NCAA Football Playoff 2018-19: Full TV Schedule, Odds and Projections

The waiting is over and the debating is no longer relevant. The College Football Playoff committee has spoken, and the four teams in the College Football Playoffs have been selected and the matchups are set.

Actually, the debate has not been about the top three teams for a long time. Alabama (13-0), Clemson (13-0) and Notre Dame (12-0) have been the top three teams for several weeks, and while the Crimson Tide was challenged to the hilt by a strong Georgia team in the SEC Championship Game, Alabama came through with a strong fourth quarter and preserved its perfect record in a 35-28 victory.

Even if Alabama had lost that game, it seems quite likely that the Crimson Tide would have been in the playoffs. They had won all their games by a minimum of 22 points—and most by much more than that—and it would have been difficult to oust a one-loss Crimson Tide team.

But that scenario didn't play out, and the only thing the committee had to decide on was the No. 4 team. Michigan had been in that position prior to its regular-season finale, but the Wolverines were blown out by Ohio State.

Michigan was replaced by Georgia (11-2), and the Bulldogs made a strong case even though they could not hold off the Crimson Tide. Oklahoma (12-1), Ohio State (12-1) and UCF (12-0) were all involved in the debate for the No. 4 spot, and the committee eventually settled on the Sooners.

The semifinals are set, and top-seeded Alabama will meet fourth-seeded Oklahoma, while second-seeded Clemson will meet third-seeded Notre Dame. 

National College Football Semifinals

Matchup: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Clemson

Date: December 29

Bowl Game: Cotton Bowl, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Time: 4 p.m.

Television: ESPN

Matchup: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Alabama

Date: December 29

Bowl Game: Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Time: 8 p.m.

Television: ESPN

Notre Dame vs. Clemson

Clemson is an 11.5-point favorite over Notre Dame, per OddsShark, as the Tigers have been one of the elite teams in the sport for years, while this is Notre Dame's first invitation to the College Football Playoffs.

Both teams are capable of playing a complete game. Notre Dame is led by quarterback Ian Book, who has completed 197 of 280 passes for 2,468 yards with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Wide receivers Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool are both game-changing players, while running back Dexter Williams has 941 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

Clemson is led by Trevor Lawrence, who has thrown for 2,606 yards with 24 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Lawrence gets help from a tremendous running back in Travis Etienne, who has rushed for 1,463 yards and 21 touchdowns and averaged a robust 8.3 yards per carry.

While the Tigers may be the heavy favorites and have experience on this stage, we see the Fighting Irish coming through with a huge effort and making more plays in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame registers the major upset.

Oklahoma vs. Alabama

Tua Tagovailoa leads the dynamic Crimson Tide offense, and he is clearly in contention to win the Heisman Trophy.

However, the question is how healthy Tagovailoa will be for this game. He was replaced in the fourth quarter of the SEC title game by Jalen Hurts because of a high ankle sprain. Head coach Nick Saban said that Tagovailoa should be fine in a couple of weeks when preparations for this game hit high gear, but there are no guarantees how it will play out.

If he is healthy, Tagovailoa is a formidable football player. He has completed 67.7 percent of his passes and has thrown for 3,353 yards with 37 touchdowns and four interceptions.

He has an excellent crew of receivers that includes Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Jaylen Waddle and Irv Smith Jr. That foursome has caught 180 passes that have resulted in 36 touchdowns.

Oklahoma has one of the most explosive offensive teams in the country, and the Sooners are led by quarterback Kyler Murray. He has had a brilliant year with 4,053 passing yards, a 70.9 completion percentage along with 40 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Murray also has explosive speed and is dynamic when he runs with the football, rushing for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Wideouts Marquise Brown and CeeDee Lamb are difficult to slow down. Brown has caught 75 passes for 1,318 yards while Lamb has caught 57 passes for 1,032 yards. Both receivers have caught 10 TD passes.

The problem for Oklahoma is its porous defense. Lincoln Riley knows that his team has some vulnerabilities as its last four opponents prior to the Big 12 title game win over Texas saw Oklahoma's opponents score 40 points or more.

Alabama should be able to score 50 or more points against the Sooners, and the Crimson Tide will find a way to slow down Oklahoma's high-powered offense.

Alabama is a 14-point favorite, and we see the Crimson Tide winning and covering the spread.