College Football Playoff Championship 2018: Dates, TV Schedule, Live-Stream Info

For the second year in a row, Ohio State has been left out of the College Football Playoff by the selection committee.

The top three seeds of the four-team bracket have remained the same through the last few weeks of college football. Alabama is the No. 1 seed and will take on No. 4 Oklahoma—who beat out Georgia and Ohio State for the final spot in the playoff. No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Notre Dame—the other two undefeated teams besides Alabama—will duke it out in the other semifinal game.

Football fans will eagerly await the playoff semifinal games on Dec. 29, when the four teams will battle in the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl. The winner of each game will play nine days later in the national championship on Jan. 7.

College Football Playoff Info

Cotton Bowl

Date: Dec. 29, 2018

Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Orange Bowl

Date: Dec. 29, 2018

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

National Championship Game

Date: Jan. 7, 2019

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

National Semifinal Previews

Orange Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Oklahoma

The Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, is going to be one for the books. Two powerhouse offenses led by Heisman trophy candidates will strive to secure a spot in the national championship.

No. 1 Alabama shocked people in the SEC Championship when it trailed Georgia for the majority of the game. While the Crimson Tide had a fourth-quarter rally led by Jalen Hurts to lead the team to victory, this show of weakness should give Oklahoma fans hope for the Orange Bowl.

Tua Tagovailoa suffered a high ankle sprain in the win over the Bulldogs that took him out of the game, allowing veteran quarterback Hurts to come in and leave his mark. The Heisman prospect is expected to be out for two weeks, giving Alabama fans hope that he will be back and healthy to play in the Orange Bowl. Even if he is not at 100 percent, Hurts made it clear that he is dependable and can perform in high-pressure situations.

While the Crimson Tide's quarterback situation may be in flux at the moment, their running game sure is not. Josh Jacobs helped in the come-from-behind victory, running for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Hurts also showed what he could do on the ground—rushing 15 yards for the touchdown that helped put Alabama up 35-28 and won the Tide the game.

Oklahoma's quarterback and Heisman prospect—Kyler Murray—had a phenomenal performance against Texas in the Big 12 Championship that secured the Sooners the No. 4 spot in the College Football Playoff. Murray had 379 passing yards and threw three touchdowns in the 39-27 victory over the Longhorns.

Murray has top receivers in CeeDee Lamb—who had 167 receiving yards and one touchdown—as well as Grant Calcaterra, who contributed two touchdowns. The Sooners' dynamic offense has led them to their 12-1 record, with high-scoring games against top teams in the nation.

If there is anyone who can compete with Alabama's offense, it's Oklahoma.

Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where either Clemson or Notre Dame will suffer its first loss of the season.

The Tigers demolished Pittsburgh 42-10 in the ACC Championship Game, securing them a spot in the College Football Playoff for the fourth year in a row. The 2017 national champions were able to swiftly put away the Panthers despite quarterback Trevor Lawrence not having his best game. The freshman quarterback—who has 24 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season—threw for only 118 yards but did manage to find the end zone twice.

Star running back Travis Etienne stepped up, running for two touchdowns and 156 yards to help lead the Tigers to victory. Adam Choice and Lyn-J Dixon also contributed a touchdown each, while Tee Higgins caught Lawrence's two touchdown passes.

Clemson has put up huge numbers against opponents this season while also holding opponents to fewer points. Unlike Oklahoma, which has struggled to keep teams out of the end zone, Clemson's 92.3 percent defensive efficiency—the highest defensive team efficiency, per ESPN.com—has allowed the Tigers to hold teams at bay.

Notre Dame, the only team in the CFP that does not enter the semifinal games with a conference championship win, will enter the Cotton Bowl with one less game than Clemson.

The Fighting Irish played their last game against USC in Week 13, waiting a week to find out if they would make it into the playoff. They are led by Ian Book, who, despite having two years on Lawrence, has not put up the same numbers as the freshman this season. While Book has 19 touchdowns and six interceptions, he has consistently gotten the ball downfield, throwing for almost 2,500 yards.

On the ground, Notre Dame is also weaker than Clemson. Dexter Williams leads the team with 12 touchdowns and 941 yards but will be up against Etienne—who has run for almost 1,500 yards and an incredible 21 touchdowns on the season.

While Notre Dame fans are excited to see their team make its first playoff appearance, the Fighting Irish are going to have to put up an incredible game to take down the Tigers and advance to the championship.