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Ranking Every College Football National Championship Game: All 27 Games Since the BCS Era

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Mike Marteny's national championship game rankings. He ranks all 27 games since the start of the BCS era in 1998. Best college football title games of all time.

College football has always induced passionate arguments from fans. For over 100 years, the argument over who was the best team wasn't settled on the field. When BYU won the national championship in 1984, the big conferences were so mad that they began collaborating on ways to keep something like that from ever happening again. That took a backseat for a while as teams such as Oklahoma, Miami, and Nebraska dominated the landscape. After yet another split national championship in 1990 and 1991, they decided something must be done. The Bowl Coalition was born.

The Big East, ACC, Big Eight, Southwestern Conference, and SEC, along with Notre Dame, reached an agreement that the top two ranked teams would play each other at the end of the regular season. There was just one problem. The Rose Bowl refused to release the Pac-10 and Big Ten champions from the Rose Bowl. This still resulted in a split championship in 1997. With the top two teams only meeting in a bowl game eight times in 56 seasons, the BCS was created to crown a true champion. The ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC formed the BCS and even allowed lesser conferences to participate in big-name bowl games if the team was good enough.

This produced bowl games with great matchups regardless of conference affiliation, along with a National Championship game that crowned a true champion. Using human polls and computer metrics, the BCS spit out rankings every week that were the law of the land. While it may have been flawed, it still produced an undisputed champion more often than not. With primo bowl games came primo TV contracts. The BCS lasted until 2014 when the College Football Playoff, featuring the top four teams, was born. In any proper sport, this should have been enough, but no. College football is never happy and is never rich enough. Expansion came in 2024. We're going to go back through all of the title games since 1998 and rank them from worst to best. Enjoy!

 

No. 27 - 2022: (1) Georgia vs. (3) TCU

We all knew it was going to be this one, right? TCU gave everything it had to beat Michigan. The miracle run of Max Duggan was crushed by the Georgia defense. Javon Bullard picked off Duggan twice and also recovered a fumble.

The strange thing about this game is that everyone just dismissed this as "TCU didn't belong" -- even though they beat the Big Ten Champions in the semifinal. That's false, and it demeans just how good this Georgia team was.

Stetson Bennett IV threw four touchdowns and ran for two more. Brock Bowers had 152 receiving yards to rocket up draft boards. Ladd McConkey caught two touchdowns. The Georgia defense was so dominant that it enabled the offense to put up video game numbers.

You know, in a game that had the most points scored in a Championship Game (65) and the largest margin of victory (58), that at least one offensive player would stand out. Bennett completed 18 of 25 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran three times for 39 yards and two more touchdowns.

Bennett's six total touchdowns buried TCU before they even knew what was happening. It was 38-7 at halftime. Georgia players were getting food from the stands late in the game since they had worked up quite an appetite. It was total destruction, and Bennett was the catalyst.

My take on this game is that TCU belonged there. They just lost to a really good team that wasn't treated with the same respect because they weren't 2019 LSU.

 

No. 26 - 2004: (1) USC vs. (2) Oklahoma

Yes, this is one of USC's "vacated" wins. It's all crap. Everyone knows this game. Everyone remembers this game. Considering what USC did, it's nothing compared to what goes on 20 years later, so what's the point? Oklahoma got smoked, and it was a tough one to watch.

While we're at it, the two right teams were in this game. Auburn would have been destroyed as well. There wasn't a team in 2004 that could hang with USC.

Many forget that this was the first college football game that had two Heisman Trophy winners facing each other (Jason White, 2003, and Matt Leinart, 2004). Four of the five 2004 Heisman finalists were in this game with Leinart, runner-up Adrian Peterson, White in third, and Reggie Bush, who finished fifth.

This was premium talent, but it wasn't a premium game for Oklahoma. White threw three interceptions. USC turned all of them into touchdowns. Peterson was held to 82 yards on 25 carries.

Another strange thing about this game is that Bush only had seven touches (five rushes, two receptions). LenDale White carried the load with 15 carries for 118 yards and two scores. Leinart threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns despite completing just 18 passes (on 35 attempts).

USC kept attacking deep because Oklahoma couldn't cover Steve Smith. He had three touchdowns and 113 yards in this game. Dwayne Jarrett and Dominique Byrd caught the other touchdowns.

 

No. 25 - 2012: (1) Notre Dame vs. (2) Alabama

Notre Dame's historic season was vacated because of tutors doing schoolwork for players, but coming into this game, no one disputed Notre Dame's No. 1 ranking. The Irish beat Michigan, Michigan State (hey, they were good then), Miami, Stanford, USC, and Oklahoma in Norman.

Alabama's only loss was to Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. This was Notre Dame's best shot at a title since 1988, and Vegas agreed. Notre Dame was a 10-point favorite. It evaporated quickly.

Eddie Lacy carried 20 times for 140 yards, scoring the game's first touchdown. T.J. Yeldon carried 21 times for 108 yards and a score. It would have been easy enough for A.J. McCarron to be a wallflower with the way Alabama ran the ball, but he threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those were to Amari Cooper.

The game was 28-0 at halftime. This Alabama senior class graduated with three national championships in four years.

 

No. 24 - 2006: (1) Ohio State vs. (2) Florida

Ohio State was the top-ranked team wire-to-wire in the 2006 season. Florida only claimed the No. 2 spot by beating a top-10 Arkansas team in the SEC Championship to jump over Michigan to get into this game. The Big Ten went to a championship game shortly after.

Surprisingly enough, this was the first time that Florida had ever faced Ohio State in football. It happened once more in the "Urban Meyer Bowl," or the 2012 Gator Bowl.

This was perhaps the best defensive performance ever in a championship game. Florida held Ohio State to just 82 total yards. For context, Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. Ginn was hurt in the ensuing celebration, which would be devastating. Ohio State didn't top that one play on offense in the entire game!

Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith completed just four of his 14 passes for 35 yards and an interception. He was also sacked five times and finished with -29 rushing yards.

Florida starting quarterback Chris Leak didn't play in the second half. Florida gave the reins to freshman Tim Tebow, who threw a touchdown to end the first half and ran for the only score of the second half.

This win by Florida ushered in an era of dominance by the SEC. The SEC won the next six national championships. Between 2006 and 2022, the SEC claimed 13 of the 17 titles. Teams from the southeastern U.S. won 16 of 17 titles in that span (Florida State 2013, Clemson 2016, Clemson 2018).

 

No. 23 - 2001: (1) Miami (FL) vs. (2) Nebraska

That roster is the kind of thing that NFL scouts dream of. This was also the first real instance of BCS controversy. Nebraska got blown out by Colorado in the final game of the regular season. Colorado went to the Big 12 Championship and beat No. 3 Texas.

Second-ranked Florida lost to Tennessee, which then took the No. 2 ranking and lost to LSU in the SEC Championship. That put a Nebraska team into the title game that didn't even win its own conference. This was the result.

In all fairness, it wouldn't have mattered if it were Nebraska, Oregon, or Tennessee in this game. Miami was loaded. Ken Dorsey (who should have won the Heisman) threw for 362 yards and three touchdowns. Andre Johnson caught seven passes for 199 yards and two scores. It was 34-0 at halftime.

 

No. 22 - 2020: (1) Alabama vs. (3) Ohio State

This was the most points (52) ever allowed by Ohio State in a bowl game. Trey Sermon was hurt on the first drive of the game, which turned out to be an ominous sign for the Buckeyes.

In a stadium that only allowed 15,000 fans, Alabama capped an all-time season. All 11 regular-season games were against SEC teams due to COVID restrictions. DeVonta Smith's huge day all came in the first half, and he left as the SEC's leading career receiver.

Mac Jones threw for 464 yards and five touchdowns. Najee Harris ran for two scores and had another through the air. Alabama could do no wrong. Justin Fields threw for 194 yards and a score in his final college game. He also led the team with 67 rushing yards.

 

No. 21 - 2018: (1) Alabama vs. (2) Clemson

This was the fourth consecutive and final playoff appearance between Clemson and Alabama. Clemson won titles in two of those games, including this one behind a true freshman quarterback. This was effectively the end of the Clemson dynasty in the late 2010s.

This is the first game on the list in which a dominant defense didn't cause the blowout. Clemson only outgained Alabama by 39 yards and allowed 443 yards in this game. This was Clemson's first 15-0 team since the 1800s and the first team since the expanded playoffs to finish a season without a loss.

A.J. Terrell returned one of Tua Tagovailoa's two interceptions for a touchdown. The 15-point halftime deficit was the largest under Nick Saban. Alabama didn't score after the first minute of the second quarter.

True freshman Trevor Lawrence threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Travis Etienne Jr. ran for two touchdowns and scored another on a shovel pass. Justyn Ross has six catches for 153 yards and a score after blowing up in the semifinal game against Notre Dame.

This was supposed to be the continuation of Clemson's dominance. Proof that they belonged with Alabama. Lawrence led Clemson to two more CFP appearances, losing to LSU in the title game in 2019 and losing in the semifinals the next season. It took an expanded playoff for Clemson to get another chance in 2024.

 

No. 20 - 2014: (2) Oregon vs. (4) Ohio State

Like Dante Hicks from Clerks, Ohio State wasn't even supposed to be there in 2014. Heisman contender QB Braxton Miller was hurt before the season even started. Backup QB J.T. Barrett lost to Virginia Tech in September and was lost for the season in November.

That left the Buckeyes with third-string quarterback Cardale Jones for the rest of the playoff run. That playoff run was also something that wasn't supposed to happen. The first year of the expanded playoff allowed it to happen.

TCU and Baylor split the Big 12 title, and since the conference didn't have a championship game in 2014, Ohio State jumped into the top four over TCU by winning the Big Ten Championship. The committee didn't know what to do with TCU and Baylor, so they took the easy road and let the Big Ten winner in.

As the fourth seed, Ohio State wasn't supposed to win the semifinal, as the mighty Alabama was a heavy favorite. Someone forgot to tell Ezekiel Elliott that Ohio State didn't belong.

Ezekiel Elliott in the final 3 games (2014-15)

• 76 Carries
• 696 Rushing Yards
• 8 Rushing TDs
• 9.8 YPC
• National Champion✔️ pic.twitter.com/5TI0MHdQwn

— College Football Report (@CFBReport) July 28, 2023

Elliott's 246 rushing yards broke Vince Young's record for the most in a championship game. Elliott carried the ball 36 times, and Oregon was powerless to stop him. Ohio State won 42-20, with Elliott scoring four touchdowns in the victory.

That erased a solid performance from Marcus Mariota. Byron Marshall caught eight passes for 169 yards and a score in the loss. Cardale Jones threw for 242 yards and a touchdown and picked up another one on the ground. This was Zeke's crowning achievement. He used this game as a springboard into NFL stardom.

 

No. 19 - 2019: (1) LSU vs. (3) Clemson

As great a season as Joe Burrow had in 2019, he may have saved the best for last. His two performances in the CFP are what players will strive for from now on. LSU won the 2019 National Championship with a 42-25 victory over No. 3 Clemson, completing the best college football season that many of us have ever seen.

Some will tell you that the 1995 Nebraska team was the best ever. Some will say 2001 Miami was the best. Some will say 1985 Oklahoma. Old-timers will say 1971 Nebraska or 1972 USC. We just know that the 2019 LSU Tigers were the best team of this generation.

This LSU team was so good that it has overshadowed some generational teams in recent years. 2020 Alabama and 2023 Georgia belong among the top 15-20 teams of all time, but they're still overshadowed by LSU.

Burrow capped off the historic season by completing 31-of-49 passes for 463 yards and five touchdown passes. As if that wasn't enough, Burrow ran 14 times for 58 yards and another touchdown. Burrow's 521 yards of offense and six total touchdowns are CFP records. I know it has only been in existence for 11 years, but those marks could stand for a long time.

Burrow even overshadowed a huge game from one of his teammates. Ja'Marr Chase hauled in nine passes for 221 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 106 yards and a score. This was the Greatest Show on Turf Rams in college football.

However, the CFP is hell-bent on expansion, and with expansion comes fewer deserving teams playing much better teams in the first round. We could see another performance like this in the earlier rounds of the CFP moving forward. It could be a while before we see another performance like this in a championship game.

2018 was supposed to be the beginning of a dynastic run for Clemson after they blew out Alabama in the 2018 National Championship game with a true freshman at quarterback. Lawrence had a solid game with 234 passing yards and 49 rushing yards, but he only had one touchdown. That wasn't nearly enough against this team.

 

No. 18 - 2023: (1) Michigan vs. (2) Washington

One of those wins was over the redemption story of Michael Penix Jr. and Washington. Penix burst on the scene in 2021 with a two-point conversion to beat Penn State in overtime. After injuries and ineffectiveness tarnished his Indiana legacy, he left for Washington for one final chance.

It resulted in an undefeated season until the championship game. Most didn't give Penix and the Huskies a chance against Texas. They sure didn't give them a chance against Michigan. This is the Michigan team where Jim Harbaugh finally put it all together....and it cost him his job. Who wouldn't trade their job for a National Championship?

The Wolverines barely needed J.J. McCarthy in this one. Blake Corum ran 21 times for 134 yards and two scores. Donovan Edwards ran just six times for 104 yards and two scores. It wasn't all on one long run. Every time Edwards got the ball, he gouged Washington.

The Wolverines picked off Penix twice, held Dillon Johnson to just 33 rushing yards, and turned Mike Sainristil into a household name.

 

No. 17 - 1999: (1) Florida State vs. (2) Virginia Tech

Florida State played in each of the first three BCS Championship games. The Seminoles had the most top-5 finishes and appearances in national title games of any team during the 1990s. This was the height of their dynasty.

Florida State jumped out early with a long touchdown to Peter Warrick and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by Jeff Chaney. Warrick's punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter put this out of reach. Three of Florida State's four touchdowns in the first half went for more than 50 yards.

Chris Weinke threw for 329 yards and four touchdowns as a precursor to his 2000 Heisman Trophy campaign. Michael Vick was the Virginia Tech offense with 225 passing yards and 97 rushing yards. He had a touchdown pass and one rushing. This was Florida State's second championship of the 1990s (1993).

 

No. 16 - 2011: (1) LSU vs. (2) Alabama

After an epic battle in Tuscaloosa in a regular-season November game, the BCS gave us what we never wanted and what this system was supposed to prevent: a game between two teams not only in the same conference, but the same division.

LSU won the regular-season meeting 9-6 in overtime. It was a defensive battle the entire game, and one of the more riveting games that I've watched in the last 30 years. That was wasted on a blowout in the title game in which LSU only crossed midfield one time and had just five first downs. The Tigers only had 92 yards of offense.

This is where college football was irreparably damaged. Oklahoma State was ranked second in the computer polls and should have played LSU in this game.

A.J. McCarron threw for 234 yards in this game. Heisman finalist Trent Richardson ran for 96 yards and the game's only touchdown. LSU's Jordan Jefferson completed 11 passes for just 53 yards. It was LSU's first loss ever in a New Orleans bowl game.

This was the final nail in the BCS coffin, but due to TV contracts and logistics, the expansion didn't come until 2014, a year in which the fourth-ranked team won the title.

 

No. 15 - 2007: (1) Ohio State vs. (2) LSU

This was the year that no one wanted to play for a national championship. The end of the 2007 season was one of the most chaotic ever. An unranked or lower-ranked team pulled the upset 59 times during the course of the season.

Yes, this was the year that Appalachian State beat No. 5 Michigan on the opening weekend. We should have known then that we were in for a hell of a ride. Michigan was one of 13 top-5 teams to lose to an unranked team in 2007.

The second-ranked teams were particularly cursed. USC, Cal, and South Florida all lost as second-ranked teams in consecutive weeks in October. Boston College lost on November 3 to unranked Florida State. Oregon lost to unranked Arizona on November 15.

Then it got really crazy. Missouri beat second-ranked Kansas in the Border War on rivalry weekend (the way it SHOULD be). The next week, Pitt beat second-ranked West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, and Missouri lost to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship. Both 1 and 2 went down in the last week of the season.

That was the third time in 2007 that both 1 and 2 lost in the same weekend, including the last two weeks of the season. Arkansas beat LSU in three overtimes when Kansas lost. Now what?

The Big Ten still didn't have a conference championship game, so Ohio State jumped from fifth to first by virtue of winning the Big Ten. LSU beat Tennessee in the SEC Championship to get in.

After a crazy season such as that, one might expect a great game. One would be wrong. Ohio State jumped out early on a 65-yard touchdown by Chris Wells. LSU scored the next 24 points, fueled by a blocked field goal and an interception. They scored again on the opening drive of the second half after a roughing the punter penalty. The Buckeyes never recovered.

Matt Flynn threw four touchdowns for LSU. The defense picked off Todd Boeckman twice. Beanie Wells only gained 81 yards on his 19 other carries. LSU became the first team to win multiple BCS Championships. This was the first BCS title game to feature opponents who had been in the game before.

 

No. 14 - 2009: (1) Alabama vs. (2) Texas

Colt McCoy, after surviving Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship game (there shouldn't have been any time left on the clock), got hurt on the first drive of the game. True freshman Garrett Gilbert had to take over. He completed just 15 of his 40 passes. Four of them were to Alabama.

The Marcell Dareus pick-six late in the first half put Alabama up big. Texas pulled to within three points in the fourth quarter, but the tandem of Mark Ingram II and Richardson was too much. Ingram ran 22 times for 116 yards and two scores. Richardson ran 19 times for 109 yards and two scores.

Greg McElroy only threw 11 passes in the whole game, completing six for 58 yards. Texas dominated in the run game, and the defense capitalized on having a freshman getting his first meaningful game action.

This started the Alabama dynasty and effectively ended the Texas run in the mid-2000s. This would have been a very different game with a healthy McCoy.

 

No. 13 - 2021: (1) Alabama vs. (3) Georgia

This was a rematch of the SEC Championship Game that was played about a month earlier. This was a much different result. Bryce Young threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns in the SEC Championship Game. He threw for 369 in this game, but only had one touchdown and was picked off twice.

Kelee Ringo's pick-six sealed the game for Georgia in the fourth quarter. Bennett threw for only 224 yards in the title game, but cut out the interceptions that he threw in Atlanta. Jameson Williams had 184 yards in the SEC title game. Georgia held him to only 65 in the rematch.

Ringo helped seal Georgia's first title since 1980, but the Bulldogs weren't done yet. They repeated in 2022 and should have been in the CFP in 2023.

 

No. 12 - 2024: (7) Notre Dame vs. (8) Ohio State

College football celebrated the expanded playoff by crowning a two-loss champion. We didn't want or need this. Fittingly, it was also Ohio State that benefited from the expanded playoff, just as they did as the four seed during the first playoff expansion in 2014.

Less than two months before this, many questioned whether Ryan Day would even keep his job after another loss to Michigan, this time without the Wolverines spying on Ohio State. The Buckeyes scored touchdowns on their first four drive, and opened a massive 31-7 lead in the third quarter. The Buckeyes only punted once.

Riley Leonard's 255 yards and two touchdowns (along with one rushing) fueled a furious comeback, but Will Howard was the difference for Ohio State. Quinshon Judkins ran for 100 yards and two scores. Jeremiah Smith was mostly quiet but caught a 56-yard pass to seal the game.

 

No. 11 - 2000: (1) Oklahoma vs. (2) Florida State

This was the best defensive battle we've had in a national championship game. Oklahoma's field goal on the second drive marked the only points scored of the first half. That forced fumble led to the game's only touchdown, with Quentin Griffin running for a touchdown two plays later.

Florida State only scored because Jeff Ferguson wisely stepped out of the back of the end zone after a high snap on a punt to avoid a possible blocked punt or worse. Heisman winner Weinke did throw for 274 yards but was picked off twice.

This ended the Florida State dynasty. The Seminoles were ranked in the top five of every poll at the end of the season from 1987 to 2000. They would not finish that high again until 2013.

 

No. 10 - 1998: (1) Tennessee vs. (2) Florida State

This game wasn't as close as the final score indicated. That interception return by Dwayne Goodrich led the Vols to a 14-0 lead. Both of Tennessee's first-half scores were in the first 25 seconds of the second quarter. A 79-yard bomb from Tee Martin to Peerless Price sealed the game in the fourth quarter.

Price had 199 receiving yards in this game, which is a Tennessee bowl record. This was Tennessee's first national championship since 1967.

 

No. 9 - 2008: (1) Oklahoma vs. (2) Florida

This was the year of the famed Tebow speech. We all knew then that Florida was going to win it all. What we didn't know was that Percy Harvin would be the reason. Florida used Harvin as the running back in the second half, and Oklahoma couldn't stop him.

Tebow and Sam Bradford were equally good and bad through the air. Harvin made the difference. I still believe that Oklahoma, with DeMarco Murray, would have won this game. Chris Brown was really good (22 carries for 110 yards), but Murray alongside him would have changed everything.

This Oklahoma offense was arguably the best in history. The Sooners were the highest-scoring team in NCAA history (702 points; 2019 LSU topped that with two more games). The Sooners were the first team in NCAA history to score at least 60 points in five consecutive games. That's what having Murray alongside Brown did for the offense.

One can argue that Oklahoma outplayed Florida in this one. One of Bradford's two interceptions was thrown on Florida's three-yard line just before the half. The Sooners also failed to convert a fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the second quarter. Florida's defense came up big when it mattered most.

This was Florida's second title in three years. The Gators are still trying to get back to this level.

 

No. 8 - 2003: (1) Oklahoma vs. (2) LSU

The BCS had more controversy in 2003 with Oklahoma losing the Big 12 Championship to Darren Sproles and Kansas State. They slipped to third in the human polls, but the BCS still had them at the top since USC lost to an unranked Cal team. Don't worry...USC's offense wouldn't have fared any better against the LSU defense.

USC beat No. 4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl, causing some to rank the Trojans at the top in the final polls. This was the last split national title, something the BCS was supposed to prevent.

Nowadays, it's common to believe that a good offense can beat a good defense. It used to be different. Oklahoma's offense averaged 45.2 points and 461 yards per game in 2003. LSU's defense was by far the best in the nation, and one of the best we've seen in the last 25 years.

The Tigers held Heisman winner Jason White to just 13 completions on 37 pass attempts and 102 yards. They picked him off twice and sacked him seven times. Kejuan Jones scored both Oklahoma touchdowns,s but only ran for 59 yards on 20 carries.

LSU held the best offense of the early 21st century to just 154 yards and 14 points to win the first national title for the school since 1958.

 

No. 7 - 2015: (1) Clemson vs. (2) Alabama

This was the first of four consecutive meetings in the CFP for Clemson and Alabama. Clemson couldn't cover O.J. Howard, who had 208 yards and two touchdowns on just five receptions. Jake Coker only completed 11 passes for 127 yards to the rest of the receivers in this game.

Deshaun Watson had an incredible game in a losing effort. He threw for 405 yards and led Clemson in rushing with 73 yards. He threw four touchdowns. Clemson's inability to cover Howard and Kenyon Drake doomed the Tigers.

 

No. 6 - 2013: (1) Florida State vs. (2) Auburn

Auburn jumped out to a 21-3 lead, and the rout was on, right? Not quite. The final BCS Championship game produced one of the best ones. Florida State had dominated opponents all season long, winning every game by an average of 42 points. They weren't used to coming back. Freshman quarterback Jameis Winston had never been tested like this.

Florida State scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure the win. Incredibly, Florida State became the first team to win a BCS national championship when trailing at halftime.

This was supposed to launch some great years for Florida State since Winston was only a freshman. The fame went to his head, and he spent much of the rest of his college career in trouble. Winston changed his image into a positive one in the NFL, but Florida State fans may never forgive his youthful mistakes after this game.

 

No. 5 - 2010: (1) Auburn vs. (2) Oregon

Auburn had the best team that money could buy in 2010. The issue was that it wasn't legal yet. Much was made of the money that Auburn paid Cam Newton, but nothing was ever done about it. Auburn still had its first title since 1957. No, we normal folk don't care how many you claim now.

Newton saved the season by erasing a 21-0 halftime deficit against Alabama in the Iron Bowl. He became one of nine players to win the Heisman and a championship in the same season.

This was the closest that Oregon has ever come to a title. The Ducks led for much of the first half before Auburn scored on its last drive of the first half and first drive of the second half. Oregon tied the game with just over two minutes left. It wasn't Newton who was the hero this time. It was this guy.

The funny thing about this is that Dyer himself thought he was down until his teammates encouraged him to keep going. It was a great call by the teammates. Dyer wasn't down, and Auburn was able to run out the clock to kick a field goal on the final play.

 

No. 4 - 2016: (1) Alabama vs. (2) Clemson

One year after Howard and Alabama ripped Clemson's heart out, the Tigers got revenge. Watson put up big numbers on the vaunted Alabama defense in 2015 but ended up losing the game. He was a little sharper in this one.

Watson completed 36 of 56 passes in this one for 420 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran 21 times for 43 yards and another score. The 463 total yards and four total touchdowns, including the game-winner with one second left, gave Clemson its first title since 1981.

 

No. 3 - 2017: (3) Georgia vs. (4) Alabama

Alabama knocked off Clemson a year after the Tigers beat them for the national championship. Georgia disposed of Oklahoma in one of the best games ever played. The semifinals were so good, how could the final be any better? Overtime. The answer is always overtime.

With Georgia leading 13-0 at halftime, Nick Saban did the unthinkable: he benched star quarterback Jalen Hurts, who completed just three of his eight passes in the first half for 21 yards. Saban replaced Hurts with freshman Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa threw for 166 yards and three touchdowns in a second-half comeback for the ages. He threw the game-winning touchdown in overtime to secure Alabama's 17th national championship after taking a sack for a 16-yard loss on Alabama's first offensive play of overtime.

Tagovailoa enjoyed a decorated career with Alabama. Hurts transferred to Oklahoma in the offseason, finishing as the runner-up to Joe Burrow for the 2019 Heisman Trophy. Yes, transfers still had to sit out a year back then.

 

No. 2 - 2002: (1) Miami (FL) vs. (2) Ohio State

Miami was again an overwhelming favorite after the 2002 season went much the same as 2001 did. Miami was proclaimed to be starting another dynasty. They finished the 2000 season ranked second after a Florida State loss to Oklahoma -- a game that Miami thought they should have been in instead of the Seminoles.

Ohio State was trying to get back to prominence. They lost the Outback Bowl to South Carolina in 2001 and won six games by a touchdown or less in the regular season, often against subpar opponents.

The Hurricanes entered this game on a 34-game winning streak. 37 of the 43 starters (Chris Gamble of Ohio State started on both offense and defense) in this game were drafted into the NFL.

Talk about a game that changed the trajectory of both schools. It wasn't necessarily the game, but one singular play. A play that catapulted Ohio State into seven playoff appearances since this game, including two National Championships. One play that sent the Miami program into a spiral that they still haven't come out of.

However, I'm talking about a play before the play. The one that made Ken Williamson a household name for all the wrong reasons. No, something changed the game before that call. His name was Maurice Clarett.

Miami had the momentum after this for about five seconds. The two teams played to a 17-17 draw to send the game into overtime. Miami scored a touchdown in the first overtime and pushed Ohio State to a fourth and goal when this happened.

A delayed flag resulted in Miami storming the field, thinking they had won back-to-back National Championships. The Fiesta Bowl officials thought so, too, as they released the Miami confetti. It took several minutes to clear the field and keep the game going.

Many media personalities and former officials have called this one of the worst calls in history, especially considering what was riding on this call. A call that Ohio State fans claim was legit. A call that Miami fans say ruined the program.

Now, Mississippi knows how Miami feels,t considering the egregious no-call that would have given Mississippi another chance to tie the game this year.

 

No. 1 - 2005: (1) USC vs. (2) Texas

Around this time, I had just started writing sports columns. It was on the old Sporting News site where you could start a free blog. My first entry was a piece on why I, as an Oklahoma fan, was a Texas fan for one day.

A win in this game would have been USC's 35th consecutive win. With USC's 2006 schedule looking incredibly easy and much of the talent coming back, Oklahoma's record 47-game win streak was under attack. Texas needed to end it to preserve one of Oklahoma's most cherished records.

On a side note, it wasn't needed. Oregon State beat USC in Corvallis in 2006. USC came into this game torqued about the 2003 "snub" when Oklahoma got to play LSU for the title instead of USC. They were looking for validation.

What we got was a game better than most imagined. By the time there was only 6:42 left in the game, USC had opened up a 12-point lead, despite a spirited effort from Texas.

What happened next proved why Vince Young should have won the 2005 Heisman Trophy. It's nothing against Bush, but Vince had a better year.

Never forget Vince Young’s legendary performance at the 2006 Rose Bowl against USC
pic.twitter.com/rFzquCTA5U

— Football 🏈 (@TheFBReels) March 30, 2024

Young accounted for all 69 yards of a Texas scoring drive to pull the Longhorns within five points. Texas then held USC on a fourth down near midfield to give Young the ball back. Young cemented his legacy with an eight-yard touchdown run to give Texas its first lead since halftime, and one that would give Texas its first national championship since 1970.

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jarrett Stidham

to Start AFC Championship Game
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Falcons Hiring Kevin Stefanski as Head Coach
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Out on Sunday Against Grizzlies
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Ruled Out for Sunday
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Available Saturday
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is Available on Saturday
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Good to Go Against Pacers
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Cleared for Saturday's Action
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Still Out Sunday
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Holds Doubtful Tag for Sunday's Game
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to Be Rested Sunday
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Officially Active for Saturday's Divisional Round Game vs. 49ers
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Cleared to Play on Saturday
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Misses Fourth Consecutive Game
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Available Saturday
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Misses Second Straight Game
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Remains Out Friday
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a Game-Time Call Friday
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Cutter Gauthier Available Friday
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Sits Out Second Consecutive Game
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Chris Gotterup a Decent Play at Sony Open
Gary Woodland

Could Prosper at the Sony Open
Keith Mitchell

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Robert MacIntyre

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