College Football Championship 2016: Matchups and Schedule for All Games

The College Football Playoff is a little over a week away, and with very little controversy about the four teams selected, football fans have instead been able to simply get excited for what appear to be two excellent matchups.

We'll break them down below along with taking a look at the schedule for each playoff matchup.

Game	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV
Orange Bowl	No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Oklahoma	Dec. 31	4 p.m.	ESPN
Cotton Bowl	No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Michigan State	Dec. 31	8 p.m.	ESPN
National Championship	TBD vs. TBD	Jan. 11	8:30 p.m.	ESPN

Clemson vs. Oklahoma

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

This matchup, at least on paper, sure looks like a shootout.

Clemson is 12th in the nation in yards per game (511) and 15th in points per contest (38.5). Oklahoma is seventh (543) and third (45.8), respectively. Clemson has a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback in Deshaun Watson. Oklahoma has a quarterback who should have been a Heisman finalist in Baker Mayfield. 

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops compared Watson to Trevone Boykin, TCU's excellent quarterback.

“He’s a lot like Trevone in his ability to run the ball and throw the ball. He’s a dual threat,” Stoops told John Shinn of the Times Record online. “They have a lot of quarterback run game with him. They’re similar. You see a lot of the same stuff you did a year ago, but now you add his flavor to it and it’s even more to defend than it was a year ago.”

The one difference might be that Clemson has the better defense. The Tigers are seventh in yards allowed per game (296) and 18th in points allowed (20.2), though Oklahoma isn't much worse at 31st in yards allowed per game (356) and 21st in points allowed per contest (20.8).

From a motivational standpoint, Oklahoma would seemingly have the edge, having lost in the Russell Athletic Bowl to Clemson a year ago. On the other hand, both teams are likely plenty motivated to win with a national title hanging in the balance.

Oklahoma is probably the "hotter" team as well and has taken a similar arc as the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes a year ago, finishing the season with huge wins over Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State. On the other hand, Clemson has wins over Notre Dame, Florida State and North Carolina and has yet to lose this season.

The point is simple: Not a lot separates these teams. This has all of the makings of a classic. 

Alabama vs. Michigan State

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Whereas the points will likely be plentiful between Clemson and Oklahoma, Alabama vs. Michigan State will likely be all about defense and smashmouth running attacks. 

Alabama's recipe to success is simple: Pound the rock with Heisman winner Derrick Henry behind a bulldozing offensive line and use the nation's best defense to stifle opposing offenses. Alabama controls the clock and slowly demoralizes opponents. It beats you up until you tap out. 

Michigan State, on the other hand, lets you think you've won before snatching the game away from you in the final moment. Literally. It beat Oregon by three points. It beat Michigan after blocking a punt on the final play of the game and returning it for a touchdown. It beat Ohio State on a game-winning field goal. A touchdown run in the final minute gave it the Big Ten title over Iowa. 

Alabama will be the favorite, of course. But that's just the way Michigan State likes it. The Spartans would prefer to be the disrespected underdogs. And they probably secretly loved it when a Sports Illustrated regional cover incorrectly wrote "Mike Dantonio" on its cover, not Mark Dantonio, Michigan State's head coach.

Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports expected the Spartans to use that as a little more fuel for the fire heading into their matchup with the Crimson Tide:

If you like hard-nosed football, this game will be for you. And given the way Michigan State's season has gone, well, don't be surprised if it wins this one on the final play of the game.