Alabama will face Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 1 in what oddsmakers consider the biggest mismatch in CFP history.
The 10-0 Crimson Tide are regarded as the No. 1 team in the country by far. Notre Dame is 10-1 with a win over Clemson in November when Trevor Lawrence was out due to COVID. In the rematch on Saturday, the Tigers crushed the Fighting Irish.
SportsBetting.com has Bama listed as a 19-point favorite in the game, which is the largest margin ever in a CFP game.
Here is the list of the largest spreads. Unsurprisingly, Alabama was the favorite for five of the nine largest spread games.
2020/21 Rose Bowl: Alabama (-19) vs. Notre Dame
2018/19 Orange Bowl: Alabama (-14.5) vs. Oklahoma
2019/20 Peach Bowl: LSU (-12.5) vs. Oklahoma
2016/17 Peach Bowl: Alabama (-12.5) vs. Washington
2018/19 Cotton Bowl: Clemson (-10.5) vs. Notre Dame
2015/16 Cotton Bowl: Alabama (-10) vs. Michigan State
2014/15 Sugar Bowl: Alabama (-7.5) vs. Ohio State
2014/15 Rose Bowl: Oregon (-7.5) vs. Florida State
2020/21 Sugar Bowl: Clemson (-7) vs. Ohio State
19 points is a lot, but it makes some sense. Bama has put up over 50 points in its last three games. And though they allowed 46 points to Florida, their defense has been pretty stout for most of the season.
Best of luck to the Irish and their bettors.
