With apologies to Jim Mora, today’s first two NCAA Division 1 football playoffs ever were wildly successful, I thought.

First, in the Rose Bowl, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota led his Oregon Ducks past Florida State and last year’s Heisman winner Jameis Winston in a rout, 59-20.

In the other playoff game at the Sugar Bowl, Ohio State surprised a lot of people by defeating Alabama 42-35 in a game which became a nail-biter at the end. Leading by two touchdowns with 3:24 left, the Buckeyes gave up a 51-yard pass to let the Crimson Tide get close to the end zone, then gave up a six-yard pass with 1:59 left, which cut their lead to one touchdown. Alabama tried an onside kick but it was recovered by OSU, which promptly gave the ball back after using only 26 seconds of the clock. The game ended with an OSU interception of a ‘Bama Hail Mary pass in the end zone.

Both games were exciting, but in different ways. The Oregon-FSU game had several long runs and pass plays as well as five turnovers by the Seminoles, while the OSU-Alabama game’s outcome was in doubt till the end. So now we wait till Monday, January 12 at 8:30PM ET to see which of today’s winners goes home as Champion of the 2015 NCAA FBS Division football world.