NCAA: Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama in final four

The College Football Playoff semifinals are set, with No. 1 Clemson meeting No. 4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and No. 2 Oklahoma facing No. 3 Georgia in the Rose Bowl. A closer look at the two games:

SUGAR BOWL No. 1 Clemson (12-1) vs. No. 4 Alabama (11-1)

Where: New Orleans When: Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. Clemson has been playing some of its best football over the past few weeks. The Tigers went on the road to beat rival South Carolina 34-10 on Nov. 25 and then beat Miami 38-3 in the ACC championship game on Saturday. Alabama has had a tough time staying healthy on defence this season, especially at linebacker, but coach Nick Saban says he expects his defence to be close to full strength.

Top players

Clemson: QB Kelly Bryant. His numbers aren’t as eye-popping as predecessor Deshaun Watson, but he’s still completing more than 67 per cent of his passes for 2,678 yards. Alabama: RB Damien Harris. He leads the team with 906 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, and averages 8.2 yards per carry.

Last meeting

Clemson beat Alabama 35-31 in the national championship game last season.

ROSE BOWL No. 2 Oklahoma (12-1) vs. No. 3 Georgia (12-1)

Where: Pasadena, Calif. When: Jan. 1, 5 p.m. Oklahoma has won three straight Big 12 titles. The Sooners lead the nation in total offence with 583.3 yards per game, including a whopping 8.44 yards per play. Georgia won its first SEC title since 2005 under secondyear coach Kirby Smart and boasts the nation’s fourth-best defence.

Top players

Oklahoma: QB Baker Mayfield. The Sooners’ electrifying signal-caller is the odds-on favourite to win the Heisman Trophy after passing for 4,340 yards with 41 touchdowns. Georgia: RB Nick Chubb. The senior became the second-leading rusher in SEC history in the conference championship game after going for 77 yards against Auburn.

Last meeting

This is the first meeting.