College Football Playoff semifinal schedule, matchups, odds: Ohio State is now the favorite

College Football Playoff semifinal schedule, matchups, odds: Ohio State is now the favorite

The semifinals of the 12-team College Football Playoff have been decided and there is no longer a conference champion.

All four teams still in the playoffs hosted games in the first round of the playoffs. And all four were favored in their first two games. The favorites are 8-0 straight and 7-1 against the spread so far this postseason. The only underdog to erase the points lead in the first eight playoff games is No. 4 Arizona State, which lost 39-31 in overtime to Texas in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday.

Here’s a first look at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl, as the final four teams will play in Atlanta on Jan. 20 for a chance to play in the national championship game.

Date: January 9th | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN | Line: Notre Dame -1.5 | Overall: 48.5

Notre Dame picked up its biggest bowl win in 30 years over No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday. The Irish scored 17 points in less than a minute at halftime to build a 20-3 lead over the Bulldogs. Penn State held off Boise State star rusher Ashton Jeanty during the Fiesta Bowl with a 31-14 win on New Year’s Eve.

It feels right to open the line for the game and we’re excited to see where the plot takes it. Notre Dame was initially an underdog in Georgia, but became a slight favorite in the days before kickoff. Both teams’ defense was fantastic, although they are also struggling with injuries up front. Notre Dame senior Rylie Mills suffered a season-ending leg injury in the first round, and Howard Cross III appeared to suffer a left ankle injury late against Georgia. Penn State star defensive end Abdul Carter missed the second half of the Fiesta Bowl with a left shoulder injury. Carter has 11 sacks and 22 tackles for loss this season.

Date: January 10 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN | Line: Ohio State -6.5 | Overall: 53.5

Ohio State is favored by a TD in a bowl that might as well be a road game. Texas will play in its home state and will have a huge attendance advantage at AT&T Stadium.

The Buckeyes are such a big favorite because of the way they played in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Ohio State has outscored its opponents 83-38 so far and was up 31-0 against previously unbeaten Oregon midway through the second quarter in the Rose Bowl.

Texas, meanwhile, built a 24-8 lead over Arizona State, received a favorable non-call for a possible targeting penalty late in the fourth quarter, and had a game-winning field goal bounce off a post before finally beating the Sun Devils on a double Overtime. Texas’ running game was key to beating Clemson in the first round, and the Longhorns didn’t have nearly the same success against ASU. Ohio State’s defensive front was dominant against Oregon and could pose real problems for the Longhorns, who may be the team best equipped to handle Ohio State’s passing game.

  • Ohio State (+110)

  • Texas (+350)

  • Notre Dame (+350)

  • Penn State (+450)

Not surprisingly, the Buckeyes are the heavy favorites, while Texas and Notre Dame are the co-No. 2 favorites. Penn State has the worst odds of the four, but can hardly be considered a major outlier at this point. The only possible regular-season rematch in the title game is between Ohio State and Penn State. The Buckeyes defeated the Nittany Lions 20-13 on November 2nd.

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