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College Football Playoff: Breaking down the matchups that will matter most in the semifinals

AP photo by John Bazemore / Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe heaves a pass during the SEC title game against Georgia on Dec. 2 in Atlanta. Milroe and the No. 4 Crimson Tide will take on No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal, on New Year's Day.
AP photo by John Bazemore / Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe heaves a pass during the SEC title game against Georgia on Dec. 2 in Atlanta. Milroe and the No. 4 Crimson Tide will take on No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal, on New Year's Day.

By RALPH D. RUSSO / The Associated Press 7 min read

The final four-team edition of the College Football Playoff promises to be one of the closest in the 10-year history of the event, which will expand to a 12-team field next season.

The combined spread of the two New Year’s Day semifinals sits at six points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. No. 1 Michigan (13-0) is a 1 1/2-point favorite against fourth-seeded Alabama (12-1) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, while No. 3 Texas (12-1) is a 4 1/2-point favorite over No. 2 Washington (13-0) at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

That’s the smallest combined line for the CFP semifinals since the 2017 playoff, when Georgia beat Oklahoma in overtime at the Rose Bowl as a 2 1/2-point favorite and Alabama was favored by 3 1/2 against Clemson at the Sugar Bowl and rolled over the Tigers.

Here’s a look at the matchups that will decide each CFP semifinal, with Monday’s winners advancing to the national championship game on Jan. 8 in Houston.