College Football Playoff 2014-15: Updated Odds and Predictions for Semifinals

The inaugural College Football Playoff has come with its pros and cons. Many of us have been waiting for a playoff system for quite some time now, and the hype surrounding these semifinal contests appears to have us off to a great start. However, the new system has also come with decreased ticket prices and sales as well as clamoring for an expanded format involving eight teams.

It just goes to show you can't please everyone.

Still, we have some great narratives this year, as Marcus Mariota's Oregon Ducks take on Jameis Winston's Florida State Seminoles in the Rose Bowl, and Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide meet Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl.

New Year's Day will certainly be chock-full of excitement, as two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback go head-to-head, and two of college football's greatest coaches engage in an expected chess match shortly after. Regardless of your stance on the playoff format, you can't argue the compelling nature of both games.

As we await to find out which two teams will face off in the national championship game, let's take a look at the updated odds, schedule and predictions for each semifinal clash.

Rose Bowl

Who: Oregon vs. Florida State

When: Thursday, January 1, 2015

Where: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California

Time: 5 p.m. EST

Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Betting Info (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 72
• Spread: Oregon -9

Prediction

The question for the Rose Bowl is simple: Can Florida State generate enough offense to keep up with the high-powered Ducks?

After all, we know just how good Oregon can be when it gets going. Mariota has been a touchdown machine this season, accumulating 38 scores through the air, 14 on the ground and even one as a receiver. The Ducks are riding an eight-game winning streak and have scored at least 42 points in each of those contests. Their last game ended in a 51-13 win over Arizona in which the offense tallied a total of 627 yards.

Heading into this matchup, the Seminoles rank 58th against the run, 50th against the pass, 51st in total defense and 30th in scoring defense. Those aren't good numbers when preparing to face off against the nation's third-ranked offense that averages 46.3 points per game.

If the Seminoles are going to keep up, they need two things.

First, Winston must cut back on the turnovers. He's been highly erratic this season, tossing 17 picks after only throwing 10 during his Heisman-winning 2013 season. The interceptions have been spread out throughout the year as well, as the quarterback has tossed one in all but three games.

He's entering the Rose Bowl after putting up his best performance of the season, completing 21 of his 30 passing attempts for 309 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions against Georgia Tech. However, just one game prior, he threw four picks in a close win over Florida. Efficiency is key going forward.

The other key to the game for the Seminoles is getting the ball into the hands of running back Dalvin Cook. Oregon's strength on the defensive side of the ball is against the run, ranking 49th in the nation in that category. Cook is averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry this season, and if he can get going early, Winston will have more opportunities to pick apart the Ducks' 100th-ranked pass defense.

Can the Seminoles get this done? Absolutely. However, if Oregon strikes quickly—as it so often does—Florida State will need to revert back to a pass-happy offense in an effort to keep up. That's not a game plan that will produce a victory, so the upper hand here goes to Mariota and Co.

Prediction: Oregon 45, Florida State 31 

Sugar Bowl

Who: Alabama vs. Ohio State

When: Thursday, January 1, 2015

Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans

Time: 8:30 p.m. EST

Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Betting Info (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 58.5
• Spread: Alabama -9

Prediction

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones may be the most talked-about player heading into the playoff. He's only starting due to season-ending injuries to both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett, yet he led the Buckeyes to a brilliant 59-0 victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Here's the question surrounding the Sugar Bowl: Can Jones find a way to circumvent a stingy Alabama defense?

We all know what the Crimson Tide are capable of accomplishing on the defensive side of the ball. They enter the Rose Bowl ranked fourth in the nation, allowing an average of just 16.6 points per game. In fact, despite a tough schedule, Alabama has held opponents to less than 20 points in over half of its contests this season.

If Jones is going to generate any kind of offense against this unit, he needs to take a page out of Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall's book. The Tigers scored 44 points on Alabama in the Iron Bowl, producing the most successful performance of the season against Saban's defense. Rest assured, Meyer took notice.

One of the big reasons why Auburn lit up the scoreboard was its dedication to establishing the run. Alabama ranks second in the nation against opposing running games, but the Tigers still carried the ball 47 times compared to 43 passing attempts. They may have only averaged 3.7 yards per carry, but they accumulated 174 yards, one touchdown and controlled time of possession.

If Auburn was able to get that done with the duo of Marshall and running back Cameron Artis-Payne, Ohio State should be able to put together a similar game plan with Jones and running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Elliott rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns against a Badgers defense that ranks 16th against the run. He's a highly skilled running back and could give fits to Alabama's front seven. However, Jones didn't attempt to run the ball much against Wisconsin, but he did manage a long rush of 20 yards. He'll need to produce larger quantities of those plays to defeat Alabama.

So can Ohio State get it done? The Buckeyes do hold the nation's fourth-ranked offense and average 45.2 points per game, so there's a good chance they will. However, Alabama is such a well-coached and well-rounded team, it's difficult to see such an inexperienced quarterback putting up gaudy numbers for the second consecutive performance.

Expect Ohio State to keep this one close, but a resilient Alabama team will strike late in the game to put the Buckeyes away and claim a berth in the national championship game.

Prediction: Alabama 31, Ohio State 27

All statistics and rankings courtesy of NCAA.com and current as of December 23.