team in the country, including 19 interceptions.

Balanced Huskies:

Jake Browning and a high-flying passing game gets much of the attention at Washington, but don’t overlook a ground game that features 1,339-yard rusher Myles Gaskin. He came through big in victories over Utah and especially Colorado in the Pac-12 championship game, when Browning was held to 118 yards on 9-of-24 passing. Washington will surely need to be balanced against Alabama’s defense, which is the best in the land.

Home-field advantage:

Alabama will be playing at the Georgia Dome for the second time this month — having already won the Southeastern Conference title on the same field — and in a city that is a manageable drive for most of its fan base. That should give the Crimson Tide a decided edge in the stands, especially when Washington is on offense. “It’s not quite a home game for anybody, but it’s probably more of an away game for us,” Petersen said. “It’s going to be loud because it’s inside and that will make it difficult to call some things.”

Fiesta Bowl

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Urban Meyer was giving the abridged version of the core values he has instilled in Ohio State football, the pillars upon which he has built the Buckeyes.

There is 4 to 6, A to B, in reference to the effort expected on each play. Power of the unit focuses on each position group. Competitive excellence, which sort of speaks for itself.

"You mean the game-day underwear, that's not the key ingredient?" Clemson coach Dabo Swinney chimed in, getting a smile from Meyer.

"I'm not saying I don't wear them," Meyer said.

Swinney and Meyer shared the stage Friday morning for the final news conference before the second-ranked Buckeyes (11-1, No. 3 CFP) and Tigers (12-1, No. 2 CFP) face off in the Fiesta Bowl. The coaches exchanged handshakes and kind of a half-hug, pat-on-the-back thing before posing for photos with an ostentatious trophy that goes to the winner of Saturday night's game — along with a trip to the College Football Playoff championship game.

The 52-year-old Meyer has a resume few who have ever coached college football can match. No current coach who has at least 10 seasons of experience has a better winning percentage than Meyer's .854. He has won three national championships, including the first College Football Playoff title two years ago.

The only thing Swinney and Clemson have not accomplished during this run, the greatest in the history of the program, is a national championship.

"I would think that you would see his poise," Swinney said about Watson. "And to me his poise really makes him incredibly unique, because he just — he just never changes."

Clemson returns to the playoff for a semifinal in the stadium where they lost 45-40 to Alabama in January.

"That was the first one, and I still, to this day, remember everybody on the sideline celebrating, screaming it's not over yet. And it was pretty much over. And then we ran a bubble screen with about a minute and a half left to Percy Harvin, and he nudged the ball past the first down marker, and I thought, even us, we can't screw this up now," Meyer said. "The knees started shaking and it was a special moment, though."