Power Ranking Top 10 College Football National Championship Games of All Time
With Alabama's 45-40 win over Clemson in the second College Football Playoff National Championship, the offseason has officially begun.
But before moving on into that vast desert, it's time to take a moment and recall just what happened between the Tide and Tigers Monday night. The game was everything it was advertised to be. These were undeniably the two best teams in college football in 2015, and they battled it out until the final seconds.
But where does the 2016 national championship rank all time? It was entertaining and heart-stopping at the same time. Does that put it among the 10 best national championships to ever be played in college football?
With that in mind, we've power ranked those great national championships over the years. Many of them, you'll find, are classics that came down to a final play or a tight score. Usually, too, there were big-picture storylines (dynasties, upstart programs getting an upset, first-time meetings between blue-blood programs or iconic head coaches).
Did the '16 national championship fit those descriptors? Check out the following top 10 and share your favorite games in the comment section below.
10. 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship
1 of 10
No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40
For about three-and-a-half quarters, Alabama-Clemson looked like it was destined to finish as one of the all-time great national championships. The Tide and Tigers were tied at 14 at halftime and exchanged leads in the second half.
Ultimately, though, big plays crushed Clemson's defense. The Tigers never gave up and could have been in position to win with a successful onside kick with seconds remaining, but this wasn't a game that came down to a final drive or play. Rather, Clemson needed to play catch-up over the last seven minutes. That's what prevents the most recent title game from being ranked any higher.
But what Alabama-Clemson lacked in a thrilling finish, it more than made up for in entertainment value. Sometimes, all anyone needs is a fun game to watch, and that's what the '16 championship provided. This was especially true given the disappointing bowl season as a whole. As David Ubben of Sports on Earth tweeted, there was never any doubt these were the two best teams in college football.
There was the right mix of expected performances and surprising ones. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was brilliant with 478 total yards of offense and four touchdowns. But other players like Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd (three sacks) and Alabama tight end O.J. Howard (5 catches, 208 yards, two touchdowns) made their mark as well.
9. 1987 Fiesta Bowl
2 of 10
No. 2 Penn State 14, No. 1 Miami (FL) 10
Miami's string of national championships began in the early 1980s thanks to an Orange Bowl win over Nebraska (more on that game later). By the time the Hurricanes faced Penn State in the '87 Fiesta Bowl, they were a college football powerhouse. So, too, were the Nittany Lions, but this was a game the Hurricanes were supposed to dominate. That made the upset all the more special.
In reality, this was a frustrating game. Miami quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde threw five interceptions—the last one coming in the final seconds. Still, despite the turnovers, Penn State didn't take the go-ahead lead until midway through the fourth quarter.
The win gave head coach Joe Paterno his second national championship. Miami would go on to win a national championship the following year over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
8. 1994 Orange Bowl
3 of 10
No. 1 Florida State 18, No. 2 Nebraska 16
What made the '94 Orange Bowl so special was that it paired legendary coaches Bobby Bowden (Florida State) vs. Tom Osborne (Nebraska). Remember, too, that neither had won a national title at the time.
Bowden's Seminoles got the win and the program's first national championship, but it almost wasn't to be. Nebraska kicker Byron Bennett hit a 27-yard field goal with a little over a minute remaining to give the Huskers a 16-15 lead. However, Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward led the Noles down the field, and Scott Bentley hit his own field goal to give his team the 18-16 lead.
Despite being short on time, Nebraska had one final shot to secure the win, but Bennett's 45-yard attempt went wide left.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. 2014 BCS National Championship
4 of 10
No. 1 Florida State 34, No. 2 Auburn 31
Florida State erasing a 21-3 deficit to win 34-31 is enough by itself to warrant consideration, but that doesn't capture all the drama.
Levonte Whitfield's 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 4:31 remaining gave the Seminoles a 27-24 lead. However, Auburn responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 37-yard Tre Mason touchdown run to retake the lead 31-27 with 1:19 to go. On the ensuing drive, Florida State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston led the Noles on a seven-play, 80-yard drive in 1:06. The winning play was a two-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kelvin Benjamin with just seconds remaining.
In all, there were 24 points scored in the final five minutes. Even then, the excitement wasn't over. A series of laterals by Auburn with time expiring created a slim possibility of a game-winning score. It wouldn't have been the wildest thing Auburn had done that year, either. The Tigers won regular-season games against Georgia and Alabama on glorified prayers that came to fruition.
6. 1995 Orange Bowl
5 of 10
No. 1 Nebraska 24, No. 3 Miami (FL) 17
Miami and Nebraska faced off in some epic national championships back in the day. We'll get to the most memorable of them all shortly. The '95 Orange Bowl between the Huskers and Hurricanes was no slouch, either.
Nebraska, the No. 1 team in the country, fell behind 10-0 and trailed 17-9 going into the fourth quarter. But that's when quarterback Tommie Frazier, who had battled blood clots in his leg during the regular season, came to the rescue. The Huskers scored 15 unanswered fourth-quarter points to come away with the 24-17 victory.
It was the first of three national championships for Nebraska coach Tom Osborne. Nebraska would win another title the following year and then again in 1997. But Frazier's triumphant return makes this one extra special.
5. 1973 Sugar Bowl
6 of 10
No. 3 Notre Dame 24, No. 1 Alabama 23
The 2013 BCS National Championship between Alabama and Notre Dame put a sour taste in everyone's mouth, but there was a time when the Tide and Irish played in one of the best title games ever.
The Sugar Bowl in 1973 that year was played on New Year's Eve rather than New Year's Day. Both teams were undefeated coming into the game, and despite being two of college football's greatest programs, they had never met before.
This was also a battle of two legendary coaches: Ara Parseghian for Notre Dame and Alabama's Bear Bryant. It was a back-and-forth affair with six lead changes. Bob Thomas's field goal with under five minutes remaining gave the Irish the go-ahead lead, which they wouldn't surrender for the rest of the game.
When you put all the hype and context into perspective, the '73 Sugar Bowl was one of the best played games in college football history.
4. 1979 Sugar Bowl
7 of 10
No. 2 Alabama 14, No. 1 Penn State 7
So often, national championship games on this list come down to offensive shootouts. This makes sense because fans love points. It's easier to track and it's exciting. However, the '79 Sugar Bowl win by Alabama makes the grade because of a defensive hold.
And, because we love good ol' fashioned defense, we'll bump up this game a few spots.
To this day, Alabama's fourth quarter goal-line stand remains one of the most impressive and memorable individual moments in a college football game. Linebacker Barry Krauss has a special place in the Tide history books for his part on the fourth down stop.
The win led to back-to-back national championships for Alabama, while Penn State would have to wait four more years before getting its first title.
3. 1984 Orange Bowl
8 of 10
No. 5 Miami 31, No. 1 Nebraska 30
The 1984 Orange Bowl will be remembered chiefly for Nebraska coach Tom Osborne's decision to go for two instead of tying Miami in the final minute of the game. Osborne has said time and time again he'd make the same call if given the chance.
"You play to win," he told Bleacher Report in 2014.
However, the game itself was more than Osborne's gutsy call (there were no overtimes in college football then). Nebraska was the powerhouse program, and Miami was an upstart under head coach Howard Schnellenberger. The victory marked the arrival of the Hurricanes into college football's elite club, and the program would capture four more national titles between 1987 and 2001.
2. 2003 Fiesta Bowl
9 of 10
No. 2 Ohio State 31, No. 1 Miami (FL) 24 (2OT)
In hindsight, celebrating a national championship decided (in part) by officiating feels odd. If an officiating call played a huge role in a monumental game in today's social media-driven society, it would be magnified that much more.
The pass interference call on fourth down in the end zone in the first overtime gave Ohio State new life, and Buckeyes quarterback Craig Krenzel punched it in a few plays later to tie the game at 24. Following a Maurice Clarett touchdown in the second overtime, Ohio State stopped Miami on downs.
That was the memorable moment, but the game was so much more. Miami was college football's dynasty at the time and had won 34 straight games. The Hurricanes were putting players into the NFL at such an eye-popping rate that even the backups were being drafted.
1. 2006 Rose Bowl
10 of 10No. 2 Texas 41, No. 1 USC 38
The best way to describe the 2006 Rose Bowl between Texas and USC is "perfect." It was, is and will be everything a national championship should be. It had the perfect setting—there is nothing better in college football than the Rose Bowl—the perfect background of USC's dynasty under head coach Pete Carroll and the perfect ending: a 4th-and-5 touchdown run by Texas quarterback Vince Young for the go-ahead score.
Young passed for 267 yards, ran for 200 yards and scored three touchdowns in the win, which featured Heisman winners Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart for USC. At the time, the Trojans had won 34 games in a row.
It's easy to romanticize about great games in the past, the '06 national championship really could not have been scripted any better. There's no revisionist history about this one. The '06 title game lived up to every expectation—surpassing them, even.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
