Different year, same national championship matchup. No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 4 Oklahoma 45-34 on Saturday night in the Cotton Bowl, setting up a College Football Playoff championship clash with No. 2 Clemson, the third title-game meeting between the two programs in four years. The two also met in last year's semifinal, which Alabama won 24-6 before going on to win the championship against Georgia.
The Crimson Tide stormed out to a 28-0 lead by the 13-minute mark of the second quarter, only to see Oklahoma force them to grind out a full 60 minutes with a spirited attempt at a comeback.