Inside CFP numbers: History repeats itself for Alabama

Using College Football Reference, Yardbarker shines a spotlight on key names and numbers from the two College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year's Day — No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas. 

Three cheers for the victors: Michigan is making its third consecutive appearance in the CFP after completing an undefeated regular season and winning its third straight Big Ten championship. While the Wolverines seek their first national title since 1997, they already have a leg up on their rivals to the south. In the 10 seasons of the four-team playoff, Ohio State — winner of the first CFP in 2014 — has never made three straight appearances.

Michigan player to watch: Running back Blake Corum scored a whopping 24 rushing touchdowns this season, second only to Albert Herrnstein (26, 1902) for the most in one season by a Wolverine.

New top dogs: No. 2 Washington also ran the table in the regular season en route to becoming the final champion of the Pac-12. From the preseason AP poll in August to the most recent CFP rankings, the Huskies have remained in the top 10 all season, something they haven't accomplished since their most recent undefeated season, 1991.

Washington player to watch: With 4,218 passing yards and 33 touchdown passes, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. finished second to LSU QB Jayden Daniels in Heisman Trophy voting. No Huskie has ever won the Heisman, but Penix's runner-up finish was the highest for any player in school history.

Texas is back: Texas — champion of the Big 12, a league it's leaving for the SEC — is gunning for its first national championship since 2005. The Longhorns are riding a strong defense into the CFP, as their 17.5 points per game rank 13th among FBS programs. That's Texas' highest such ranking since 2009, the last time the Horns played for a national championship. (For the record, Michigan led the FBS, allowing only 9.5 points per game.)

Texas player to watch: Quarterback Quinn Ewers is coming off a career performance in Texas' Big 12 Championship Game win over Oklahoma State. His 452 passing yards were a personal record as well as a Big 12 title game record.

Tide rises slowly: No. 4 Alabama looked to be almost out of the running for the CFP after losing at home to Texas on Sept. 9, but the Crimson Tide haven't lost since and crashed the playoff with an upset win over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. These circumstances aren't new for Alabama. Before this season, the Tide's last September loss came in 2015, a home defeat to Ole Miss on Sept. 19. Rather than panic, Alabama won out and claimed its first of three championships in the CFP era.

Alabama player to watch: Quarterback Jalen Milroe carried the Tide this season with 23 touchdown passes and a team-leading 12 rushing touchdowns. Milroe was the only Alabama player with double-digit touchdowns from scrimmage this season. The last time a Crimson Tide QB was the only player on the team with double-digit scrimmage TDs was in 1979 (Steadman Shealy, 11).