The College Football Playoff bracket is out. These are the semifinal odds:
College Football Playoff odds have Alabama and Oklahoma as semifinal favorites
No. 1 Clemson is an underdog in its three-match with Bama.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Some quick impressions follow.
No. 4 Alabama (-1) vs. No. 1 Clemson
Makes some sense and also makes no sense at all. Clemson has sometimes been just so-so during its national title defense, but the Tigers have the look of a team that’s playing their best football. They roughed up South Carolina in a rivalry game in Week 13 and followed that up by putting an unholy obliteration on Miami in the ACC Championship Game. They’re the No. 1 seed in the field for a reason.
On the other hand, Bama’s Bama. The Tide looked un-Tide-like in their Iron Bowl loss to Auburn, but they still have the deepest roster in the country. They’re virtually never underdogs, so it’s understandable that they’re not underdogs here.
The teams have split national title games in the last two seasons, of course. They know each other well and will probably treat us to a classic game.
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oklahoma (-3)
Seems reasonable.
Oklahoma has the potential Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Sooners’ offense is the scariest in the country, and they’ve been blowing teams out for most of the season. So has Georgia, obviously, and that’s why this line’s just 3 points. But Mayfield’s played in these games before and is the best QB in the country this year, and oddsmakers can’t be blamed for refusing to pick against him right now.
We’ll see how these lines move in the next month.
They won’t stay still forever.
See More:
