Famed historian and notable philosopher Ricky Bobby once said "If you ain't first, you're last." Some college football fanbases have taken that to heart, seeing any season that ends short of a national championship as a failure. Most fanbases, however, simply enjoy watching and rooting for their favorite team, accepting the highs and lows that make college football great.
In the playoff era, reaching the National Championship Game is a feat of its own and should be celebrated. To reach such heights means a team enjoyed a resoundingly successful regular season, defeated at least one fellow top-ranked tram, and got to play on the biggest stage the sport has to offer. In the now 12-team playoff format, reaching the final game means winning at least two playoff games against stellar opponents.
Here we celebrate the teams that came up one game short of eternal glory by ranking the 11 national championship runner-ups of the CFP era.
11. TCU - 2022
With as little offense to TCU fans as possible, this seems like an easy choice. The 2022 Horn Frogs were led by Heisman finalist Max Duggan and enjoyed a perfect 12-0 regular season, but nothing came easy for this team. Five of the team's regular season wins came by one score, including but not limited to their 2OT win against #8 ranked Oklahoma State and their gutsy, wild, last-second FG win on the road against Baylor.
An upset overtime loss in the Big 12 Championship game to Kansas State was not enough to keep the hypnotoads out of the 4-team playoff, and many did not give them a chance against mighty Michigan and their band of bully linemen in the semifinal game.
While everyone expected the Wolverines to push the little Frogs around all game, TCU used their speed and quickness on defense to outmaneuver the Michigan offense, forcing two crucial pick sixes. Big plays on offense by Quinten Johnston and Emari Demarcado iced the game and sent the underfrogs to Los Angeles for a shot at the title.
Although the the season ended with an historic loss to Georgia in the National Championship Game (probably presented by State Farm or something like that), no one can take away the fun of their magical ride, and the sound of Sean McDonough yelling "DEMARCADO" as Demarcado broke free in the Fiesta Bowl stills rings in my ears to this day.
10. Ohio State - 2020
This was an obviously talented team, led by Justin Fields, but the shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic makes it impossible to properly judge this Ohio State team. The Buckeyes played in only eight games and avoided arch-rival Michigan (although Michigan was terrible that year). They also avoided playing in any hostile road environments, as the largest road crowd they played in front of was at Penn State with a crowd of 1500 fans.
The Buckeyes defeated Northwestern in the B1G Championship Game, sending them to a matchup with the Clemson Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. Justin Fields lit up the Tigers and defeated former high school rival Trevor Lawrence in the process, but the Buckeyes were no match for the historically dominant Alabama squad in the championship game.
I am sure this team could have been very good, but given the circumstances surrounding their season, it is too difficult to judge.
9. Washington - 2023
This is the part in the list where things start to get a little tricky. Teams ranked 9-4 feel almost interchangeable, and you could make the argument that any team could be ranked higher or lower.
Michael Penix and Co. lit up the PAC-12 (RIP) in the conference's final year, finishing with a perfect 12-0 regular season. The regular season was highlighted by tough road wins at Arizona and Washington State, and included a gutsy and thrilling home win against Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks.
The Huskies defeated Oregon once more in the PAC-12 Championship Game after hearing for months that Oregon was actually the better team, even though Washington had defeated them earlier. Washington QB Michael "Jordan" Penix said "and I took that personally", torching the Ducks again in the thrilling 34-31 win.
The Huskies earned as the 2-seed in the playoffs and matched up against Texas in the Sugar Bowl, where Penix once again unloaded. The defense made one last stop by swatting away Quinn Ewers' pass in the endzone as time expired, leading Washington to a finals matchup against Michigan.
Washington fell 13-34 to the Wolverines and quickly lost their QB and top pass-catcher to the draft before their Head Coach Kalen DeBoer departed town for the pastures of Tuscaloosa. Still, those developments can do little to take away from the magical ride they enjoyed and the friends they made along the way.
8. Alabama - 2021
Coming off their historic 2020 championship winning season, Alabama started the 2021 season with a rout of Miami in a neutral-site game in Atlanta. Bryce Young's starting debut could not have gone better as he and co-stars Jameson Williams and Will Anderson showed the world Alabama was still Alabama.
Things did get a little murkier from their, including a loss to Texas A&M on the backs of a last-second field goal. The regular season also included a two point win at Florida and a thrilling two point overtime victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Bryce Young cemented his Heisman win by lighting up Georgia and their historically dominant defense who had been allowing fewer than 10 points per game. The shocking 41-24 win over the #1 ranked Bulldogs earned the Tide the #1 seed heading into the playoffs.
Alabama used a bruising run game and dominant defense to upend an overmatched Cincinnati team in the semifinals, setting up a rematch with the same Georgia squad they had dominated just one month prior.
As is often the case, the rematch did not go the same way, as Kirby Smart finally got over the Nick Saban hump (for the time being) and Alabama fell 18-33.
It was yet another "ho-hum" run to the national championship game for Nick Saban and Alabama, something the nation was more than accustomed to. In the process, Bryce Young became the first Alabama QB to win the Heisman, and he and Will Anderson would go on to be selected in the top-3 of the 2023 NFL draft.
7. Notre Dame - 2024
The 2024 Notre Dame team killed two birds with one stone by having both the worst loss and the most difficult road to the championship game of any team on this list.
After an impressive Week 1 win on the road against Texas A&M to start the season, Notre Dame somehow lost to Northern Illinois at home in Week 2. It was one of the most inexplicable and shocking losses in recent memory. I distinctly remember watching the end of the game with a few Notre Dame fans around me and seeing them get mocked and clowned once it was over (mainly because I was doing the mocking and clowning, but still).
The remainder of the Irish schedule was not the most daunting, but give them credit for righting the ship with their backs against the wall. Notre Dame ended the regular season 11-1 and earned the #7 seed in the inaugural 12-team playoff.
Under the welcoming arms of Touchdown Jesus, Notre Dame got off to a hot start against Indiana in the first-ever home playoff game behind Jeremiyah Love's 98-yard touchdown run. They raced out to a 27-3 lead before ultimately winning 27-17.
The Irish then defeated the Carson Beck-less SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinal game at the Sugar Bowl and beat Penn State (also technically Carson Beck-less) in the thrilling Orange Bowl semifinal game a week later. Notre Dame fought admirably in their 23-34 defeat at the hands of Ohio State in the championship game, but ultimately did not have the firepower to win. The Buckeyes had found a new offensive groove since their loss to Michigan, even without QB Carson Beck.
This team was led by an elite defense and run-heavy offense that never threw for more than 260 yards in a single game, mainly because they rarely needed to. With the striping young lad Marcus Freeman at the helm, this feels like a program that is here to stay.
6. Georgia - 2017
2017 Georgia and 2024 Notre Dame feel awfully similar and could be put in either order. Both had 11-1 regular seasons and were led by their elite defenses and conservative, run-heavy offenses. I gave the Bulldogs the nod simply because they had more star-power at crucial positions, most notably running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and linebacker Roquan Smith.
Kirby Smart's second season in Athens got off to a rocky start when starting QB Jacob Eason was injured in Week 1, but true freshman backup Jake Fromm filled in admirably, leading the team to a win on the road versus Notre Dame in his first start.
The Bulldogs rose to #1 in the AP Poll (but not the CFP poll) following dominant wins over Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Florida, but were blown out against a talented Auburn team in a rivalry game on the plains.
The Bulldogs however took advantage of their opportunity for revenge in the SEC Championship game, whooping up on the Gus Bus to the tune of a 28-7 victory.
The next two games, however, were much more stressful. In the CFP Semifinals, the Bulldogs beat the Baker Mayfield-led Oklahoma Sooners in a come from behind double-overtime thriller at the Rose Bowl. After exchanging field goals in the first OT, senior Lorenzo Carter blocked Oklahoma's short FG attempt in the second OT, setting up fellow senior Sony Michel for the walk-off TD run.
In the National Championship game in their own backyard in Atlanta, Georgia raced out to a 13-0 halftime lead against Alabama while a Tide freshman QB by the name of Tua sat on the bench. As a University of Georgia alum that was in attendance, I will not mention what happened the rest of the game, although I have heard unbiased fans refer to it as a classic.
5. Clemson - 2015
The first great Clemson team under Dabo Swinney, the 2015 Tigers set the tone for what would be an incredible run over the next six years. Deshaun Watson de-shone brightly in his first full season as a starter, passing for more than 4,000 yards and adding another 1,100 yards on the ground.
Although this team might not have been as dominant or star-studded as the Clemson teams to come, they still went in to the National Championship game with a 14-0 record, aiming to become the first undefeated champion of the CFP era. Their regular season included a few scares, most notably the 20-17 win at Louisville and a 24-22 win against Notre Dame the following week. The final defensive stand against Notre Dame in the pouring rain is a moment that will forever live in Clemson fans' hearts.
The Tigers also delivered Miami their worst loss in program history, a 58-0 drubbing that sealed the deal for The U coach Al Golden to be fired, and beat heated rival South Carolina on their home turf.
Clemson then beat 11-1 UNC in the ACC Championship game 45-37, albeit with a little help from the referees. After trailing by 19 in the fourth quarter, UNC had made it a one-possession game when they were erroneously flagged for offsides during their successful onside kick attempt. Since it would be another 9 years before Texas fans would set the precedent that throwing water bottles on the field can overturn a bad call, UNC had to live with the call on the field, and Clemson was allowed to kneel the game out.
Clemson entered the 4-team playoff as the #1 overall seed and swiftly took care of Oklahoma and future Heisman winner Baker Mayfield in the semifinals, setting up the first of four consecutive years of meeting Alabama in the playoffs.
Hunter Renfrow caught two touchdown passes as Clemson held the lead late in the third quarter, but Derrick Henry, O.J. Howard, and Nick Saban's surprise onside kick were too much for the Tigers to overcome as Alabama took the first game of this four-game Clemson vs. Alabama series.
4. Oregon - 2014
The 2014 season ushered in a new era in college football, one full of hope and wonder. Now, with the four-team playoff, every school had a chance to make the show, and a single loss was not too much to overcome. The first regular season of this era did not disappoint as there were six teams in serious consideration come selection day.
One of those teams, naturally, was Oregon, who made their way into the playoffs as the #2 seed. Led by Heisman winner Marcus Mariota, the Ducks continued the offensive dominance behind head coach Mark Helfrich, who took over from Chip Kelly before the 2013 season. Oregon was held to under 40 points in just two regular season games, one such game being their lone loss of the year dealt by the hands of Arizona.
As shocking as that home loss to unranked Arizona might have been, it lit a fire under Oregon, who ended the year on an eight game winning streak in which they averaged 48 points per game.
That fire became a full-blown bonfire in the PAC-12 Championship Game when Oregon got their revenge on Arizona, throttling them 51-13 to cement their spot in the playoff. Oregon outgained Arizona by over 400 yards and almost tripled their number of first downs gained. Yikes.
The Ducks rolled in high to the inaugural playoff game fittingly held at the Rose Bowl. They squared up against the defending national champions FSU and 2013 Heisman winner Jameis Winston, and straight up took care of business. Oregon dominated 59-20 in a game that is best known for a play in which Winston and a referee trip and fall almost simultaneously.
Unfortunately for Oregon, Ohio State would do no such falling down in the National Championship Game. The Ducks had no answer for Ezekiel Elliott, whose 250 rushing yards and 4 TDs led Ohio State to the 42-20 win.
Even with the loss to end the season, this was certainly a season for Ducks fans to remember as their beloved team scored 45 points per game, paving the way for the program's first-ever Heisman winner.
3. Alabama - 2016
Once again entering the season as the defending national champions, the 2016 Alabama squad had lofty expectations placed upon their shoulders. Those expectations were met or exceeded from Week 1 up until there was 1 second remaining in the National Championship Game.
The Crimson Tide entered their 2016 Week 1 matchup against Southern Cal without a well-established starting QB after the departure of Jake Coker. It did not take long however for true freshman Jalen Hurts to establish himself as the guy, stepping in and leading the team to a decisive 52-6 win to start the season.
Hurts struggled to throw the ball downfield at times, failing to surpass 200 passing yards in 10 of Alabama's 15 games, but it rarely mattered. The Tide defense was strong against their opponents' offenses, similar to how Tide detergent is strong against odors and stains. The Alabama defense scored a resounding 10 defensive touchdowns on the year which has to be close to some form of record.
Alabama did all of this against a strong and mighty SEC schedule. The Crimson Tide had a 4-game stretch starting in October in which they played at #16 Arkansas (won 49-30), at #9 Tennessee (won 49-10), hosted #6 Texas A&M (won 33-14), and at #13 LSU (won 10-0) in consecutive games. They also won at #19 Ole Miss and defeated #13 Auburn by three scores at home.
Overmatched Florida and Washington squads were no matches for Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and Peach Bowl Semifinal game, respectfully. The Crimson Tide cruised down to Tampa to face Clemson in the National Championship Game for the second time in as many seasons.
What transpired was another classic, with Deshaun Watson connecting with Hunter Renfrow for the game-winning score with a mere second to go.
To summarize their entire season, I will just name some notable players that starred for the defense: Reuben Foster, Jonathan Allen, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ryan Anderson, Daron Payne, Marlon Humphrey, Tim Williams, and Eddie Jackson.
Outrageous.
2. Clemson - 2019
The top-end team talent across college football in 2019 was something else. For reference, Clemson were the defending national champions, amassed a 13-0 record by an average score of 44 to 14, were riding a 28-game winning streak...and was the #3 seed in the 4-team playoff. If not for Joe Burrow and LSU's dominance that season, Clemson likely would have been 30-0 with two national championships in consecutive seasons.
The 2019 Clemson Tigers began their title defense with a casual Thursday night drubbing of Georgia Tech, letting the world know they were still a dominant force. The regular season included just one remotely close game, a 21-20 eked-out win on the road against UNC where the Tigers stopped the Tar Heels' 2-point conversion attempt with a minute remaining.
Clemson was the mayor of Cruiseville for the remainder of the regular season, winning their next eight games by an average score of 52-10, including a 62-17 win over #23 Virginia in the ACC Championship Game.
This set up a monumental clash with the equally as dominant and equally as undefeated Ohio State squad led by Justin Fields and Chase Young. This heavyweight bout included some interesting decisions by the referees, some that Ohio State fans still complain about to this day, but ultimately saw Clemson erase a 16-0 deficit en route to a 29-23 win.
Trevor Lawrence led a 4-play, 94 yard drive capped by a Travis Etienne catch and run to take the lead with just under two minutes to go. Safety Nolan Turner then did his best Amy Poehler from Arrested Development impersonation and sealed the deal with his clutch INT in the endzone, setting up the all-Tiger matchup with LSU for all the marbles.
Obviously that game did not go how Clemson wanted, but this team was absolutely stacked with the likes of Trevor Lawrence. Travis Etienne, Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross, Isaiah Simmons, and A.J. Terrell.
1. Alabama - 2018
This team is in the same "Dubbed the greatest team of all time before the season ended and failed to win the national championship" boat alongside the 2005 USC Trojans. Tua Tagovailoa was lights out in his first year as a starter and lived up to the lofty expectations set after his heroics in the National Championship Game the season prior.
This Crimson Tide squad ran through the regular season like it was nothing, having their closest regular season game be a 22-point victory over #22 ranked Texas A&M. They beat rivals Tennessee and Auburn by an average score of 55-21. In November, they beat #3 ranked LSU 29-0 in Baton Rouge before beating #16 ranked Mississippi State 24-0 at home the following week.
The first time they looked vulnerable that season was in the SEC Championship Game against #4 Georgia. The Tide trailed by 14 in the second half and lost Tua to an ankle injury. But fear not, the backup QB Jalen Hurts was able to come in and engineer another come from behind, heart-breaking victory against Georgia, in the same building Tua had done the same the year prior.
The thrilling 35-28 victory cemented Alabama as the #1 seed, and the Tide proved that ranking worthy with a dominating 45-34 win over Heisman winner Kyler Murray and Oklahoma. The final score makes the game seem closer than it really was as this game was essentially over once the Tide took a commanding 28-0 lead early in the second quarter.
The championship game against fellow 14-0 Clemson went the exact opposite way as Alabama was dominated by freshman sensation Trevor Lawrence and the elite receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross. Clemson jumped out to a 31-16 halftime lead, and the 44-16 final result was one of the more shocking outcomes of the last decade.
Even with the blowout loss, the entire offensive personnel for this Alabama team was downright ridiculous with Tua at QB and future Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts serving as the backup. The arsenal of weapons was enough to make Raytheon jealous with the likes of Najee Harris, Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs at RB, and Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Henry Ruggs III at WR. It should come as no surprise to see that this team averaged 55 points per game.
And this would not be a Nick Saban-led Alabama team without some studs on defense, which this team certainly had in Quinnen Williams, Pat Surtain II, Isaiah Buggs, Xavier McKinney, and Trevon Diggs.
The accumulation of talent on this team is hard to believe, and that makes Clemson's dominating win all the more impressive.