2018 College Football Playoff semifinal pairings set

By Kevin Kelley -

The College Football Playoff 2018 semifinal pairings have been announced. Alabama, the top-ranked team, will play No. 4 Oklahoma in the Capital One Orange Bowl.

Clemson, the No. 2 team, will play No. 3 Notre Dame in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. Both semifinal games will be played on Saturday, December 29, 2018.

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee will officially announce the four remaining bowls in the “New Year’s Six” around 2:30pm ET. Those bowls are as follows: Allstate Sugar Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Playstation Fiesta Bowl, and the Rose Bowl Game.

Since the Rose Bowl Game is not a semifinal this season, it will feature the Big Ten champion, Ohio State, against the Pac-12 champion, Washington.

The remaining bowls will be announced throughout the day and finalized by Sunday evening.

Capital One Orange Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018 – 4 or 8pm ET, ESPN
(4) Oklahoma vs. (1) Alabama
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL

Goodyear Cotton Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018 – 4 or 8pm ET, ESPN
(3) Notre Dame vs. (2) Clemson
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX

CFP National Championship
Monday, Jan. 7, 2019 – 8pm ET, ESPN
Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, CA

Bowl Schedules