INDIANAPOLIS -- Alabama has made the College Football Playoff all three years since it was created in 2014. Ohio State and Clemson have both made the playoff twice.
No other college football program has been there more than once.
If No. 8 Ohio State beats No. 4 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship in Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, the final playoff spot will likely come down to the Crimson Tide and the Buckeyes.
That's big-name brand vs. big-name brand.
Alabama, 11-1, is off this weekend, watching the SEC Championship from home after losing for the first time this season last weekend, in its regular season rivalry game against Auburn.
Ohio State, 10-2, is playing the Badgers with a chance to knock off the last unbeaten team among the power conference and burnish its resume.
Alabama is hoping to join last year's Ohio State team as the second team to make the playoff without winning a conference title.
Ohio State is hoping to become the first team to make the playoff with two losses.
To explain both cases for the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide, Alabama beat writer Michael Casagrande of AL.com joined me to discuss the playoff view from both sides of what could be a very difficult decision for the 13-member playoff committee.