The Crimson Tide, of course, is led by former Michigan State coach Nick Saban.
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The other semifinal pits the nation’s top-ranked team (Clemson) against its hottest (Oklahoma) in the Orange Bowl.
Vegas has Oklahoma as a slight favorite over Clemson, probably because the Sooners have averaged 46.3 points during their current seven-game winning streak, and some of that has been with star QB Baker Mayfield a little gimpy. “We’re a different team”, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said.
Michigan State and Oklahoma both have one loss.
On Saban’s staff in East Lansing as a defensive backs coach was Mark Dantonio, now the Michigan State coach, trying to bring the Spartans their first national title since it finished first in the coaches’ poll in 1965. “I realize Clemson is the No. 1 seed, but I opened Oklahoma -3”, Avello said, pointing to several factors – including revenge from the 2014 bowl season. 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. The Crimson Tide and Spartans have met only once previously, with that contest coming in the Capital One Bowl to close out the 2010 season when the Crimson Tide defeated the Spartans, 49-7, to cap off a 10-3 year.
Alabama (12-1) had it easy by comparison in the Southeastern Conference championship game against Florida. “The Alabama offense hasn’t lit it up this year, but it has done enough to win football games while covering the spread in six of the 11 games we booked this year (Charleston Southern excluded)”, Avello said.
Alabama, making its 63rd bowl appearance, has played in more bowl games (62, not counting the vacated one vacated appearance and including the upcoming Cotton Bowl) and earned more bowl victories (34) than any school in college football history.
The Orange Bowl victor will meet the Cotton Bowl victor in the national championship game on January 11.
“I would not be in this position as a head coach had I not been afforded the opportunity to come to Michigan State by Nick”, Dantonio said.
BAHAMAS BOWL: Western Michigan (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee State (7-5) on December 24, 2015 in Nassau, Bahamas.
The final regular-season Top 25 is out and Michigan State has moved up two spots to No. 3 behind Clemson and Alabama. The most common result has Oklahoma beating No. 2 Alabama in the final. Although three of the 4 teams have losses on their resume, there was nary a touch of discontent over the sector in that will play for the championship of college football.
Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida State and North Carolina round out the top 10.
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Foster Farms Bowl: Nebraska will take its 5-7 record to Santa Clara, Calif., to play UCLA (8-4) in the Foster Farms Bowl on Dec.26.
