College Football Championship 2017: Playoff Schedule and Bracket Predictions

We're just under two weeks away from the third annual College Football Playoff.

For the second straight year, the semifinals will take place on New Year's Eve, followed by the national championship game on January 9. 

Here's a look at the full schedule of events on New Year's Eve, followed by a breakdown of the two semifinals matchups. 

Bowl	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	Line
Peach Bowl	No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Washington	Dec. 31	3 p.m.	AL -15
Fiesta Bowl	No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State	Dec. 31	7 p.m.	OSU -3

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Washington Huskies

The Pac-12 returns to the playoff after missing out in 2015, but it will be a tough task for the Washington Huskies to advance to the championship game.

The Huskies enter the game as 15-point underdogs to the Alabama Crimson Tide, who are veterans of the playoff atmosphere, having appeared in all three playoffs. 

In terms of a straight-up pick, Alabama is a safe selection in this matchup due to its track record of success as heavy favorites. According to ScoresAndOdds.com, Alabama is undefeated over the past three seasons when favored by at least 10.5 points.

However, Washington may be the safe selection as an against-the-spread pick in this matchup. 

ESPN's Football Power Index ranks Alabama as the top team in the nation but only gives the team a 5.6-point edge over Washington—nearly a 10-point gap between the actual spread of 15 points. 

FPI has an impressive track record of picking games against the spread. According to ThePredictionTracker.com, FPI ranked eighth out of 65 statistical systems in picking games against the spread this past season. 

The inflated spread is likely influenced by Alabama's dominant defensive numbers this season. The Tide allowed only two teams to score 17 or more points this season.

However, in the one game in which Alabama faced a quarterback on the same level as Washington's Jake Browning, Chad Kelly led the Ole Miss Rebels to 43 points against the vaunted Alabama defense. 

Alabama should still hang on for a victory, but Browning and the Washington offense will put points on the board to keep this game closer than the experts in Vegas are projecting. 

Prediction: Alabama 38, Washington 31

Clemson Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Fiesta Bowl features two explosive offenses, but this matchup could come down to a battle in the trenches between the Clemson Tigers defensive line and the Ohio State Buckeyes offensive line. 

Right tackle Isaiah Prince has been the weak link on Ohio State's offensive line all season, ranking dead last in the nation in pass-blocking efficiency, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Prince has particularly struggled in Ohio State's biggest games, according to CFB Film Room:

However, Prince's performance has been on the rise in recent weeks, according to head coach Urban Meyer. 

Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch reported this past week that Meyer has been thrilled with the work ethic and production of Prince in recent practices. If Prince can improve his performance and consistently protect quarterback J.T. Barrett, it could change the look of Ohio State's offense. 

When Clemson is on offense, there will be plenty of future NFL stars on display between the Tigers offense and Ohio State's defense. 

The key matchup could be Clemson's leading wide receiver Mike Williams going up against Ohio State cornerbacks Gareon Conley and Marshon Lattimore.

The Ohio State duo are two of the best in the nation, but they haven't been tested against a big, physical receiver like Williams who can consistently win the battle for 50-50 balls.

If Williams is able to make plays downfield and pick up chunks of yardage against Ohio State's usually stout defense, it could swing the momentum of this game in Clemson's favor.

Prediction: Clemson 27, Ohio State 24

Unless otherwise noted, all gambling information courtesy of OddsShark.