Chris Petersen nominates Nick Saban for commish; can he start today?

PLAYER TO WATCH: Beware the Crimson Tide’s tight end. The good field position, coupled with Alabama’s defense, kept Washington at bay and allowed the Tide to maintain it’s lead throughout the last three quarters.

You know, because there is a mighty important game looming that top-ranked Alabama needs to win. The Tigers have had some games when they have been dominant, but in others, like against Pitt or in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship against Virginia Tech, they didn’t really blow anybody’s mind. That should give the Crimson Tide a decided edge in the stands, especially when Washington is on offense.

Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal blowouts by Alabama and Clemson continued a trend of unentertaining final four matchups since the playoff’s inception in 2014.

With a 7 p.m. EST start time in the Fiesta Bowl, Clemson and Ohio State will play shortly after the conclusion of No. 1 Alabama vs.

A simplistic way to analyze this: Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts is more of a playmaker than Browning, and Browning is facing a tougher defense. Junior wideout Dante Pettis (14 touchdown catches this season) has five career punt-return scores.

Alabama’s Jonathan Allen said the game did get heated.

The receivers were hardly the only players on Washington’s offense to have a bad day.

Said offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin of the Tide’s overwhelmingly defensive offense against the Huskies: “We felt like the defense was playing so good, we can only lose this one way – turning the ball over”.

In the third quarter, UW’s Psalm Wooching stripped the ball away from Hurts, but Wooching couldn’t corral the ball after stretching and diving for it. The momentum swung toward the Crimson Tide’s favor when Ryan Anderson returned a Browning interception 26 yards for a touchdown with just 1:13 left in the first half.

As Petersen grinned and cracked up at his own joke – Coach Pete, I don’t think this means he’d take the hypothetical job overnight and skip Saturday’s national semifinal, by the way – Alabama coach Nick Saban’s face oscillated between a death glare and a smile. Alabama 40, Washington 20. The bowl games moves to Mercedes-Benz stadium, opening next door. Because they know their coach is going to do whatever it takes to win. If you we couldn’t make first downs, just like all fast teams, you can’t get the momentum. It continues with Ohio State against Clemson in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl at 7 P.M. EST on ESPN. He is a known playmaker, having capped Ohio State’s double-overtime victory over MI with a 15-yard scamper last month. None have won the whole thing since Florida State in 1999, a 17-year drought and counting. If the second can match it, we’ll have forgotten about New Year’s Eve as soon as the game is over. He coached conference championship games and playoff games, and competed in a national landscape that seemed to ensure dynasties were dead, becoming the first coach to win national titles at two different schools. Washington has created 33 turnovers this season, more than any team in the country, including 19 interceptions.

“It really wasn’t that hard because of the culture Coach (Dabo) Swinney’s instilled in us”, safety Jadar Johnson said.

“We’re just glad we’ve been able to have these opportunities”, says Alabama running back Damien Harris.

A selection committee, which is responsible for ranking the top 25 teams and ultimately assigns the top four to playoff games, is made up of 12 people.

After the Alabama loss last year, Watson laid the groundwork for 2016 by saying, “I love my teammates, love my brothers, and you’ll see us in Tampa next year, so”. This is the moment you’ve been working for since you got that first letter postmarked Tuscaloosa in your mailbox.