The College Football Playoff semifinal games are set to take place on Monday, bringing an end to the month of speculation and controversy about the final four teams since they were selected.
Michigan, ranked first by the CFP committee, plays No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl. No. 2 Washington plays No. 3 Texas in the later Sugar Bowl game.
The winners of the Alabama-Michigan and Texas-Washington games will meet for the national title game in Houston on Jan. 8.
Michigan vs. Alabama
It’s a matchup between two storied teams with huge fan bases.
Nick Saban, Alabama’s head coach since 2007, is seeking his seventh national title with the team. Crimson Tide’s strength comes from quarterback Jalen Milroe and linebacker Dallas Turner, but commentators say the team is among Saban’s least cohesive. Michigan, led by quarterback J.J. McCarthy, is gunning for its first national title since 1997.
Coach Jim Harbaugh is taking the Wolverines to their third consecutive semifinal, but has yet to make it to a national championship game with the team.
Kickoff of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., is at 5 p.m. ET
Washington vs. Texas
The game marks the Texas Longhorns’ first CPF appearance and the Washington Huskies’ second after its 2016 showing. The teams last met in the 2022 postseason, with Washington beating Texas 27-20 in the Alamo Bowl.
The Huskies are led by quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. Coach Kalen DeBoer is looking for his first NCAA title win after steering the Huskies through an undefeated season.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is having a career comeback after his 2015 firing from USC for alcohol abuse. He will lead the Longhorns in his first playoff game as head coach against the team that launched his head coaching career in 2009. Quarterback Quinn Ewers leads the Longhorns.
The Sugar Bowl is in New Orleans and starts at 8:45 p.m. ET.
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