The Best Teams in the College Football Playoff Era: Creating the Ultimate 12-Team CFP

The best team in the College Football Playoff era is _______?

With the inaugural 12-team CFP kicking off this week, our team at FOX Sports set out to find the answer to that complicated question.

There was the group led by Joe Burrow. L.S.U. team that averaged almost 50 points per game en route to a perfect 15-0 record. There was 2014 Ohio State team, the first national champions of the CFP era, led by backup QB Cardale Jones. And how about 2024? Michigan Wolverinesdominant group on both sides of the ball and winner of the last four-team CFP game?

Let’s take a look at the 12 most dominant teams in the CFP era so far based on our research and what a hypothetical group would look like.

Let the debate begin.

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

The 2019 LSU Tigers featured one of the most dominant offensive attacks in college football history. Directed by joe burrow at QB, Clyde Edwards-Helaire in RB, and Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson at WR, this offense scored 48.4 points per game and outscored its opponents by an average of 26.5 points per game. The Tigers went to a perfect 13-0 record in the regular season, which included five wins over top 10 teams. They beat Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, 63-28, and then posted a victory over Trevor Lorenzo and No. 3-ranked Clemson in the national championship game, 42-25. A total of 30 players from this roster went on to play in the NFL, five of which were first-round picks in the 2020 draft.

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

Imagine being an opposing defense and trying to cover both. By Vonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. Such was life facing this 2020 Alabama team. The Crimson Tide offense, which also featured Mac Jones at the quarterback, Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr.. in corridor, and John Metchie III As a wide receiver, he averaged almost 50 points per game and played in only one game decided by fewer than 14 points. Nick Saban’s team finished undefeated on its way to winning a national title amid a global pandemic that affected every game played. Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard in 1991, surpassing his own teammate, Jones.

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

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

4. 2022 Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 15-0
CFP results: Defeated Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, 42-41; defeated TCU in the national championship, 65-7

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

5. 2021 Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 14-1
CFP results: Defeated Michigan in the Orange Bowl, 34-11; defeated Alabama in the national championship, 33-18

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

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

The 2023 Michigan Wolverines had a memorable season, capped by an impressive 34-13 victory over Washington in the final game of the four-team CFP era. This was one of the most complete teams of the CFP era, as the Wolverines excelled on both sides of the ball. senior runner Blake Chorus led a dominant running attack, while Will Johnson, Mike Sainristil and Chris Jenkins he helped guide a defense that only allowed 9.5 points per game, which ranked first among all FBS teams. The 2023 Wolverines held every opponent they faced to under 25 points en route to winning the program’s first national championship since 1997.

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

Many college football fans will associate this team with what happened in the national championship. Tua Tagovailoa replaced Jalen hurts at halftime and led the Crimson Tide to a comeback victory over SEC foe Georgia. And while that was certainly a defining moment in Alabama football history, it shouldn’t be the only thing people remember about this group. Nick Saban’s 2017 Alabama team began the season with absolute terror, including a 24-7 season-opening victory over then-No. 3 Florida State. The Crimson Tide fell to Chestnut in the Iron Bowl, but rebounded with wins over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl and Georgia in the title game. This team had a staggering 44 players who played in the NFL.

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

The Buckeyes were the first national champions of the CFP era and were a team that faced a lot of adversity down the stretch. Despite posting a memorable 42-28 victory over rival Michigan to close the regular season, the excitement of defeating the Wolverines was dimmed after standout QB JT Barrett suffered a serious injury and was lost for the rest of the season. season. That marked the second QB injury the Buckeyes suffered, as Heisman contender Braxton Miller had also been lost to injury in August. Backup Cardale Jones stepped in and rose to the occasion, leading OSU to a trio of memorable victories to close out the season, none greater than the 42-20 victory over the Ducks in the national title game.

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

This wasn’t Nick Saban’s best Alabama team by any means, but it was loaded with NFL talent. A total of 44 players from Alabama’s 2015 roster played at the next level, highlighted by players like Henry Derrick, Calvin Ridley, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Marlon Humphrey and Daron Payne. This team also notched eight wins over AP Top 25 teams, including a 30-16 victory over No. 2 LSU in early November and a memorable 45-40 victory over then-No. 1 Clemson in the national championship game.

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

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

11. 2018 Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 14-1
CFP results: Defeated Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, 45-34; lost to Clemson in the national championship, 44-16

On paper, this was one of the most impressive rosters in college football history. Alabama’s offense featured Tua Tagovaiola at quarterback, Damien Harris, Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs, Brian Robinson Jr. and Jerome Ford at running back, and Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith at wide receiver. On the defensive side of the ball, the Tide had Dylan Moses, Xavier McKinney, Quinnen Williams and Patrick Surtain. This team coasted through the season, outscoring its first 14 opponents by an average of 32 points. However, the Tide came up short in the national championship, falling to Clemson, 44-16.

12. 2024 Oregon ducks
Record: 13-0
CFP Results: N/A

This year’s Oregon Ducks team has been nothing short of dominant. Dan Lanning’s group is the only FBS team to finish the regular season undefeated, resulting in the first seed in the inaugural 12-team playoff. The Ducks have three ranked wins this season, including a pair of top-five wins over Ohio State and Penn State. The offense is led by Dillon Gabriel, a Heisman finalist and one of the greatest passers in college football history. The Ducks will face the winner of Ohio State and Tennessee in the Rose Bowl on January 1.

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