You couldn't ask for much more out of the very first College Football Playoff.
Four brand-name programs, at least two future Hall of Fame coaches and likely the last two Heisman Trophy winners.
Ohio State faces Alabama and Oregon takes on Florida State on New Year's Day, giving college football fans two matchups filled with both drama and intrigue. It will be a historic day in the sport.
"This is obviously a great opportunity and a real honor for our team to be able to come back to the Sugar Bowl, to be a part of the first-ever playoff system playing against an outstanding, very traditional, a great traditioned program like Ohio State, with a great coach like Urban Meyer," Alabama coach Nick Saban said Sunday on the Sugar Bowl media teleconference.
Alabama has been the No. 1-ranked team in the College Football Playoff rankings since its 25-20 win over Mississippi State back on Nov. 15. The Crimson Tide enter the national semifinal with a 12-1 record just like Ohio State. Alabama's lone loss came way back in the first weekend of October on the road at Ole Miss, 23-17. Since then, though, the Tide have rolled to eight straight wins including a 42-13 pasting of Missouri last weekend in the SEC championship game.
The only time Ohio State found itself in the final four of the CFP rankings were in the only edition that really mattered: the final one. The Buckeyes have won 11 straight games after losing their only contest of the season way back in Week 2 to Virginia Tech. Much like Alabama, Ohio State blasted its opponent in the conference title game.
And while the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes are both great teams, they're led by coaches who are widely regarded as the top two in the sport.
Saban and Meyer are the only two active coaches in college football with multiple national championships. Meyer won a pair while coaching Florida in 2006 and 2008, while Saban has four to his credit, winning in 2003, 2009, 2011 and 2012.
"I think Ohio State's an elite program, and obviously Alabama is as well," Meyer said. "I knew at some point, if you're going to reach for the top, that you have to go through the top. And the last several years Alabama has certainly been at the top of college football."
But while Meyer and Saban seem to be the juiciest storyline in the Sugar Bowl, the matchup between quarterbacks in the other national semifinal is just as intriguing.
Florida State is led by last year's Heisman Trophy winner, Jameis Winston. Say what you want about Winston off the field — and many have —but he's an extremely dynamic player when he's on it. On the year, Winston has thrown for 3,559 yards and 24 touchdowns, while guiding the Seminoles to an undefeated season and 29-straight wins overall.
On the other sideline is Oregon's Marcus Mariota, who is the overwhelming favorite to win this year's Heisman Trophy. Mariota's dual-threat ability leads one of the nation's top offenses as the junior from Honolulu has thrown for 3,783 yards, run for 669 with 52 total touchdowns. Oh by the way, he's also only thrown two interceptions all season as the Ducks have routed just about every opponent they have faced.
One matchup features the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes while the other has Oregon and Florida State. There's not much more you could want out of an inaugural College Football Playoff.
It's great that for once, we'll actually get to see this thing play out.
