2014-15 College Football Playoff ATS Staff Picks

The staff at theScore put on their prognosticator hats and made selections against the spread for each of the national semifinal games, highlighting reasons for their choices. The pickers are Gino Bottero, Mike Dickson, George Halim, Kimberly John, Isaac Owusu and Sean Tepper.

2 Oregon Ducks (-8.5) vs. 3 Florida State Seminoles

Bottero: Florida State has skated by on a winning streak that features victories over The Citadel and Wake Forest. After struggling to get by the likes of Miami and Boston College, the step up in class is one the Seminoles aren't prepared to take. Oregon 38, Florida State 27

Dickson: Jameis Winston and the Seminoles have made a habit of falling behind early, only to come back and win. That would be a recipe for disaster, as the high-powered Oregon offense can create too big a hole for Florida State to climb out of, allowing the Ducks to grab the victory while failing to cover. Oregon 42, Florida State 35

Halim: The former Heisman winner will go up against the current Heisman winner in what will be an offensive firing range. It’s difficult to picture Oregon dropping this one, but Florida State is the type of team that knows how to hang around and make the impossible possible. Oregon 34, Florida State 27

John: Florida State has gotten comfortable depending on late fourth-quarter magic to win. But Oregon's offense, led by newly-minted Heisman winner Marcus Mariota, will build too great a margin for the Seminoles' come-from-behind firepower. Oregon 41, Florida State 27

Owusu: Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher should employ the same philosophy that Arizona used to pull off an Oct. 2 upset over Oregon. Expect the Seminoles to display a strong running game and keep the Ducks' offense at bay. Florida State 33, Oregon 21

Tepper: Oregon's offense scores the third-most points per game in the nation (46.3), and Florida State's defense is far from dominant. Sure, the Seminoles have yet to be held under 20 points in a game, but they don't have the luxury of playing a weak opponent like the ones they dominated this season. Oregon 35, Florida State 17

1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-9) vs. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes

Bottero: Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes deserve a lot of credit for what they accomplished in the Big Ten title game, but they are painfully overmatched here. Playing inside the cozy confines of the Big Ten is one thing. Alabama is a different animal entirely. Alabama 41, Ohio State 16

Dickson: In a meeting between the only two coaches to win multiple national championships during the BCS era - Ohio State's Urban Meyer and Alabama's Nick Saban - the experience of quarterback Blake Sims will give Saban's squad the edge. Cardale Jones will be in tough, making just his second start for the Buckeyes. Alabama 31, Ohio State 20

Halim: Many believe Ohio State doesn't deserve a spot in the semifinals, and they will be thoroughly outclassed against Alabama. Cardale Jones may have wowed against Wisconsin, but Alabama is the hands-down best team in the nation. This one won't be close. Alabama 46, Ohio State 27

John: Alabama's Amari Cooper is a threat Ohio State's defense won't be able to contain. The Crimson Tide's stout defense will also pressure green Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones into making bad decisions. Alabama, 38, Ohio State, 21

Owusu: Nick Saban lives for these scenarios. While it's not a national championship game - where he's 4-0 - he'll have a similar amount of preparation time. Whatever Saban schemes up will be scary for Cardale Jones, who's making just his second collegiate start. Alabama 41, Ohio State 14

Tepper: Ohio State's Cardale Jones will surprise many people and play well against Alabama, but experience will prevail, and the Crimson Tide will escape and earn a spot in the national title game. Alabama 26, Ohio State 18

Lines courtesy Scoresandodds.com.