We're a month away from the College Football Playoff actually being played, but with the four teams now installed in their respective spots and opening spreads razor thin, there's no harm in sharing some early predictions for how the bracket will unfold.
Let's take a look at the four teams and how they stack up against one another in the CFP Semifinals.
Sugar Bowl -- No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Alabama: All year we pined for Alabama-Clemson III, and now we get it in the College Football Playoff Semifinals in New Orleans, where Dabo Swinney himself played for a national championship as a Crimson Tide wide receiver. The Tigers had no controversy on Selection Sunday after a 38-3 whipping of Miami in the ACC Championship Game, while Alabama edged out a pair of two-loss Power Five conference champions for the fourth and final spot in the bracket.
Rose Bowl -- No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Georgia: Baker Mayfield and the high-flying Oklahoma offense are set for a collision course with a Georgia defense that played one of its best games of the season on the biggest stage yet, shutting down Auburn in its SEC Championship Game win. This contrast of styles is going to make for impeccable viewing in the Rose Bowl as Georgia will look to control the flow of its game with its ground game all while the Sooners hope to speed the game up and force the Bulldogs into a shootout.
And now, onto our picks. These may change as we move forward, but for now, here's how we feel about the games with a month of preparation ahead.
