It’s that time of year again, when the NFL, college football, and college basketball all converge to create a sports fan’s dream.
The College Football Playoff officially kicks off with the first round, and we have everything you need to know on how to watch it from beginning to end, including odds from our friends over at FanDuel.
How to watch the first round of the College Football Playoff
No. 9 Alabama (10-3) at No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2)
When/TV: Friday, Dec. 19 — 6 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET — ABC/ESPN
FanDuel odds: Oklahoma -1.5, O/U 41.5
This one screams
rock fight: two brands, two defenses, and a total begging for every possession to matter late. Oklahoma just struggles mightily to score, but being at home could be the deciding factor.
No. 10 Miami (10-2) at No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1)
When/TV: Saturday, Dec. 20 — 10 a.m. MT / 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET — ABC/ESPN
FanDuel odds: Texas A&M -3.5, O/U 48.5
Miami’s Carson Beck vs. A&M’s Marcel Reed is the entire story. If the Canes can avoid a slow start, this could get tight in the fourth. However, Kyle Field will be rocking and could carry the Aggies to a massive win over a team that some question should be there.
No. 11 Tulane (11-2) at No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1)
When/TV: Saturday, Dec. 20 — 1:30 p.m. MT / 2:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 p.m. ET — TNT/truTV
FanDuel odds: Ole Miss -17.5, O/U 56.5
Ole Miss is priced like it can name its score. The two teams met earlier this year in Oxford, and it was not close at all, 45-10. Though the Rebels did score 22 in the fourth to make it look a little worse, it was still 23-3 after 3. Tulane’s path is shortening the game and forcing a couple of high-leverage mistakes, cashing in with TDs and not FGs.
No. 12 James Madison (12-1) at No. 5 Oregon (11-1)
When/TV: Saturday, Dec. 20 — 5:30 p.m. MT / 6:30 p.m. CT / 7:30 p.m. ET — TNT/truTV
FanDuel odds: Oregon -20.5, O/U 47.5
Oregon’s depth and pace are a brutal first-round test, but JMU will show up believing it can turn this into a fourth-quarter pressure cooker. Most fans would have preferred to see Notre Dame or even Vanderbilt in, but the G5 spot allowed Tulane to come in, and the 5th-highest-ranked conference champion was James Madison over Duke. Oddsmakers expect a blowout, but you never know with a game like this.
Online Streaming info for each game in the first round of the College Football Playoff
You can stream the games on several streaming services, including Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV (Blue and Orange Plan). The ABC/ESPN games can also be found on the ESPN app if you have the ESPN Premier subscription.
Kentucky Reacts
In this week’s Kentucky Reacts survey, the strong majority of fans said they’re rooting for Will Stein and the Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff.
As for the national survey, 89% of fans said they believe the Ducks will cover the 21.5-point spread in their first-round matchup with James Madison.
Which matchup are you most looking forward to, and what are your predictions for the first round?
