28 teams that made the four-team tournament in the College Football Playoff era. How would the committee probably rank them all?
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Now that we know how the College Football Playoff committee has gone through its process through the first seven years of this grand experiment, what if we took all the precedents and thoughts and applied them to all 28 teams that made it into the tournament?
There’s obviously a reason why some teams are ranked where they were in a given season, but the criteria has changed a wee bit here and there – the CFP really likes the four best teams belief – so there’s some adjusting to do.
So let’s say the committee had to seed all 28 teams from 2014 to 2020. How would it rank them?
One key note: pretend we don’t know what actually happens in any of the playoffs. Forget about the results, as amazing or ugly as they might have been. This is strictly going on the merits of each team at the end of each regular season.
One other rule – this goes by what the committee did in each year. So 2020 Ohio State – ranked third in the final CFP ranking – has to be ranked ahead of 2020 Notre Dame, who was ranked fourth.
Again, this is our projection of what this would be. This isn’t from the College Football Playoff.
The all-time College Football Playoff top 28 would be (again, remember, we don’t know how this all turns out in each of the respective College Football Playoffs) …
The (#) after each team is the final College Football Playoff ranking in a given year.
28. 2020 Notre Dame (10-1)
The Case For: The Fighting Irish got to the ACC Championship at 10-0 with a win over then-unbeaten (2) Clemson as – technically – the strongest regular season win by anyone e in the 2020 regular season.
That was good, but the 31-17 win on the road over a tough (13) North Carolina team helped to just enough to overcome several issues. There weren’t too many other amazing wins, there were a whole bunch of victories over soft teams, and …
The Case Against: Clemson 34, Notre Dame 10. Clemson was without star QB Trevor Lawrence – although, his fill-in, DJ Uiagalelei, was fantastic – and were beaten up on the defensive front in the loss to the Irish, but everything worked just fine in the ACC Championship. The Irish looked totally outclassed in, arguably, the worst loss by any team to make it into the College Football Playoff.
Final Decision: There are teams that didn’t win their own divisions that still make this list, but no team had lost its conference championship and got the call. The overall body of work is fine, but there were just four wins over teams that finished with winning records, and that ACC Championship was ugly.
27. 2020 Ohio State (6-0)
The Case For: In a tough year with nothing normal and everything trying just to keep the car on the road, Ohio State turned out to be one of just two Power Five teams to go unbeaten and win a conference championship.
Even with a slew of missing players at various times, and despite being without key parts late in the season, the Buckeyes still won’t the Big Ten title, handed (11) Indiana its only loss, and …
The Case Against: The six-win schedule is way light, and it took a special ruling by the Big Ten just to get the team into the Big Ten Championship. Yes, the team had a whole lot of issues with health, but it still didn’t look all that great against a totally mediocre slate. The wins over IU and (14) Northwestern were the only two against teams that finished with a winning record.
Final Decision: 2020 was such a rough year, this is about giving a super-talented team a break, even with only six wins and none of them all that great. In the end, the Buckeyes were an unbeaten Power Five champion no matter how rocky things looked. The precedent when it comes to the 0 in the loss column holds.
26. 2016 Washington (12-1)
The Case For: The Pac-12 Championship meant just about everything to the Huskies’ case. They didn’t just beat Colorado (10), they brought a 41-10 stomping.
The Huskies looked like the real deal on both sides of the ball for most of the year, destroying Christian McCaffrey and Stanford (18) 44-6, and rolling through Utah (19) on the road.
The Case Against: The resumé stinks. The Pac-12 was awful in 2016, and the UW non-conference schedule was worse, facing Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State. The hottest team going was USC (9), and Washington didn’t just lose, it lost at home 26-13.
Final Decision: The speed and talent are there, but the resumé wins aren’t. There wasn’t anything in non-conference play to get excited about.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (1) Alabama 24, (4) Washington 7 (semifinal)
25. 2017 Alabama (11-1)
The Case For: There’s a whole lot of talent on both sides of the ball. When it was focused and rose up from time to time – like against Ole Miss in a 66-3 win – it was fantastic.
The Crimson Tide ended up beating six bowl teams including LSU (17) and Mississippi State (23). Crushing Fresno State 41-10 turned out to be a far better than it looked at the time.
The Case Against: Where were the big wins? The Crimson Tide struggled against a mediocre Texas A&M, it was just okay against LSU and Mississippi State, and while beating Florida State was good, that turned out to be a way overrated Seminole squad. Throw in the double-digit loss to Auburn – the one good team on the slate – and there’s nothing here.
And, of course, there’s the huge problem of not winning a division or a conference championship in a down year for the SEC – Auburn won the West and Georgia won the conference.
Final Decision: On talent and reputation, the Crimson Tide could hang with anyone, and they could certainly get hot and win two games against anyone on this list. But based on eye test and resumé, this team is just okay compared to some of Nick Saban’s juggernauts.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (4) Alabama 24, (1) Clemson 6 (semifinal); (4) Alabama 26, (3) Georgia 23 (OT) (National Championship)
All-Time College Football Playoff Top 28 Projection
1-4 | 5-8 | 9-12 | 13-16 | 17-20 | 21-24
NEXT: College Football Playoff All-Time Projection: Top 24
24. 2015 Oklahoma (11-1)
The Case For: As far as non-conference wins go, the comeback against Tennessee (23) on the road is the important tone-setter for everything else. The offense picked up steam from there, scoring 41 points or more nine times, including a 44-34 win at Baylor (17).
In the key final two games of the season, OU came through, taking down TCU (11) 30-29, and beating Oklahoma State (16) on the road in a 58-23 blowout.
The Case Against: The loss was in a rivalry fight with Texas, but it was still unacceptable – the Longhorns suffered a losing season. The defense didn’t always pass the eye test, and overall, the Big 12 was okay, not amazing. Not having a conference championship game isn’t that big a drag, but 11-1 is obviously different than 12-1.
Final Decision: The offense was terrific, and there some nice wins, but beating Tennessee didn’t turn out to be quite like it was supposed to be, and the 11 wins come across as a bit light in the no-big-deal Big 12 of 2015.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (1) Clemson 37, (4) Oklahoma 17 (semifinal)
23. 2019 Oklahoma (12-1)
The Case For: The offense was spectacular. It was the best in the nation in total yards throughout the season, the defense led the Big 12 in total D and there was a whole lot of pop and explosion finishing second behind LSU.
Beating Baylor (7) twice was impressive, and the win over Oklahoma State (25) adds on another top 25 victory. Unlike a few others on this list. the Sooners won a Power Five conference title.
The Case Against: It took way too much work to get by mediocre Iowa State and TCU teams, and the loss to Kansas State is glaring. It wasn’t a miserable defeat, but considering the overall resumé isn’t all that strong – there was nothing in non-conference play to get excited about – the 12-1 record knocks down the Sooners.
Final Decision: The committee would like the offense, but would be worried about the close calls and the big wins over Baylor weren’t that great, even if it came against the CFP’s seventh-ranked team. There’s a whole lot not to like according to the overall eye test.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (1) Alabama 45, (4) Oklahoma 34 (semifinal); (2) Clemson 44, (1) Alabama 16 (National Championship)
22. 2014 Ohio State (12-1)
The Case For: Purely on the eye test, it’s hard to close a season stronger. With everyone paying attention, the Buckeyes overcame the scrutiny with a brilliant 59-0 Big Ten Championship win over a fantastic Wisconsin (18) team. There were three wins over final top 25 teams, led by the shootout victory over a Michigan State (8).
The Case Against: Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21. It might have come early in the season, but it was still a blowout loss at home to a mediocre team. Also, the loss of starting quarterback J.T. Barrett against Michigan is a factor. The Big Ten Championship win was great, but the Buckeyes losing the starting quarterback matters to the committee.
Final Decision: This is a tough one, mainly because it absolutely looked the part as the season went on, but the Virginia Tech game was the one chance to come up with something decent against a real non-conference team, and at home, they blew it.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (4) Ohio State 42, (1) Alabama 35 (semifinal); (4) Ohio State 42, (2) Oregon (National Championship)
21. 2018 Oklahoma (12-1)
The Case For: Kyler Murray and the offense were tremendous. An unstoppable machine throughout the season, the O ripped through team after team, including Texas (15) in the lone loss.
The loss to the Longhorns was hardly unacceptable, and the Sooners made up for it with a dominant 39-27 Big 12 Championship win in the rematch. OU also rolled Iowa State (24) and got by West Virginia (16) in a 59-56 classic. Throw in a win over a strong Army team, and there’s a lot to like.
The Case Against: The defense was miserable. Oklahoma finished dead last in the nation in pass defense, was 114th in the country in total D, gave up more first downs than anyone, and was horrible on third downs. Other than that, things were great. Considering Army wasn’t in the final CFP top 25, there weren’t any impressive non-conference wins.
Final Decision: The revenge win over Texas for the Big 12 title is a big deal. The offense and Murray would be enough to get well inside the top 20, but the one loss on the schedule and lack of defense makes it close.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (1) Alabama 45, (4) Oklahoma 34 (semifinal)
All-Time College Football Playoff Top 28 Projection
1-4 | 5-8 | 9-12 | 13-16 | 17-20 | 25-28
NEXT: College Football Playoff All-Time Projection: Top 20
20. 2020 Clemson (10-1)
The Case For: When the team was healthy and fully operational, it was the same sort of Clemson machine that ripped through college football over the previous few seasons.
There weren’t a slew of amazing wins, but it was the only team to beat (18) Miami before it got trounced in the regular season finale by North Carolina, and most importantly, it destroyed (2) (4) Notre Dame 34-10 in the ACC Championship to make amends for …
The Case Against: A loss in South Bend was the blemish. The Tigers were without QB Trevor Lawrence and were hurting on the defensive side, and they still managed to almost pull off the tough road win in an overtime thriller. However, it was a loss combined with a relatively weak rest of the schedule. However …
Final Decision: There aren’t any real blips or dings considering the COVID concerns and issues in a tough year for everyone. There aren’t a lot of great wins, but blowing out Notre Dame in the ACC Championship, combined with the talent level, make this a dangerous team peaking at the right time.
19. 2014 Florida State (13-0)
The Case For: 13-0. It might not have been pretty, but this was the only Power Five team to finish the 2014 season without a blemish. The Seminoles fought through plenty of adversity and still answered every challenge, beating Clemson (17) and Louisville (21) teams that finished in the top 25, and beat Georgia Tech (12) in the ACC Championship.
The Case Against: The eye test hurts. There were too many lousy performances, too many close calls, and too many battles without one truly great win. The Noles weren’t playing like a top team, even at 13-0.
Final Decision: There’s a benefit of the doubt factor kicking in. There’s something to be said for being the only unbeaten team in a given year, especially as the defending national champions. But the Seminoles could never quite wake up – they don’t look the same as they did in 2013.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (2) Oregon 59, (3) Florida State 20 (semifinal)
18. 2015 Michigan State (12-1)
The Case For: The early season win over Oregon (15) set the tone as the Spartans seemed to invent ways to win close game after close game.
The punt block finish against Michigan (14) on the road was an all-timer, but it was the road victory over Ohio State (7) – the Buckeyes’ only blemish – that changed everything. Handing Iowa (5) it’s only loss gives the Spartans one of the best resumés on the board, but …
The Case Against: The loss to a Nebraska team that finished with a losing record wasn’t okay. The Spartans played with fire time and again, and in Lincoln, they got burned. Six of their games were decided by a touchdown or less – they didn’t always pass the eye test.
Final Decision: This was more like a team that just found a way to get it done. There’s no arguing against what the Spartans did, but based on look and the “four best team” theory, it’s hard to make a case for anything higher.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (2) Alabama 38, (3) Michigan State 0 (semifinal)
17. 2017 Oklahoma (12-1)
The Case For: The offense … the offense. Who’s stopping this thing? Texas was able to keep it in check, but even in the loss to Iowa State the Sooners put up 31 points.
Baker Mayfield came up with a season-long performance for the ages, especially in a Heisman-defining 31-16 win at Ohio State (5). Based on the look, this team answers every question on offense, surviving a 62-52 shootout against Oklahoma State (19) on the road, and beating TCU (15) twice, including in the redo of the Big 12 Championship. Beating seven bowl teams – including one twice – is terrific.
The Case Against: The defense was still suspect. Granted, playing in the Big 12 will do that, but the conference wasn’t that great. The loss to Iowa State, while generally acceptable, was still a loss. At home. To Iowa State.
Final Decision: The Texas game needed a late boost, and Mayfield saved the day against Kansas State, but it’s really all about that win at Ohio State – considering the final ranking, it’s among the best by anyone on this list.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (3) Georgia 54, (2) Oklahoma 48 (2OT) (semifinal)
All-Time College Football Playoff Top 28 Projection
1-4 | 5-8 | 9-12 | 13-16 | 21-24 | 25-28
NEXT: College Football Playoff All-Time Projection: Top 16
16. 2017 Clemson (12-1)
The Case For: Based on the eye test, good luck finding a better defensive front. The Tigers destroyed a great Auburn (7) team that went on to play for the SEC Championship, followed it up with a win over Louisville on the road, and was solid in a 31-17 win over Virginia Tech (22) for a strong September – but one that turned out to be a bit overblown.
In all, there were eight wins against teams that went bowling, and that was before stomping all over Miami (10) 38-3 in the ACC Championship. South Carolina isn’t ranked, but that was a solid rivalry win on the road, and taking down NC State (24) looks strong on paper.
The Case Against: Of all the 24 College Football Playoff teams, no one had a worse loss than the 27-24 misfire on a Friday night at Syracuse. The Orange not only didn’t go bowling, they didn’t win another game the rest of the way finishing 4-8. Overall, the ACC was good, not amazing. Florida State was down, and Louisville was just okay.
Final Decision: The Kelly Bryant injury issue against Syracuse is taken into account, but that was still a loss to an eventual 4-8 team. Those September wins – except for Auburn – zzzzzzzzzz. They were fine. However, this team was rocking at the end of the regular season.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (4) Alabama 24, (1) Clemson 6 (semifinal)
15. 2016 Ohio State (11-1)
The Case For: The resume wins are staggering. The Buckeyes beat a Tulsa team that had a great season, but it was the 45-24 win the week after on the road against eventual Big 12 champion Oklahoma (7) that was the key to the season.
They survived Wisconsin (8) in overtime in Madison, and they destroyed a solid Nebraska team 62-3. They followed that up with another 62-3 win over a Maryland team that went bowling.
Finish it all up with a gut-check win over Michigan (6), and that’s three wins over top eight teams, with the one loss came in miracle fashion on the road.
The Case Against: The Buckeyes didn’t even win their own division, much less their own conference. The overall body of work is fantastic, and the 24-21 loss to Penn State on a blocked kick for a score was forgivable, but no conference title = big problem.
Final Decision: Conference championships really do matter. However, when it comes to the top-line of the resume, it’s hard to beat what the Buckeyes did, especially with the two wins on the road over Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (2) Clemson 31, (3) Ohio State 0 (semifinal)
14. 2017 Georgia (12-1)
The Case For: Being able to avenge an earlier loss matters. The defeat on the road at Auburn (7) hurt, but getting the job done later in a 28-7 pounding for the SEC Championship made up for it.
Beating Notre Dame (14) on the road really makes a difference. That was a good Irish team at the time, and taking down rival Georgia Tech on the road should count, even if the Yellow Jackets didn’t get bowl eligible. The Bulldogs also stomped Mississippi State (23) 31-3.
The Case Against: There are losses, and there are 40-17 losses, even on the road. While the Dawgs pass the eye test, there were a whole lot of wins over mediocre teams. Mississippi State wasn’t that great. Tennessee – awful. Florida – awful. Vanderbilt – awful. There were a few great wins, but there’s not enough meat on the schedule bone.
Final Decision: The debate is on. The NFL talent was there in several spots, and the team certainly looked and played the part in a lot of ways. but the way it lost to Auburn was scary. It seemed to expose the Dawgs a bit, even if they were able to avenge the defeat a few weeks later.
13. 2018 Notre Dame (12-0)
The Case For: The Irish played decent team after decent team and kept on improving. The offense rose up and rocked once Ian Book took over the starting quarterback gig and RB Dexter Williams kicked it all in – the offense was terrific, and the D good enough.
And the team was 12-0, destroying Syracuse (20) with the spotlight on, and beating Big Ten West champ Northwestern (22) in Evanston. The money was made, though, with a win over Michigan (7) in the opener.
The Case Against: Yeah, the Irish beat a slew of good teams, and Michigan was great, but … it got USC in a bad year, Virginia Tech when it was down, Florida State when it was way down, and Stanford and Navy when they were underwhelming. 12-0 is 12-0 – if it was so easy, everyone would do it, but .. meh.
Final Decision: The lack of a conference championship game or win keeps the Irish down a little bit, but the 12-0 record gets enough respect to push for just outside of the top 20.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (2) Clemson 30, (3) Notre Dame 3 (semifinal)
All-Time College Football Playoff Top 28 Projection
1-4 | 5-8 | 9-12 | 17-20 | 21-24 | 25-28
NEXT: College Football Playoff All-Time Projection: Top 12
12. 2016 Clemson (12-1)
The Case For: On talent, Clemson was as good as anyone on this list. There’s NFL prospect after NFL prospect on both sides, led by Deshaun Watson conducting it all.
Beating Auburn (14) to start the season on the road was strong, and while it was a fight to get by Troy at home, that turned out to be a fantastic Trojan team. Surviving Lamar Jackson and a red-hot Louisville (13) helps, beating Florida State (11) on the road was great, and winning the ACC Championship over Virginia Tech (22) padded the resumé.
The Case Against: The 43-42 shootout loss at home to Pitt was a problem. Considering the Tigers lucked out against NC State a few weeks earlier – a missed field goal was needed to survive – this was a shaky team despite all the talent.
Final Decision: The problem is that NC State game. Clemson certainly had the talent to turn it all up a few notches – and Watson was Watson – but there were a whole lot of moments that didn’t add up. Would the Tigers have been more focused if they lost to the Wolfpack? Maybe, but that lack of focus is scary to put up any higher than this.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (2) Clemson 31, (3) Ohio State 0, (semifinal); (2) Clemson 35, (1) Alabama 31 (National Championship)
11. 2014 Oregon (12-1)
The Case For: Who’s stopping this offense? On a roll, Heisman-winner Marcus Mariota led an attack that cranked up 42 points or more in every game except the 31-24 loss to Arizona (10).
The Ducks avenged that with a 51-13 Wildcat stomping in the Pac-12 title game.. The 19-point win over Michigan State (8) is the big win, but winning at UCLA (14), blowing out Utah (22) on the road helped.
The Case Against: The loss to Arizona the first time around was at home. The rest of the Pac-12 was relatively mediocre, and there were some defensive issues against bad Washington State and California teams.
Final Decision: This was a whole different ball game for this up-tempo offense. Mariota was the key, able to run it at the highest of levels. And the Ducks had a defense, too. No, beating the team that beats you doesn’t take the sting totally away, but it comes close.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (2) Oregon 59, (3) Florida State 20 (semifinal); (4) Ohio State 42, (2) Oregon (National Championship)
10. 2014 Alabama (12-1)
The Case For: The talent-level was jaw-dropping. The lines were incredible, and the offense explosive. Beating Mississippi State (7) was excellent, and getting by LSU (23) on the road was important, but it was the way the offense rolled when it needed to in a 55-44 win over Auburn (19), and the 42-13 dominance over Missouri (16), that took the 2014 Tide to another level.
The Case Against: The defense was too inconsistent for the talent level. There were a few too many tight games when Bama was the far better team, and the 23-17 road loss to Ole Miss (9) is an anchor.
Final Decision: The lack of consistency was troubling. This might be the most talented team on the list, but there were way too many struggles along the way. However, some credit has to be given for being the conference champ in an epic year for the conference, especially the SEC West.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (4) Ohio State 42, (1) Alabama 35 (semifinal)
9. 2019 Clemson (13-0)
The Case For: The Tigers were phenomenal down the stretch – and weren’t bad to start the season, either. A 21-20 win over North Carolina was the only blip – and it was a win. No one else came closer than 14 of the Tigers, and after the battle with the Tar Heels, no one came closer than 31. In the eight game run after the close call, Clemson beat five bowl teams, a rival in South Carolina, and one of those good wins came over Virginia 62-17 in the ACC Championship. But …
The Case Against: The team might have looked and played the part, but it helped that it didn’t play anyone ranked in the College Football Playoff top 25. Yeah, the Tigers blew out everyone, but their toughest test was … Virginia? They had the easiest slate among the top 24 teams when it came to playing top teams, and it wasn’t all that close.
Final Decision: The talent factor overcomes a whole lot else. No, Clemson didn’t play anyone, but it did what you’re supposed to do against a slew of mediocre teams – you blow them out with ease.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (3) Clemson 29, (2) Ohio State 23 (semifinal); (1) LSU 42, (3) Clemson 25 (National Championship)
All-Time College Football Playoff Top 28 Projection
1-4 | 5-8 | 13-16 | 17-20 | 21-24 | 25-28
NEXT: College Football Playoff All-Time Projection: Top 8
8. 2015 Alabama (12-1)
The Case For: The defense was at an all-time amazing level. It’s not just the eye test – it was in the results, allowing 17 points of fewer against everyone by Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
The resumé wins are good enough, winning away from Tuscaloosa against Wisconsin and Georgia teams that should’ve been in the final rankings, and with victories over Tennessee (23), LSU (20), and in the SEC Championship over Florida (19).
The Case Against: The 42-37 loss to Ole Miss (12) was at home. The offense was a bit hit-or-miss, and the home win over Tennessee was a wee bit of a grind.
Final Decision: 11 of the 12 wins were by double digits. It wasn’t always pretty, but the defense made up for most flaws. The Ole Miss loss passed the lose-a-game eye test. That was a weird, funky game where everything that could go right for the Rebels, did.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (2) Alabama 38, (3) Michigan State 0 (semifinal); (2) Alabama 45, (1) Clemson 40 (National Championship)
7. 2018 Clemson (13-0)
The Case For: The main knock against 2018 regular season Clemson is that it wasn’t 2018 regular season Alabama. There were several nice wins, but there weren’t any killers.
Beating Texas A&M (19) on the road was terrific, and surviving Syracuse (20) when QB Trevor Lawrence went down was big, but that was about it. Even so, the Tigers ripped up everyone in their path over the second half of the season and dominated Pitt 42-10 in the ACC Championship. No one came closer than 20 than Texas A&M and Syracuse.
The Case Against: There weren’t any amazing wins. There weren’t any victories over CFP final ranked top 15 teams. Florida State was down, South Carolina was just okay, and there wasn’t a whole lot to get excited about in the ACC.
Final Decision: Two wins over teams that finished ranked in the final CFP Top 25 are good enough to give something to get interested in, and the young talent on offense to go along with an epic defensive line is enough to assume that it was a great team that just so happened to play an okay slate. The team did what it was supposed to do as the season went on by looking and playing the part.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (2) Clemson 30, (3) Notre Dame 3 (semifinal); (2) Clemson 44, (1) Alabama 16 (National Championship)
6. 2015 Clemson (13-0)
The Case For: The only unbeaten team left in 2015, the Tigers fought through the adversity of some close calls to roll to 13-0 with an ACC Championship.
Surviving the two-point play against Notre Dame (8) was a key moment, but taking down Florida State (9) was when it all came together. The ACC Championship win over North Carolina (10) overcame a whole bunch of mediocre schedule issues.
The Case Against: There are way too many wins over average teams. In all, the Tigers beat five teams – all with four wins or fewer – that finished with losing records, along with a win over Wofford from the FCS world. The Notre Dame win was great, but there were plenty of layups to get to 13-0.
Final Decision: 13-0 is 13-0. Beating three top ten teams is enough to overcome the padding across the rest of the schedule. Take that, along with the undeniable talent, and the overall body of work is there.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (1) Clemson 37, (4) Oklahoma 17 (semifinal); (2) Alabama 45, (1) Clemson 40 (National Championship)
5. 2020 Alabama (11-0)
The Case For: In a brutal year with everyone fighting to stay healthy – much less focused – the Crimson Tide got through the absence of head coach Nick Saban for the Auburn game after he tested positive for COVID, as well as the early loss of star WR Jaylen Waddle to an injury.
There wasn’t so much as a blip over the first ten games, with no one coming reasonably close to hanging around with this team – outside of a fun 63-48 fight with Ole Miss that wasn’t really in doubt – and then came the SEC Championship. Florida (7) and its amazing offense kept on coming, but Bama had more pop in a 52-46 win.
The Case Against: The only possible knock might be a suspect defense that got hit hard by Florida and struggled on the road against Ole Miss.
Final Decision: The Tide not only went unbeaten with an SEC Championship – 6-0 Ohio State was the only other unbeaten Power Five champion – but they handed (5) Texas A&M its only loss, throttled a strong (9) Georgia team, and boasted three Heisman finalists. Oh yeah, and it played an all-SEC schedule – there’s no fluff on the resumé.
All-Time College Football Playoff Top 28 Projection
1-4 | 9-12 | 13-16 | 17-20 | 21-24 | 25-28
NEXT: The Top 4 College Football Playoff All-Time Projection
4. 2019 Ohio State (13-0)
The Case For: There was one mediocre first half against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, and there was a wee bit of drama against Penn State, but that was it. Ohio State pitched a perfect season with double-digit wins over everyone – including against the Badgers in two games and against the Nittany Lions – with total domination on both sides of the ball.
The Buckeyes led the nation in scoring offense, was second in total defense, and was in the top ten in most big categories. There was no weakness.
The Case Against: There were plenty of great wins, but none against the truly elite – at least according to the College Football Playoff rankings. The Buckeyes beat Cincinnati (21), Michigan (14), Penn State (10), and Wisconsin (8) twice, but again, no wins over top five teams …
Final Decision: It’s splitting hairs. The Buckeyes were nearly perfect in all phases, they always rose up to the occasion, and they were breathtaking when it was time to turn it on. The only thing missing was a truly special win to finish any higher.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (3) Clemson 29, (2) Ohio State 23 (semifinal)
3. 2016 Alabama (13-0)
The Case For: Perfect. The Crimson Tide made it look so easy at times, starting out with a dominant 52-6 win over USC (9) – Bama all but made USC flat quit.
Even with a freshman in Jalen Hurts at quarterback, the offense rolled at will. The defense didn’t allow a thing, and outside of a 48-43 firefight with Ole Miss and a 10-0 battle against a game LSU (20) team on the road, there wasn’t a whole lot of drama.
The defense allowed 16 points or fewer 11 times, including in the 30-12 win over Auburn (14) and the 54-16 SEC Championship win over Florida (17).
The Case Against: That Ole Miss game might have come early on, but the Rebels ended up finishing with a losing season. Yes, the Tide rolled through the schedule, but the SEC wasn’t all that great.
Final Decision: Along with some of the all-time great Miami teams, this Tide squad passes the eye test on several levels. Throw in the 49-10 road win at Tennessee (21), and there are more than enough resumé wins to go along with the talent.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (1) Alabama 24, (4) Washington 7 (semifinal); (2) Clemson 35, (1) Alabama 31 (National Championship)
2. 2018 Alabama (13-0)
The Case For: It was among most dominant regular seasons in the history of college football. A 24-0 win over Mississippi State was the closest anyone came to touching the Tide until the SEC Championship, and then it was Jalen Hurts to the rescue to get by a terrific Georgia (5) team that deserved to be considered among the four best teams in college football.
The Tide shut out an LSU (11) team that went on to beat UCF, and hung 45 on a Texas A&M (19) team that gave an unbeaten Clemson squad a nasty time.
The O finished sixth in the nation in yards and third in scoring, but the only reason is wasn’t No. 1 in every category was because the team took almost every second half off.
The Case Against: Alabama came this close – a missed pass by Georgia backup QB Justin Fields on a fake punt in the SEC Championship – to not being the SEC champion. The defense also wasn’t quite as nasty as normal Bama defenses, but that’s nitpicking.
Final Decision: There might not have been a terrific non-conference win, but ripping through game after game with frightening ease made up for it. In terms of talent, efficiency, and breathtaking production, as long as Tua Tagovailoa is healthy, the committee would put this team near the top.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (1) Alabama 45, (4) Oklahoma 34 (semifinal); (2) Clemson 44, (1) Alabama 16 (National Championship)
1. 2019 LSU (13-0)
The Case For: The resumé is flawless. It hung up 45 at Texas – who wasn’t in the final College Football Playoff rankings – that set the tone, and the offense never slowed down from there.
Joe Burrow and the attack led the nation in total offense, was second in passing behind Washington State, and was third in scoring. It didn’t just put up big numbers, it put up big numbers against the biggest and best teams.
The Tigers took down a then-unbeaten Alabama (13) in Tuscaloosa, rolled Georgia (5) in the SEC Championship, put up 42 on Florida (9), got past Auburn (12), and beat nine bowl teams in all.
The Case Against: There’s no knocking the schedule – especially considering what a big deal it was to beat Alabama on the road – but the defense was a bit soft at times, and the team got pushed way too hard by Texas and Ole Miss teams that put up massive numbers.
Final Decision: The high-end of the schedule is just too strong. The committee loves big wins and performances in the biggest of games, and it likes it when teams turn it on late in the year. LSU’s defense flipped the switch against Texas A&M before stuffing Georgia.
Okay, What Happened? College Football Playoff Results: (1) LSU 63, (4) Oklahoma 28 (semifinal); (1) LSU 42, (3) Clemson 25 (National Championship)
All-Time College Football Playoff Top 28 Projection
5-8 | 9-12 | 13-16 | 17-20 | 21-24 | 25-28
