Bowl Game Schedule 2015-16: Updated Odds and Predictions for Playoffs
For Michigan State, Alabama, Oklahoma and Clemson, the New Year's resolutions this year are pretty simple—win a national championship.
But much like actual resolutions, it will be much easier said than done. So let's break down the two playoff matchups this year, along with taking a look at the full bowl schedule.
Bowl Games
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Dec. 23 | 4:30 p.m. | San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl | Boise State vs. Northern Illinois | ESPN |
| Dec. 23 | 8 p.m. | GoDaddyBowl | Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern | ESPN |
| Dec. 24 | Noon | Popeyes Bahamas Bowl | Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan | ESPN |
| Dec. 24 | 8 p.m. | Hawai'i Bowl | Cincinnati vs. San Diego State | ESPN |
| Dec. 26 | 11 a.m. | St. Petersburg Bowl | UConn vs. Marshall | ESPN |
| Dec. 26 | 2 p.m. | Hyundai Sun Bowl | Miami vs. Washington State | CBS |
| Dec. 26 | 2:20 p.m. | Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl | Washington vs. Southern Miss | ESPN |
| Dec. 26 | 3:30 p.m. | New Era Pinstripe Bowl | Duke vs. Indiana | ABC |
| Dec. 26 | 5:45 p.m. | Camping World Independence Bowl | Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa | ESPN |
| Dec. 26 | 9:15 p.m. | Foster Farms Bowl | Nebraska vs. UCLA | ESPN |
| Dec. 28 | 2:30 p.m. | Military Bowl | Pitt vs. Navy | ESPN |
| Dec. 28 | 5 p.m. | Quick Lane Bowl | Central Michigan vs. Minnesota | ESPN2 |
| Dec. 29 | 2 p.m. | Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | California vs. Air Force | ESPN |
| Dec. 29 | 5:30 p.m. | Russell Athletic Bowl | North Carolina vs. Baylor | ESPN |
| Dec. 29 | 7:30 p.m. | NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl | Nevada vs. Colorado State | TBD |
| Dec. 29 | 9 p.m. | AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl | Texas Tech vs. LSU | ESPN |
| Dec. 30 | Noon | Birmingham Bowl | Memphis vs. Auburn | ESPN |
| Dec. 30 | 3:30 p.m. | Belk Bowl | NC State vs. Mississippi State | ESPN |
| Dec. 30 | 7 p.m. | Music City Bowl | Louisville vs. Texas A&M | ESPN |
| Dec. 30 | 10:30 p.m. | Holiday Bowl | Wisconsin vs. USC | ESPN |
| Dec. 31 | Noon | Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl | Houston vs. Florida State | ESPN |
| Dec. 31 | 8 p.m. | Cotton Bowl | Michigan State vs. Alabama | ESPN |
| Dec. 31 | 4 p.m. | Orange Bowl | Oklahoma vs. Clemson | ESPN |
| Jan. 1 | Noon | Outback Bowl | Northwestern vs. Tennessee | ESPN2 |
| Jan. 1 | 1 p.m. | Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl | Michigan vs. Florida | ABC |
| Jan. 1 | 1 p.m. | Fiesta Bowl | Notre Dame vs. Ohio State | ESPN |
| Jan. 1 | 5 p.m. | Rose Bowl | Stanford vs. Iowa | ESPN |
| Jan. 1 | 8:30 p.m. | Allstate Sugar Bowl | Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss | ESPN |
| Jan. 2 | Noon | TaxSlayer Bowl | Penn State vs. Georgia | ESPN |
| Jan. 2 | 3:20 p.m. | AutoZone Liberty Bowl | Kansas State vs. Arkansas | ESPN |
| Jan. 2 | 6:45 p.m. | Valero Alamo Bowl | TCU vs. Oregon | ESPN |
| Jan. 2 | 10:15 p.m. | Cactus Bowl | West Virginia vs. Arizona State | ESPN |
| Jan. 11 | 8:30 p.m. | College Football Playoff National Championship | TBD vs. TBD | ESPN |
Odds
| Michigan State vs. Alabama | Alabama (-9.5) | Alabama |
| Oklahoma vs. Clemson | Oklahoma (-1.5) | Oklahoma |
Michigan State vs. Alabama
In a game featuring two good defenses and running games, it's tough to pick against the team that has the better defense and the better running game.
Alabama, my pick, is giving up just 14.4 points per game (third in the nation) and just 258 yards per game (second). They have the Heisman Trophy winner at running back in Derrick Henry and an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in the country.
For what it's worth, Michigan State's offensive line was one of the finalists.
For what it's worth, part two, Michigan State's defensive line is one of the better units in the country. It held Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott to just 33 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Shilique Calhoun leads a group that swarms quarterbacks with 10.5 sacks.
"Their defensive front guys really play well," Alabama coach Nick Saban told . "Hard to block."
For what it's worth, part three, few teams are better in crunch time than the Spartans, who have seemingly had an angel on their shoulder all season long. Just as Michigan has had. Or Ohio State. Or Iowa. The Spartans have an uncanny knack for winning in the final moments.
Ah, but Alabama is red hot. The Crimson Tide have held opponents to 16 or fewer points in nine of their last 10 games. Just two teams have scored 20 or more points against them this season. They held Florida to a measly 180 total yards in the SEC title game. They held arguably the most talented running back in the country, Leonard Fournette, to 31 rushing yards on 19 carries in early November.
This one is going to be tight. But Alabama looks pretty unbeatable at the moment.
Prediction: Alabama wins, 21-16
Oklahoma vs. Clemson
One game projects to be a defensive standoff. This one, on the other hand, has all the makings of a shootout.
You could view this as the clash of quarterbacks.
Clemson's Deshaun Watson was a Heisman finalist and one of the best dual-threat players in the nation, throwing for 3,512 yards, rushing for another 887 and scoring a combined 41 touchdowns. Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield should have been a Heisman finalist, meanwhile, after throwing for 3,389 yards, 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
This game will be much more than that, of course.
Both teams are very good against the pass. Both teams can get after the quarterback with a strong pass rush. Both teams have come through a tough schedule.
But Oklahoma seems to have peaked at the right moment. And the key to this game may be that the Sooners generally win the turnover battle, a huge factor in a game between teams this even.
Expect fireworks. Expect a wild finish. Expect the Sooners to narrowly escape with the win.
Prediction: Oklahoma wins, 41-35
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
