Ranking College Football’s National Champions Since 1998
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- Ranking College Football’s National Champions Since 1998
Where does Alabama’s latest title-winning season rank?
Alabama head coach Nick Saban has quite the collection of national championship hardware. After his 2020 Crimson Tide dismantled Ohio State for the College Football Playoff national championship in Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night, Saban earned his seventh national championship overall, and his sixth with Alabama. And he arguably did so with the best offensive team Alabama has ever fielded. But where would the 2020 version of the Tide stack up against the list of national championship teams since the dawn of the BCS era? It turns out, they would fair pretty well.
Note: Opponent’s ranking at the time in parentheses
1. Miami, 2001 (12-0, 7-0 Big East)
Head Coach: Larry Coker
Since the dawn of the BCS Era, few teams have carried the amount of NFL talent on one roster the way the 2001 Miami Hurricanes did. Larry Coker stepped in as head coach following Butch Davis’ departure for the NFL, and he took over a program as locked and loaded that any coach would dream of running. The season started off with a dominating victory over Penn State, which set the tone for the championship run. Miami ripped through Florida State, avoided a letdown against Boston College and nipped Virginia Tech while blitzing through the rest of the schedule, which included victories against four top-15 teams before the BCS National Championship Game. Nebraska wiggled its way into the national championship game but was clearly out of its league against Miami in the Rose Bowl. Miami’s 37-14 victory over the Cornhuskers capped an undefeated season for the best national championship team of the era.
2001 Schedule:
Sept. 1: Miami 33, Penn State 7
Sept. 8: Miami 61, Rutgers 0
Sept. 27: Miami 43, Pitt 21
Oct. 6: Miami 38, Troy 7
Oct. 13: Miami 49, (14) Florida State 27
Oct. 25: Miami 45, West Virginia 3
Nov. 3: Miami 38, Temple 0
Nov. 10: Miami 18, Boston College 7
Nov. 17: Miami 59, (14) Syracuse 0
Nov. 24: Miami 65, (12) Washington 7
Dec. 1: Miami 26, (14) Virginia Tech 24
Jan. 3: Miami 37, (4) Nebraska 14
2. LSU, 2019 (15-0, 8-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Ed Orgeron
LSU flipped its script with wild success by going from a program that has been lacking in quarterback play to having their signal-caller put together one of the greatest seasons in college football history. Joe Burrow torched the LSU and SEC record books on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the Tigers to its first national championship in the playoff era. A road win at a top-10 Texas team, a blowout of a top-10 Florida team, and back-to-back regular-season wins against top-10 Alabama and Auburn later led to blowout wins in the SEC Championship Game over Georgia and in the Peach Bowl/College Football Playoff semifinal against Big 12 champion Oklahoma to take on defending national champion Clemson. You would be hard-pressed to find a better overall body of work than what LSU pulled off in 2019.
2019 Schedule:
Aug. 31: LSU 55, Georgia Southern 3
Sept. 7: LSU 45, (9) Texas 38
Sept. 14: LSU 65, Northwestern State 14
Sept. 21: LSU 66, Vanderbilt 38
Oct. 5: LSU 42, Utah State 6
Oct. 12: LSU 42, (7) Florida 28
Oct. 19: LSU 36, Mississippi State 13
Oct. 26: LSU 23, (9) Auburn 20
Nov. 9: LSU 46, (2) Alabama 41
Nov. 16: LSU 58, Ole Miss 37
Nov. 23: LSU 56, Arkansas 20
Nov. 30: LSU 50, Texas A&M 7
Dec. 7: LSU 37, (4) Georgia 10
Dec. 28: LSU 63, (4) Oklahoma 28
Jan. 13: LSU 42, (3) Clemson 25
3. Alabama, 2020 (13-0, 11-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Nick Saban
A year after LSU set the college football world on fire with its offense, Alabama proved it still knew a thing or two about dynamic offensive production. With Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver DeVonta Smith, the nation’s top offensive line, running back Najee Harris and Mac Jones at quarterback, Alabama never skipped a beat despite losing one of its top offensive weapons, Jaylen Waddle. Alabama blasted ranked opponents, including four top-seven teams, with three decisive double-digit victories and one that was more decisive than the final score would indicate. And given the unique circumstances of the 2020 season, each of Alabama’s games was played against a power conference opponent, including an 11-0 record in SEC play and victories over Notre Dame and Big Ten champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
2020 Schedule:
Sept. 26: Alabama 38, Missouri 19
Oct. 3: Alabama 52, (13) Texas A&M 24
Oct. 10: Alabama 63, Ole Miss 48
Oct. 17: Alabama 41, (3) Georgia 24
Oct. 24: Alabama 48, Tennessee 17
Oct. 31: Alabama 41, Mississippi State 0
Nov. 21: Alabama 63, Kentucky 3
Nov. 28: Alabama 42, (22) Auburn 13
Dec. 5: Alabama 55, LSU 17
Dec. 12: Alabama 52, Arkansas 3
Dec. 19: Alabama 52, (7) Florida 46
Jan. 1: Alabama 31, (4) Notre Dame 14
Jan. 11: Alabama 52, (3) Ohio State 24
4. USC, 2004 (13-0, 8-0 Pac-10)
Head Coach: Pete Carroll
The Trojans had to settle for the rare split national title during the BCS years in 2003, but left no doubt about who the top team was in ’04. USC started the season as the No. 1 team in the country and never lost a grip on the top spot in the poll, picked up a Heisman Trophy season from quarterback Matt Leinart and saw the running duo of Reggie Bush and LenDale White give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares all season long. In all, this USC team, which destroyed Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the national championship, saw 18 players get selected in either the first or second round of the NFL draft and was absolutely loaded on offense, is arguably one of college football’s best in decades.
2004 Schedule:
Aug. 28: USC 24, Virginia Tech 13
Sept. 11: USC 49, Colorado State 0
Sept. 18: USC 42, BYU 10
Sept. 25: USC 31, Stanford 28
Oct: 9: USC 23, (7) Cal 17
Oct. 16: USC 45, (15) Arizona State 7
Oct. 23: USC 38, Washington 0
Oct. 30: USC 42, Washington State 12
Nov. 6: USC 28, Oregon State 20
Nov. 13: USC 49, Arizona 9
Nov. 27: USC 41, Notre Dame 10
Dec. 4: USC 29, UCLA 24
Jan. 4: USC 55, Oklahoma 19
5. Texas, 2005 (13-0, 8-0 Big 12)
Head Coach: Mack Brown
The 2005 season saw No. 1 USC and No. 2 Texas on a season-long collision course for the national championship. The two remained in the top two spots of the poll all season long, setting up the game for the ages in the Rose Bowl for the BCS National Championship. But before Texas could let Vince Young turn in a game legends are made of, the Longhorns first had to get through the regular season. An early victory over No. 4 Ohio State was later followed up with blowout wins over Oklahoma, No. 10 Texas Tech and rival Texas A&M before tearing up Colorado, 70-3, in the Big 12 Championship Game. In the national title clash with defending champion USC, Young did it all in leading Texas to the victory. This Texas team had four consensus All-Americans and went on to send 24 players through the NFL Draft, while beating perhaps the best team to not win a national title since 1998.
2005 Schedule:
Sept. 3: Texas 60, Louisiana-Lafayette 3
Sept. 10: Texas 25, (4) Ohio State 22
Sept. 17: Texas 51, Rice 10
Oct. 1: Texas 51, Missouri 20
Oct. 8: Texas 45, Oklahoma. 12
Oct. 15: Texas 42, (24) Colorado 17
Oct. 22: Texas 52, (10) Texas Tech 17
Oct. 29: Texas 47, Oklahoma State 28
Nov. 5: Texas 62, Baylor 0
Nov. 12: Texas 66, Kansas 14
Nov. 25: Texas 40, Texas A&M 29
Dec. 3: Texas 70, Colorado 3
Jan. 4: Texas 41, (1) USC 38
6. Florida State, 2013 (14-0, 8-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher
We are not so far removed from watching Florida State be the dominant force in college football. Jimbo Fisher’s best team since succeeding Bobby Bowden brought the Seminoles back to the national championship discussion with a dominant start to the year. Redshirt freshman Jameis Winston got things started by jumping head first into the Heisman Trophy discussion after his debut performance on a Monday night at Pittsburgh, and it was off to the races from there. Florida State’s offense was filthy. The Florida State defense was nasty, holding opponents to 14 points or fewer 11 times before facing Duke in the ACC Championship Game. A win in Charlotte sent Florida State’s juggernaut squad off to Pasadena for a matchup with SEC champion Auburn. A 34-31 come-from-behind victory over the SEC champs (FSU was down 18 points at one point) provided the validation needed for Florida State’s perfect season and snapped the SEC’s winning streak in the BCS title game.
2013 Schedule:
Sept 2: Florida State 41, Pitt 13
Sept. 14: Florida State 62, Nevada 7
Sept. 21: Florida State 54, Bethune-Cookman 6
Sept. 28: Florida State 48, Boston College 34
Oct. 5: Florida State 63, (25) Maryland 0
Oct. 19: Florida State 51, (3) Clemson 14
Oct. 26: Florida State 49, NC State 17
Nov. 2: Florida State 41, (7) Miami 14
Nov. 9: Florida State 59, Wake Forest 3
Nov. 16: Florida State 59, Syracuse 3
Nov. 23: Florida State 80, Idaho 14
Nov. 30: Florida State 37, Florida 7
Dec. 7: Florida State 45, (20) Duke 7
Jan. 6: Florida State 34, (2) Auburn 31
7. Alabama, 2009 (14-0, 8-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Nick Saban
Nick Saban was hired by Alabama to win and win big. It did not take long to deliver on that expectation. With Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram (the first Heisman winner in Alabama history) and steady Greg McElroy at quarterback, Alabama had the makings of a reliable offense, but it was Alabama’s defense that took the Crimson Tide to the next level. Alabama held three ranked SEC teams to fewer than 16 points on the way to Atlanta for a showdown with Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and the No. 1 Florida Gators. This one was no match as Alabama squashed the Gators, 32-13, to advance to the national championship game, where it took out Texas quarterback Colt McCoy early on and never gave the Longhorns much of a chance. Alabama ended up sending 11 players through the first round of the NFL Draft in the years that followed.
2009 Schedule:
Sept. 5: Alabama 34, (7) Virginia Tech 24
Sept. 12: Alabama 40, FIU 14
Sept. 19: Alabama 53, North Texas 7
Sept. 26: Alabama 35, Arkansas 7
Oct. 3: Alabama 38, Kentucky 20
Oct. 10: Alabama 22, (20) Ole Miss 3
Oct. 17: Alabama 20, (22) South Carolina 6
Oct. 24: Alabama 12, Tennessee 10
Nov. 7: Alabama 24, (9) LSU 15
Nov. 14: Alabama 31, Mississippi State 3
Nov. 21: Alabama 45, Chattanooga 0
Nov. 27: Alabama 26, Auburn 21
Dec. 5: Alabama 32, (1) Florida 13
Jan. 7: Alabama 37, (2) Texas 21
8. Florida, 2008 (13-1, 7-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Urban Meyer
Florida jumped out to a nice 3-0 start in 2008 with big victories over Hawaii, Miami and Tennessee, but Ole Miss stunned the Gators in the swamp in the fourth game of the season. From that point on, Florida was unbeatable. With Tim Tebow energizing the team with his leadership, Florida went on a tear with a decisive victory over Arkansas, a 30-point blowout of No. 4 LSU, a 39-point win over No. 10 Georgia, 50-point victory over No. 24 South Carolina, a 30-point thumping of No. 23 Florida State and then an 11-point triumph over No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Against No. 2 Oklahoma, Florida pulled away for a 24-14 victory to wrap up the national title.
2008 Schedule:
Aug. 30: Florida 56, Hawaii 10
Sept. 6: Florida 26, Miami 3
Sept. 20: Florida 30, Tennessee 6
Sept. 27: Ole Miss 31, Florida 30
Oct. 4: Florida 38, Arkansas 7
Oct. 11: Florida 51, (4) LSU 21
Oct. 25: Florida 63, Kentucky 5
Nov. 1: Florida 49, (8) Georgia 10
Nov. 8: Florida 42, Vanderbilt 14
Nov. 15: Florida 56, (24) South Carolina 6
Nov. 22: Florida 70, The Citadel 19
Nov. 29: Florida 45, (23) Florida State 15
Dec. 6: Florida 31, (1) Alabama 20
Jan. 8: Florida 24, (2) Oklahoma 14
9. Tennessee, 1998 (13-0, 8-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Phillip Fulmer
The first national champion of the BCS Era came one year after Peyton Manning moved on to bigger and better things in the NFL. Tee Martin took over as quarterback and Phillip Fulmer had plenty of talent around Martin to put together a strong season with a strong backfield with Travis Henry and Jamal Lewis and Peerless Price catching passes. The Vols’ defense held nine opponents to 18 points or fewer while racking up five wins against top 25 teams, including a confidence-boosting 20-17 victory over Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators. Paired up against Florida State in the BCS Championship Game, the Vols came out on top with a 23-16 win in the first BCS National Championship Game.
1998 Schedule:
Sept. 5: Tennessee 34, (17) Syracuse 33
Sept. 19: Tennessee 20, (2) Florida 17
Sept. 26: Tennessee 42, Houston 7
Oct. 3: Tennessee 17, Auburn 9
Oct. 10: Tennessee 22, (7) Georgia 3
Oct. 24: Tennessee 35, Alabama 18
Oct. 31: Tennessee 49, South Carolina 14
Nov. 7: Tennessee 37, UAB 13
Nov. 14: Tennessee 28, (10) Arkansas 24
Nov. 21: Tennessee 59, Kentucky 21
Nov. 28: Tennessee 41, Vanderbilt 0
Dec. 5: Tennessee 24, (23) Mississippi State 14
Jan. 4: Tennessee 23, (2) Florida State 16
10. Alabama, 2011 (12-1, 7-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Nick Saban
Alabama took care of business left and right, whipping aside ranked opponents at ease – 27-11 vs. No. 23 Penn State, 38-14 vs. No. 14 Arkansas, 38-10 vs. No. 12 Florida – to remain on a collision course with division foe LSU. The much hyped Game of the Century between the top two teams in the country turned into a field goal extravaganza with Alabama coming up short, 9-6, in overtime in November. Little did we know at the time, these two teams would get a rare rematch in the BCS Championship Game despite Alabama not winning or playing for the SEC championship. Alabama, with a roster featuring nine first-round NFL Draft picks, would score their revenge in a big way by completely mastering LSU and keeping the Tigers from crossing the 50-yard line until the second half. This may have been Saban’s best defense.
2011 Schedule:
Sept. 3: Alabama 48, Kent State 7
Sept. 10: Alabama 27, (23) Penn State 11
Sept. 17: Alabama 41, North Texas 0
Sept. 24: Alabama 38, (14) Arkansas 14
Oct. 1: Alabama 38, (12) Florida 10
Oct. 8: Alabama 34, Vanderbilt 0
Oct. 15: Alabama 52, Ole Miss 7
Oct. 22: Alabama 37, Tennessee 6
Nov. 5: (1) LSU 9, Alabama 6
Nov. 12: Alabama 24, Mississippi State 7
Nov. 19: Alabama 45, Georgia Southern 21
Nov. 26: Alabama 42, Auburn 14
Jan. 9: Alabama 21, (1) LSU 0
11. Oklahoma, 2000 (13-0, 8-0 Big 12)
Head Coach: Bob Stoops
The revival of Oklahoma football hit full force in 2000 when the Sooners showed off a fully equipped offense with quarterback Josh Heupel and defense early on and scored major victories in October. Oklahoma’s key three-game stretch with wins over No. 11 Texas, No. 2 Kansas State and No. 3 Nebraska came by a combined score of 135-59. The Sooners later handed Kansas State another loss in the Big 12 Championship Game to clinch a spot in the BCS Championship Game against Florida State. Stoops’ defense shut down a potent FSU offense and Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke and scored a 13-2 victory for the national championship.
2000 Schedule:
Sept. 2: Oklahoma 55, UTEP 14
Sept. 9: Oklahoma 45, Arkansas State 7
Sept. 23: Oklahoma 42, Rice 17
Sept. 30: Oklahoma 34, Kansas 16
Oct. 7: Oklahoma 63, (11) Texas 14
Oct. 14: Oklahoma 41, (2) Kansas State 31
Oct. 28: Oklahoma 31, (3) Nebraska 14
Nov. 4: Oklahoma 56, Baylor 7
Nov. 11: Oklahoma 35, (23) Texas A&M 31
Nov. 18: Oklahoma 27, Texas Tech 13
Nov. 25: Oklahoma 12, Oklahoma State 7
Dec. 2: Oklahoma 27, (8) Kansas State 24
Jan. 3: Oklahoma 13, (3) Florida State 2
12. Florida State, 1999 (12-0, 8-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Bobby Bowden
With Chris Weinke and Peter Warrick on offense, few teams could handle Florida State’s offense. The Seminoles scored 40 points or more in each of their first five games, which included victories over No. 10 Georgia Tech and No. 20 NC State. A 31-21 victory over No. 19 Miami helped push Florida State on its championship drive, and a season-ending victory over No. 4 Florida locked Bobby Bowden’s squad into the championship game, where it managed to outlast Virginia Tech quarterback Mike Vick in the Sugar Bowl for a 46-29 victory. This was Bowden’s second national championship team.
1999 Schedule:
Aug. 28: Florida State 41, Louisiana Tech 7
Sept. 11: Florida State 41, (10) Georgia Tech 35
Sept. 18: Florida State 42, (20) NC State 11
Sept. 25: Florida State 42, North Carolina 10
Oct. 2: Florida State 51, Duke 23
Oct. 9: Florida State 31, (19) Miami 21
Oct. 16: Florida State 33, Wake Forest 10
Oct. 23: Florida State 17, Clemson 10
Oct. 30: Florida State 35, Virginia 10
Nov. 13: Florida State 49, Maryland 10
Nov. 20: Florida State 30, (4) Florida 20
Jan. 4: Florida State 46, (2) Virginia Tech 29
13. Clemson, 2018 (15-0, 8-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney
Clemson made history with their second national title run under Dabo Swinney in the 2018 season by becoming the first FBS team to complete a 15-0 season. He did so with the best performance in the championship game of the College Football Playoff era by dismantling Nick Saban and Alabama and by using a passing attack led by freshmen Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, who took over at the position on a full-time basis after the first month of the season, and Justyn Ross at receiver. Clemson also had a 1,500-yard rusher in Travis Etienne capable of carrying the team when needed and a defense anchored by Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence (who was suspended for the playoff) was a nice luxury to have. The Tigers scored a hard-fought road victory against Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M and avoided an upset bid at home by an improved Syracuse team, but there were few questions about how good Clemson was the rest of the year. Clemson dominated an unbeaten Notre Dame in the playoff semifinals and then picked apart an Alabama team that had been No. 1 since the preseason for the championship.
2018 Schedule:
Sept. 1: Clemson 48, Furman 7
Sept. 8: Clemson 28, Texas A&M 26
Sept. 15: Clemson 38, Georgia Southern 7
Sept. 22: Clemson 49, Georgia Tech 21
Sept. 29: Clemson 27, Syracuse 23
Oct. 6: Clemson 63, Wake Forest 3
Oct. 20: Clemson 41, (16) NC State 7
Oct. 27: Clemson 59, Florida State 10
Nov. 3: Clemson 77, Louisville 16
Nov. 10: Clemson 27, (17) Boston College 7
Nov. 17: Clemson 35, Duke 6
Nov. 24: Clemson 56, South Carolina 35
Dec. 1: Clemson 42, Pittsburgh 10
Dec. 29: Clemson 30, (3) Notre Dame 3
Jan. 7: Clemson 44, (1) Alabama 16
14. Clemson, 2016 (14-1, 7-1 ACC)
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney
A year after coming so close to a perfect 15-0 record and ending a championship drought, Clemson rebounded to get back to the championship stage in the 2016 season and take down the Alabama team that blocked them the previous year. In the ultimate revenge game, Deshaun Watson came alive in the second half and the Tigers dug out of a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the defending champions on a last-second touchdown to Hunter Renfrow. Clemson also took down the season’s Heisman Trophy winner (Lamar Jackson and No. 3 Louisville) to gain an edge in the ACC Atlantic Division, clipped No. 12 Florida State in Tallahassee by a field goal, held off No. 19 Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game and shutout one-loss No. 2 Ohio State, 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal game of the College Football Playoff. To top it all off, the Tigers put on a against top-ranked Alabama as Dabo Swinney joined college football elite with his first national title ring as a head coach.
2016 Schedule:
Sept. 3: Clemson 19, Auburn 13
Sept. 10: Clemson 30, Troy 24
Sept. 17: Clemson 59, South Carolina State 0
Sept. 22: Clemson 26, Georgia Tech 7
Oct. 1: Clemson 42, (3) Louisville 36
Oct. 7: Clemson 56, Boston College 10
Oct. 15: Clemson 24, NC State 17 (OT)
Oct. 29: Clemson 37, (12) Florida State 34
Nov. 5: Clemson 54, Syracuse 0
Nov. 12: Pitt 43, Clemson 42
Nov. 19: Clemson 35, Wake Forest 13
Nov. 26: Clemson 56, South Carolina 7
Dec. 3: Clemson 42, (23) Virginia Tech 35
Dec. 31: Clemson 31, (3) Ohio State 0
Jan. 9: Clemson 35, (1) Alabama 31
Head Coach: Nick Saban
Coming off a national championship season with a loaded roster once again, Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide set the tone right out of the gate with a complete dismantling of No. 8 Michigan, 41-14, in Arlington. That was followed by two straight shutouts, including a 52-0 blasting of Arkansas. Everything was running smoothly for Alabama until a November afternoon when SEC newcomer Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel scored a wild upset in Tuscaloosa, but Alabama was one play away from avoiding the upset. Alabama remained in the national title hunt though and snuck back into the BCS Championship Game where it dominated and overpowered undefeated top-ranked Notre Dame, 42-14.
2012 Schedule:
Sept. 1: Alabama 41, (8) Michigan 14
Sept. 8: Alabama 35, Western Kentucky 0
Sept. 15: Alabama 52, Arkansas 0
Sept. 22: Alabama 40, FAU 7
Sept. 29: Alabama 33, Ole Miss 14
Oct. 13: Alabama 42, Missouri 10
Oct. 20: Alabama 44, Tennessee 13
Oct. 27: Alabama 38, (13) Mississippi State 7
Nov. 3: Alabama 21, LSU 17
Nov. 17: Alabama 49, Western Carolina 0
Nov. 24: Alabama 49, Auburn 0
Dec. 1: Alabama 32, (3) Georgia 28
Jan. 7: Alabama 42, (1) Notre Dame 14
16. LSU, 2003 (13-1, 7-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Nick Saban
Before Nick Saban arrived on the scene to return Alabama to its place among college football’s elite, Saban’s first job in the SEC ended with a bang. In 2003, Saban’s LSU Tigers led the nation in defense and allowed just 11 points per game. With Joseph Addai running the football and a steady passing attack, the Tigers made their case for the rightful title of national champion with victories over four ranked teams in SEC play and a BCS championship victory over Oklahoma. LSU settled for a share of the national title after the AP gave USC its No. 1 spot, but nobody in Baton Rouge is complaining.
2003 Schedule:
Aug. 30: LSU 49, UL Monroe 7
Sept. 6: LSU 59, Arizona 13
Sept. 13: LSU 35, Western Illinois 7
Sept. 20: LSU 17, (7) Georgia 10
Sept. 27: LSU 41, Mississippi State 6
Oct. 11: Florida 19, LSU 7
Oct. 18: LSU 33, South Carolina 7
Oct. 25: LSU 31, (17) Auburn 7
Nov. 1: LSU 49, Louisiana Tech 10
Nov. 15: LSU 27, Alabama 3
Nov. 22: LSU 17, (15) Ole Miss 14
Nov. 28: LSU 55, Arkansas 24
Dec. 6: LSU 34, (5) Georgia 13
Jan. 4: LSU 21, (3) Oklahoma 14
17. Auburn, 2010 (14-0, 8-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Gene Chizik
Auburn’s national championship run may have been a flash in the pan, but it was an incredible flash in the pan. Auburn quarterback Cam Newton towered over the competition and was unbeatable and unflappable, but he was not alone. Auburn was loaded on defense, led by Nick Fairley. Teams could score on Auburn’s defense, but the Tiger offense was ticking with Newton’s Heisman run. The highest-scoring Auburn team in school history put 65 points on No. 12 Arkansas and rallied from a deep hole in the Iron Bowl against Alabama before dropping 56 points on No. 18 South Carolina in the SEC Championship Game. Auburn capped the 2010 season with a BCS Championship win over Chip Kelly and Oregon thanks in large part to Michael Dyer managing to defy gravity to keep a run alive.
2010 Schedule:
Sept. 4: Auburn 52, Arkansas State 26
Sept. 9: Auburn 17, Mississippi State 14
Sept. 18: Auburn 27, Clemson 24
Sept. 25: Auburn 35, (12) South Carolina 27
Oct. 2: Auburn 52, UL Monroe 3
Oct. 9: Auburn 37, Kentucky 34
Oct. 16: Auburn 65, (12) Arkansas 43
Oct. 23: Auburn 24, (6) LSU 17
Oct. 30: Auburn 51, Ole Miss 31
Nov. 6: Auburn 62, UT-Chattanooga 24
Nov. 13: Auburn 28, (9) Alabama 27
Dec. 4: Auburn 56, (18) South Carolina 17
Jan. 10: Auburn 22, (2) Oregon 19
Head Coach: Jim Tressel
Today Ohio State is regularly in the national title mix, but it was not always that way. Jim Tressel changed the way we view Ohio State starting with the 2002 season. Fueled by freshman running back Maurice Clarett and a particularly strong defense, the Buckeyes rolled through their regular season schedule, which was highlighted along the way by a 25-7 victory over No. 10 Washington State, a 13-7 victory over No. 17 Penn State, a 34-3 win over No. 19 Minnesota and a 14-9 victory over No. 12 Michigan. That helped place Ohio State in the role of underdog against the defending national champions, the supremely talented No. 1 Miami Hurricanes, in a classic Fiesta Bowl overtime thriller. The game was not without controversy of course with a pass-interference call against the Hurricanes that is still intensely debated to this day, but Ohio State claimed the only BCS title by a Big Ten team nonetheless. This Ohio State team sent 14 players through the 2004 NFL Draft, in addition to five each in ’03 and ’05.
2002 Schedule:
Aug. 24: Ohio State 45, Texas Tech 21
Sept. 7: Ohio State 51, Kent State 17
Sept. 14: Ohio State 25, (10) Washington State 7
Sept. 21: Ohio State 23, Cincinnati 19
Sept. 28: Ohio State 45, Indiana 17
Oct. 5: Ohio State 27, Northwestern 16
Oct. 12: Ohio State 50, San Jose State 7
Oct. 19: Ohio State 19, Wisconsin 14
Oct. 26: Ohio State 13, (17) Penn State 7
Nov. 2: Ohio State 34, (19) Minnesota 3
Nov. 9: Ohio State 10, Purdue 6
Nov. 16: Ohio State 23, Illinois 16
Jan. 3: Ohio State 31, (1) Miami 24
Head Coach: Urban Meyer
Ohio State’s most recent national championship managed to defy plenty of odds and naysayers. Of course, this also was the expectation when Ohio State hired Urban Meyer. After getting through a brief postseason ban and missing out on a Big Ten title the previous season, Meyer’s Buckeyes in 2014 were supposed to be one year away from competing for a national title. The preseason loss of Braxton Miller meant Ohio State had to work with a backup QB in J.T. Barrett for the majority of the season, and that inexperience may have cost Ohio State early on with a home loss to Virginia Tech. After the loss though, the Buckeyes went on a roll and scored their biggest wins at the perfect time. A 49-37 victory over No. 7 Michigan State thrust the Buckeyes back in the national title chase and a 59-0 blowout of No. 11 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game with Ezekiel Elliott and third-string QB Cardale Jones leading the way gave the Big Ten champs enough of a push to sneak past co-Big 12 champions Baylor and TCU for the fourth and final College Football Playoff spot. Ohio State then took out SEC champion Alabama and Nick Saban in the Sugar Bowl and pulled away from Pac-12 champion Oregon and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to lay claim to the first College Football Playoff national championship.
2014 schedule:
Aug. 30: Ohio State 34, Navy 17
Sept. 6: Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21
Sept. 13: Ohio State 66, Kent State 0
Sept. 27: Ohio State 50, Cincinnati 28
Oct. 4: Ohio State 52, Maryland 24
Oct. 18: Ohio State 56, Rutgers 17
Nov. 1: Ohio State 55, Illinois 14
Nov. 15: Ohio State 31, Minnesota 24
Nov. 22: Ohio State 42, Indiana 27
Nov. 29: Ohio State 42, Michigan 28
Dec. 6: Ohio State 59, (11) Wisconsin 0
Jan. 12: Ohio State 42 (2) Oregon 20
Head Coach: Nick Saban
The 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide grew from a losing experience the previous two seasons. Two years ago Alabama had been trounced by Oklahoma and in the first year of the College Football Playoff top-seeded Alabama was taken out by a red-hot Ohio State. In 2015, Alabama finished the job it could not do either of the previous two seasons. Despite an early loss to Ole Miss, Alabama used the best offensive line in the country to protect Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry and let the nation’s best front seven handle business on defense. Alabama racked up a big season-opening win against No. 20 Wisconsin in Arlington (35-17), destroyed No. 8 Georgia in Athens (38-10) and dismantled No. 4 LSU and derailed Leonard Fournette’s Heisman campaign while laying the final pieces of the track for Henry’s run. This time the Playoff would see a different ending with a complete manhandling of Big Ten champion Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl (38-0) and a thrilling 45-40 victory over No. 1 and previously unbeaten Clemson despite a performance for the ages from Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson. This win saw Nick Saban call a perfectly timed and executed onside kick to help seize the momentum and his Crimson Tide charges showed the ability to break big plays in the clutch to grab Saban’s fourth national title in seven years at Alabama.
2015 Schedule:
Sept. 5: Alabama 35, (20) Wisconsin 17
Sept. 12: Alabama 37, Middle Tennessee 10
Sept. 26: Alabama 34, UL Monroe 0
Oct. 3: Alabama 38, (8) Georgia 10
Oct. 10: Alabama 27, Arkansas 14
Oct. 24: Alabama 19, Tennessee 14
Nov. 14: Alabama 31, (20) Mississippi State 6
Nov. 21: Alabama 56, Charleston Southern 6
Nov. 28: Alabama 29, Auburn 13
Dec. 5: Alabama 29, (18) Florida 15
Jan. 11: Alabama 45, (1) Clemson 40
21. Alabama, 2017 (13-1, 7-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Nick Saban
Nick Saban’s most recent national title run was a bit different from his previous runs in that it led to him having to rely more on freshman in the clutch. Alabama failed to win its own division but were still deemed worthy of inclusion in the four-team playoff field. A season-opening victory over Florida State was hailed as a big win in the most anticipated season-opener in history, although Florida State’s season fell well shy of expectations. Alabama dominated the competition for much of the season, but the offense seemed to have some reasons to be concerned in the more notable games. Back-to-back wins against LSU and Mississippi State helped keep Alabama in the playoff mix despite a regular season-ending loss at Auburn in which the Tigers handled the Crimson Tide with a double-digit victory. Once in the playoff, however, Alabama dominated the top-ranked defending national champions, Clemson, in the Sugar Bowl and then relied on freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the second half for an incredible rally for an overtime victory over SEC champion Georgia in the national championship game. If nothing else, this national title run showed Alabama has a bright future, which is saying something considering all the success experienced already in Tuscaloosa.
2017 Schedule:
Sept. 2: Alabama 24, (3) Florida State 7
Sept. 9: Alabama 41, Fresno State 10
Sept. 16: Alabama 41, Colorado State 23
Sept. 23: Alabama 59, Vanderbilt 0
Sept. 30: Alabama 66, Ole Miss 3
Oct. 7: Alabama 27, Texas A&M 19
Oct. 14: Alabama 41, Arkansas 9
Oct. 21: Alabama 45, Tennessee 7
Nov. 11: Alabama 31, (18) Mississippi State 24
Nov. 18: Alabama 56, Mercer 0
Nov. 25: (6) Auburn 26, Alabama 14
Jan. 1: Alabama 24, (1) Clemson 6
Jan. 8: Alabama 26, (3) Georgia 23
Head Coach: Urban Meyer
The rise of the Tim Tebow hype train hit its stride in 2006, but the Gators had more to offer than just Tebow. Florida’s stacked defense with Derrick Harvey, Reggie Nelson and Jarvis Moss set the tone every time the Gators stepped on the field. The Gators were tripped up once during the regular season, by Auburn, but Florida scored victories over ranked Tennessee, LSU and Georgia to remain in the hunt for a national title shot. A victory over Florida State followed by a 38-28 win against No. 8 Arkansas placed Florida in the BCS Championship Game as a significant underdog against the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Gators’ defense treated Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith like a rag doll, sacking him five times and limiting him to just 35 yards through the air.
2006 Schedule:
Sept. 2: Florida 34, Southern Miss 7
Sept. 9: Florida 42, UCF 0
Sept. 16: Florida 21, (13) Tennessee 20
Sept. 23: Florida 26, Kentucky 7
Sept. 30: Florida 28, Alabama 13
Oct. 14: (11) Auburn 27, Florida 17
Oct. 28: Florida 21, (25) Georgia 14
Nov. 4: Florida 25, Vanderbilt 19
Nov. 11: Florida 17, South Carolina 16
Nov. 18: Florida 62, Western Carolina 0
Nov. 25: Florida 21, Florida State 14
Dec. 2: Florida 38, (8) Arkansas 28
Jan. 8: Florida 41, (1) Ohio State 14
23. LSU Tigers, 2007 (12-2, 6-2 SEC)
Head Coach: Les Miles
The 2007 LSU Tigers were the only national champion since the start of the BCS era to win a national title with two losses, but LSU more than made up for it with an impressive list of victories. That included a 48-7 shelling of No. 9 Virginia Tech and victories over No. 14 South Carolina, No. 7 Florida, No. 19 Auburn and No. 18 Alabama. The only losses suffered by LSU each came in triple overtime, against Kentucky and Arkansas. LSU still managed to sneak into the BCS Championship Game following an SEC title game victory over No. 15 Tennessee as chaos captivated the college football world. Against No. 1 Ohio State, LSU quarterback Matt Flynn tossed four touchdowns and the defense shut down the Buckeyes enough for a 38-24 national championship victory for Les Miles.
2007 Schedule:
Aug. 30: LSU 45, Mississippi State 0
Sept. 8: LSU 48, (9) Virginia Tech 7
Sept. 15: LSU 44, Middle Tennessee 0
Sept. 29: LSU 34, Tulane 9
Oct. 20: LSU 30, (19) Auburn 24
Nov. 10: LSU 58, Louisiana Tech 10
Jan. 7: LSU 38, (1) Ohio State 24
— Written by Kevin McGuire, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and a member of the Football Writers Association of America and National Football Foundation. McGuire also writes for and hosts the . Follow him on Twitter .
(Top photo courtesy of )
