Ohio State and Alabama are on a collision course to meet in the 2015 Sugar Bowl. They are scheduled to face off on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. EST.

This is the first-ever playoff system used to crown a college football champion. Just four teams were allowed in the tournament this year, the other two teams being Florida State and Oregon. The winner of this game will face the winner of that game in the championship game.

The 2015 National Championship game will be played on Jan. 12 at AT&T Stadium.

An interesting fact for college football fans -- head coaches Urban Meyer and Nick Saban have won a combined six National Championships. That's the most by two opposing coaches in a bowl game since the 1978 Sugar Bowl when (you guessed it) Alabama and Ohio State faced each other. The two coaches then were Woody Hayes and Bear Bryant. Alabama won that game 35-6.

Without further delay, let's see who has the edge in this game:

Alabama (1)

The Alabama Crimson Tide have been the best college football team in recent years. Since 2009, Alabama has won three BCS National Championships. Head coach Nick Saban has coached Alabama to a bowl game every season since he arrived in 2007.

This year has been a bit of a challenge without quarterback AJ McCarron. Blake Sims has surprised many fans this season, throwing 26 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Sims has done a good job of being a "game manager," not making crucial mistakes. T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry have created a dynamic running back duo this season. Yeldon and Henry have a combined 10 rushing touchdowns and 1,827 rushing yards so far.

The only loss this season for Alabama came against Ole Miss in Week 5.

Alabama has the offense to get the job done, but it's their defense that is elite. Alabama has the No. 3 ranked defense this season, allowing just 16.6 points per game. Linebacker Xzavier Dickson has a team-leading eight sacks, and safety Landon Collins is making plays everywhere on the field.

This Alabama squad is heavily tested, having played in the tough South Eastern Conference against teams like Auburn and Texas A&M.

Ohio State (4)

Ohio State barely squeaked into the playoff system, having dominated the Big 10 conference. Ohio State has won their last 11 games to finish their regular season 12-1. The last time Ohio State won the BCS National Championship was 2003, when they defeated the Miami Hurricanes. With the exception of last year (ineligible), Ohio State has qualified for a bowl game 24 of the last 25 years.

The only loss for Ohio State this year came against Virginia Tech in Week 2.

Ohio State packs a power offense that ranks fifth overall in the country thanks to running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott has 1,402 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns so far this year, and quarterback J.T. Barrett has 938 yards and 11 touchdowns himself. If Ohio State can dominate the running game and control the clock, they definitely have a chance. Look for wide receiver Devin Smith to get a few deep balls throw his way in this game.

Ohio State's defense is allowing 21.2 points per game this season. Sophomore Joey Bosa has been fantastic at the line of scrimmage with 14 quarterback sacks.

Head coach Urban Meyer has won two national championships in his career, so he knows the implications of this game. This game will be a great coaching matchup for college football fans.

Schedule, Where to Watch

Ohio State and Alabama will play each other on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. The game will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. You can view a live game stream here.

Predictions

Alabama is favored by nine points in this game and that's probably appropriate. Ohio State has struggled greatly against SEC teams over the years. These teams will go back and forth with Ohio State's powerful rushing attack and Alabama's elite defense. In the end, Nick Saban will make the difference.

Alabama wins 27-20

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