Peach Bowl 2016: Updated Odds and Preview for Alabama vs. Washington

After months of debating, the College Football Playoff is set with the four best teams in the country battling a championship. Two of those teams will compete in the Peach Bowl with a trip to the national-title game on the line.

It shouldn't surprise anyone to see Alabama as the No. 1 seed. The Crimson Tide completed an undefeated season with its 54-16 blowout of Florida in the SEC Championship, remaining the top-ranked team in the country from the preseason bowl to the postseason.

Washington comes with a little more surprise based on preseason expectations, as well as more debate based on the results of the year. The Huskies are certainly deserving of a playoff bid after its 12-1 season featuring a Pac-12 title, although fans of Penn State and Michigan also believe their team should be in the top four.

In any case, the Peach Bowl matchup has been decided and both teams will do whatever they can to survive and advance to the next stage, creating what could be an exciting battle on New Year's Eve.

2016 Peach Bowl

When: Saturday, Dec. 31

Time: 3 p.m. ET

Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta

TV: ESPN

Spread (via OddsShark): Alabama -13.5

Preview

Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to postseason sports, but few will argue against Alabama being the best team in college football over the past few months.

The defense has been especially incredible, leading the country with just 11.8 points allowed per game. The unit went the entire month of November without allowing a single touchdown, including games against Auburn and LSU.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller lists three players from the front seven among his top seven prospects for the 2017 NFL draft. Jonathan Allen, Reuben Foster, Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson make four players currently projected to go in the first round.

Not only does this unit make it difficult for opposing offenses to score, it changes games with the ability to get its own points on the board.

Thanks to an interception and a blocked punt both returned for a touchdown against Florida, Alabama improved its FBS lead to 14 non-offensive touchdowns on the season, per Charlie Potter of 247 Sports.

Adding in an offense led by playmaking quarterback Jalen Hurts, this will be a tough team to beat.

Washington coach Chris Petersen knows the challenge ahead of him, as he joked Sunday, per Marq Burnett of SEC Country:

"Fortunately, the Seahawks are here in town. Maybe they'll scrimmage us to get us ready for (Bama)," the coach added, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.

Petersen is certainly not going to overlook his opponent in this one, but he might be underselling his own team.

The Huskies are fourth in college football with an average of 44.5 points per game, scoring at least 40 points in 10 of 13 games this season. This includes a dominant 41-10 win over a solid Colorado team in the Pac-12 championship.

Jake Browning has played himself into Heisman Trophy contention this year thanks to 42 passing touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He has some serious targets helping him out as well, including receivers John Ross and Dante Pettis who have 31 touchdowns combined.

If you shut down the passing attack, Myles Gaskin does plenty of damage in the run game.

On the other side of the field, Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus likes Washington's ability to matchup defensively:

The Huskies rank 17th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game, including just 3.46 yards allowed per carry, per NCAA.com. With good speed and athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, this group can keep up with Hurts as well as Damien Harris and others.

With Alabama's Nick Saban and Washington's Petersen each having almost a month to prepare for the game, these teams will be ready to play at a high level. No matter which team you root for, this should be an excellent battle with a lot on the line.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.