College Football Playoff 2015: Full TV Schedule and Odds for Semifinals
The bowl games will come and go, but the first inaugural College Football Playoff promises to bring a lasting impact in the annals of college football lore.
Given it's the first year of the new system that should be around for a while, this guarantees to be a memorable playoff in and of itself. When you throw that on top of two semifinal spectacles that are absolute dream matchups from an outside perspective, something special feels imminent.
Although such a groundbreaking duo of games deserves its own day in the spotlight, the semifinals will be jammed into the regular New Year's Day bowl schedule. With that said, you don't want to be catching the end of a lower-tier bowl and miss out on the early moments of action at the Rose Bowl.
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To make sure that doesn't happen, take a look below at the game times, TV schedule and everything else needed to enjoy the CFP.
| No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Florida State | 5 p.m. | ESPN | ORE -9 | 71.5 |
| No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN | ALA -9 | 58.5 |
Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated December 28
Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 FSU
The Oregon Ducks have done it, proving that they're more than a fast-paced offense with gimmicky play-calling and highlighter shoes. Now they head to the Rose Bowl and have the winners of 29 straight waiting for them.
Florida State didn't do it convincingly, but it trekked through the season slate unscathed and now travels across the country to face the speedy Ducks. Jimbo Fisher and crew arrived just after Christmas in Pasadena, as FSU Football showcased:
To say the teams have gotten it done in different manners this season would be an understatement. The Seminoles won seven of their games by six or less points, something Oregon cannot say about any of its wins.
One thing Florida State can match Oregon with, however, is a Heisman Trophy quarterback. Marcus Mariota took this year's Heisman award, but a year ago Winston took home the honors en route to his own national championship.
If Mariota wants to follow Winston and win a title along with his individual honor, he'll need help running the ball right at FSU. The Seminoles have given up almost 700 rushing yards in their last three games combined—three games they were awfully fortunate to win.
That sort of rushing success for Oregon would open up the floodgates, allowing Mariota to use play fakes to stretch the defense even more. But if Florida State's Eddie Goldman and the 'Noles defensive front can dominate the line of scrimmage early, they'll have much more success spurning Oregon drives.
The Ducks are scrambling to re-shift their secondary plan after star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu went down for the season in practice, but Winston will still have his hands full with ball-hawking Oregon defensive backs. He's been awfully careless with the ball this year (17 interceptions), and a few errant throws would be a shot to FSU's chances.
Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Ohio State
The ridiculous amount of pregame analysis, previewing, dissecting and predicting is (almost) finally over. It's finally CFP week in New Orleans, as Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel was on hand to report:
If we're being honest, it all can't come soon enough. Alabama and Ohio State facing off in the Sugar Bowl has been a mouthwatering affair since it was announced, and it's only hours away.
But while the fans may be anxious, Buckeyes and Tide coaches have no complaints with the long layoff—both have had their work cut out for them entering this New Year's Day battle.
For Urban Meyer and crew, their defense has the tall task of slowing a machine-like Alabama offense that has been a wrecking ball throughout 2014. The Buckeyes are fresh off shutting out Wisconsin, but Blake Sims, Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon pose a completely different challenge.
While there's a season of film to dissect on the Tide's offensive stars, the prep work for Nick Saban has proven a bit trickier. The biggest X-factor will be new starting quarterback Cardale Jones, who dazzled in his first start against Wisconsin.
There might not be much film on Jones, but Saban explained to The Anniston Star's Marq Burnett how a lot hasn't changed with the sophomore on the field:
"'We did see him play almost a game and a half, and he pretty much did what (Barrett) did,' Saban said. 'The one thing he did really well was pass the ball. He made some really good throws in the Wisconsin game, big plays down the field. Which (Barrett) did, too, so we have a tremendous amount of respect for what (Cardale Jones) can do.
'We feel, philosophically, they are going to run their offense. It’s just what part of it they might feature a little different. That’s the part we are not sure about.'
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It remains to be seen whether the Alabama coaching staff—so great with a month to prepare—will adjust well to the shorter turnaround for the second game, but they figure to be well-prepared for Ohio State. The bigger question remains if an Ohio State program built like an SEC power will be able to fight toe-to-toe with the SEC's crown jewel.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
