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College Football Playoff Championship Live Stream: No. 1 Alabama v No. 2 Clemson

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson will face-off tonight in the College Football Playoff National Championship and you can stream the coverage live on WatchESPN.

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Clemson booked its spot with a 30-3 win over the No. 3 Notre Dame in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, while Alabama beat No. 4 Oklahoma 45-34 at the Orange Bowl to secure its spot. Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV | Radio

Both teams will enter this game with undefeated records, after navigating through the entire season so far without tasting a defeat.

Monday night will see the College Football Playoff championship game featuring two unbeaten teams for the first time in its five years of existence.

The Crimson Tide (14-0) or the Tigers (14-0) will become the first 15-0 FBS champion in college football’s poll era, which dates back to the first AP rankings in 1936.

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The live coverage of this game will come from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, starting at 8:00 pm ET.

ESPN’s MegaCast coverage of the game will provide several unique viewing options.

In fact, the network promises some 17 overall presentations across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, SEC Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN3, ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes Radio.

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ESPN’s Football Power Index is giving defending national champion Alabama (14-0) a slight edge to win this game at 51.4 percent, with FPI giving Clemson a 48.6 percent chance to win.

The Crimson Tide and Tigers will be meeting for the fourth time in the college football playoff, while it is the third meeting between these two programs in a national championship game.

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Alabama defeated Clemson in a thrilling contest in the 2015 national championship game, but the Tigers returned to secure a last-second victory over the Tide in the 2016 championship game.

The game will not only see Alabama coach Nick Saban and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney battling, but a face-off between two young quarterbacks.

It will be a contest between Tide’s Tua Tagovailoa, who was the hero as a freshman in last season’s championship game against Georgia and Tigers’ freshman Trevor Lawrence.

College Football Playoff: No. 2 Clemson v No. 3 Notre Dame Livescores, Gamecast, Live Coverage

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ARLINGTON, Texas — No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Notre Dame will meet in the Cotton Bowl here at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and you can stream the coverage live on WatchESPN.com and watch it on ESPN.

Follow livescores and Gamecast updates of this game. ESPN  Megacast | WatchESPN | Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe, Tom Rinaldi

Today’s College Football Playoff semi-final will for the first time see a matchup of undefeated teams in the 5-season history of the playoff.

In fact, before this season, there had never been more than one unbeaten team in a single College Football Playoff, but this year there are three.

Clemson and Notre Dame are joined by defending national champion and No. 1 Alabama which will play No. 4 Oklahoma in the second semi-final.

The Fighting Irish (12-0), who are the first independent team to make the Playoff, are playing in their first College Football Playoff.

They are an eight-time national champion.

Meanwhile, the Tigers (13-0) are making their fourth consecutive College Football Playoff appearance and coach Dabo Swinney says his players are ready to play.

“We are excited,” Swinney told ESPN before kick-off. “This is what it’s all about. We have worked all year for this moment.”

The four-time ACC champions won the national title two years ago after beating the Crimson Tide.

The football experts are expecting a very tight contest, but according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Clemson has a 71.5 percent chance to advance to the national championships.

Today is the fourth meeting all-time between Clemson and Notre Dame.

The Tigers hold a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series with the most recent meeting coming in 2015 which ended in a 24-22 victory for the Tigers at Memorial Stadium.

How To Watch College Football Playoff Selection Sunday

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MIAMI, FL — Watch live streaming coverage of College Football Playoff selection Sunday show on the WatchESPN on Dec. 2. ESPN will also have live television broadcast.

Watch the show as the teams and respective Bowl games unfold in real time, starting at 12:00 pm ET.

With championship weekend now history, college football fans are now bracing for the final verdict on which four teams will contend for the national championship next month.

No. 1 and defending college football champion Alabama (13-0) cemented its place in the Top Four with an exciting 35-28 victory over No. 4 Georgia to win the SEC title in a repeat of last year’s national championship battle.

No. 2 Clemson (13-0) also earned its spot in the last four, following a 42-10 thumping of Pittsburgh on Saturday night to become the first team to win four uninterrupted Atlantic Coast Conference championships.

That leaves two spots.

Many believe the undefeated Notre Dame, which was inactive this weekend and has four wins over ranked teams this year, deserves to be in the Top as well.

That means the likes of Big 12 champion Oklahoma, currently at No. 5, Big Ten champ Ohio State, currently at No. 6 and American Athletic Conference champion UCF, currently sits at No. 8 – will be on the edge while they wait on the selection committee to decide.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart thinks his team deserves to be in the Top Four, but I find it hard to see the selection committee sending a two-loss SEC runner-up team through.

Selection Sunday is always full of excitement and this year isn’t expected to be any different.

No. 13 LSU v No. 2 Georgia Live Updates, Stream, Scores

No. 1 Alabama Crushes Louisiana-Lafayette, 56-14 For 5th Win

College Football Week 11 Schedule, Must Watch Games: No. 10

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MIAMI, FL – College football Week 11 schedule, game times, television and live streaming coverage for the Saturday, November 10. You don’t want to miss any of the action this weekend, regardless of the matchup.

The hunt for College Football Playoff places will again be on the line when this weekend’s set of fixtures go off. Watch live streaming and television action on WatchESPN, ESPN3, ESPN2, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, SEC Network, Big Ten Network and more.

Alabama Crimson Tide Football 2018
Alabama Crimson Tide Football 2018

No. 2 Clemson, No. 10 Ohio State and No. 5 Georgia are the among the high-profile teams that simply cannot afford to lose this weekend, as it could very well damage their respective chances of making the Top 4.

At the Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, the Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) will play No. 18 Michigan State (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten).

A victory for Ohio State would keep them in the College Football Playoff hunt, although Urban Meyer’s team currently trail Michigan by one game in the Big Ten East standings. Defeat will more than likely diminish the Buckeyes’ chances of making the Top 4.

College Football Week 10 Schedule, TV Channels – Nov. 3

ESPN’s Football Power Index in giving the travelers a 60 percent chance of beating Michigan State, which won two straight.

College football Clemson Tigers Football
Clemson Tigers football team in action. College football

Meanwhile, No. 2 Clemson (9-0, 6-0 ACC) will travel to Chestnut Hill to face-off with No. 17 Boston College (7-2, 4-1 ACC) at Alumni Stadium.

The Tigers are undefeated this season, although not playing at their best every week, but should be able to tick another box at the end of this weekend.

Clemson comes in with an 89 percent chance of winning its 10th straight game this season, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, but the Eagles are expected to present a challenge at home.

Meanwhile, No. 5 Georgia is back in the College Football Playoff conversations after rebounding from the defeat to LSU almost a month ago.

Back-to-back wins over No. 9 ranked teams have helped the Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1 SEC) climb up the rankings, but Saturday’s game against No. 24 Auburn at Sanford Stadium in Athens, could present a test.

Georgia certainly cannot afford to lose at home Auburn, as a second loss would rationally eliminate them from the playoff.

Elsewhere on Saturday, No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC) takes on No. 16 Mississippi State (6-3, 2-3 SEC) at home, No. 3 Notre Dame (9-0) hosts the underachieving Florida State (4-5), No. 4 Michigan (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten) hosts Rutgers (1-8, 0-6 Big Ten) at HighPoint.com Stadium Piscataway, while No. 6 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) and Kyler Murray will entertain in-state rival Oklahoma State in Norman.

Saturday, November 10
Matchup Time (ET) TV and Live Streaming

TCU at No. 9 West Virginia 12:00pm FS1/FoxSportsGo.com
No. 10 Ohio State at No. 18 Michigan State 12:00pm FOX/FoxSportsGo.com
Navy at No. 12 UCF 12:00pm ESPN2/WatchESPN
South Carolina at No. 15 Florida 12:00pm ESPN/WatchESPN
Wisconsin at No. 20 Penn State 12:00pm ABC/WatchESPN
Tulsa at Memphis 12:00pm ESPNU/WatchESPN
Ole Miss at Texas A&M 12:00pm CBS
Illinois at Nebraska 12:00pm BTN
Kansas at Kansas State 12:00pm FSN/FoxSportsGo.com
Lafayette at Army 12:00pm CBSSN
Maryland at Indiana 12:00pm BTN
Akron at Eastern Michigan 12:00pm ESPN3
BYU at UMass 12:00pm ES/NESN
SMU at UConn 12:00pm ESPN3
Vanderbilt at Missouri 12:00pm SECN/WatchESPN
North Carolina at Duke 12:20pm Raycom Sports
Troy at Georgia Southern 1:00pm ESPN+
UCLA at Arizona State 2:00pm Pac-12N
Charlotte at Marshall 2:30pm ESPN+
Bowling Green at Central Michigan 3:00pm ESPN+
Liberty at Virginia 3:00pm RSN/ESPN3
Middle Tennessee at UTEP 3:00pm ESPN+
No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 1 Alabama 3:30pm CBS
No. 4 Michigan at Rutgers 3:30pm BTN
Oklahoma State at No. 6 Oklahoma 3:30pm ABC/WatchESPN
No. 8 Washington State at Colorado 3:30pm ESPN/WatchESPN
No. 11 Kentucky at Tennessee 3:30pm SECN/WatchESPN
Northwestern at No. 21 Iowa 3:30pm FOX/FoxSportsGo.com
Baylor at No. 22 Iowa State 3:30pm FS1/FoxSportsGo.com
New Mexico at Air Force 3:30pm CBSSN
North Texas at Old Dominion 3:30pm ESPN3
Purdue at Minnesota 3:30pm ESPN2/WatchESPN
Virginia Tech at Pitt 3:30pm ESPNU/WatchESPN
Appalachian State at Texas State 4:00pm ESPN3
East Carolina at Tulane 4:00pm ESPNews/WatchESPN
San Jose State at Utah State 4:00pm Facebook
Arkansas State at Coastal Carolina 5:00pm ESPN+
Georgia State at Louisiana 5:00pm ESPN+
ULM at South Alabama 5:00pm ESPN+
WKU at Florida Atlantic 5:00pm Facebook
Oregon at Utah 5:30pm Pac-12N
No. 24 Auburn at No. 5 Georgia 7:00pm ESPN/WatchESPN
FIU at UTSA 7:00pm ESPN+
Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech 7:00pm ESPN2/WatchESPN
Rice at LA Tech 7:00pm ESPN+
Temple at Houston 7:00pm CBSSN
USF at Cincinnati 7:00pm ESPNU/WatchESPN
Florida State at No. 3 Notre Dame 7:30pm NBC/NBCSports.com
No. 7 LSU at Arkansas 7:30pm SECN/WatchESPN
No. 19 Texas at Texas Tech 7:30pm FOX/FoxSportsGo.com
Southern Miss at UAB 7:30pm beIN SPORTS
No. 2 Clemson at No. 17 Boston College 8:00pm ABC/WatchESPN
Oregon State at Stanford 9:00pm Pac-12N
Colorado State at Nevada 10:30pm ESPNU/WatchESPN
UNLV at San Diego State 10:30pm ESPN2/WatchESPN
California at USC 10:30pm ESPN/WatchESPN

No. 3 Georgia Advances To College Football Playoff Title Game

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PASADENA, Calif. — Sony Michel ran for a 27-yard touchdown in double overtime and No. 3 Georgia secured a 54-48 win over No. 2 Oklahoma in a thrilling Rose Bowl contest to advance to the College Football Playoff championship game.

With the game locked at 48-48 after the teams traded field goals in the first overtime period, Lorenzo Carter blocked an Austin Seibert’s 27-yard field goal attempt to help setup the winning score, as Michel burst through the line to eliminate the Sooners.

“I made plays. I gave up plays. My team just had faith in me,” said Michel. “That’s what this team is all about. They showed true character today.”

The Bulldogs trailed by 14-point at halftime, but responded to outlast Oklahoma in a back-and-forth semifinal.

It was the first overtime game in the 104-year history of the Rose Bowl and the first College Football Playoff game to go into overtime.

It was also the highest-scoring Rose Bowl ever.

Michel ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns and Nick Chubb ran for 145 yards and two scores, while Jake Fromm threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns in the win for Georgia (13-1), which rallied to tie the game at 45-45 with 55 seconds to play to setup overtime.

Baker Mayfield passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and had a rare catch for a score for Oklahoma.

Rodney Anderson rushed 26 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns and Marquise Brown had eight catches for 114 yards and a score for the Sooners (12-2), who led 21-7 early in the second quarter, but were outscored 37-14 in the second half and overtime.

“It’s tough to describe right now,” Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley said of the loss. “It’s a hell of a college football game. You know, an epic Rose Bowl game.”

Georgia will return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to play No. 4 Alabama in the college football title game on Jan. 8 after the Crimson Tide made an all SEC championship game by beating No. 1 seed and defending champion Clemson in the second game of the night.

“We got to get back to work. It’s not done,” Michel said. “Now we got to finish. Let’s just finish this season off right.”

College Football Playoff Semis, Bowl Schedule on New Year’s Day 2018

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NEW ORLEANS — The following is New Year’s Day college football schedule on Monday, which includes the semi-finals of the College Football Playoff.

Five games are listed on the schedule for today, but without a doubt, the two highlighted fixtures are the Rose Bowl and Allstate Sugar Bowl, as the winner of each of the semis advanced to the title-game.

In Pasadena, California, starting at 5:00 pm ET, No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Georgia will face off in the Rose Bowl.

Following that game at 8:45 pm, defending champion and No. 1 Clemson battles with No. 4 Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which is also a repeat of last year’s CFP championship game.

Live coverage of the Rose Bowl will be on ESPN and live stream is on WatchESPN.

The Sooners head into their game with a slight concern to starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.

A few days ago, Mayfield revealed that he woke up with flu-like symptoms and became sick over the Christmas break.

Up to two days ago, he was still battling with the flu, but the senior who has thrown for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns, as well as running for 310 yards and five scores this season, remains optimistic.

Georgia Bulldogs Football
Georgia Bulldogs Football team

Meanwhile, Georgia comes into this game full of confidence after beating Auburn and Alabama to the SEC title.

After losing to Auburn in the regular season fixture when they were No. 1, the Bulldogs (12-1) returned to beat the Tigers when it mattered in the SEC championship game, and second-year head coach Kirby Smart believes his team will be ready for Mayfield and the powerhouse Oklahoma offense, which is putting up 44.9-point per game.

At the same time though, the former Alabama coordinator isn’t expecting an easy go.

“It’s a different style,” Smart said of Oklahoma’s offense.

“They do a tremendous job of throwing the ball down the field, up-tempo, do a really good job of that. … Baker Mayfield is the great equalizer because he extends that time, and he makes those plays go longer where you have to cover longer.”

At the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, top-ranked Clemson will renew its rivalry with SEC powerhouse Alabama, live on ESPN and WatchESPN.

The Clemson Tigers- college football
The Clemson Tigers football team

The last time these two programs met it ended in dramatic fashion after the Tigers outscored Crimson Tide 21-7 in the fourth quarter to seal a 35-31 victory in the College Football Playoff championship game last year.

Another gruesome encounter is expected on New Year’s Day as both sets of players and coaching staffs strongly believe their respective program is number one in the country.

Alabama got the nod over Ohio State for the final CFP slot, but the Crimson Tide are expected to welcome back a few key players who were being bothered by injuries.

Alabama AP college football top 25 rankings
Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban

In fact, with the expectations that a fully strengthened Alabama team will run out on Monday night, ESPN’s Football Power Index is backing Nick Saban’s ball club to get the better of the Dabo Swinney coached Tigers.

In other college football bowl games on the schedule for New Year’s Day, No. 7 Auburn and the undefeated No. 12 UCF will face-off for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Citrus Bowl sees No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 17 LSU battling, while Michigan and South Carolina will go head-to-head for the Outback Bowl

College Football Bowl Games on New Year’s Day
Monday, January 1

Outback Bowl
Michigan vs. South Carolina
Noon, ESPN2
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
No. 12 UCF vs. No. 7 Auburn
12:30 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta

Citrus Bowl Presented by Overton’s
No. 14 Notre Dame vs. No. 17 LSU
1 p.m., ABC, WatchESPN
Camping World Stadium
Orlando, Florida

College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oklahoma
5 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California

College Football Playoff at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Clemson
8:45 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
New Orleans

Baker Mayfield, No. 2 Oklahoma Beat No. 10 TCU, Punched CFP Spot

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ARLINGTON, Texas, Sporting Alert – Baker Mayfield threw four touchdown passes and No. 2 Oklahoma punched its College Football Playoff spot with a 41-17 win over No. 10 TCU in the Big 12 championship game Saturday.

“I’m really proud of our group for not listening to all the noise on the outside and we’ve played pretty good ball here at the end,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said.

“We knew there was going to be a championship game and that was just going to be part of our journey if we wanted to get to this place.”

The Sooner (12-1) raced out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and then scored 17 more unanswered in the third quarter to seal the win after the Horned Frogs (10-3) made it 17-14 midway through the second quarter.

TCU trailed 24-17 at the break, but Oklahoma scored twice early to start the second half and pulled away.

“Big plays, we gave up a couple. … Two plays basically in the second half,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said.

“The worst thing that could happen in the third quarter happened.”

Mayfield, the leading Heisman Trophy candidate, went 15 of 23 for 243 yards without an interception and ran for another 65 yards on six carries for Oklahoma, which got 93 yards on the ground from Rodney Anderson.

Mark Andrews caught two scoring passes, while Marquise Brown had three catches for 87 yards and a touchdown and Mykel Jones also caught a pass for a score for the Sooners.

“The reason I came back was to play for a national title,” Mayfield said. “The most exciting thing about today is we control our destiny. … That’s all out in front of us.”

Kenny Hill was 27 of 37 for 234 yards and threw touchdown passes to John Diarse and Jalen Reagor, while adding 51 yards on the ground on 13 carries for TCU.

The Sooners are now waiting to find out who will be their next opponent and in which college football playoff semifinal game they will contest.

Will it be the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl?

Download Game Box Score

2017 College Football Playoff Rankings: Second Week

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MIAMI, FL, Sporting Alert – The Top five teams remained the same in the second week of the College Football Playoff rankings, but Ohio State and Penn State both fell out of the runnings with losses last Saturday.

Undefeated sides Georgia and Alabama returned 1-2 in the latest released on Tuesday night (7) and remained on course to collide in the SEC championship game.

Notre Dame is No. 3, defending champion Clemson is No. 4, while also staying put at No. 5 was Oklahoma after it came out on top of the thrilling shootout with state rivals Oklahoma State this past Saturday.

Georgia (9-0) stayed atop the rankings after beating South Carolina 24-10 on Saturday, while Alabama (9-0) defeated then-No. 19 LSU by a similar scoreline at the weekend.

Up next for the Bulldogs is a trip to No. 10 Auburn, a game in which many pundits are expecting to be very difficult for the nation’s top-ranked program.

The Crimson Tide also faces a very tricky tie this weekend at No. 16 Mississippi State.

Meanwhile, TCU moved up two places in this week’s CFP rankings to No. 6 and has a chance to make another move this week as it takes on the Sooners in the race for the Big 12 title.

Miami advanced three spots to No. 7, while Wisconsin, Washington and Auburn complete the Top 10.

Michigan State climbed to 12th spot this week and moved past both Penn State, which it defeated over the weekend and last week’s Ohio State, which also suffered a shocking loss on the road.

The Buckeyes tumbled seven places to No. 13 after losing 55-24 at Iowa, while the Nittany Lions dropped seven slots to No. 14 after they suffered back-to-back defeats.

USC jumped six-spots to No. 11 this week, while Oklahoma State rounded out the Top 15 after dipping four spots.

Mississippi State stays at No. 16, Virginia Tech dropped to No. 17, with UCF, Washington State and newcomer Iowa making up the Top 20.

The next five is completed by Iowa State, at No. 21, Memphis, NC State, LSU and newcomer Northwestern.

Dropping from the rankings this week are Stanford (21) and Arizona 22

College Football Playoff Rankings

1 Georgia 9-0 —
2 Alabama 9-0 —
3 Notre Dame 8-1 —
4 Clemson 8-1 —
5 Oklahoma 8-1 —
6 TCU 8-1 2
7 Miami 8-0 3
8 Wisconsin 9-0 1
9 Washington 8-1 3
10 Auburn 7-2 4
11 USC 8-2 6
12 Michigan State 7-2 12
13 Ohio State 7-2 7
14 Penn State 7-2 7
15 Oklahoma State 7-2 4
16 Mississippi State 7-2 —
17 Virginia Tech 7-2 4
18 UCF 8-0 —
19 Washington State 8-2 6
20 Iowa 6-3 NR
21 Iowa State 6-3 6
22 Memphis 8-1 1
23 NC State 6-3 3
24 LSU 6-3 5
25 Northwestern 6-3 NR

Dropped from rankings: Stanford (21) Arizona (22)

Georgia Is No. 1 In College Football Playoff Rankings: Week 1

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NEW YORK, Sporting Alert — Georgia is No. 1 in the opening College Football Playoff rankings, topping The Associated Press’ top-ranked team Alabama on Tuesday night.

The unbeaten Bulldogs (8-0) have been impressive this season, and the CFP committee rewarded them for their superb start.

Sitting second in the rankings are the equally unbeaten Crimson Tide (8-0) and both teams are currently on course to clash in the SEC title game in Atlanta on Dec. 2.

While Alabama was rest at the weekend, Georgia thumped Florida 42-7 to add yet another quality win to its resume, which had already included victories over current-No. 3 Notre Dame and current-No. 16 Mississippi State.

Notre Dame is at No. 3 and is followed by defending college football playoff champion Clemson at No. 4.

Oklahoma, at No. 5, Ohio State, Penn State and TCU are next in line, with all four teams having 7-1 records.

Wisconsin (8-0) is No. 9 and fellow unbeaten Miami (7-0) completed the Top 10.

Oklahoma State, Washington, Virginia Tech, Auburn and Iowa State are No. 11 through No. 15.

Mississippi State comes in at No. 16 and is trailed by USC, UCF, LSU and North Carolina State in the Top 20.

The last five are Stanford, Arizona, Memphis, Michigan State and Washington State.

College Football Rankings
October 31

1 Georgia 8-0
2 Alabama 8-0
3 Notre Dame 7-1
4 Clemson 7-1
5 Oklahoma 7-1
6 Ohio State 7-1
7 Penn State 7-1
8 TCU 7-1
9 Wisconsin 8-0
10 Miami 7-0
11 Oklahoma State 7-1
12 Washington 7-1
13 Virginia Tech 7-1
14 Auburn 6-2
15 Iowa State 6-2
16 Mississippi State 6-2
17 USC 7-2
18 UCF 7-0
19 LSU 6-2
20 NC State 6-2
21 Stanford 6-2
22 Arizona 6-2
23 Memphis 7-1
24 Michigan State 6-2
25 Washington State 7-2

New Year’s Eve College Football Playoff Semis, Bowl Games

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SPORTING ALERT – College Football Playoff semifinals will take place on New Year’s Eve at Georgia Dome and the University of Phoenix Stadium.

Defending champion and top-ranked Alabama will take on No. 4 Washington in the first College Football Playoff semifinal – Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – and it will be live on ESPN at 3 PM ET.

The second College Football Playoff semis will see No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Ohio State doing battle in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., starting at 7:00 PM on ESPN.

NO. 1 ALABAMA v NO. 4 WASHINGTON

The Crimson Tide (13-0) are yet to lose this season, while dominating their opponents on a weekly basis and the pundits don’t expect the Huskies (12-1) to slow them down either.

Alabama has been super dominant this season and leads the FBS in a number of categories, including rushing yards against, which sits at 63 yards per game.

College Football Alabama: College Bowl
Alabama college football in action

The Tide have 68.1 percent chance to beat Washington on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, but coach Nick Saban isn’t expecting any handouts.

A victory for Alabama would secure a place in the championship game for a second successive year and Saban wants his players to realise that this isn’t just a bowl game.

“What I’ve learned about this game is your mindset of: Is this a bowl game or is this a playoff game?” Saban told reporters.

“I think every player has to decide for himself (and) every coach has to decide for himself because we are trying to create a balance for everyone in our organization because it is a playoff game.”

Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts has thrown for 2,592 yards with 22 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 841 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

Jake Browning leads the Washington offense and he is expected to be a handful for the Tide, who hasn’t faced a quarterback of his calibre so far this season.

STREAKS

  • The Huskies enter the New Year’s Eve game on a three-game winning streak.
  • Alabama has won 25 games straight since losing to Ole Miss in September 2015.

Bowl Game To Watch

The second game of the day between No. 2 Clemson and the third-ranked Ohio State could possibly be the most intriguing game of the season.

College Football 2016: ESPN3 Schedule
Clemson en route to scoring a touchdown. College Football 2016

The PlayStation Fiesta Bowl will see two accomplished quarterbacks going head-to-head with both confident about their team’s chances.

J.T. Barrett will lead the Ohio State (11-1) offense and he will have a very good supporting cast as well.

Barrett has thrown for 2,428 yards, 25 touchdowns and five interceptions this season and also rushed for 847 yards and nine touchdowns.

College Football Big Ten J.T. Barrett
Quarterback J.T. Barrett of Ohio State

Running back Mike Weber has carried the ball 177 times this season 1,072 yards and nine touchdowns, while versatile runner and receiver Curtis Samuel is expected to generate lots of problems for the Tigers.

Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson has passed for 3,914 yards with 37 touchdowns this season for Clemson (12-1). The junior who is playing his final game for the Tigers, has also run for 529 yards and six TDs.

According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Buckeyes have a 55 percent chance to beat Clemson, which comes in with a 45 percent chance.

The winner of the Fiesta Bowl will advance to the national championship game on Jan. 9 and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney believes his team is right where they need to be at this stage of the season.

“We’ve set out to be right here where we are,” said Swinney. “We look forward to playing on the big stage.”

Heisman Winner Jackson To Star Again?

In a non-college football playoff bowl games on Saturday, Heisman Trophy winning Lamar Jackson will lead No. 13 Louisville against No. 20 LSU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl.

Lamar Jackson and Heisman Trophy
Lamar Jackson of Louisville at a press conference.

Jackson has been remarkable this year for the Cardinals (9-3) – throwing for 3,390 yards, 30 touchdowns and rushed for another 1,538 yards with 21 touchdowns.

ESPN’s Football Power Index is giving Louisville a 51.5 percent chance to win against LSU, which will be led by Ed Orgeron for the first time since he was named head coach of the Tigers.

While Louisville will sport its best player for Saturday, LSU will be without its top man.

Running back Leonard Fournette will not play against the Cardinals, which means Derrius Guice, who was the team’s leading runner with the ball this term with 1,249 yards and 14 touchdowns, is expected to do the bulk of the work on the ground again.

Elsewhere, Georgia Tech and Kentucky will battle in the TaxSlayer Bowl, live on ESPN and streaming on WatchESPN, starting at 11:00 am.

College Football Playoff and Bowl schedule
December. 31, 2016

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
No. 20 LSU vs. No. 13 Louisville
11 a.m., ABC, WatchESPN
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.

TaxSlayer Bowl
Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky
11 a.m., ESPN, WatchESPN
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: College Football Playoff semifinal
No. 4 Washington vs. No. 1 Alabama
3 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN
Georgia Dome, Atlanta

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl: College Football Playoff semifinal
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Clemson
7 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN
The University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Washington Selected For CFP

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DALLAS, Sporting Alert – The 2016-17 College Football Playoff semi-finals field in now set and there were little to no surprises with the lineup that has been assembled.

Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington are the four programs that will feature on the on New Year’s Eve in the battle for the national title.

The selection committee made the announcement on selection Sunday (4), the final day to pick the top four teams in the country.

Alabama, without an issue, returned as the No. 1 team in the final CFP rankings, while ACC champion Clemson jumped Ohio State for the No. 2 spot with the Buckeyes slipping to No. 3.

Those three teams were on the pundits’ final list, but everyone was anxious to know which team would be the fourth squad in the playoff.

At the end of the day, the 12-man College Football Playoff selection committee decided to reward Washington for its impressive in-conference record and the fact that it won the Pac-12 championship title.

“Had Washington had a stronger strength of schedule, I do not think that conversation would have been as difficult,” CFP committee chairman and the athletic director at Texas Tech, Kirby Hocutt said on ESPN.

Huskies sophomore tailback Myles Gaskin, who rushed for 159 yards on 29 carries in the Pac-12 championships game against Colorado said: “It’s one of those things where it’s just on to the next game.

“We’re going to enjoy this one for 24 hours like coach Pete always says and then it’s on to the next one. We’ve got some time to get rested up. We’ve got a big one coming up next.”

Sitting on the outside at No. 5 was the Big Ten champion Penn State, which finished ahead of both Ohio State and Michigan to win the Big Ten East as well.

The Wolverines were No. 6.

College Football Playoff Semifinal Schedule:

The Crimson Tide will face the Huskies in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Tigers will square off with the Buckeyes in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.

The rest of the rankings is listed below.

College Football Playoff Rankings
RK TEAM REC
1 Alabama 13-0
2 Clemson 12-1
3 Ohio State 11-1
4 Washington 12-1
5 Penn State 11-2
6 Michigan 10-2
7 Oklahoma 10-2
8 Wisconsin 10-3
9 USC 9-3
10 Colorado 10-3
11 Florida State 9-3
12 Oklahoma State 9-3
13 Louisville 9-3
14 Auburn 8-4
15 Western Michigan 13-0
16 West Virginia 10-2
17 Florida 8-4
18 Stanford 9-3
19 Utah 8-4
20 LSU 7-4
21 Tennessee 8-4
22 Virginia Tech 9-4
23 Pittsburgh 8-4
24 Temple 10-3
25 Navy 9-3

Dropped from rankings: Houston 24

Michigan Slips, Washington At No. 4: College Football Playoff Rankings

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NEW YORK, Sporting Alert – Michigan slipped three places in the College Football Playoff rankings but is still not out in the cold, as Alabama and Ohio State stay No. 1 and No. 2 in the latest poll.

The Wolverines (11-1, 7-2 Big Ten) dropped from third to fifth in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings after losing to the Buckeyes, 30-27, last Saturday, but by placing them at No. 5, the selection committee is clearly not ruling them out of making the top four.

With Michigan sliding out of the top four this week, Pac-12 front-runners Washington moves up to No. 4 in the rankings and will be hoping to staple down that spot with a win in the Pac-12 title game against rival Colorado this weekend.

As expected, Alabama (12-0, 8-0 SEC) continues to be the top team in the rankings and should to be safe even with a loss in the SEC title game against Florida this weekend.

Ohio State is still second, despite being bumped out of the Big Ten championships game, while Clemson moves up one spot to No. 3 after clubbing South Carolina 56-7 at the weekend.

Wisconsin and Penn State who will face-off for the Big Ten title this coming weekend, hold their spots at No. 6 and No. 7 with Colorado sitting at No. 8.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State complete the top 10 and will meet for the Big 12 title on Saturday

However, with the Sooners dropping to No. 9 this week it looks highly unlikely that the Big 12 will have a representative in the playoffs this season.

In fact, according to FiveThirtyEight, even if the Cowboys (9-2, 7-1 Big 12) were to beat Oklahoma (9-2, 8-0) in Saturday’s Bedlam game, they would have only a five-percent chance to make the College Football Playoff.

Meanwhile, despite winning its eight straight last week, USC did not move from No. 11, while Florida State is at No. 12, Louisville is 13th, Auburn is 14th and Florida comes in at No. 15.

West Virginia, Western Michigan, Stanford, Navy and Utah are 16 through 20.

LSU, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Houston and Pittsburgh make up the last five.

Nebraska 16, Boise State 19 and Washington State 23, are the teams which dropped from the rankings.

The final Selection Day is Sunday, December 4.

College Football Playoff
Tuesday, Nov. 29

RANK TEAM RECORD
1 Alabama 12-0
2 Ohio State 11-1
3 Clemson 11-1
4 Washington 11-1
5 Michigan 10-2
6 Wisconsin 10-2
7 Penn State 10-2
8 Colorado 10-2
9 Oklahoma 9-2
10 Oklahoma State 9-2
11 Southern California 9-3
12 Florida State 9-3
13 Louisville 9-3
14 Auburn 8-4
15 Florida 8-3
16 West Virginia 9-2
17 Western Michigan 12-0
18 Stanford 9-3
19 Navy 9-2
20 Utah 8-4
21 Louisiana State 7-4
22 Tennessee 8-4
23 Virginia Tech 9-3
24 Houston 9-3
25 Pittsburgh 8-4

Dropped from rankings: Nebraska 16, Boise State 19, Washington State 23