CFP rundown: 4 takeaways from the Cotton Bowl

The first College Football Playoff semifinal went down Friday as the oddsmakers expected with No. 1 Alabama pounding No. 4 Cincinnati, 27-6.

The Crimson Tide will now head to Indianapolis with a shot at getting Nick Saban his eighth national title and seventh with Alabama, while the Bearcats can hold their heads high after becoming the first Group of 5 team to make the CFP.

Here are four takeaways from the first of two semifinal matchups on New Year's Eve.

Alabama asserted dominance immediately

The Crimson Tide may have the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, but it was clear from the jump that the running game would set the tone for the SEC champions. Offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien called 10 straight runs to open the game before Bryce Young hit Slade Bolden on a short touchdown pass to put the first points on the board. Those 10 carries were the most on an opening drive for Alabama since 2008, according to Heather Dinich of ESPN.

It's clear that O'Brien saw a weakness in the Bearcats' 3-3-5 defensive setup, using Brian Robinson throughout the opening half to run wild. The Crimson Tide's leading rusher plunged through massive holes en route to 134 yards before halftime.

Robinson would finish with 204 yards on the ground, second to only Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott for most in a CFP game.

Cincinnati needed more from Ridder

The common theme in Saban's losses while at Alabama is strong quarterback play from the opposition. Zach Calzada may have been Texas A&M's backup, but he torched the Crimson Tide for 285 yards passing and three touchdowns in the Aggies' win earlier this year. But star passer Desmond Ridder was unable to follow suit Friday.

Ridder simply couldn't overcome Alabama's front, even struggling to find receivers when his offensive line's protection held up. He finished the game a dismal 17-for-32 for just 144 yards.

The senior standout has struggled all season on third down, an issue that was further highlighted against the swarming Tide.

Ridder finishes his Cincinnati career with a 43-6 record as a starting quarterback and is likely to be drafted inside the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the Bearcats' faithful, his name has been added to the long list of players who failed to solve Saban's Tide.

Alabama's defense stepped up

Young won the Heisman but there's a serious argument to be made that he's not even the best player on his own team. Linebacker Will Anderson proved yet again that he's the most dominant force in the country, leading the Crimson Tide's defense in an incredible showing.

Alabama held Cincinnati to just 76 yards of total offense in the first half, the lowest in a half by any team in CFP history. The final total of just 218 yards told the story of a game that the Crimson Tide never felt threatened in. Saban's outfit entered play allowing 20 points per contest but held Cincinnati to just six on two field goals to start each half.

Anderson now has 35 tackles for loss this season, just five away from setting the new Alabama single-season record. The standout sophomore and the rest of the line simply overpowered the Bearcats' offense from the opening whistle to the final gun.

Cincinnati deserved its shot

Now that the result is in hand, it's easy to say Cincinnati, or any team from the Group of 5, doesn't deserve a shot in the CFP regardless of a perfect record.

It's also a very lazy take that needs to be retired because it's clear that a semifinal blowout is an Alabama thing, not a Cincinnati issue.

The Crimson Tide have played in six CFP semis in the last seven years; they have won all six by a combined score of 189-67. The previous five were against more illustrious competition in Michigan State, Washington, Clemson, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame.

Cincinnati was the only undefeated team in the FBS this season. The Bearcats proved they could hang with big-name programs with a narrow bowl loss to Georgia last year and a huge win at Notre Dame this year. They were far more deserving of a spot in the playoff than the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, or Oklahoma State.

Would the viewing public rather see a competitive contest in the CFP semifinal? Absolutely. Is that likely to happen in a game involving Alabama before Saban retires? Probably not.