College Football Playoff 2014-15: Odds, Schedule and Projections for Semifinals
The first-ever College Football Playoff cannot come soon enough.
Now that the bowl season is in full swing and postseason matchups are beginning to grace national television, it's only upped the anticipation for the inaugural FBS four-team playoff. College football enthusiasts are taking solace in the pre-Christmas Day bowls now, but the more prestigious games near New Year's Day may turn into afterthoughts with a pair of thrilling semifinals on tap for the first day of 2015.
Students, fans and football obsessors alike are counting down the minutes until the action begins, but it's safe to say the coaches and players are using every day of preparation to their advantage.
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Here's a look at all the information for both College Football Playoff semifinals, fit with predictions for each.
| No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State | 5 p.m. | ESPN | ORE -9.5 | Oregon 41-30 |
| No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN | ALA -9.5 | Alabama 31-24 |
Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated December 22
Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 FSU
The Florida State Seminoles put their 29-game winning streak on the line with a return trip to the Rose Bowl, facing Oregon in a battle between Heisman Trophy winners.
Jameis Winston dazzled college football with his Heisman run in 2013, but it's Marcus Mariota who has risen far above the rest this season. His 38 touchdowns to just two interceptions trumps Winston's numbers (24 TDs, 17 INTs).
Along with a scintillating quarterback battle, there's also a battle of contrasting winning styles between two national powerhouses. Florida State won each of its final four games by five points or less, while Oregon's last eight wins have come by double digits.
The Ducks might have some defensive issues without star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, who is out for the season after a practice injury. But as head coach Mark Helfrich stated, his team expects to rebound from it:
Winston will be able to use weapons Rashad Greene and Nick O'Leary to success, but it will turn into a shootout with Mariota and the Ducks' spread attack lighting up FSU's defense. The game will come down to a couple of late defensive stops, and the Ducks' team speed on that end will trump a Seminoles defense that will find it impossible to generate turnovers against Mariota.
Prediction: Oregon 41, Florida State 30
Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State
No strangers to meeting in games with these very same implications, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer will meet again in the Sugar Bowl as Alabama and Ohio State go at it.
Back in Meyer's days with Florida, his Gators met Alabama on numerous occasions in SEC title games that inevitably served as national championship semifinals. What a coincidence—the winner on New Year's night will secure a spot in the final.
Two high-octane, multifaceted offenses will be on display, with Blake Sims toting his usual supporting cast and new quarterback Cardale Jones stepping into a potent Buckeye offense. But while Ohio State has an entire season's worth of film to dissect, the Tide will be at a disadvantage with Jones' debut coming against Wisconsin, per ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg:
With two offenses that can attack just as well between the tackles, on the perimeter or deep down the field, the game is bound to come down to which defense can sustain stops late into the game. And as Alabama's offense has shown, it often peaks as the game goes on.
Jones will have some success against Alabama's secondary, but he won't get the help he needs from Ezekiel Elliott and the run game against the Tide's stout run defense. Amari Cooper's threat will keep the Buckeyes honest on the outside, leaving huge holes open for T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry.
It will be closer than advertised, but expect the Tide to roll.
Prediction: Alabama 31, Ohio State 24
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