College Football Playoff Set

Alabama head coach Nick Saban walks off the field after the second half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game against Florida, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, in Atlanta.

The pairings, announced today, will send unbeaten ACC champion Clemson (top seed, 13-0) against Big 12 champion Oklahoma (No. 4, 11-1) in the Orange Bowl at 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, and SEC champion Alabama (No. 2, 12-1) will play Big Ten champion Michigan State (No. 3, 12-1) in the Cotton Bowl at 8 that night.

The Crimson Tide has won three national championships under coach Nick Saban, most recently in 2012.

Oklahoma didn’t play Saturday but beat Oklahoma State 58-23 the previous week to win the Big 12 championship. For those who have been watching the Spartans football program in recent years, this comes as no surprise.

The Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the Michigan State on December 31 in the college football playoff in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

“We know what kind of physical, tough teams they have at Michigan State, and it will be a real challenge for our team”, Saban said Sunday.

The College Football Playoff is set, four teams vying to reach Phoenix and the National Championship title game on January 11.

Smart replaces Mark Richt, who parted ways with the Bulldogs after the season and accepted the head coaching position at Miami. He might heal up in time for the bowl game but as of now, he’s clearly bother by something.

Long said bumping Michigan State past Oklahoma had nothing to do with avoiding the possibility of having the Sooners play close to home in the Dallas area. The Tide fell to eventual national champion Ohio State a year ago in a playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl. “We weren’t always pretty but championship teams find ways to win, and that’s what this team has done time and time again”.

We’re left with an imperfect system in a compelling week-to-week drama that plays out over a four-month college football season.

Alabama (12-1) is the champion of the SEC and is making its second straight appearance in the playoffs. Jake Coker threw for 2014 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Alabama’s 10th consecutive victory. Strong performances against Ohio State and Iowa late in the season, however, suggest the Spartans have figured it out. On the ground, LJ Scott rushed for 73 yards and one touchdown in 22 attempts while Madre London added 60 yards in 12 carries. Michigan State has allowed only 50 points in the past four games. Alabama opened this season with a 35-17 victory over the Badgers.

QUARTERBACK STARS: That Russell Athletic Bowl matchup last season was played without both Clemson’s Deshaun Watson (injured) and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (sitting out to satisfy transfer rules) on the field. 1 and 2 rankings, respectively, after winning their conference championship games. Joining Alabama and Ole Miss in the postseason are Florida (Citrus Bowl vs. Michigan), Tennessee (Outback Bowl vs. Northwestern), Georgia (TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Penn State), LSU (Texas Bowl vs. Texas Tech), Texas A&M (Music City Bowl vs. Louisville), Mississippi State (Belk Bowl vs. N.C. State), Arkansas (Liberty Bowl vs. Kansas State) and Auburn (Birmingham Bowl vs. Memphis). Could a seven or eight-seed end up winning it all?