College Football Playoff Schedule 2015: Full Bracket and Storylines to Watch

When the sun rose on the new year, it brought the biggest change college football has seen in nearly 20 years. Thursday marks the start of the College Football Playoff in which Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State compete to determine the national champion. 

For the first time in a long time, it feels like there's no controversy over who the true champion in college football will be. There might be some nitpicks from outsiders saying that other teams had a case as one of the four teams, but that's a small gripe compared to what the BCS usually offered. 

The only bad part of the playoff is the 11-day wait between the semifinals and championship game on January 12. In anticipation of the College Football Playoff, here are the storylines to watch and a look at the bracket released from the selection committee. 

Alabama vs. Ohio State

Is Alabama's Defense Getting Too Much Credit?

When you think of Nick Saban's team, defense is the first thing that comes to mind. That hasn't been the case in 2014, as Blake Sims and Amari Cooper have given the offense an explosive element it lacked with Greg McElroy and A.J. McCarron. 

A lot of credit has to go to offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, which speaks to Saban's ability to adapt his style, as noted by Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com:

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The master of controlling, power football decided to speed things up and spread things out. He supported "fast ball" and "speed ball" after initially challenging the up-tempo philosophy. He has mixed in some of that previous burly ball, but for the most part, Saban has adapted to the more modern offensive approach. He is letting his passing game set up the run and has his most explosive Alabama offense ever. 

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While the offense has taken steps forward, there's a lingering question about the defense that will come into play at some point. 

Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart acknowledged that his group has been exploited in the last two games against Auburn, via Michael Casagrande of AL.com:

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We got exposed. Auburn did a great job passing the ball, throwing those deep balls, attacking us. I don't think our kids respected their wideouts enough and they have good wideouts just like this team does. They challenged us to stop them vertically down the field and we didn't make some plays that we should have made and we put them in some tough situations as well.

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There's no doubt that Alabama's defense is stout against the run. The Crimson Tide led the nation with three rushing touchdowns allowed and tied for the second-fewest yards allowed per carry (2.8), via Yahoo.com. 

Defending the pass, specifically deep down the field, has become an issue. Auburn exposed it, and Missouri kept that trend going in the SEC Championship Game. Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk only went 16-of-34, but he wound up with 272 yards because of four completions that gained at least 25 yards. 

Cardale Jones doesn't have much experience as a starting quarterback, but he's got four wide receivers who averaged at least 14 yards per reception. Devin Smith leads the stable with an astounding 25.6 yards per catch and 11 touchdowns. 

The Buckeyes should be able to create big plays based on what's happened with Alabama's defense, but it's what happens when those opportunities aren't there that will determine the outcome.

The Crimson Tide are stronger in the trenches and should be able to procure a victory thanks to their offensive aptitude and ability to make an offense one-dimensional. 

Oregon vs. Florida State

The Second-Half Adjustment

The story of Florida State's season can be defined by everything that happens in the locker room at halftime. Head coach Jimbo Fisher's speeches may not be the same, but the end result for his team is often brilliant. 

According to Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com, no team in the country has been better in the final 30 minutes of a game than the Seminoles:

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Florida State has outscored Power 5 opponents by 8.6 points per game in the second half, second-best among Power 5 teams behind TCU, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. A big reason why are the defensive improvements. In their past eight games, the FSU defense has given up fewer yards in the second half seven times. Opponents have scored 125 total points in the second half. Compare that to Oregon, which has given up 151 second-half points. 

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There seems to be no limit to Florida State's ability in the second half, though Oregon poses a different challenge. The Seminoles are notoriously slow starters, which isn't a good thing going against a Ducks offense that ranks third in the nation with 46.3 points per game. 

Oregon's explosiveness on offense will require Florida State's defense to do something it hasn't done all year: get to the quarterback. Marcus Mariota is dangerous in any situation, but with no pass rush to worry about, he becomes the most lethal weapon in college football. 

Paul Myerberg of USA Today noted the Seminoles are wholly dependent on one player for production from the defensive front:

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The play of Florida State's line depends almost entirely on the play of junior Eddie Goldman, an all-conference pick along the inside. In fact, it's fair to make the case that Goldman's play will dictate the overall production of the Seminoles' entire defense. As good as Goldman is, the Seminoles' line has been a disappointment. FSU has only 17 sacks all season, and only 10 of those came from players classified as linemen.

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No quarterback is better in a two-minute drill than Jameis Winston, and he's shown a knack for overcoming turnovers without batting an eye. 

However, if Florida State allows Oregon to strike early and often in the first half, keeping the Ducks at bay in the second half doesn't seem likely. It's imperative the Seminoles stay within shouting distance before halftime in order for those adjustments to keep working.