Ranking all 64 teams in College Football Playoff history

The idea of greatness in college football has changed. The new era of the sport features a larger College Football Playoff and a lower bar (and more forgiveness) for inclusion. Meanwhile, the transfer portal and increased freedom of movement for players has meant that today's best teams can't quite stockpile awesome backups as easily as they could in the past.

Plus, with an actual, honest-to-god tournament finally placed at the end of the season, teams don't get to simply ride out an unbeaten regular-season run and then win a single postseason game anymore. (Not that this was particularly easy.) You have to balance quality consistent enough to get you into the playoff field with an ability to peak late and beat three or four awesome teams.

This is all incredibly fun when it comes to determining a champion and watching frantic, late-season football. If you weren't sold on the expanded CFP field, or if you thought we were rendering the regular season moot by offering more teams more mulligans, you got a pretty good counterpoint with this season'sMiamirun. The Hurricanes lost twice within a weak ACC and spent much of the season ranked in the double digits in SP+, but they rallied late, eked out a bid, played their best ball of the year and won three thrilling playoff games before losing a fourth.

This isn't great for ranking teams, however. (And isn't that what's important in life?) How much should we value full-season awesomeness versus late-stage brilliance? How much should we hold Miami's losses against it while crediting the Canes for such an awesome playoff run?

It is once again time to rank every College Football Playoff team to date, and it's growing more difficult by the year. Is it an awkward mix of 40 teams that cleared one bar during the four-team playoff era and 24 teams that cleared a lower bar in the new 12-team era? Absolutely. Are the rankings criteria an almost impossible mix of full-season quality, résumé and postseason performance? Yep. Is any of this stopping me from continuing this tradition? Absolutely not.

As always, this list is derived using a combination of numbers and my own personal opinions. I start out using my SP+ ratings as a guide, then steer whichever way I want to steer with it.

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Top 10 CFP teams

64. 2025 Tulane (11-3)

CFP result: Lost to Ole Miss 41-10 in first round

Jon Sumrall's final Tulane team was adaptable, resilient and physical and beat both Northwestern and eventual ACC champ Duke before gutting out a tough American Conference title. But when things went awry for the Green Wave, they showed a floor that was much lower than usual for a playoff team. Their three losses (two to Ole Miss and one to UTSA) came by an average score of 45-15.

63. 2024 Clemson (10-4)

CFP result: Lost to Texas 38-24 in first round

The first official bid thieves of the 12-team era, Dabo Swinney's Tigers looked like their hopes were finished after an end-of-regular-season loss to South Carolina. But upsets elsewhere placed them in the ACC championship game, and they won the league with a last-second field goal. That gave them a shot at Texas in the CFP first round, and although they played well while behind, the game was never truly in doubt.

62. 2025 James Madison (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Oregon 51-34 in first round

Bob Chesney's final JMU team faced only one power conference opponent and suffered offensive ups and downs early on, but the Dukes outscored their final seven regular-season opponents by an average of 28 points thanks to aggressive defense and increasingly explosive offense. But they met their athletic limitations getting stretched out and beaten up by Oregon's blue-chip offense.

61. 2024 SMU (11-3)

CFP result: Lost to Penn State 38-10 in first round

Rhett Lashlee's Mustangs made the absolute most of their first power conference campaign in three decades, going 8-0 in the regular season and falling just six points short of a 13-0 start. But they didn't beat any teams that finished in the SP+ top 20, and they were utterly overwhelmed in the first round in State College, throwing two pick-sixes, suffering countless other miscues and trailing big most of the way.

60. 2024 Boise State (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Penn State 31-14 in quarterfinal

BehindAshton Jeanty, who would pile up2,601 rushing yards, and a fierce pass rush, Boise State nearly took down Oregon in Week 2 and headed into the CFP having won 11 straight games. The Broncos couldn't overcome a slow start in the Fiesta Bowl, however, trailing PSU 14-0 after about 11 minutes, clawing to within three points in the third quarter and eventually falling because of turnovers and red zone failures.

59. 2025 Oklahoma (10-3)

CFP result: Lost to Alabama 34-24 in first round

The Sooners' defense is playoff-worthy by any definition, while the offense mastered the art of opportunism -- it didn't create nearly enough chances, but made the most of what it created. Mostly tight November wins over Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU drove some late résumé boosting,but a fatally flawed offense couldn't keep things rolling enough to beat Bama a second time.

58. 2025 Alabama (11-4)

CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 34-24 in first round; lost to Indiana 38-3 in quarterfinal

Alabama basically earned its playoff spot in October, beating Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee to craft a dynamite résumé. Glitches took over the offense late in the season, and the committee did the Tide a massive favor by completely ignoring poor late performances against Auburn (narrow win) and Georgia (blowout loss). But Ty Simpson and his sturdy receiving corps did enough damage to top Oklahoma before getting whomped by Indiana in Pasadena.

57. 2015 Michigan State (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Alabama 38-0 in semifinal

Mark Dantonio's 2015 Spartans are proof that no matter what the committee said, it was picking the four "most deserving" teams rather than the four "best" -- MSU was definitively the former and in no way the latter. And that's fine! The Spartans finished 18th in FPI and 15th in SP+ but beat a dynamite Ohio State team and outlasted unbeaten Iowa to win the Big Ten. Then they did exactly what was expected of them against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl: They lost big.

56. 2019 Oklahoma (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to LSU 63-28 in semifinal

After three years at No. 1, Lincoln Riley's 2019 Sooners slipped to third in offensive SP+, and the defense wasn't good enough to make up for this smidgen of offensive mortality. They rolled to 7-0 but stumbled against Kansas State and had to survive four tight wins in their final five games. That was enough to earn the Sooners their fourth CFP appearance in five years, but they got destroyed in the Peach Bowl.

55. 2020 Notre Dame (10-2)

CFP result:Lost to Alabama 31-14 in semifinal

Brian Kelly's Irish beatTrevor Lawrence-less Clemson in overtime, and behind consensus All-America offensive linemen Aaron Banks and Liam Eichenberg, they proved physical, mature and adaptable while starting the season 10-0. But in their final two games, against a full-strength Clemson team in the ACC championship game and Alabama in the Rose Bowl, the Irish were outscored 65-24.

54. 2024 Indiana (11-2)

CFP result: Lost to Notre Dame 27-17 in first round

Curt Cignetti's first Hoosiers team benefited from a pretty easy Big Ten schedule but won seven games by at least 24 points and finished the regular season second in the country in points per drive and sixth in points allowed per drive. Unfortunately, quarterback Kurtis Rourke's season-long ACL injury finally caught up to him with a poor CFP performance, and the Hoosiers couldn't overcome a slow start in South Bend.

53. 2024 Arizona State (11-3)

CFP result: Lost to Texas 39-31 in quarterfinal

It's tricky figuring out where to place a team that didn't look the part until November, then very much looked the part. As late as Week 12 in 2024, ASU's playoff odds were minuscule. But the Sun Devils won six straight down the stretch, and star Cam Skattebo almost took them even further. Behind his 242 yards from scrimmage against Texas, they were one play away from the semifinals but fell agonizingly short.

52. 2024 Tennessee (10-3)

CFP result: Lost to Ohio State 42-17 in first round

Despite Josh Heupel's offensive tendencies, his Vols reached the CFP in 2024 by fielding their best defense since 1999. They ran the ball well, defended the run better than anyone and rode a home win over Alabama to a playoff berth. Unfortunately, their limitations were made clear in Columbus. They punted three straight times to start the game, found themselves quickly down 21-0 and couldn't recover.

51. 2025 Texas A&M (11-2)

CFP result: Lost to Miami 10-3 in first round

With a beautifully structured offense and a fierce pass rush, A&M flashed bursts of spectacular upside alongside frustrating funks. Mike Elko's Aggies went 4-0 in one-score games in the regular season and began the year 11-0, but the ending wasn't enjoyable. They first fell to Texas, which prevented them from playing for their first SEC title, then they lost a wild and windy first-round playoff game to Miami.

50. 2014 Florida State (13-1)

CFP result: Lost to Oregon 59-20 in semifinal

The Seminoles returned lots of key figures from their 2013 national title romp, but they had to eke out tight win after tight win -- seven one-score games in all. While the BCS would have given us a Bama-FSU title game that year, the CFP gave the Noles the No. 3 seed and sent them to the Rose Bowl, where a 34-0 Ducks run ended Florida State's 29-game winning streak in stark fashion.

49. 2018 Notre Dame (12-1)

CFP result: Lost to Clemson 30-3 in semifinal

The Fighting Irish earned their spot in the playoff with increasingly dominant wins over quality Michigan, Stanford and Syracuse teams. The defense was solid and excellent (second in defensive SP+), but the offensive limitations were made crystal clear when the Irish had to face Clemson in the Cotton Bowl. The game was tied after one quarter, but it got much, much worse from there.

48. 2021 Cincinnati (13-1)

CFP result:Lost to Alabama 27-6 in semifinal

Even adjusting for strength of schedule, Luke Fickell's CFP debutants finished sixth in SP+. The Bearcats physically dominated a strong Notre Dame squad and absolutely earned their playoff spot, and once there, they hemmed in Bryce Young and the Alabama passing attack. The problem: They got gashed by the Bama run game and, more importantly, couldn't even slightly protect quarterback Desmond Ridderin a Cotton Bowl loss.

47. 2018 Oklahoma (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Alabama 45-34 in semifinal

OU lost Baker Mayfield but somehow improved offensively. Kyler Murray threw for 4,361 yards and rushed for 1,001, but unfortunately, the defense was dreck. Lincoln Riley fired coordinator Mike Stoops six games in, but the Sooners allowed 44 points per game over their final six contests and gave up 31 first-half points to Alabama in the Orange Bowl. That was too much for even Murray to overcome.

46. 2015 Oklahoma (11-2)

CFP result: Lost to Clemson 37-17 in semifinal

Bob Stoops' Sooners headed into 2015 with a new offensive coordinator (Lincoln Riley) and a transfer quarterback (Baker Mayfield), and after a disappointing 2014, OU reignited. The Sooners won a loaded Big 12 and were 3.5-point favorites against Clemson in the Orange Bowl. They took a 17-16 lead into halftime, but Clemson shifted into fifth gear in the second half and sent the Sooners home with a 20-point loss.

45. 2016 Ohio State (11-2)

CFP result: Lost to Clemson 31-0 in semifinal

After what might have been Urban Meyer's most talented Ohio State team missed the CFP in 2015, the most offensively limited one made it the next year. The defense was strong enough to limit Deshaun Watson and Clemson to just two touchdowns in the Tigers' first 10 drives in the semifinal, but the Buckeyes' offense, which ranked 20th in offensive SP+ (terrible by their standards), got embarrassed.

44. 2017 Clemson (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Alabama 24-6 in semifinal

You know your program is in great shape when "transition year" means "only making the CFP semis." The Tigers boasted perhaps the best defense of the Dabo Swinney era, but Deshaun Watson was gone, and Trevor Lawrence wouldn't arrive in town for another year. Clemson was too good for the rest of the ACC but gained just 188 yards against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, bowing out slightly earlier than normal.

43. 2023 Alabama (12-2)

CFP result:Lost to Michigan 27-20 in semifinal

Nick Saban's final team was maybe his worst since 2007 and ranked just eighth in the CFP rankings before an SEC championship upset of Georgia. The Tide mastered the art of surviving, advancing and saving their best performance for the most important games. And when they were given a lifeline by snagging a CFP spot over Florida State, they nearly made the most of it, leading eventual champ Michigan into the final two minutes before succumbing in overtime.

42. 2021 Michigan (12-2)

CFP result:Lost to Georgia 34-11 in semifinal

A loss to Michigan State set Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines back early on, but they took down Ohio State for the first time in a decade, then stomped Iowa to win their first outright Big Ten title since 2003. This was an excellent team and the champion of an excellent conference, but the Wolverines ran into a slight problem in the Orange Bowl: They weren't better than Georgia at a single thing. That will catch up to you.

41. 2024 Penn State (13-3)

CFP result: Beat SMU 38-10 in first round; beat Boise State 31-14 in quarterfinal; lost to Notre Dame 27-24 in semifinal

James Franklin's Penn State tenure was defined by an extreme ability to control the controllables and a failure to rise to the biggest occasions. The Nittany Lions beat SMU and Boise State as comfortable favorites to reach the 2024 semis and came achingly close to beating Notre Dame. But they came up short, and their attempt to keep the band together and go all-in in 2025 crumpled to the ground, too.

40. 2023 Texas (12-2)

CFP result:Lost to Washington 37-31 in semifinal

Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns gave Alabama its first double-digit home loss of the entire Nick Saban era. They beat seven other bowl-eligible teams by an average of 24 points and pummeled Oklahoma State by 28 in the Big 12 championship game. They returned to relevance in a major way, but they couldn't slow Michael Penix Jr. and Washington in the Sugar Bowl. The Huskies quarterback threw for 430 yards and made Texas' first playoff stay a one-gamer.

39. 2022 TCU (13-2)

CFP result: Defeated Michigan 51-45 in semifinal; lost to Georgia 65-7 in national championship

Heisman runner-up Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs were close-game masters, winning five one-score games during a 12-0 start and losing only to a top-10 Kansas State team in the Big 12 championship. Their big-play ability and volatility were fully on display in the CFP, where they pulled off an upset of Michigan in maybe the best game of 2022, then got absolutely trounced by Georgia in the national title game.

38. 2024 Texas (13-3)

CFP result: Beat Clemson 38-24 in first round; beat Arizona State 39-31 in quarterfinal; lost to Ohio State 28-14 in semifinal

With a dynamite defense and an occasionally wobbly offense, Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns went 13-0 against teams not named Georgia or Ohio State in 2024. They narrowly survived Arizona State in the quarterfinals thanks to clutch late play from quarterback Quinn Ewers, and they were driving to tie their semifinal late against Ohio State before a Jack Sawyer scoop-and-score touchdown sealed their fate.

37. 2016 Washington (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Alabama 24-7 in semifinal

Chris Petersen's Huskies sent a message by beating a top-20 Stanford squad by 28 points in September, then finished up by felling Colorado by 31 in the Pac-12 championship game. An outstanding defense led by Budda Baker and Greg Gainesmostly controlled Alabama in the Peach Bowl, too; Washington trailed just 10-7 late in the first half before a Ryan Anderson pick-six changed the game.

36. 2025 Texas Tech (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Oregon 23-0 in quarterfinal

Tech beat the spread in 12 of 14 games, a sign that we were underestimating just how impressive the Red Raiders were. They had two of the best defensive players in the sport in Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey, and each of their 12 wins came by at least 22 points. But an inconsistent offense, led by inconsistent quarterback Behren Morton, ran aground in the Orange Bowl, and Tech fell to Oregon.

35. 2024 Georgia (11-3)

CFP result: Lost to Notre Dame 23-10 in quarterfinal

Georgia survived upset bids and a late-season injury to quarterback Carson Beck to still brawl its way to the SEC title despite lacking the elite-level talent that won it the 2021 and 2022 national titles. But the Bulldogs couldn't do Gunner Stockton enough favors against Notre Dame, in his first career start, and allowing 17 points in 56 seconds in the middle of the game was too much to overcome.

34. 2025 Georgia (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Ole Miss 39-34 in quarterfinal

Kirby Smart's Dawgs scraped by early with nothing but guile and second-half adjustments, then kicked into gear late. An inexperienced defense established a high level in November, and Georgia avenged its lone loss, to Alabama, with an SEC championship game blowout. But the Bulldogs' big-play capabilities were limited, and the defense lost both the plot and a nine-point halftime lead in a quarterfinal rematch with Ole Miss.

33. 2025 Ole Miss (13-2)

CFP result: Beat Tulane 41-10 in first round; beat Georgia 39-34 in quarterfinal; lost to Miami 31-27 in semifinal

The Rebels' stay in the 2025 playoff might forever be defined by who wasn't there -- Lane Kiffin left for LSU after the regular season -- and they probably didn't have the same raw upside as the 2024 team that fell just short of a bid. But they found a way to make a run, winning a pair of rematches against Tulane and Georgia and leading Miami until the final 20 seconds in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.

32. 2017 Oklahoma (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Georgia 54-48 in semifinal

After a bumpy start, Lincoln Riley's first Sooners squad found its top gear midway through 2017, winning its final six Big 12 games by an average of 23 points, earning Baker Mayfield the Heisman Trophy and surging to a 31-14 first-half lead over Georgia in the Rose Bowl. The Sooners couldn't hold on, though. Georgia came back twice to force overtime and won what still is one of the best games of the CFP era.

31. 2025 Oregon (13-2)

CFP result: Beat James Madison 51-34 in first round; beat Texas Tech 23-0 in quarterfinal; lost to Indiana 56-22 in semifinal

Oregon's 2025 outfit combined the offensive upside we're used to seeing from the Ducks with a Big Ten-level defense capable of driving rock-fight wins. Dan Lanning's team fell only to Indiana twice, but it couldn't break down elite defenses, and it didn't come anywhere close to solving the Hoosiers, first losing by 10 points at home and then by 34 on a neutral field.

30. 2025 Miami (13-3)

CFP result: Beat Texas A&M 10-3 in first round; beat Ohio State 24-14 in quarterfinal; beat Ole Miss 31-27 in semifinal; lost to Indiana 27-21 in national championship

The Hurricanes overcame a midseason funk that included timid, turnover-plagued losses to Louisville and SMU and shifted into gear just enough to snag the last playoff at-large bid. And wow, did they take advantage of their opportunities. Ends Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor combined for 10.5 playoff sacks, Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 507 yards, and after surviving three narrow slugfests to reach the title game, they damn near slayed the nation's best team as well.

29. 2023 Washington (14-1)

CFP result:Beat Texas 37-31 in semifinal; lost to Michigan 34-13 in national championship

The TCU of 2023, Washington boasted both an explosive passing game -- Michael Penix Jr. threw for 4,903 yards, mostly to the incredible trio of Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk andJalen McMillan-- and exquisite timing: The Huskies won eight games by one score, including two wild wins over a dynamite Oregon team and a thriller over Texas in the CFP semifinals. They couldn't keep up with Michigan in the national title game, but that only dampened the run so much.

28. 2022 Ohio State (11-2)

CFP result:Lost to Georgia 42-41 in semifinal

After face-planting against Michigan for the second straight year, no team stood to gain more from a CFP bid than Ryan Day's Buckeyes. And they almost gained everything. Thanks to an incredible performance from quarterback C.J. Stroud, Ohio State held a 38-24 Peach Bowl lead on the champs heading into the fourth quarter. And even when Georgia charged back, the Buckeyes had a field goal try at the buzzer to win it. But it missed badly.

27. 2020 Clemson (10-2)

CFP result:Lost to Ohio State 49-28 in semifinal

It's hard to properly grade a team that was without its star quarterback for one of its two losses (Trevor Lawrence vs. Notre Dame). But while Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards in just 10 games and Travis Etienne was dangerous as both a receiver and a runner, the Tigers' defense had a bit of a big-play issue at times. And in the semifinal at the Sugar Bowl, they got dominated in the trenches, which made the biggest difference in a 21-point loss to Ohio State.

26. 2022 Michigan (13-1)

CFP result:Lost to TCU 51-45 in semifinal

Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines improved significantly after their brief stay in the 2021 CFP. They were even better at their go-to manball routine, and they proved to have more explosive offensive weapons as well. (Just ask Ohio State.) They were well-rounded and probably the second-best team of 2022, but they fell victim to an onslaught of TCU big plays and couldn't pull off a last-minute comeback.

25. 2024 Notre Dame (14-2)

CFP result: Beat Indiana 27-17 in first round; beat Georgia 23-10 in quarterfinal; beat Penn State 27-24 in semifinal; lost to Ohio State 34-23 in national championship

With explosive running backs and dynamite defense, Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish overcame a baffling early loss to Northern Illinois -- and a lack of high-level passing -- to roll to a playoff berth. After comfortable wins over Indiana and Georgia, they overcame multiple deficits to beat Penn State and reach the championship game. Only the best team in the country was going to take them down at that point.

24. 2025 Ohio State (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Miami 24-14 in quarterfinal

The Buckeyes are as hard to rank as the Miami team that beat them in the quarterfinals. They might have had the most purely talented roster in the sport, and they won their first 12 games of the season by an average score of 37-8. They were No. 1 in SP+ heading into the CFP, but the offense couldn't shift out of caution mode when it counted, and they scored just 24 total points in season-ending losses to Indiana (Big Ten championship game) and Miami.

23. 2014 Oregon (13-2)

CFP result: Beat Florida State 59-20 in semifinal; lost to Ohio State 42-20 in national championship

Marcus Mariota combined 4,454 passing yards with 770 rushing yards and 57 total touchdowns (and duly won the Heisman), and the Ducks ranked second in offensive SP+. They scored at least 42 points in nine straight games and put up 59 on defending national champion Florida State ... but weren't able score over the final 20 minutes of the national title game. An overwhelmed Ducks defense couldn't hold Ohio State back.

22. 2024 Oregon (13-1)

CFP result: Lost to Ohio State 41-21 in quarterfinal

In their first Big Ten season, the Ducks won their first 13 games behind Dillon Gabriel's ruthlessly efficient passing, a 1,200-yard season from Jordan James and one of the best pass defenses in the country. They beat Ohio State and Penn State and earned the No. 1 seed in the CFP, but luck of the draw was not on their side: They were swarmed by a revenge-minded Buckeyes team in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.

21. 2014 Alabama (12-2)

CFP result: Lost to Ohio State 42-35 in semifinal

The 2014 season saw both the dawn of the CFP era and the beginning of the Great Nick Saban Offensive Evolution. He hired Lane Kiffin to modernize a stale offense, and after an early loss to Ole Miss, the Tide won eight straight to earn the No. 1 seed in the first CFP. They jumped out to a 21-6 lead on Ohio State, but three turnovers and a famousEzekiel Elliott touchdown run did them in.

20. 2015 Clemson (14-1)

CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 37-17 in semifinal; lost to Alabama 45-40 in national championship

Eight years ago, Clemson was still an upstart. Quarterback Deshaun Watson was healthy and dominant, and the Tigers began to look the part of a contender. They outlasted Notre Dame in an October monsoon and blew most of a huge lead against North Carolina before surviving. In the CFP, the Tigers surged past Oklahoma in the second half and led Bama before succumbing in what might have been the greatest fourth quarter in CFP history.

19. 2017 Georgia (13-2)

CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 54-48 in semifinal; lost to Alabama 26-23 in national championship

Kirby Smart's second UGA team all but ended a 37-year national title drought. The Dawgs won at Notre Dame in September, destroyed all comers in the SEC East and avenged their lone loss with a dominant SEC championship game win over Auburn. They outlasted Oklahoma in the greatest game in CFP history and had Alabama all but beaten in the championship game ... until Tua Tagovailoa came onto the field.

18. 2020 Ohio State (7-1)

CFP result:Beat Clemson 49-28 in semifinal; lost to Alabama 52-24 in national championship

The Buckeyes played only eight games, but they won four by at least 21 points, including a 49-28 victory over Trevor Lawrence and Clemson in the semifinals. They lived up to most of their preseason hype and avenged their 2019 semifinal loss to the Tigers. They also lost the national title game by 28 points. Still, in a year of abbreviated schedules and limited two-deeps, Ohio State was a poster child of sorts, and the Buckeyes looked the part until the final act.

17. 2021 Alabama (13-2)

CFP result: Beat Cincinnati 27-6 in semifinal; lost to Georgia 33-18 in national championship

Nick Saban's Crimson Tide had maybe the best offensive (Bryce Young) and defensive (Will Anderson Jr.) players in the country but didn't enjoy as much depth and experience as normal and were lucky to reach 11-1. But they walloped Georgia in the SEC championship game, then beat Cincinnati with pure physicality to reach the final. They led Georgia in the fourth quarter of the championship game, too, but the Dawgs scored the final 20 points.

16. 2016 Alabama (14-1)

CFP result: Beat Washington 24-7 in semifinal; lost to Clemson 35-31 in national championship

Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts took over as Alabama's starter. A rebuilding season in Tuscaloosa? Hardly. Hurts won SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and the Tide rolled to the CFP final unbeaten, with only one win by single digits. They couldn't finish the job, though. With star running back Bo Scarbrough hurt, the Alabama offense couldn't stay on the field, and an exhausted defense gave up three late scores to fall to Clemson.

15, 14 (tie). 2019 Ohio State (13-1) and 2019 Clemson (14-1)

CFP result: Clemson beat Ohio State 29-23 in semifinal, then lost to LSU 42-25 in national championship

It was overshadowed by LSU's late-season brilliance, but both the Buckeyes and Tigers were unreal for most of 2019. They went a combined 26-0 in the regular season; 22 of the wins were by at least 24 points, and only one was by single digits. And in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal, they played one of the most even and compelling games in recent college football memory.

Ohio State dominated the early proceedings, going up 16-0 but settling for field goals; that offered Clemson a lifeline, and the Tigers charged back. The second half featured three scores and three lead changes, and after controversy and countless plot twists, Nolan Turner's interception of Justin Fields made the difference. If they'd played 100 times, each team would have won 50.

13. 2015 Alabama (14-1)

CFP result: Beat Michigan State 38-0 in semifinal; beat Clemson 45-40 in national championship

The second Saban-Kiffin mashup showed plenty of early flaws. New starting quarterback Jake Coker was shaky early on and briefly got benched, and while the defense was mostly solid, it got torched by Ole Miss in an early loss. But the Tide manhandled No. 2 LSU in early November, and Coker caught fire down the stretch. Thanks in part to a classic surprise onside kick, Bama outlasted Clemson in a title-game thriller.

12. 2016 Clemson (14-1)

CFP result: Beat Ohio State 31-0 in semifinal; beat Alabama 35-31 in national championship

Clemson nearly lost to Auburn, Troy and Lamar Jackson's Louisville team early and did lose to Pitt in mid-November. But as would become a Dabo Swinney custom, the Tigers turned into Angry Clemson after their loss, humiliating South Carolina, keeping Virginia Tech mostly at arm's reach and shutting out Ohio State. Trailing Bama by 10 in the final, the Tigers played a nearly perfect fourth quarter, exhausting the Tide's defense and scoring the title-winning touchdown with one second remaining.

11. 2014 Ohio State (14-1)

CFP result: Beat Alabama 42-35 in semifinal; beat Oregon 42-20 in national championship

The ultimate "peak when you most need to" team. Ranked 16th in the initial CFP rankings, Ohio State kept getting better and rising down the stretch. Needing a huge statement in the Big Ten championship game, the Buckeyes unleashed the hugest statement, beating Wisconsin 59-0 to eke out the No. 4 CFP seed. They then proceeded to beat Bama with a 28-0 run and take down Oregon with a late 21-0 run. Late arriving? Nope, just in time.

10. 2024 Ohio State (14-2)

CFP result: Beat Tennessee 42-17 in first round; beat Oregon 41-21 in quarterfinal; beat Texas 28-14 semifinal; beat Notre Dame 34-23 in national championship

Apparently the trick is finishing with a loss. Guess it adds motivation. The 2022 Ohio State team lost to Michigan, then nearly beat an incredible Georgia team in the CFP. The 2024 team lost to Michigan, then ripped off a four-game run that will stand as the model moving forward: Four top-10 opponents stood in the way, and four fell by an average of 17 points.

9. 2018 Alabama (14-1)

CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 45-34 in semifinal; lost to Clemson 44-16 in national championship

The 2018 Bama squad was just as good as the 2020 Tide on paper but couldn't clear the final hurdle. The Tide destroyed their first 14 opponents by an average of 32 points, and only Georgia in the SEC championship game offered any resistance (though the Dawgs offered quite a bit). The Tide combined Nick Saban's best offense yet with a top-10 defense ... but they laid the ultimate egg in the CFP finale.

8. 2017 Alabama (13-1)

CFP result: Beat Clemson 24-6 in semifinal; beat Georgia 26-23 in national championship

Bama went scorched earth during an 11-0 start, but the offense grew rickety late. The Tide barely eked out a CFP bid after a 26-14 loss to Auburn, and they trailed Georgia 13-0 at halftime in the championship game before freshman Tua Tagovailoa tagged in, led Bama on a 20-7 run and -- after the Tide nearly won in regulation -- threw a famous second-and-26 strike to DeVonta Smith to win Nick Saban his sixth national title.

7. 2021 Georgia (14-1)

CFP result: Beat Michigan 34-11 in semifinal; beat Alabama 33-18 in national championship

Kirby Smart's Bulldogs were far and away the best team of the season's first three months, combining steady and efficient offense with college football's most consistently dominant defense in years. Only Bama scored more than 17 points on the Dawgs, who lost to the Tide in the SEC championship game but rebounded to pen a happy ending and, with help from a game-clinching Kelee Ringo pick-six, win their first national title in 41 years.

6. 2018 Clemson (15-0)

CFP result: Beat Notre Dame 30-3 in semifinal; beat Alabama 44-16 in national championship

Clemson barely survived September unbeaten, needing a 2-point-conversion stop to escape Texas A&M and a rousing comeback led by backup quarterback Chase Brice to beat Syracuse. But once Trevor Lawrence was healthy and established in the starting lineup, no one had any hope against the Tigers. They beat Florida State by 49, Wake Forest by 60 and Louisville by 61, and they won two CFP games by a combined 74-19. Goodness.

5. 2023 Michigan (15-0)

CFP result: Beat Alabama 27-20 in semifinal; beat Washington 34-13 in national championship

The Wolverines beat Penn State and Ohio State without suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh, and even with off-field matters swirling in the background, they were rarely challenged on the field, winning 11 games by at least 21 points. They extended their Big Ten winning streak to 25 games, they handed Nick Saban a Rose Bowl loss in his final game as a head coach, and with the national title on the line, they put on a defensive clinic. They dominated a brilliant Washington offensive line, holding the prolific Huskies to just 301 total yards and rolling to their first national title in 26 years.

4. 2025 Indiana (16-0)

CFP result: Beat Alabama 38-3 in quarterfinal; beat Oregon 56-22 in semifinal; beat Miami 27-21 in national championship

The first 16-0 major college football team since 1894 Yale, Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers beat both Oregon and Ohio State away from home to claim the playoff's top seed, then played two virtually perfect games against Alabama and Oregon teams that had been on the big stage far more than they had. Almost more impressive: They then rallied when things began to fall apart in the second half of the national title game. A Miami charge put their title shot in danger, but Fernando Mendoza's amazing fourth-down touchdown run, a couple of huge Charlie Becker catches and Jamari Sharpe's last-minute interception sealed the deal for an all-time champ.

3. 2022 Georgia (15-0)

CFP result:Beat Ohio State 42-41 in semifinal; beat TCU 65-7 in national championship

Only twice did the defending national champs find themselves in a down-to-the-wire game, and only once did they have to lean on the college football gods for help (with Ohio State's last-second field goal miss in the semifinals). They scored at least 37 points in 11 games and allowed 14 or fewer in nine. They didn't have quite the level of high-end talent their 2021 team boasted, but they were an even more dominant team.

2. 2019 LSU (15-0)

CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 63-28 in semifinal; beat Clemson 42-25 in national championship

Plenty of coaches have attempted to modernize their offenses in the hopes of giving their programs a shot in the arm. Ed Orgeron's 2019 team set the bar impossibly high for any future modernizers. With help from an elite skill corps, Joe Burrow threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns (!!!). Once LSU's defense got healthy late in the year, the Tigers were untouchable, beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa, then winning their last six games by an average of 30 points.

1. 2020 Alabama (13-0)

CFP result:Beat Notre Dame 31-14 in semifinal; beat Ohio State 52-24 in national championship

The Crimson Tide had the Nos. 1, 3 and 5 finishers in the Heisman voting. They played one game decided by fewer than 14 points. They bested an SEC-only schedule by an average of 30.2 points per game. Their defense struggled early but allowed only 15 points per game after mid-October. This was the best Nick Saban team ever and quite possibly the best of the 21st century.

Best team ... from the best coach ... with the best dynasty of the 21st century (at the very least)? Sounds like the best team of the CFP era.

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