Ranking every National Champion in the four-team College Football Playoff era

The College Football Playoff will be expanding to 12 teams in 2025. Let's take a look back at each National Champion that made it through the four-team playoff and find out who was the best.
Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Trevor Keegan (77) and quarterback J.J. McCarthy hold up the National Championship trophy after their win over the Washington Huskies.
Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Trevor Keegan (77) and quarterback J.J. McCarthy hold up the National Championship trophy after their win over the Washington Huskies. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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. 6. . 527. . . 2021 National Champions. . College football playoff rankings.

In an all-SEC National Championship and a rematch from the 2017 Championship, the Georgia Bulldogs got their revenge on Nick Saban and Alabama to bring home a championship for the first time since 1980.

Led by Stetson Bennett, this Bulldog team went undefeated until they met Alabama in the SEC Championship, where they got beat 41-24. Before that, Georgia had only one game that was decided by seven points or less and that was when they beat No. 3 Clemson 10-3 in the season opener.

The 2021 Georgia defense was something magical, only to be beaten by the 2022 Georgia defense that won the Bulldogs back-to-back championships, but that is something to talk about later in the rankings. The Bulldogs shutout three opponents during the 2021 season, one of them being No. 8 Arkansas.

Going into the National Championship, a lot of people figured Alabama would steamroll Georgia again just like they did in the SEC Championship, but as I like to say, it's hard to beat a team twice. The Bulldogs made that statement true by coming into the game and holding the Crimson Tide to 18 points, bringing Kirby Smart his first National Championship.

523. Final. 33. 527. 2021 College football playoff. 18