It has been an unusual bowl season to be sure, with teams pulling out, replacement teams being found, and some bowls just outright canceled.
However, two games this Friday that we know will be played are the College Football Playoff Semifinals, taking place in Dallas and Miami.
Cotton Bowl – No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati (+13.5)
Alabama was an eyelash away from losing its final regular season game and not even making it to this point. But they won that game in the closing seconds, and then by virtue of their win over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, they are the No. 1 ranked team heading into the CFP.
They certainly look like the better team when compared to the Bearcats, but are they two touchdowns better?
Cincinnati finished hot, beating the spread in its final three games. But before that, they went four straight without covering and only beat Navy and Tulsa by one score. Their overall strength of schedule ranks 45th; Alabama’s is first.
Bryce Young is fantastic, and if the Heisman winner duplicates his play from the SEC title game, Alabama cruises. But the Bearcats are physical up front, and Desmond Ridder is also a talented quarterback.
Alabama wins, but Cincinnati keeps it under 10 points.
Orange Bowl – No 2. Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia (-7.5)
Instead of pining for the game they could have had against Cincinnati, had Michigan not been passed over by Alabama, they are preparing to take on the team that was No. 1 in the nation for most of the season, Georgia.
The Bulldogs are the favorite because of just how great they looked from September through November, beating FBS teams by an average margin of victory of 32 points.
They did get run out of the building by Alabama, but Michigan doesn’t have an offense nearly as potent as what Georgia just faced, and that’s why the Bulldogs are favored to win by more than a touchdown.
The Wolverines counter their own great defense that hammered both Ohio State and Iowa to win the Big Ten. But the Michigan defense, while great, is a tick below that of Georgia.
Michigan has two great running backs in Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum, but just how good can they be against Georgia? Quarterback Cade McNamara has been solid down the stretch, but he can’t take over games.
Georgia will simply be too much for Michigan, and they will cover this spread.
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