Alabama crushes Michigan State to advance to national championship

Alabama ended the 2015 calendar year by making an enormous statement, throttling Michigan State 38-0 to capture the Cotton Bowl and advance to face Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 11.

The Crimson Tide dominated from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, using a balanced offensive attack and a dominant defensive performance to register the fourth bowl shutout in school history.

Jake Coker was deadly all night, completing 25-of-30 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns to Calvin Ridley, while Derrick Henry scored twice on the ground as the Tide rolled the Spartans.

Here's what you need to know:

• Ridley was unstoppable, catching eight balls for 138 yards and the first multi-touchdown game of his career.
• Alabama's second-ranked defense stifled the Spartans' rushing attack, holding them to a paltry 29 yards on the ground.
• Despite Henry being held to 75 yards on the ground, the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner scored twice, marking the 19th straight game he's registered a touchdown - and breaking the SEC record for rushing touchdowns in a season in the process.
• Cyrus Jones was a game-changer for the Crimson Tide, posting a key interception on the goal line before halftime, and breaking the game open with an incredible 57-yard punt-return touchdown in the third quarter.
• The senior defensive back became the first player to have a punt-return touchdown and an interception in the same bowl game in 20 years.
• Coker's 286 yards passing represent a season high for the senior quarterback, and his two touchdown passes mark the third time in four contests he's thrown for multiple scores.
• Spartans star quarterback Connor Cook struggled with only 210 yards passing, but broke the school's career passing yards record in the loss, moving ahead of Kirk Cousins' mark from 2008-11.
• Cook threw two interceptions for the first time all season, including Jones' back-breaking goal-line pick to end the first half.

Play of the Game

There were many plays to pick from for Alabama's highlight of the game, but the 57-yard punt-return touchdown by Cyrus Jones in the third quarter, complete with a Deion Sanders-esque high step, was the best of the bunch.

Alabama now advances to face No. 1 Clemson in the title game in Arizona, as Nick Saban looks for his fourth championship in nine seasons.

With the loss, Michigan State finishes the season 12-2, and was unsuccessful in defending the Big Ten's national championship.