COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL PICKS

Four deserving teams face off in two great games in the semifinals, the winners meeting in the championship game in Arizona later this month. In the first match-up, two pretty even squads face off in the Orange Bowl with unbeaten Clemson trying to hold on to their unblemished record. Later, Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry leads Alabama against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl. Can Alabama avoid a second straight semifinal defeat? Can the top seed get to the finals for the first time? I guess we'll see.

Capital One Orange Bowl (College Football Playoff Semifinal):

(4) Oklahoma (11 - 1) 28 vs. (1) Clemson (13 - 0) 27: This is possibly the most difficult pick of the season. Two balanced teams, two dual-threat quarterbacks, two great defenses and a couple of storied programs. Okay, it's been thirty-four years since a Clemson national championship, but it's still a premier football school. Oklahoma is one inexplicable loss to Texas from probably being the number one seed themselves. Clemson's defense is ranked much higher than the Sooners', but the Tigers didn't face nearly the caliber of offensive teams that Oklahoma had to stop. By just the narrowest of margins, I'm taking Oklahoma in what should be a great football game.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl (College Football Playoff Semifinal):

(3) Michigan State (12 - 1) 20 vs. (2) Alabama (12 - 1) 31: Alabama to me is just a grown up Michigan State. The Tide are almost impossible to generate a running game on, thus turning their opponents one-dimensional on offense. As good as Connor Cook is for the Spartans, he's not enough to carry Michigan State to victory. I look for Heisman winner Derrick Henry to take over in the fourth quarter, making a close game a runaway. There's no way Alabama will let themselves come in flat like Ohio State did against the Spartans. But the Tide isn't dominant enough to withstand turnovers, so if they give the ball back to Michigan State, this one could be close.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords. The third installment, "Offsetting Penalties" is due out in January.