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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Years from now, when the details of Alabama’s College Football Playoff semifinal blowout of Oklahoma have cobwebbed in our minds, there will be one moment that stays seared into the memory. Early in the second quarter, Alabama’s Josh Jacobs caught a pass alone in the flat and squared his shoulders to sprint for a touchdown.

All that remained between Jacobs and the end zone was Oklahoma safety Robert Barnes, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound sophomore who braced to make the tackle. The ensuing collision ended up as a microcosm, that one perfect moment in time to encapsulate all of the night’s prevalent themes – utter domination, futile resistance and a juggernaut chugging along to its inevitable destination. Jacobs ran over Barnes – think Mack Truck vs. Mack Brown – leaving him crumpled on the Hard Rock Stadium turf equal parts injured and embarrassed.

A season lacking high-end drama, defined by the lack of interlopers among the aristocrats, ends exactly where we expected – Clemson vs. Bama IV. You’ve heard of a trilogy? Well, now we’ve got a Tetralogy, as these teams meet with high stakes for the fourth consecutive season.