The College Football Playoff lines are official. Despite losing to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship on Saturday, TCU holds the No. 3 spot, setting up a matchup with No. 2 Michigan in the semifinals. Ohio State was able to jump USC into the No. 4 spot, playing championship favorite No. 1 Georgia in the semifinals.
Check out the opening betting odds for the College Football Playoffs, via FanDuel:
Michigan-TCU Opening Lines
- Spread: Michigan -9.5 (-110), TCU +9.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Michigan -365, TCU +285
- Total: Over 58.5 (-110), Under 58.5 (-110)
Georgia-Ohio State Opening Lines
- Spread: Georgia -6.5 (-110), Ohio State +6.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Georgia -265, Ohio State +215
- Total: Over 59.5 (-110), Under 59.5 (-110)
Georgia, looking to win back-to-back national championships, is the betting favorite at -140, followed by Michigan (+270), Ohio State (+360), and TCU (+1600).
TCU (12-1) has used second-half comebacks all season to boost itself into playoff position and nearly pulled it off again against Kansas State. Down eight points late in the game, quarterback Max Duggan marched TCU down the field for a game-tying touchdown and 2-point conversion. But after Kansas State stuffed a fourth-and-1 play from the goal line in overtime, it was able to pull off the upset with a field goal.
TCU now faces the tall task of going up against Michigan (13-0). In the Big Ten Championship Game, Michigan was engaged in a close game against Purdue for the first half but was able to show its prowess, pulling ahead in the second half before coming away with a convincing 43-22 win.
It was more of the same for a dominant Georgia (13-0) team this weekend as well. In the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs proved to be too strong for LSU to handle, winning 50-30. But coach Kirby Smart wasn’t satisfied with the effort looking ahead to Ohio State (11-1).
“Our guys understand as the year goes on, teams tackle poorly, teams cover poorly. Defense usually deteriorates,” Smart said via Dawgs Nation. “That’s not the culture here. It won’t be accepted or tolerated, so we got to fix it.”
After winning his first national championship last season, Smart is well aware that the standard has changed in Athens, and any outcome other than another championship will be a disappointment.
