Ranking every College Football Playoff game as of 2023-24

TCU's run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game was a nice story during the 2023 season. However, when facing the big "Dawgs," the Horned Frogs were severely outmatched. Georgia led 38-7 at halftime and outgained TCU 589-188 to record its second consecutive title with the most lopsided victory in any FBS bowl game. Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett was nearly perfect, going 18-of-25 for 304 yards with four touchdowns, no interceptions and rushing for 39 yards and two more TDs. Tight end Brock Bowers had seven catches for 152 yards and a TD. Meanwhile, the Georgia defense recorded five sacks, recovered a fumble, and picked off TCU's Max Duggan twice.

Only three times during the 2015 season did Alabama allow more than 17 points, and it recorded two shutouts. The second came in rather dominant fashion during this New Year's Eve matchup with 12-1 Michigan State. The Spartans managed just 239 total yards and a mere 29 on the ground. In addition, the Crimson Tide defense, led by Jonathan Allen (two sacks), picked off Spartans star quarterback Connor Cook twice . Offensively, Alabama's Calvin Ridley had eight receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

Let's just say the final score didn't tell the true story of his semifinal contest. Highlighted by a pair of rushing touchdowns from Damien Harris, Alabama jumped out to a 28-0 lead and was never in any danger of blowing that advantage. The Crimson Tide rushed for 200 yards, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 318 yards with four touchdowns, and DaVonta Smith had six catches for 104 yards with a score. They also sacked Oklahoma star Kyler Murray three times.

The Rose Bowl played in Texas? Yes, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the "Granddaddy of Them All" was moved to a state that didn't care much for COVID mitigation. Roughly 16,000 fans attended Arlington's AT&T Stadium to watch Alabama's Mac Jones go 25-of-30 for 297 yards with four touchdowns. DaVonta Smith hauled in seven of those passes for 130 yards and three scores. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide got 125 yards on the ground from Najee Harris to roll over the Fighting Irish.

Sticking with the theme of Notre Dame getting handled in a CFP matchup, the Fighting Irish proved to be a speed bump on Clemson's way to a perfect 15-0 season and national title. On this night in Arlington, the Tigers scored 20 second-quarter points — three Trevor Lawrence touchdown passes  — to break open a 3-3 game. However, it was the Tigers' defense that proved to be the story. It held Notre Dame to 248 total yards, sacked Ian Book six times, picked him off once, and recovered a fumble. Offensively, Clemson's Justyn Ross caught six passes for 148 yards, and two of those TDs from Lawrence.

The first of Michigan's three straight trips to the CFP. There was so much excitement surrounding the Wolverines and their return to college football glory. However, it didn't take long for those good vibes to sour.  The Bulldogs' Stetson Bennett hit Brock Bowers for a nine-yard touchdown pass a little more than four minutes into the game, and they led 17-0 early in the second. It was 34-3 before Michigan finally found the end zone late in the fourth. Bennett was 20-of-30 for 313 yards with three touchdowns and Georgia's defense held Michigan to fewer than 100 yards rushing.

Cincinnati was 13-0 and led by a defense that never allowed more than 28 points and held seven of its opponents to 14 or fewer. For the most part, the Bearcats did an admirable job against Bryce Young and Co., even if Brian Robinson ran for 208 yards. The problem on this day was that the unit was on the field way too much. Alabama ran 75 plays to Cincinnati's 58. The Bearcats were outgained 482-218, went 2-for-12 on third down , and quarterback Desmond Ridder was sacked times by Alabama, including two from Will Anderson Jr.

Ohio State entered this semifinal contest having totaled 512 points while going 11-1. When all was said and done, Clemson joined the 1921 California Golden Bears as the only teams ever to shut out the Buckeyes in a bowl game . Going one step further, it was the first time an Urban Meyer-coached college team was held without a point. The Tigers, led by Carlos Watkins (two sacks) and Kendall Joseph (eight tackles), held Ohio State to 215 total yards, just nine first downs, and intercepted J.T. Barrett twice.  

It was quite the record-setting performance for the Ducks in the initial season of the College Football Playoff semifinal . Oregon, which scored the final 34 points of the game, set a Rose Bowl record for points in a game, and its 41 in the second half are still the most in a half at the famed bowl. Led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota, receiver Darren Carrington II (seven receptions, 165 yards, two touchdowns), and running back Thomas Tyner (124 rushing yards, two TDs), Oregon also set a Rose Bowl with 639 total yards.

During LSU's rout of Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl semifinal, Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow was simply sensational. He went 29-of-39 for 493 yards with seven touchdowns — all in the first half to tie the NCAA records for TD passes in a half and a bowl game — and no interceptions. Burrow was not the only star for LSU. Justin Jefferson caught 14 passes for a Peach Bowl-record 227 yards and a CFP-best four touchdowns. The Tigers' 63 points are the second-most in CFP history after Georgia's 2023 national title game haul.

Alabama and Washington took part in the 2023-24 CFP. Unfortunately, we missed out on a rematch because this matchup would have been brought up . Jake Browning found Dante Pettis for a 16-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 Washington lead with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Huskies would not score again. That vaunted Alabama defense held Washington to just 194 total yards, recorded five sacks, and intercepted Browning twice. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide's Bo Scarbrough rushed for 180 yards and two TDs on 19 carries. 

For one half, it looked as if this one might go down to the wire. Oklahoma led 17-16 at halftime. However, the  No. 1-ranked Tigers took over. Wayne Gallman scored twice on the ground, and Deshaun Watson threw a touchdown pass. But Clemson's defense in the final two quarters proved the difference. Twice, the Tigers intercepted Baker Mayfield in Clemson territory and stopped the Sooners on 4th-and-1. They also sacked Mayfield five times.

Though this game was relatively close for most of the first half, Alabama never trailed and used a 28-point second quarter to ultimately give Nick Saban his seventh national championship — breaking Bear Bryant's record for Division I (FBS) national titles. The Crimson Tide offensive pair of Mac Jones (36-of-45, 454 passing yards, five touchdowns) and DaVonta Smith (12 receptions, 215 yards, three TDs) was sensational and far too tough for the Buckeyes to handle.

In a rematch of the year's previous national title game, the Crimson Tide came to play and exacted their revenge through a defense  that held the top-ranked and previously undefeated Tigers to just a second-quarter field goal, 188 total yards and picked off quarterback Kelly Bryant two times. The dominance of the Alabama defense overshadowed the offense, which managed only 261 yards. However, it got a pair of touchdown passes from Jalen Hurts to upset Clemson.

This was the third time in the first five years of the College Football Playoff that Alabama and Clemson played for the national championship. After the teams split the first two meetings, Clemson took home its most recent national championship by scoring the final 30 points of the game after trailing 16-14 early in the second quarter. Trevor Lawrence (347 passing yards) threw all three of his touchdowns during that run, and receiver Justyn Ross caught six passes for 153 yards and a TD. With the win, Clemson became the first team in the modern era to go 15-0 and handed Alabama coach Nick Saban his worst loss as head coach of the Tide.

Another contest from the shortened 2020 season in which Ohio State went undefeated through six games to reach the CFP. Once there, star Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields did the rest. Actually, it can be argued that Fields should not have continued playing after taking a shot to the ribs from Clemson's James Skalski in the second quarter. Skalski was ejected for targeting. Fields returned and went 22-of-28 for 385 yards with six touchdown passes  and an interception. He also ran for 48 yards on eight carries. He did get some help with 193 rushing yards from Trey Sermon and Chris Olave's six receptions for 132 yards with two touchdowns in a game that was tied 14-14 after one quarter before Ohio State scored 21 unanswered in the second.

Oregon was a seven-point favorite against the Buckeyes. And the Ducks appeared to be in good shape when they opened the scoring of this title contest on Marcus Mariota's touchdown pass to Keanon Lowe. Then, after Ohio State scored 21 straight points, Oregon got back within 21-20 late in the third quarter. That's when Ezekiel Elliott recorded three straight touchdown runs — totaling 12 yards — to help Ohio State pull away and win their most recent national title. Elliott carried the workload when it mattered most, running for 246 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries.

Georgia had been waiting four years for another shot at rival Alabama with the national championship on the line. This time, the Bulldogs left no doubt. Following a first-half field-goal fest that saw Georgia lead 9-6 at the break, the 'Dawgs took over by outscoring the Crimson Tide 27-9 in the second half. Georgia posted 20 of those points in the fourth quarter, where quarterback Stetson Bennett threw two touchdowns and Kelee Ringo took back a Bryce Young interception 79 yards for a score to help win the program's first national title since 1980.

Ohio State is a perennial power, but what the Buckeyes accomplished as the final team in the CFP for the 2014 season was quite impressive. Yes, Ohio State was 12-1 entering the playoff, but the emergence of Cardale Jones in the wake of quarterback J.T. Barrett's helped it roll to a national title. The Buckeyes had to work to knock off the top-ranked Crimson Tide in this semifinal matchup. Ohio State trailed 21-6 in the second quarter, then proceeded to score 28 straight points. Ezekiel Elliott (230 rushing yards, 20 carries) then delivered the backbreaker via an 85-yard touchdown run with 3:24 remaining in regulation to essentially cap the victory.

OK, we already touched on how dominant LSU's Joe Burrow was during the 2020 CFP semifinal. Well, Burrow was nearly as good when the lights shined the brightest. LSU trailed 17-7 early in the second quarter when Burrow took over. First, he ran for a three-yard score, then closed out the first half with a pair of touchdown passes to give LSU a 28-17 lead. Clemson got within three early in the third, but two more Burrow passes sealed the deal for LSU, which snapped a 29-game winning streak by those other Tigers to win it all. In the end, Burrow completed 31-of-49 passes for 463 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. Meanwhile, teammate Ja'Marr Chase had nine receptions for 221 yards and two TDs, while Justin Jefferson also caught nine passes for 106.

As noted, the early years of the CFP was the Alabama-Clemson show. And the first time the two powers met to decide the national championship, the fourth quarter alone was massively entertaining. The Tigers led 24-21 after three quarters, then the Crimson Tide scored the next 10 points, and the teams totaled 40 points in the final period. While Alabama's Derrick Henry was the star of the show with 158 yards and three TDs on 36 carries, Clemson's Deshaun Watson threw four touchdowns, with an interception, and set a national championship game record with 478 total yards. 

Michigan was 13-0 and honestly felt this would be the season for a national championship. The Wolverines, who boasted a defense that allowed an average of 13.4 points, were 7.5-point favorites against the upstart Horned Frogs, who were coming off a loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game. However, TCU jumped to a 14-0 lead and never trailed while amassing 488 yards, including 263 on the ground. Michigan also allowed Quentin Johnson to record 163 yards on six receptions and a touchdown while pulling off the upset.

It's always fun when a playoff game lives up to the hype.  That was the case when the Tigers and Buckeyes met in Arizona for this semifinal matchup. Ohio State led 16-0 midway through the second quarter but felt it should have got more as three drives stalled in prime scoring territory. Sure enough, it came back to haunt the Buckeyes, as Clemson scored 21 unanswered points, complete with a 67-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a 53-yard scoring romp from Travis Etienne. However, the Buckeyes regained the lead in the fourth, only for Lawrence and Etienne to hook up for a 34-yard, go-ahead TD play with 1:49 left. Ohio State had one more chance, but Clemson's Nolan Turner intercepted Justin Fields in the end zone with 43 seconds remaining.

This one still stings for the Buckeyes and their loyal fan base. For fans of offensive football, this was heaven. Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Georgia's Stetson Bennett combined for 746 passing yards and seven touchdowns, while Buckeyes receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka totaled 13 receptions for 218 yards and three scores. This game, in which Ohio State held leads of 21-7 and 38-24 before Georgia rallied for the go-ahead touchdown with 54 seconds left in regulation, will be remembered for the Buckeyes' Noah Ruggles hooking his 50-yard field goal attempt wide left with eight seconds remaining — preserving the Bulldogs' lead and eventual win.

As noted, one year earlier in the national championship game, Alabama edged Clemson to win it all. The Tigers, however, turned the tables on the Crimson Tide in the final game of the 2016 campaign . Behind the running of Bo Scarbrough (two rushing touchdowns), the Tide led 14-0, then 17-7 early in the third quarter. However, Clemson responded, thanks to Deshaun Watson (26-of-56, 420 passing yards; 43 rushing yards, one running TD), who threw three second-half touchdowns. Two went to Hunter Renfrow (10 receptions, 92 yards), including the go-ahead score from two yards out with one second remaining in regulation.

This just may be the wildest game in the history of the College Football Playoff.  The semifinal contest set a Rose Bowl record for combined points (102). Sooners running back Rodney Anderson rushed for 201 yards with two touchdowns and receiver Marquise Brown caught eight passes for 114 yards with a TD. Meanwhile, Georgia's 1-2 punch of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb combined for 326 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The Bulldogs overcame a 31-14 second-quarter hole to force overtime on Chubb's two-yard score with 55 seconds left in regulation. In a game void of many key stops, Georgia's Lorenzo Carter blocked Austin Seibert's 27-yard field goal to open the second overtime. Michel scored from 27 yards out, and the Bulldogs were headed to the national championship game.

This was Tua Tagovailoa's coming-out party. The Crimson Tide trailed 13-0 at halftime and lost quarterback Jalen Hurts to injury. No problem. Tagovailoa came off the bench to throw two touchdowns in the second half to force overtime before throwing the biggest pass of his career at the time.  Tagovailoa connected with an in-stride DeVonta Smith on a 41-yard touchdown pass to cement the Crimson Tide as national champions of the 2017 season. It also opened the door for Tua's collegiate greatness — at the expense of Hurts' time with the Crimson Tide.