Bearcats vs Tide: Cotton Bowl CFP semifinal at a glance

By The Associated Press

Cincinnati is the first non-Power Five team to make the College Football Playoff. Alabama is the only team in the CFP for the seventh time in the eight years of the four-team format. The American Athletic Conference champion Bearcats and Crimson Tide play in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Cincinnati goes into that CFP semifinal game undefeated at 13-0. Defending national champion Alabama is 12-1 after winning the SEC title game over Georgia, which had been the only other team without a loss.  Both teams have outstanding quarterbacks, Bryce Young for Alabama and Desmond Ridder for Cincinnati.