The format for crowning a national champion in college football has become one of the most argued topics in the sport. Who should be in and how many should be in have become very contentious arguments with seemingly no right answers. We thought we had it figured out with the 4 team playoff format which lasted 10 years, but now we have the 12-team format which already looks like it will be changed with expansion to 14 or 16 in the near future.
With the current state of the sport people will always find something that is wrong with the playoff, but I believe we have become a little spoiled as college football fans. Some may remember when a champion was decided by a voting poll or not too long ago when the BCS rankings were utilized to name the top two teams who would play in a single championship game.
With this in mind let’s take a look back at the effect the College Football Playoff has had in terms of who goes down in history as national champions. Starting with the first year of the playoff in 2014, I will go back look at who would have been in the national title game under the BCS format. Since the BCS is a thing of the past, I will utilize the CFP Committee’s rankings to get the top two teams along with picking a hypothetical national champion each year.
2014
Actual game: #4 Ohio State over #2 Oregon
Both of these teams ran into the buzz saw that was the Ohio State Buckeyes led by new starting QB Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott. Had they met in the title game, I think Oregon wins and Marcus Mariota would have a national championship to go along with his Heisman trophy.
2015
Actual game: #2 Alabama over #1 Clemson
The committee got it right this year. Derrick Henry rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns along with 208 receiving yards and two TDs for OJ Howard to get Nick Saban his fifth national title that would be all good in the eyes of the BCS.
2016
Actual game: #2 Clemson over #1 Alabama
It would have been the same matchup once again between these two. No worries about this all-time championship game, mostly remembered for Hunter Renfrow’s game winning touchdown catch from Deshaun Watson, never happening.
2017
Actual game: #4 Alabama over #3 Georgia
Neither of these teams would have been here in 2017. If not for the playoff I see Baker Mayfield getting Oklahoma their first national title since 2000 instead of a heartbreaking overtime loss to Georgia in the Rose Bowl.
2018
Actual game: #2 Clemson over #1 Alabama
Alabama and Clemson once again vindicating both the BCS and the playoff. Clemson put on a dominant performance with a 44-16 win in the title game led by Trevor Lawrence who became the first true freshman QB to win a national title since 1985.
2019
Actual game: #1 LSU over #3 Clemson
Maybe the playoff format is not for the better as we could have got a Joe Burrow revenge game this year. No question LSU is the undisputed champ with what I believe is one of the greatest college football teams of all time headlined by Burrow, Justin Jefferson, and Ja'marr Chase.
2020
Actual game: #1 Alabama over #3 Ohio State
This season was odd all around with the pandemic and would have produced a different title under the BCS format. Alabama wins in my mind no matter what as another all-time dominant college football team, although I do believe Clemson could have put up more of a fight than the Buckeyes did.
2021
Actual game: #3 Georgia over #1 Alabama
Georgia’s back-to-back titles would have never happened in the world of the BCS. In my mind this is an ugly hypothetical championship game with an Alabama blowout win, so thanks for the playoff this year.
2022
Actual game: #1 Georgia over #3 TCU
Michigan would have made back to back title game appearances. I believe Georgia still wins with ease like they actually did against TCU, but Michigan would have made it somewhat interesting.
2023
Actual game: #1 Michigan over #2 Washington
No change with this one. The Wolverines finally broke through and completed the perfect 15-0 season. If the BCS was in charge I cannot imagine how loud the noise would have been around them selecting Michigan as one of the two teams that got to play for a national title with the scandal they went through.
2024
Actual game: #6 Ohio State over #5 Notre Dame
This game would have looked very different as Ohio State and Notre Dame would have been taken out of contention by their embarrassing losses to lesser opponents and possibly facing off in a bowl game. With how crazy this past season was, the playoff was needed and I believe helped decide who the actual best team was. In the hypothetical BCS championship game, I’ll pick Oregon to beat an overrated Georgia team to complete the perfect season for the Ducks.