College Football Playoff Championship Game Viewing Guide: Betting, TV Info

The college football season comes to a close with a meeting between Michigan and Washington in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday night.

Both teams are making their first title game appearances of the playoff era after thrilling down-to-the-wire victories in the semifinals. No. 1 Michigan stuffed a fourth-down overtime run to outlast No. 4 Alabama, 27-20, in the Rose Bowl, while No. 2 Washington's held off No. 3 Texas' late comeback attempt in a 37-31 Sugar Bowl win that also went down to the final play.

And now an elite matchup on the championship stage awaits.

This marks only the third time in the first decade of the College Football Playoff that two 14-0 teams are facing off in the championship game. The Wolverines lost in the semifinals in each of the last two years before finally reaching the big game this time around. J.J. McCarthy is 26-1 as Michigan's starter and was recently deemed by head coach Jim Harbaugh to be the greatest quarterback in the program's history. But Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr. had led the Huskies to 21 straight wins going into a battle against Michigan's top-ranked defense.

From how to watch this highly anticipated title game, to some championship history, here's a guide to Monday's College Football Playoff finale.

CFP Title Game Location, Kickoff Time, How To Watch

Michigan and Washington are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday night at NRG Stadium in Houston. The game will air on ESPN with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call, plus Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath reporting from the sidelines.

There will be plenty of other ways for fans who aren't in the stands to follow along.

ESPN is offering 11 different presentations of the game across its platforms. That includes, along with the main broadcast, a Pat McAfee Show telecast (ESPN2), a multi-angle "Command Center" (ESPNU), and an alternate "Skycast" from above the action (ESPNNews) on traditional channels. National and Spanish radio broadcasts are available on ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes, while a 4K Skycam feed and four other viewing options can be streamed via the ESPN app.

Who Is Favored To Win the National Championship?

The top-ranked Wolverines enter Monday night's game as a 4.5-point favorite over the Huskies, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under on the game is set at 56.5. McCarthy (+125) and Penix (+200) have the best odds at the sportsbook to be named the title game's most valuable offensive player.

No SEC Teams a Rarity in CFP Era

This year's national championship game is missing a familiar touch.

For the first time since the inaugural CFP championship, the SEC does not have a team represented in the final game of the season. Ohio State beat Oregon to take home the first playoff trophy in 2015. Since then, some combination of Alabama (six times), Georgia (three times), or LSU (once) was in the championship game every year. Until now.

Like that OSU-Oregon faceoff, this year's Michigan-Washington game is a Big Ten vs. Pac-12 matchup. At least for now.

In many ways, Monday night's game is the end of college football in its current form. Washington, soon to be part of the Big Ten conference, is among the many schools caught up in conference realignment. The new-look Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and SEC are about to get bigger, while little will be left in the Pac-12. Also, this title game serves as the final contest under the four-team CFP format. Next season, it expands to 12 teams.

When Did Michigan, Washington Last Win National Titles?

Either the Wolverines or Huskies will close out the season with their first national title in decades. Michigan is seeking its first championship since 1997, when it downed Washington State in the Rose Bowl, finished 12-0, and split a title with Nebraska. Washington last won it all in 1991 by defeating, of course, Michigan in the Rose Bowl. That Huskies team also finished 12-0 and shared championship honors with Miami.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.