Alabama coach Nick Saban got home and turned on the television just in time to see the decisive 22-play drive that clinched Michigan State's spot in the College Football Playoff.

The Tide had beaten Florida in the SEC championship game earlier in the day. Saban then got an early look at the team Alabama will face in the Playoff semifinals thanks to a short trip back to Tuscaloosa from nearby Atlanta, where the SEC title game was played.

It was the No. 5 Spartans vs. No. 4 Iowa in the Big Ten championship game. The winner would be the Big Ten champion and secure a spot in the Playoff.

Michigan State was down by four with less than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. But the Spartans got the ball back with 9:31 remaining. They methodically drove 82 yards in 22 plays on their way to scoring what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with just 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

"That told me probably as much as I needed to know about the team in terms of the grit that they had, the kind of competitive spirit they had, how they believed in one another and how they thought they could win the game," Saban said.

Saban has watched more of Michigan State since learning that the No. 2 Tide will play the No. 3 Spartans in the Playoff semifinals.

Conversely, Spartans coach Mark Dantonio has begun breaking down film of Alabama.

Both coaches shared early thoughts on the other team during a press conference that featured the four Playoff coaches Wednesday night in Atlanta prior to the College Football Awards show.

Alabama is a 9.5-point favorite over Michigan State, according to Vegas Insider.

Led by star running back Derrick Henry and the nation's top-ranked defense, the Tide has won 10 straight games since losing to Ole Miss Sept. 19.

"I've taken every opportunity to watch film in the midst of this recruiting," Dantonio said. "... When I watch their football team, I see guys play with great technique. I watch their corners, their balance. I watch how firm their defensive line is. I watch their running back. I watch their offensive line. I see great precision. I see great technique, and I see guys playing together.

"I don't know all the names yet, but I will. I know numbers, and some of those numbers are big numbers. With that being said, we've got some guys too on our football team that know how to win. And right now, that's what we've been able to do. We've won a lot of football games, so quite sure we'll come to play."

Like Alabama, Michigan State is 12-1.

The Spartans were upset by Nebraska Nov. 7, but won their final three regular season games and then the Big Ten championship game to secure a spot in the Playoff after dropping to No. 13 in the Playoffs rankings following the loss to Nebraska.

Michigan State has wins over two teams in the top-seven of the final Playoff rankings.

It beat Ohio State, 17-14, Nov. 21 despite being without star quarterback Connor Cook. Following a 55-16 victory over Penn State, the Spartans then got the win over Iowa last week.

Iowa was No. 5 in the final Playoff rankings. Ohio State was No. 7.

While the Spartans are just 74th nationally in pass defense, they are ranked seventh against the run.

They are tied for 15th nationally in sacks.

The offense is led by Cook. CBS Sports projects he will be a first round pick in next year's NFL draft.

"The fact they've won several games this year late in games by making big plays tells you a lot about the confidence of a team and how they compete in a game," Saban said. "They're a very physical team. They run the ball, play really good defense. So this is going to be a really challenging game for us."