College Football

Ranking the 10 national champions during the four-team College Football Playoff era

Updated Jan. 9, 2024 12:56 p.m. ET

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Farewell to the four-team College Football Playoff era.

Michigan's 34-13 win over Washington in Monday night's CFP National Championship game marked the 10th and final edition of the four-team field, putting an end to a brief yet productive period in the evolution of college football.

[Michigan does it at last, powering through Washington for first national title since 1997]

The CFP debuted in 2014 with a bang, as Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes were crowned national champions after defeating Alabama in a memorable Sugar Bowl matchup before taking down Oregon in the title game. The Buckeyes lost a Week 2 matchup to Virginia Tech that season, which would likely have dashed their championship hopes early on in the BCS era, but the new playoff format allowed them to work their way back, earn the final spot in the field, and go on to win it all.

Overall, a total of six programs were crowned national champions during the CFP era: Alabama (3), Georgia (2), Clemson (2), LSU, Ohio State and now, Michigan.

Beginning in 2024, the playoff will expand to 12 teams, widening the path for more programs to officially join the exclusive CFP club. Will it lead to less debate about which so-called deserving teams were left out? 

But first, let's take a look back at the 10 national champions crowned during the CFP era and rank them in order of greatness, starting with No. 10 and working our way to No. 1.

Let the debate begin.

CFP Championship: J.J. McCarthy, Michigan roll past Michael Penix Jr., Washington

10. 2016 Clemson Tigers
Record: 14-1
CFP result: Defeated Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, 31-0; defeated Alabama in the national championship, 35-31

Make no mistake about it: Deshaun Watson was nearly unstoppable for Dabo Swinney's 2016 Clemson Tigers, throwing for more than 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns through the air while adding another 600-plus yards and nine scores on the ground. The team had Mike Williams and Hunter Renfrow catching passes from Watson on offense, and Christian Wilkins and Ben Boulware clogging up running lanes on defense. But Clemson didn't cruise past every team on its schedule like some of the other national champions in the CFP era. In fact, eight of the Tigers' 15 games were decided by seven points or fewer, including a mid-November loss to unranked Pitt. The Tigers were able to put that loss behind them and finish the regular season with a 12-1 mark. They went on to shut out a talented Ohio State team in the semifinals before earning a memorable win over Nick Saban's Alabama team in the title game, giving Clemson its first national championship since 1981.

9. 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 14-1
CFP results: Defeated Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl, 38-0; defeated Clemson in the national championship, 45-40

This wasn't Nick Saban's best Alabama team by any means, but for this exercise, how many players from each roster went on to play in the NFL was taken into consideration, and this team was loaded with NFL talent. A total of 44 players from the 2015 Alabama roster played at the next level, highlighted by the likes of Derrick Henry, Calvin Ridley, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Marlon Humphrey and Darron Payne. This team also notched eight wins over AP Top 25 teams, including a 30-16 victory over No. 2 LSU in early November and a memorable 45-40 win over then No. 1 Clemson in the national championship game.

8. 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: 14-1
CFP results: Defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, 42-35; defeated Oregon in the national championship, 42-20

The Buckeyes were the first national champions of the CFP era, and it was a team that faced plenty of adversity down the stretch. Despite pulling off a memorable 42-28 win over rival Michigan to close out the regular season, the thrill of defeating the Wolverines was tempered after standout QB J.T. Barrett went down with a serious injury and was lost for the remainder of the season. That marked the second QB injury the Buckeyes suffered, as Heisman hopeful Braxton Miller had been lost to injury as well back in August. Backup Cardale Jones stepped in and rose to the occasion, leading OSU to a trio of memorable wins to close out the season, none bigger than the 42-20 triumph over the Ducks in the national title game. 

7. 2017 Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 13-1
CFP results: Defeated Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, 24-6; defeated Georgia in the national championship, 26-23

Many college football fans will associate this team with what happened in the national championship game — Tua Tagovailoa replaced Jalen Hurts at halftime and led the Crimson Tide to a come-from-behind victory over SEC foe Georgia. And while that was undoubtedly a defining moment in Alabama football history, it shouldn't be the only thing people remember about this group. Nick Saban's 2017 Alabama team began the season on an absolute terror, which included a season-opening 24-7 win over then-No. 3 Florida State. The Crimson Tide fell to Auburn in the Iron Bowl but rebounded with wins over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl and Georgia in the title game. This team had a jaw-dropping 44 players go on to play in the NFL.

6. 2023 Michigan Wolverines
Record: 15-0
CFP results: Defeated Alabama in the Rose Bowl, 27-20; defeated Washington in the national championship, 34-13

The 2023 Michigan Wolverines put together a memorable season, capped off by an impressive 34-13 win over Washington in the 10th and final game of the four-team CFP era. This was one of the most complete teams of the CFP era, as the Wolverines excelled on both sides of the ball. Senior running back Blake Corum led a dominant rushing attack, while Will Johnson, Mike Sainristil and Kris Jenkins helped guide a defense that only allowed 9.5 points per game, which ranked first among all FBS teams. The 2023 Wolverines held every opponent they played to under 25 points en route to winning the program's first national championship since 1997.

What does Michigan's title mean for future of college football?

5. 2022 Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 15-0
CFP results: Defeated Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, 42-41; defeated TCU in the national championship, 65-7

Kirby Smart's 2022 Georgia team was exceptional on both sides of the ball, putting up over 41 points per contest on offense while holding opponents to less than 15 points per game. The Bulldogs notched five ranked wins, but only two of them came against SEC completion (LSU, Tennessee). Stetson Bennett capped off his incredible collegiate career with a narrow 42-41 win over Ohio State in the semifinal game, followed by a dominant 65-7 blowout victory over TCU in the title game, giving Georgia its second straight national title.

4. 2021 Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 14-1
CFP results: Defeated Michigan in the Orange Bowl, 34-11; defeated Alabama in the national championship, 33-18

The 2021 Georgia Bulldogs did not go undefeated like the 2022 team, but this team had more ranked wins than the 2022 squad (six), and a big reason for this group's success was one of the most dominant defenses college football has ever seen. The Bulldogs held their opponents to just 10.2 points per game in 2021. After falling to Alabama in the SEC Championship, Georgia cruised past Michigan in the CFP semifinals, and then got revenge against the Crimson Tide in the title game, 33-18, to win the program's first national championship since 1980.

3. 2018 Clemson Tigers
Record: 15-0
CFP results: Defeated Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, 30-3; defeated Alabama in the national championship, 44-16

Dabo Swinney has had some talented teams during his time at Clemson, but this was the best of the bunch. Just how dominant were the 2018 Tigers? They finished the season 15-0 while outscoring their opponents by an average margin of 31.1 points per game. They played four ranked teams throughout the year, including Notre Dame and Alabama in the CFP, and outscored those four teams by a combined total of 142-33. If that wasn't enough, a total of 24 players from this 2018 team went on to play at the NFL level.

2. 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 13-0
CFP results: Defeated Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl, 31-14; defeated Ohio State in the national championship, 52-24

Imagine being an opposing defense and trying to cover both DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. That was what life was like going up against this 2020 Alabama team. The Crimson Tide offense, which also featured Mac Jones at quarterback, Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr. at running back, and John Metchie III at wide receiver, averaged nearly 50 points per game and played just one game decided by fewer than 14 points. Nick Saban's team finished undefeated on its way to winning a national title all amid a global pandemic that impacted every game played. Smith went on to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard in 1991, beating out his own teammate, Jones. 

1. 2019 LSU Tigers
Record: 15-0
CFP results: Defeated Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, 63-28; defeated Clemson in the national championship, 42-25

The 2019 LSU Tigers featured one of the most dominant offensive attacks in college football history. Led by Joe Burrow at QB, Clyde Edwards-Helaire at RB, and Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson at WR, this offense put up an eye-popping 48.4 points per game and outscored their opponents by an average of 26.5 points per contest. The Tigers cruised to a perfect 13-0 record in the regular-season, which included five wins over top-10 teams. They rolled past Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, 63-28, and then coasted by Trevor Lawrence and No. 3-ranked Clemson in the national championship game, 42-25. A total of 30 players on this roster went on to play in the NFL, five of whom were first-round draft picks in 2020. 

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CFB - CFP National Championship - 01/09/2024