College Football Playoff Championship 2015: Semifinals Odds and Predictions

The ever-evolving complexities of the two College Football Playoff semifinals encounters can be difficult to track. 

Injuries, deeper analysis and more leads to an updated look at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl as each day passes. The lengthy wait gives each team plenty of prep time, allows fans time to celebrate the holiday and, most importantly, builds hype.

At this point, a showdown between Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota does not need a pitch. Neither does Ohio State versus Alabama, otherwise known as Big Ten versus SEC or Urban Meyer versus Nick Saban.

How Las Vegas feels right now about both matchups is a sound gauge as to how the latest happenings affects the eventual income. With that in mind, the details rest below.

2015 College Football Playoff Schedule

Date	Game	Matchup	Start Time (ET)	Network	Odds
January 1, 2015	Rose Bowl (Semifinal No. 1)	No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State	5 p.m.	ESPN	Oregon (-9)
January 1, 2015	Sugar Bowl (Semifinal No. 2)	No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State	8:30 p.m.	ESPN	Alabama (-9)
January 12, 2015	College Football Playoff National Championship	Oregon/FSU winner vs. Alabama/OSU winner	8:30 p.m.	ESPN	TBD

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and accurate as of 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 26.

Predictions

Oregon's Defense Will Stand Tall

As it should, a third-ranked offense led by one of the most dominant Heisman winners in history overshadows a rather sound defense.

Of course, this refers to Mariota, who threw for 3,783 yards and 38 scores on the year while leading a unit that averages 46.3 points. It is a given that the Ducks will post points on the Seminoles, but what may decide the game outright is the Oregon defense.

The unit quietly ranks 29th nationally with an average of just 22.5 points surrendered per game. Considering the Ducks usually force teams into an air-based approach in an effort to keep up, this number is not very bad.

There are negatives, though. The loss of top corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu to injury hurts things. Even when he was healthy, the team did not rank all that well against the pass.

Those things accounted for, Tyson Alger of The Oregonian has a point when he suggests that the numbers may be a tad inflated:

"

Eight quarterbacks in the Pac-12 threw for more than 3,000 yards and four tossed more than 30 touchdowns. The Ducks faced this onslaught of aerial attacks with marginal success. Oregon ranked sixth in the Pac-12 with 259.5 yards allowed per game, a number that came out 103rd nationally. That is skewed a bit, though, due to the conference and the fact that many teams fell behind Oregon early and had to pass to catch up.

"

It helps that defensive backs Dior Mathis and Troy Hill were already noteworthy contributors worthy of a bigger role.

Further helping things is the erratic play of Winston this year. Last year's Heisman winner has come up in the clutch this season, but 17 turnovers only further serves to exploit a defense that struggles with consistency issues of its own.

The Seminoles have not won by more than five points in each of their last four games, with the level of opposition ranking from Miami (Fla.) to Boston College. That simply will not do against an Oregon team that gets ahead and stays ahead.

Panic surrounds the Ducks based on injury and reputation, but an ability to capitalize on seemingly inevitable Winston mistakes means Mariota and the Ducks will cruise.

Prediction: Oregon 35, Florida State 24

Alabama Wins Ground War

It is fun to talk about the passing attacks the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide bring to the CFP. 

Alabama shed the run-first stereotype this year with an offense that averages 37.1 points per game behind the arm of senior Blake Sims. A castoff most figured would not even win the starting gig, Sims threw for 3,250 yards and 26 scores on the year.

Speaking of names most thought they would not see, Ohio State sophomore Cardale Jones is the latest Meyer quarterback to excel. He got the start in the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin and threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns.

Yet this matchup in particular may morph into a ground-based affair.

Ezekiel Elliott, who rushed for 1,402 yards and 12 scores, leads Ohio State. Other than being one of the most productive backs in the nation, he also acts as a leader with so many injuries claiming players under center. 

"I think it's the closeness of our family," Elliott said of the team's ability to overcome issues, per ESPN.com's Austin Ward. "We're truly a family, we've been through so much together, and I mean, it's going to take a lot to tear us apart."

Alabama has a pair of elite rushers in T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry who are more than capable of placing the offense on their shoulders when necessary:

When it gets down to it, both offenses will look to rush the ball in order to keep the opposing aerial attack grounded.

That approach favors the Crimson Tide. Ohio State's second-leading rusher is injured quarterback J.T. Barrett, which means a semblance of offensive versatility will be thrown upon Jones.

By comparison, Alabama has a number of talented backs who can wear down the Buckeyes. The same Ohio State defense that allowed 218 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground to Minnesota will have few answers to what Yeldon and Co. bring to New Orleans. 

Prediction: Alabama 38, Ohio State 30

Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.