College Football Playoff Championship 2015: Date, Schedule, Odds, Predictions
The College Football Playoff committee and Las Vegas have spoken: The CFP Semifinals will be blowouts.
Try not to shoot the messenger.
Alabama is a hefty favorite over Ohio State. This makes sense not because of the silly SEC-Big Ten squabble, but because of a third-string quarterback under center for the Buckeyes.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Oregon is the other major favorite thanks to the astonishing output by Marcus Mariota. It does not help that Florida State's Jameis Winston looks nothing like the guy who won a Heisman last year.
But hey, these are just early lines to digest—and exploit.
2015 College Football Playoffs Info and Odds
| Sugar | No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio St. | Thur, Jan. 1 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN | WatchESPN | Alabama (-10) |
| Rose | No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida St. | Thur, Jan. 1 | 5 p.m. | ESPN | WatchESPN | Oregon (-9) |
Odds via Odds Shark as of 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 8.
Odds Advice
No. 1 Alabama (-10) vs. No. 4 Ohio State
Alabama is on top of the world for good reason.
Nick Saban has his normal elite defense by way of a unit that ranks fourth in the nation. But he also happens to possess an elite offense led by quarterback Blake Sims (3,250 yards, 26 scores), whose dual-threat capabilities help the Crimson Tide to average 37.1 points per game.
Saban also has a Heisman contender at wide receiver. Amari Cooper is a household name at this point by way of 1,656 yards and 14 scores. Backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry complement the aerial attack with 10 touchdowns apiece.
"You love to see a guy who's gone through what he's gone through, who's worked so hard and always persevered, then have success," Saban said of Sims after the SEC Championship win over Missouri, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "It's a credit to his character and work ethic."
So Alabama is right to be the favorite, but try not to be blindsided when the potent Buckeyes keep pace.
Sophomore quarterback Cardale Jones may have one start to his name, but 257 yards and three scores with no picks in the Big Ten Championship show that he is more than ready to fill J.T. Barrett's cleats.
Coach Urban Meyer has his own strong ground game to lean on thanks to the efforts of Ezekiel Elliott, who has 1,402 yards and 12 scores on the year. The sophomore carries his own when asked, as shown by his 20 carries for 220 yards and two scores in the 59-0 win over Wisconsin.
It all equates to a close encounter between two teams that have improved each step of the way this season.
Alabama's path through the SEC was much more difficult. The team is also healthier at key areas and has a Heisman contender to lean on when things get rough. The Crimson Tide will pull one out late, but do not expect Jones and the Buckeyes to go down without a fight.
Prediction: Alabama 24, Ohio State 21
No. 2 Oregon (-9) vs. No. 3 Florida St.
Say hello to the toughest spread of the CFP to date.
Oregon could show up and blow away Florida State, right? Bang-bang bet right there. Or, the Seminoles could show well on the defensive side of things, and Winston's recent flirtation with elite play could lead to a breakthrough.
It is no secret that Winston is a mess this season with 3,559 yards and 24 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. That said, the ACC Championship win over Georgia Tech is notable as a potential turning point thanks to 309 passing yards and three scores with no interceptions.
For those who keep track of such things, it was the first time Winston has not thrown a pick in a game since mid-October.
As one can glean from the above numbers, though, Winston downright pales in comparison to Mariota.
Then again, who doesn't?
Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports puts it best:
The devil in the details for this set of odds analysis is the Florida State defense.
Jimbo Fisher's unit is not bad per se, but it does rank 30th in the nation with an average of 23.0 points allowed per game. A major red flag is the fact that the unit continues to struggle to get off the field.
Just last week in the ACC Championship, Georgia Tech held the ball for more than 34 minutes of play. This same unit was lucky to get past Boston College 20-17, as the Eagles had possession for more than 33 minutes and ran for 240 yards and a score in the process.
Now imagine what Mariota can do to such a defense. The superb defenses of Michigan State, Stanford and Utah certainly know, as all surrendered a minimum of 45 points.
The spread is still a tad too large due to Winston's late-game heroics, but Mariota has this one under control.
Prediction: Oregon 36, Florida State 28
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
