But what does the Playoff mean to Las Vegas sportsbooks?
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Since its inception a year ago, Alabama is the only team to appear in both of the College Football Playoff final fours and has appeared in the top-five slots of every poll put out by the selection committee over the past two seasons. No. 2 Alabama will play No. 3 Michigan State at the Cotton Bowl in the nightcap of the December 31 doubleheader. The Hawkeyes could never break the game open however, never holding more than a 3 point lead. SEC victor Alabama plays the Big Ten champion Spartans in what will likely be a bruising College Football Playoff semifinal between two 12-1 teams at the Cotton Bowl.
“I don’t know what happened at the other three schools, but I doubt it was like this”, Swinney said on ESPN.
Kirby Smart has laid the groundwork for years for Alabama’s potent defenses, but as the Crimson Tide prepares for the playoffs his loyalties will be split.
Clemson held the number one spot since the first playoff rankings released at beginning of November.
–Ohio State, last year’s national champion, will not get an opportunity to defend its title and also missed out on a chance to play in the Rose Bowl, but the Buckeyes will still play in a game that will attract a lot of attention as they will face Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
The Georgia athletic association executive committee approved the hiring of Smart, the Tide’s defensive coordinator since 2008. They have had an outstanding year, and we know there will be a very, very small margin of error – for both teams.
The uniforms that Michigan State will wear when they take the field at the Cotton Bowl will be familiar ones.
The Crimson Tide lost to Ole Miss at home in late September, a game that left Alabama uneasy about its passing game and in need of help just to win the SEC West. Sadly, the Re-rank has officially selected the worst team of the 2015 college football season: Central Florida, which went 0-12, takes home the dishonor of being No. 128.
Long is the chairman of the CFP selection committee – a 12-person group that makes the final decisions.
As the four teams in the College Football Playoff were disclosed, starting with No. 1 Clemson and moving in reverse, Oklahoma receivers Durron Neal and Sterling Shepard were sitting together at the Sooners’ team gathering.
The winners will meet in Glendale, Ariz. on January 11.
Alabama (12-1) began its season at AT&T Stadium in North Texas against a Big Ten team (Wisconsin) and returns to face another in Michigan State (12-1).
Against Michigan State, it will be strength against strength. For Oklahoma, it was a befuddling 24-17 loss to Texas, another 5-7 squad. The Cardinal might be one of the four best teams, just as Ohio State might actually be one of the four best, but it does not matter. The conference’s lack of a championship game may actually have ended up an advantage. Henry now has 1,986 yards for his career to set the Southeastern Conference’s all-time single-season mark for rushing yards.
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The Spartans, who were No. 2 early in the season, edge up after beating Iowa 16-13 in the Big Ten championship game. The championship marks the first women’s soccer national title in Penn State and Big Ten history. Don’t forget that Oklahoma considers the Orange Bowl its favorite holiday destination; the Sooners will be playing in it for the 19th time, most by any team, and they have a 12-6 record in South Florida. All three teams were in the top 10 opponents when they faced Clemson.
