By: Michael Spiers

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The college football season is almost over, and that’s a tough pill to swallow.

The good news, though, is that the last three games are absolute blockbusters—the College Football Playoff semifinals and the championship.

This year’s Final Four brings together some of the biggest names in the game: Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State, and Texas.

Before I jump in, let’s take a second to consider that all four teams that received a first-round bye were soundly defeated in the last round. It begs the question as to whether we will see changes to the 12-team playoff format in the future, but that will be another article for another day.

Here’s what I expect as these last four heavyweights fight for the national title.

Orange Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame: When: Thursday, January 9th, 7:30 PM EST (ESPN). Where: Miami Gardens, Florida.

Penn State has had a wild season. They cruised through the Big Ten schedule before running into an Oregon buzzsaw in the conference championship.

Still, the Nittany Lions bounced back big-time in the playoffs, crushing SMU and Boise State. Their defense is terrifying, led by star edge rusher Abdul Carter, who’s expected to play despite getting banged up last game.

On offense, Penn State is all about consistency, they don’t hit a lot of home runs—think steady singles and doubles, not grand slams.

Notre Dame’s road to the playoffs had its bumps too. They lost early to Northern Illinois (yeah, really), but since then, they’ve been locked in, rattling off 10 straight wins.

Their ground game is a powerhouse, even after losing two NFL-caliber linemen from last year.

Defensively, their secondary is a brick wall, but their run defense has had some cracks, especially with injuries piling up.

This matchup is all about defense. Both teams are loaded on that side of the ball, and neither offense has been lighting up the scoreboard lately.

Penn State’s defense feels more complete, but Notre Dame’s run game is a real wild card. It’s going to be a grind.

Expect a defensive slugfest. The over/under is set at 45.5, and it’s hard to see these teams blowing past that.

Penn State might have a slight edge thanks to their depth and defensive balance.

My Prediction: Penn State 24 Notre Dame 17

Cotton Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State: When: Friday, January 10th, 7:30 PM EST (ESPN). Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.

Ohio State has been on a tear, looking every bit like the best team in the country during the playoffs.

They steamrolled top-seeded Oregon, putting up 500 yards of offense while their defense shut the door.

Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is already playing like a superstar, and running back TreVeyon Henderson is a scoring machine. Their offensive line, once a concern, has turned into a strength at the perfect time.

Texas hasn’t had the same kind of dominance. They barely survived Arizona State in double overtime, and their defense seemed to run out of gas late in the game.

The Longhorns’ offense has had trouble finishing drives all season, and their red-zone struggles could be a problem against Ohio State, whose defense is elite at shutting teams down inside the 20.

The key here is whether Texas can keep up with Ohio State’s explosive offense. The Buckeyes are firing on all cylinders, and their defense is just as good.

Texas has a strong defensive front, but if they can’t sustain drives or put points on the board, it could be a long night.

Ohio State should have the upper hand. Their offense is rolling, their defense is suffocating, and Texas hasn’t shown they can hang with a team this good.

The Buckeyes are favored by six points, and it wouldn’t be a shock if they cover that easily.

My Prediction: Ohio State 38 Notre Dame 21.

No matter who makes it to the championship game, this year’s playoff has been a thrill ride. Injuries, endurance, and execution will decide it all.

Ohio State looks like the team to beat, but don’t sleep on Penn State’s defense or Notre Dame’s ground game. Even Texas, with their inconsistencies, could pull off a shocker if everything clicks.

The National Championship Game will be played on Monday, January 20^th at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.