The Cincinnati Bearcats first-ever game in the College Football Playoff sure won't be an easy one. UC will face one of the blue-blood programs in college football in the Alabama Crimson Tide, which also boasts one of the top coaches in the sport's history, Nick Saban.
Alabama will enter the semifinal Cotton Bowl game (3:30 p.m. ESPN) with a 12-1 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the Southeastern Conference. The Tide rolled off seven straight wins, including beating Georgia in the SEC championship game, after a 41-38 loss at Texas A&M on Oct.