The College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year's Day did not disappoint. College football fans across the country got to watch two incredible football games, and now, the national title game is set as No. 1 Michigan football will take on No. 2 Washington football on Monday in Houston.

The Wolverines took down Alabama in the Rose Bowl semifinal, and the Huskies outlasted Texas in the Sugar Bowl. Michigan and Washington are the top-two teams in the country. They are the two undefeated teams, and now they will battle it out in the national title game.

The Rose Bowl, the Granddaddy of 'em all, the most storied game in all of college football, had another chapter etched into its rich history on Monday. The game was really a tale of two halves, and then Michigan football dominated in overtime. The Wolverines led 13-10 at halftime, but it should've been more. Michigan absolutely dominated the Crimson Tide in the first half, but they kept them in the game with some key mistakes.

First was a muffed punt by Semaj Morgan that led to the first Alabama touchdown, and that was right after a great stop by the Michigan defense. Alabama didn't have to go far to get their first score. After that, the Wolverines put up two very impressive scoring drives, and the Crimson Tide did very little on offense as Michigan sacked Jalen Milroe five (!!!) times in the first half alone. It should have been 14-3 at halftime, as Michigan also had a bad snap on their second touchdown that led to a failed PAT.

Alabama responded well and played much better in the second half, especially on defense. However, the Michigan defense continued to make big plays and get stops, which gave their offense the opportunity to tie the game late and send it to overtime.

The Wolverines could smell blood, and they were dominant in OT. The offense scored with ease, and the defense continued to shut down Milroe and the Crimson Tide, and now they are heading to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Washington football won a thriller as well. The game was tied at halftime, but the Huskies really started to impose their will in the second half.

It was clear the entire game, especially in that second half, that Washington was the better team, and Texas looked dead in the water in the late stages of the game. However, a couple big plays completely turned the tide, and the Longhorns found themselves with a chance to erase a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit. They got down into the red zone with a chance to win it with a touchdown, but the Washington defense stepped up and got the stop to seal the win.

Now, Michigan football and Washington football will meet in the national title game, and it should be a terrific matchup. At this point, it clearly seems like these are the best-two teams in college football, and Monday's clash will decide who is truly the best team in the nation. It's going to be a great game, and here is one major flaw that Michigan has that could spell trouble for them on Monday night.

Lack of big plays

The thing that makes this national championship matchup so intriguing is that Michigan and Washington are polar opposites of each other. The Wolverines got this far because of their bruising run game, their punishing defense and a grind-it-out mentality. The Huskies got here by saying “look, you might score some points on us, but I promise we're going to score more.”

They are explosive. They are quick, and they are very difficult to stop. The good news for Michigan is that they have the best defense in the country, and if any team can slow down the Huskies on offense, it's them.

Michigan's game plan will be running the football down Washington's throat for long drives that end in touchdowns and that keep Michael Penix Jr. off the field. However, the issues will arise if the game goes off script. If the Huskies hit on their explosive plays early, it could get Michigan out of their original game plan, and that is where trouble could come.

The issue for the Wolverines here is their lack of big plays. They can move the ball, but they don't want to do it quickly, and when they are forced to, it can be an issue.

Let's take a look at last year's College Football Playoff semifinal between Michigan and TCU for example. The Wolverines made some early mistakes in the game that resulted in the Horned Frogs getting out to an early lead, and Michigan had to abandon their original game plan.

It ended up leading to more mistakes, and they couldn't keep up in that style of game, and they went on to lose. If Washington is going to win this football game, they have to try to do the same thing.

Because of that, the first few drives for each team in this game will be crucial. Whoever gets their script working will have a good chance to win the game.

The national title game is going to be a good one, and it is just a few days away. Michigan and Washington will kick things off on Monday at 7:30 ET from NRG Stadium in Houston, and the game will be airing on ESPN. The Wolverines are currently favored by 4.5 points.