The first 12-team version of the College Football Playoff has reached the semifinals. Ohio State has also taken over as the betting favorite to win the national championship from Texas — its semifinal opponent.
Did the CFP selection committee get it right? The first-round games were held on campuses for the first time — before the games shifted to bowl games for the quarterfinals and semifinals — and all four of the higher-seeded teams won comfortably.
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That led to fresh questions about the seeding process, which haven’t abated even with a thriller between the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams (Texas over Arizona State). The Sugar Bowl was delayed one day after a deadly truck attack in New Orleans and the quarterfinals saw all four top seeds lose after earning a bye.
There are 11 games between Dec. 20 and the finale in Atlanta on Jan. 20, all broadcast nationally. The semifinals (times EST):
Location: Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla., Jan. 9, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Notre Dame by 1 1/2.
How they got here: Penn State beat 11 seed SMU (38-10) and 3 seed Boise State (31-14). Notre Dame beat 10 seed Indiana (27-17) and 2 seed Georgia (23-10).
What to know: Is this the year Penn State finally gets back in a national title game? The Nittany Lions have easily handled their two CFP games so far behind a stout defense and balanced offense. They will face a Fighting Irish team with a rugged defense of its own and a experienced quarterback in Riley Leonard.
The winner: Advances to the national championship game Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
Location: Cotton Bowl, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, Jan. 10, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Ohio State by 6 1/2.
How they got here: Texas beat 12 seed Clemson (38-24) and 4 seed Arizon State (39-31, 2OT). Ohio State beat 9 seed Tennessee (42-17) and 1 seed Oregon (41-21).
What to know: The Buckeyes have blown out Tennessee and top-ranked Oregon so far. QB Will Howard and big receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka will now try to exploit a Longhorns team that has one of the better defenses in the country, particularly in the secondary.
The winner: Advances to the national championship game Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
Ohio State is now the 11-10 favorite to win the national championship, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Buckeyes moved into the top spot after their Rose Bowl win and after previous favorite Texas needed two overtimes to win its quarterfinal game against Arizona State.
The rest of the odds: Texas and Notre Dame (both 7-2) and Penn State (9-2).
A 13-member CFP selection committee spent six weeks evaluating the teams and then set the bracket on Dec. 8.
The five highest-ranked conference champions were guaranteed spots in the field, no matter where they are ranked overall by the CFP; Clemson, for example, is ranked No. 16 in the CFP but was given the 12th and lowest seed as the fifth-highest ranked league champion. The top four seeds got a week off and an automatic trip to the quarterfinals, where all four lost.
The CFP began with four teams in January 2015. It was expanded this year for the first time. Many believe it may expand again, perhaps as early as 2026.
A lot: About $115 million is on the line in the playoff.
Each conference gets $4 million for every team that makes the final 12, then another $4 million for those that make the quarterfinals. It means teams that earned byes are worth $8 million to their conferences without even playing a game.
Teams that advance to the semifinals mean $6 million more for their conference, then another $6 million for making the final.
The conferences all distribute the money differently. There’s also a $300,000 stipend per team that is academically eligible for the playoffs. Teams making the playoff get $3 million to cover expenses for each round, too.
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