Top-ranked Clemson and No. 2 Alabama will face off in the desert for the national championship after dominating wins in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Tigers romped in the second half for a 37-17 win over No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, followed by an even more dominating performance in which the Crimson Tide thumped No. 3 Michigan State 38-0 in the Cotton Bowl.

Monday night's title game in Glendale, Arizona, matches a high-scoring Clemson offense led by quarterback Deshaun Watson against Nick Saban's latest dominating defense at Alabama, which limited the Spartans to 239 yards.

There's another storyline to the title game. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is an Alabama alumnus who played on the Tide's 1992 national championship team.

Now, he's going against the greatest coach of this generation. Saban has won three national titles in the last six years at Alabama to go along with a BCS title at LSU.

Clemson (14-0) and Alabama (13-1) will be playing for the first time since 2008, when Alabama won 34-10 in a game that signaled the Tide's return to national prominence under Saban.

With Alabama favored by seven points, Clemson is the underdog for a second straight game. Oklahoma was favored in the Orange Bowl by four points.