Second-seeded Alabama, led by quarterback Jake Coker, defeated No. 3 Michigan State, 38-0, in Thursday’s second College Football Playoff semifinal, the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Tex.
In the national championship game on Jan. 11 in Glendale, Ariz., Alabama will play No. 1 Clemson, which defeated fourth-seeded Oklahoma, 37-17, in the Orange Bowl earlier Thursday.
Coker completed 25 of 30 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns, and wide receiver Calvin Ridley had eight receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Derrick Henry, the winner of this season’s Heisman Trophy, had a somewhat off night, running for only 75 yards on 20 carries, but he added two scores for the Crimson Tide, which improved to 13-1 and secured the program’s fourth shutout in a bowl game.