloway had seen enough to shift favorites.