LOS ANGELES -- There is simply no way to separate the participating coaches in the Rose Bowl.

That is to say, their sudden rise to prominence doesn't make much sense in a sport that demands putting in your time.

One (Georgia's Kirby Smart) has been on the job all of two years as a head coach but has four championship rings. The other (Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley) got his first head coaching gig in June and took the Sooners to the College Football Playoff.

They're both national coach of the year candidates. Both have taken over an aircraft carrier and steered it in the straight accustomed course demanded by their rabid fan bases.

"There's [one philosophy] where you come in and scratch, overhaul, throw everything out because you have conviction that what was done before wasn't working," Smart said. "Then there's, you've got to win the players over because they may not see it as there was a problem. They may see it as they were completely happy with winning nine, 10 games a year. That's what I call complacency."

Whatever you call it, it worked at brand-name powers. Here are five keys to Monday's Rose Bowl.

1. Baker Mayfield's health: Judging from his Saturday media day appearance, Mayfield is almost certain to be something less than 100 percent Monday afternoon. Frankly, he looked terrible Saturday. Of course, Michael Jordan felt the same way before dropping 38 on the Utah Jazz in the infamous 1997 "Flu Game." Sometimes these ultra-competitive guys are at their best when their sick figuring they can't feel any worse.

If Mayfield can walk, he'll play. Riley, though, clearly seems to have a silent count plan for his quarterback. For the second time in two days on Sunday, Riley deferred comment when asked a direct question about it. As for a Heisman Trophy curse? Four Heisman winners have won national championships since 2009 (Mark Ingram, Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, Derrick Henry).

2. How Georgia responds to Mayfield's illness: Sam linebacker Lorenzo Carter figures to be Mayfield's key tormentor as a spy in the middle on at least some plays. Jack linebacker David Bellamy will simply have to have a big day against Oklahoma's massive All-American left tackle Orlando Brown (6-foot-8, 345 pounds). Georgia will try to limit Mayfield's mobility. The Heisman winner became the first player to throw for 13,500 yards and run for 1,000 yards in his career.

Mayfield's "worst" game this season is 266 total yards against Kansas, an easy win he exited early. This time, he'll be facing the nation's No. 4 defense. The best defense Mayfield has faced this season is Ohio State, No. 9 nationally allowing barely 300 yards per game. The Sooners won that game by 15 on the road putting up 490 yards. That's the most the Buckeyes allowed this season.  

3. Clash of wills: Something is going to have to give with the nation's No. 1 offense going against a top-five defense.  Look for Georgia to throw more on first down to loosen up OU for the running game. The Dawgs threw only 89 times on first down (out of 263 plays) all season. That's the fewest among the College Football Playoff teams, fewest in the SEC and about half of Oklahoma's total (191).

OU has one all-conference (and All-American player) on defense, linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.  Georgia has two elite defensive players ranked by Pro Football Focus -- Smith and corner Deandre Baker. Oklahoma's defense has six defenders ranked between 43rd and 164th  in PFF's metric. OU seemingly is going to have to win a shootout. Smart downplayed the culture war angle: "When you watch both conferences, the SEC has slowly morphed toward more spread offenses."

4. Wild cards: The major figures in this game are easy to pinpoint. Smith, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and Jake Fromm for Georgia; Mayfield, Rodney Anderson and Mark Andrews for Oklahoma. But in close games like this (Georgia is favored by 2.5), the bit players can become gameday wonders.

Watch Georgia's No. 3 tailback freshman D'Andre Swift, a home-run hitter averaging 8.2 yards per rush, and Oklahoma slot receiver Marquise Brown. The 162-pound Brown led the Sooners with 981 receiving yards playing in the slot. He was second in catches and third in touchdowns. Eight of his 49 catches went for at least 40 yards. That was tied for seventh nationally.

5. Rose mystique: The teams have played football for a combined 235 years-plus. They've played in 104 combined bowls. Incredibly, the Rose Bowl marks their first-ever meeting. These are two veteran teams with decorated players. But there is something about playing in the Rose Bowl. Georgia hasn't been here since 1943. Oklahoma has been here once before in 2003.

Judging by sightings around Los Angeles, the early favorite for taking over the Rose Bowl is Georgia. The Dawgs also get the karma. The 92,542-seat Rose Bowl is only 203 seats smaller than Sanford Stadium.

In a way, the game wouldn't be possible if not both schools had been lead plaintiffs in the 1984 Supreme Court decision that deregulated college football television. That decision broke the NCAA's monopoly on TV appearances by its schools. Through decades of market forces and media evolution, we got the BCS and now the College Football Playoff because of that decision. Thanks in advance, Dawgs and Sooners, for another Rose classic.