College Football Playoff 2015-16: TV Schedule, Latest Odds and Projections

We're now just over three weeks away until the College Football Playoff gets underway, and the lines continue to move.

When the matchups were made official on Sunday, the Oklahoma Sooners opened as 1.5-point favorites over the Clemson Tigers, the No. 1-ranked team in the country. The Alabama Crimson Tide opened as two-score favorites over the Michigan State Spartans. 

The betting public does not seem to care much for Deshaun Watson's team. Oklahoma is now up to as high as a four-point favorite, according to Odds Shark, and Alabama has jumped to a 10-point favorite over Mark Dantonio's squad.

Here are the official latest odds, as well as a detailed schedule for the semifinal games.

Semifinal	Matchup	Time	TV	Line
Orange Bowl	No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Oklahoma	4 p.m. ET	ESPN	OU -4
Cotton Bowl	No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Michigan State	8 p.m. ET	ESPN	'Bama - 10

Deshaun Watson Winning Heisman Should Drop Line

When it comes to betting, it usually takes one event for a line to change. Mainly, it's an injury, or something of the sort.

That could be the case should Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson win the Heisman.

The Tigers have used the disrespect card almost all year. As a program, Clemson needs something that no other team in the country has. If Watson is given the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, that could drop the line.

Clemson could use some respect. The No. 1 rank in the CFP isn't enough. Watson, the leader of the only undefeated team left in college football, may not win the Heisman should the voters still feel Alabama's one-man show, Derrick Henry, deserves it more. But if Clemson gets that needed bit of respect to go its way, that could sway the court of public opinion.

Should that disrespect card be used again and Watson not win the Heisman, it's unclear how much more motivation the Tigers need. Daren Stoltzfus of WCIV in Charleston thinks that should add more fuel to the fire.

Clemson should not be a four-point dog, no matter who the opponent is. Maybe it's because the Tigers are an unproven commodity that needs to have a good dress rehearsal in front of the world, but until otherwise, Clemson should be the favorite.

Can Alabama Be Trusted at Minus-10?

When the Crimson Tide were favored by 9.5 last year in the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State, there was sufficient reasoning for that.

The Buckeyes were facing a quarterback that played in only one career game beforehand. Little would Nick Saban—or Alabama, for that matter—expect Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott to torch the team the way they did.

There aren't any mysteries with the Michigan State Spartans. They're a very physical football team that might be the closest to resembling Alabama from a trenches standpoint. Both teams have very good defenses and make stopping the run a top priority.

If there's any team that can contain Alabama and put up enough points to beat it, it would have to be Michigan State. The Spartans have allowed only 3.6 yards per carry this year, while Henry has carried the ball over 40 times in the last two games.

In short, Alabama's going to rely on Henry to carry it to victory, while Michigan State is the last line of defense that can stop him. Dan Murphy of ESPN.com agrees:

"

Michigan State’s front seven is the strength of the team. The Spartans' deep and experienced run-stoppers are allowing only 3.6 yards per carry. Containing Henry will be their toughest challenge to date, but if they can keep him at bay they’ll give their team a good chance.

"

If Alabama gets through Michigan State, it'd be a safe bet to say it's winning the national championship. But for the line to be so high in favor of Alabama, bettors should really head to the books and put some money on the Spartans getting the points.