College Football Playoff semifinals spread picks: Notre Dame-Penn State, Ohio State-Texas
And then their were four!
Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas are all that remain of the 134 FBS teams who began the year with playoff dreams. One of them will be crowned national champion on January 20.
As the College Football Playoff semifinals kick off on Thursday and Friday, we’ve got our expert picks looking to rebound from a poor — to put it mildly — end to the season.
It turns out picking bowl games is more difficult than ever. Keep that in mind the rest of the way and tail (or fade) responsibly!
| Name | Last Week | Bowl Season | YTD |
| Mitchell Northam | 5-7 | 23-21-1 | 97-97-2 |
| Michelle Martinelli | 3-9 | 18-26-1 | 92-102-1 |
| Christian D’Andrea | 7-5 | 21-16-1 | 91-96-1 |
| Tyler Nettuno | 7-5 | 25-19-1 | 91-103-1 |
| Blake Schuster | 4-8 | 14-30-1 | 88-106-1 |
All odds via BetMGM
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Penn State, Orange Bowl, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Opening Line: Notre Dame -1.5
Blake Schuster: Notre Dame -2.5
I’ve been a Penn State believer nearly all season, but between the Irish dominating all three phases of their playoff games, and Marcus Freeman’s aggressive coaching, I just can’t fade Notre Dame.
Mitchell Northam: Penn State +2.5
The two best players in this game are Tyler Warren and Abdul Carter. I think they make the difference here. Besides, I have to side with the guy posting Star Wars memes about his recovery.
Christian D’Andrea: Notre Dame -2.5
Oh boy, James Franklin vs. a prestigious blue chip program ranked in the top five.
Michelle Martinelli: Notre Dame -2.5
This has nothing to do with the “James Franklin doesn’t win big games” narrative and everything to do with the way the Fighting Irish have played and won in the postseason. Notre Dame is a little banged up and needs Jeremiyah Love healthy, but still gotta go with Marcus Freeman’s squad here.
Tyler Nettuno: Notre Dame -2.5
Both these teams have been very impressive so far in the CFP, but I really believe in this Notre Dame defense and expect the Irish to find enough offensive success against a stout Penn State front.
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Texas, Cotton Bowl, Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Opening Line: Ohio State -5.5
Blake Schuster: Texas +6
The Longhorns got a massive wake-up call against Arizona State. I think that will be more than enough motivation against an Ohio State teams that hasn’t faced a tight game since playing Michigan.
Mitchell Northam: Texas +6
Deep down, this is still the same Ohio State team that lost at home to a meh Michigan team.
Christian D’Andrea: Texas +6
The Buckeyes are liable to fall apart in random moments — potentially enough to let the Longhorns stick this out to the very end.
Michelle Martinelli: Texas +6
The Buckeyes are playing like the best team in the country. The passing game is on fire, Jeremiah Smith is a star and TreVeyon Henderson’s rushing yards keep going up this postseason. Ohio State wins but not in the dominant fashion we saw in the first two playoff games.
Tyler Nettuno: Ohio State -6
If the version of the Buckeyes we saw in the first two CFP games is the one we’re going to see the rest of the way, I’m not sure anyone can beat them. I especially don’t trust a Texas team that has looked a bit suspect in its two prior wins.