TAMPA -- At some point, we're going to have to talk football.

So far, the buildup to the third College Football Playoff National Championship has been a mix of the absurd, the bizarre and the Kiffin.

Ben Boulware and his "oil checks." Steve Sarkisian and his reboot. Remember, the dude hasn't coached -- or called a play -- in 15 months.

There's Lane Kiffin and his absence. Is there any doubt, no matter what the outcome Monday, that Kiffin will be a subplot -- or maybe the plot -- without even being in the building.

Buried somewhere in the narrative is the top talking point: Nick Saban can tie Bear Bryant for all-time national championships with six.

Bear's accomplishment back in the day was the Babe Ruth home-run record -- never to be broken until Hank Aaron did it legitimately ... and Barry Bonds didn't.

More amazing: Saban would have done it in a 14-year span. (It took Bear 19 years.) Even more amazing: Saban is doing it in an era when the SEC has never been stronger.

Forget college football. If Saban pulls off the joy of six, he'll be on the coaches' Mount Rushmore of all team sports. He might be there already.

History on the line for Alabama

Five championships in eight years: In that span, Alabama won the program's first two Heismans. Over the past three years, three different quarterbacks have each won an SEC title. That. Just. Doesn't. Happen. All of them were tutored by Coach K(iffin). (Looks like it will take a while to cleanse the palate.)

The first true freshman starting quarterback to win a title in 31 years: And his name is Jalen Hurts. Just don't let him get flustered. When the pocket breaks down, Hurts drops from No. 12 to No. 78 in pass efficiency, according to Pro Football Focus.

Seven rings: If Alabama wins, its fifth-year seniors will have seven combined SEC/national championship rings. They will have gone 5-2 in combined BCS/CFP games.

One coach, four title rings: If Alabama wins, Kiffin will earn himself a fourth career national championship ring between USC and Alabama. Won't he?

Nine-in-11: If Alabama wins, that makes it nine titles in the last 11 years for the SEC. If Clemson wins, that makes two in the last four for the ACC.

Whatever happens, we should all assume Clemson has Bama's playbook after playing the Tide to their knees last year in Glendale, Arizona. (This is not a Wakey-leaks reference. Let's just say Clemson is familiar with Alabama.)

Don't forget the Tigers led in the fourth quarter the last meeting. Saban needed an onside kick to gain an extra possession that was essentially the difference in the game.

We may look back on this one the same way we did the 2002 BCS Championship Game. Epic. There were more than 40 future NFL players in that Ohio State-Miami game. Same for the 2011 BCS title game featuring LSU and Alabama.

On defense alone, Bama has five future high draft choices. That leads us to the top five players who will decide Monday's game.

1. Deshaun Watson, quarterback, Clemson: The game will be determined one way or another on his production. Since Nov. 1, Watson has completed 72.5 percent of his passes and thrown 16 touchdowns. Now that Lamar Jackson's season has ended, Watson is the top player in the country.

2. Jonathan Allen, defensive lineman, Alabama: The Tide's MVP. Should have been a Heisman finalist.

3. Bo Scarbrough, running back, Alabama: Assumed to be the next Derrick Henry, Scarbrough had to fight through injuries earlier in his career. After a career-high 180 yards vs. Washington, the freshman now has 361 yards in his last three games. That's the most recent top-tier production of anyone in this game.

4. Dexter Lawrence, defensive tackle, Clemson: Lawrence was the only starting defensive lineman for Clemson who didn't record a tackle vs. Ohio State. That's OK, he still played great. How Alabama handles him and one of the most talented defensive lines in the country will be a key.

5. Reuben Foster, linebacker, Alabama: The next great linebacker to come out of Bama will be the spy vs. Watson, and he'll also drop into coverage. The first thing Watson must do when he lines up is identify where Foster is. In his last five games -- down the stretch against LSU, Auburn, Florida and Ohio State -- Foster has 50 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss.

You're missing a heck of a game, Lane.