College Football Playoff Pits Teams of Destiny vs. Teams of Dynasty

Drama and chaos. Chaos and drama. 

The 2015 college football season was filled with both, and it appeared we were barreling toward a conclusion bursting with much of the same.

And then, essentially, bracket chalk happened on Saturday.

The results in the conference title games meant we went from chaos to calm when it came to the College Football Playoff. The only question that was left was not who but what seed and where. Even there, the only debate was between No. 3 and No. 4, as Clemson and Alabama were all but assured berths in the Orange and Cotton Bowls, respectively.

It was an easy task by the selection committee this season, perhaps as easy as they’ll ever have it. But in slotting Michigan State above Oklahoma, they also provided not just two potentially thrilling semifinal matchups but a perfect dichotomy on either side of the bracket.

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

There will be a pro-style clash (Alabama-Michigan State) to serve as the nightcap to a fast-paced spread-attack semifinal (Clemson-Oklahoma). There will be mentors (Nick Saban, Bob Stoops) against pupils (Mark Dantonio, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables). 

Perhaps just as intriguing is how each semifinal game pits what look like teams of destiny—Clemson and Michigan State in this case—against a pair of blue-bloods that are, at the minimum, a couple of regional dynasties.

The Tigers and Spartans have won big on occasion but memorably won close games all season long, ending up on the right side of the ledger when it came to key 50-50 plays. Whether it be Dabo Swinney’s infectious enthusiasm spilling over or the fact everybody overlooks Connor Cook’s squad right up until they walk off the field victorious, getting to this point appeared to be in the cards for both the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds all year long.

You are not the only undefeated team in the country without a little luck and a guiding hand, after all. And Michigan State fans are well-aware of divine intervention helping them out along the way after an incredible ending against rival Michigan on the final play.

Each will also be facing off against a pair of teams that have championship pedigrees.

While the criteria for a team to earn the "dynasty" label remains unclear, Alabama and Oklahoma are both historical powerhouses and well-established standard-bearers for their respective conferences.

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

With their dominant victory over Florida in Atlanta on Saturday, the Tide became the first team to repeat as SEC champions since the great Tennessee teams at the start of the BCS era. In two seasons under the current postseason structure, they’ve captured a top-two seed in consecutive years, and oddsmakers unsurprisingly installed them as the favorite to win it all both times.

Saban is one of just two choices for the best coach in the sport (Ohio State's Urban Meyer being the other), and there’s a reason why as many as five of his assistants have been mentioned for other head coaching jobs. Add in the fact that Alabama has five consecutive No. 1 recruiting classes, according to 247Sports, and it’s safe to say there’s a reason the Tide are considered the top dogs in college football nearly every preseason even if they may not win it all at the end.

Likewise, Oklahoma is fresh off its ninth Big 12 title in 17 seasons under Bob Stoops. The Sooners have slipped in recent years, including an 8-5 campaign last season that prompted a lot of staff changes in Norman, but they remain the conference standard-bearer. They have a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Baker Mayfield, a host of future NFL draft picks on both sides of the ball and may be playing as well as anybody in the country at the moment.

“As we discussed about how they’re playing right now, how their quarterback is playing…the committee members thought they could beat anybody right now,” committee chair Jeff Long said Sunday. “There are certainly members of the committee that think they can be the No. 1 team in the country.”

Though the luster has come off a bit, the Big Game Bob moniker of their head coach is well-earned as they play for the national title for a fifth time. Just as notable, only Stoops and Saban have a championship ring as a head coach among the four remaining in the playoff.

All that's left is the games themselves. Yes, it will be a little different and a little awkward to watch the semifinals on New Year’s Eve rather than on New Year’s Day, but it shouldn’t matter one bit. There may be no drama with the selection process, but when the teams take the field, there should be plenty.

Take whatever storyline you want, but the six days after Christmas should make for one heck of a fun buildup, funneling into a title game that may be one of the more intriguing matchups of recent memory. Plus, we’re all but assured of a national championship game in Glendale pitting ground-and-pound against spread-em-out.

So, college football can save the drama and chaos for another year, and that should be just fine for all involved.

Let’s focus on the games at hand with this crystal-clear Top Four in the College Football Playoff that came to be. The contrast between the blue-bloods and blue-collars, potential dynasties against realistic destinies, is too good to pass up.

All we have to do now is sit back and enjoy the show.

Bryan Fischer is a national college football columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. You can follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.