No surprises as College Football Playoff set

While Clemson and Alabama caused hard work choosing between them the penultimate week, the committee widened them when Clemson tacked on a third win over a top-10 team, so that it has beaten the teams ranked No. 8 (Notre Dame), No. 9 (Florida State) and No. 10 (North Carolina).

For the second straight season, the Crimson Tide are playoff-bound after locking up back-to-back SEC Championships with Saturday’s 29-15 victory over Florida, coached by former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. And although Michigan State had a string of national titles in the 1950s and ’60s and has experienced a resurgence under ninth-year coach Mark Dantonio, it has tended to be overlooked in favour of Big Ten rivals such as Michigan and Ohio State. Mark Dantonio, who has turned Michigan State into an elite program, winning at least 11 games in five of the last six seasons.

Alabama, making its 63rd bowl appearance, has played in more bowl games (62, not counting the vacated one vacated appearance and including the upcoming Cotton Bowl) and earned more bowl victories (34) than any school in college football history.

“The first thing we take away from it is we didn’t have very much success – we got beat”, Saban told ESPN.

“We knew we were going No. 4”, Shepard said.

Saturday night’s Michigan State vs Iowa Big Ten title game was one of the most exciting conference championships in recent memory and although it was a defensive battle, it came down to the final drive of the game (basically) and there’s really nothing more you can ask for as a fan.

It had Iowa (12-1) finishing No. 5 to nudge out No. 7 Ohio State (11-1) for a spot in the Rose Bowl opposite No. 6 Stanford (11-2), and it had Ohio State heading to the Fiesta Bowl for a high-decibel match opposite No. 8 Notre Dame (10-2). When Saban left for LSU, Dantonio stayed on under current UA tight ends/specials teams coach Bobby Williams. A lot of people are saying that this drop is further evidence that the committee does not like the fact that the Big 12 doesn’t play a conference championship game.

Saban and the Tide also get another shot at the Big Ten. Saban is going after his fourth national crown at Alabama and said his team learned how to treat a bowl game like a playoff game after last year’s loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl semifinal. But after an exchange of punts, Michigan State took over at its 18-yard line.

FAMILIAR SETTING: Both Michigan State and Alabama have already played in AT&T Stadium this year.

Another year, another Clemson vs. Oklahoma bowl game. They are happy to reward a team for a “good loss”.

Alabama and Michigan State have met only one previous time – a 49-7 beating by the Tide in the 2010 Capital One Bowl.

The Tigers and Sooners both have quarterbacks worthy of Heisman Trophy consideration, and the teams know each other well after facing off in last season’s Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando.

The Washington Post acknowledged that an eight-team playoff would have been flawless this year for college football.

Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey put in a stunning performance to lead the Cardinal to a 41-22 win against USC and the Pac-12 championship title. “He’s truly a mentor”. The multiple storylines in play – most importantly, the one about the victor playing for a national title – will make for a fascinating matchup at Jerry World.

“I’ve described it as everybody’s running a race, but over a slightly different course”, Scott said. Derrick Henry broke Herschel Walker’s single-season conference record in rushing for 1,986 yards. In the season opener in Arlington, Henry ran for 147 yards and three TDs against Wisconsin.

Michigan State, with 23 seniors on the 2015 team, could have just enough to compete with Alabama.

Kirby Smart has laid the groundwork for years for Alabama’s potent defenses, but as the Crimson Tide prepares for the playoffs his loyalties will be split.

COTTON COMEBACK: Michigan State’s comeback in the Cotton Bowl last January was the school’s biggest ever in a postseason game.

Instead of allowing that dud to define their season, quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Sooners went on a seven-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 364-136.