College Football Playoff 2015-16: Updated Odds, Predictions Against the Spread

The College Football Playoff is officially set and features four deserving teams in what should be an incredible postseason tournament.

It’s hard to imagine that just two years ago, the final season in the BCS era, the sport didn’t benefit from such matchups as these in naming the national champion.

Under the old format, No. 1 Clemson would play No. 2 Alabama for the title, while No. 3 Michigan State and No. 4 Oklahoma would be left on the sidelines.

The Spartans and Sooners are capable—and Vegas agrees. Here is a look at the odds, per Odds Shark, for the semifinal matchups and predictions on how things will play out.

Game	Matchup	Odds
Orange Bowl	No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Oklahoma	Oklahoma (-3)
Cotton Bowl	No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Michigan State	Alabama (-9)

Clemson Tigers vs. Oklahoma Sooners (-3)

Clemson remains the lone unbeaten in college football and has wins over three teams currently ranked in the Top 10, yet it marches into the playoff as an underdog against red-hot Oklahoma.

In an ACC Championship Game win over North Carolina where Clemson was far from perfect, Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Deshaun Watson showed he has the ability to overcome the pressure of maintaining an unblemished record, per Chris Low of ESPN.com.

"Just watching Saturday's game was proof enough that Watson can put this team on his back and carry it, particularly when the Tigers need carrying. And that's what the great ones do," Low wrote.

Oklahoma pulled off one of the most compelling dark-horse successes by inching its way from No. 15 in the initial rankings after Week 10 to qualify for the four-team playoff.

The Sooners have a Heisman-caliber quarterback of their own in Baker Mayfield, who completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 3,389 yards and 35 touchdowns to just five interceptions in his first full season starting at Oklahoma.

Mike Sherman of the Oklahoman put Mayfield’s season in context with other Sooners greats:

The Sooners were three-point favorites over the Tigers in the Russell Athletic Bowl last December, but Clemson overcame the odds in its 40-6 rout.

Expect the Tigers to prove Vegas wrong again.

Prediction: Clemson 28, Oklahoma 21

Alabama Crimson Tide (-9) vs. Michigan State Spartans

A nine-point spread in favor of Alabama seems incredibly hefty, particularly against a Michigan State team that’s won its three biggest games this year—versus Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa—in gutsy, comeback fashion.

Under head coach Mark Dantonio, an understudy of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, the Spartans have won seven of their last eight in Top 10 matchups, according to Mike Hall of the Big Ten Network.

The committee showed its credence in Sparty by advancing them a spot to No. 3 ahead of Oklahoma, as Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated noted:

The Crimson Tide are on a “business-as-usual” approach, marching to the SEC title following their lone loss in Week 3 to Ole Miss, which seems like ages ago, as ESPN College Football showed:

The Spartans will counter with a gritty defensive effort in what should be a low-scoring game. Vegas is right with its prediction that Alabama will win, but not by how much.

Prediction: Alabama 23, Michigan State 20