The 12-team College Football Playoff is back for a second year with first-round matchups on college campuses.
The latest: On Friday and Saturday night, the road to a CFP national championship kicks off with a four-pack of games from Norman, Oklahoma, to Eugene, Oregon. With two Group of Five schools in the mix, this weekend's matchups feature a pair of hefty spreads.
Check out the College Football Playoff schedule and our odds for the first-round matchups on Dec. 19-20.
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College Football Playoff schedule and odds
No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners
- Oklahoma joined the SEC last season and is already 2-0 vs. Alabama as a conference foe. That includes a 23-21 win on the road in Tuscaloosa last month.
- Alabama is the only three-loss team in the CFP field, and somehow the Tide are road favourites in Norman.
- One key storyline to watch is the health of starting running back Jam Miller, who missed four games for Bama this season (including the SEC championship game). Miller, recovering from a leg injury, is expected to return after not appearing on the Dec. 16 injury report.
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CFP schedule and betting lines: Dec. 20
No. 10 Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs. No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies
- Texas A&M lost its bid for a perfect season — and an SEC title — with a road loss against the rival Texas Longhorns three weeks ago. But that meant more time to rest and recover for a matchup against the Hurricanes, who also sat idle for conference championship weekend.
- With no rest advantages to speak of, who holds the edge? According to Game On Paper, Texas A&M is slightly ahead thanks to its No. 6 rating in net EPA per play (Miami ranks 13th).
- The key battle will be between Carson Beck's pass offence (fifth in success rate) and the Aggies' pass defence (third in success rate).
No. 11 Tulane Green Wave vs. No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels
- This is a rare rematch between non-conference programs. Tulane went into Ole Miss on Sept. 20 and got thumped (45-10) as an 11.5-point underdog. Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss dominated with 307 passing yards, two passing TDs and 112 yards on the ground.
- Three months after beating Tulane by 35, why is Ole Miss only favoured by half that margin? Probably because of the dramatic departure of head coach Lane Kiffin, who left for LSU. Both Ole Miss coordinators are staying put through the playoff, though, so it's not a total upheaval.
College Football Playoffs: Ducks favoured heavily over Dukes
No. 12 James Madison Dukes vs. No. 5 Oregon Ducks
- Just four years into their Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) existence, the Dukes are 12-1 with a CFP berth. Not too shabby. But nothing is expected of them as the lone playoff team without a ranked win.
- Oregon has been a top-10 team all year. Its lone blemish came more than two months ago in a 10-point loss vs. now-No. 1 Indiana. The loaded Ducks have three tailbacks averaging six-plus yards per rush and three receivers averaging 15-plus yards per catch.
