What are the top 10 college football national championship games of all time?

The first postseason of a new playoff era in college football comes to an end Monday.

Tonight, Ohio State and Notre Dame face off for the national championship — the first in the new 12-team College Football Playoff era. The CFP has existed for 10 years prior to the 2024 season but only as a four-team field.

Let’s take a look back at the 10 best national championship games ahead of Monday’s clash. 

10. 2014 BCS National Championship: Florida State 34, Auburn 31

The final championship game of the BCS era certainly delivered. Auburn nearly completed its surprise turnaround season with a national title, going from three wins the year prior to just minutes away from winning it all in the 2013 season. After the Tigers surrendered a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown, Tre Mason rushed for a 37-yard touchdown that gave Auburn a 31-27 lead with 1:19 remaining.

Auburn’s defense wasn’t able to get a stop, though. Jameis Winston, who won the Heisman Trophy that year, quickly got Florida State down the field. He completed a 49-yard pass to Rashad Greene early in the drive. FSU faced a third-down situation in the red zone, with Winston throwing an incomplete pass that was negated due to a pass interference penalty. On the next play, Winston threw what ended up being the game-winning touchdown pass with 13 seconds left, completing an 18-point comeback victory.

Penn State sought to win its first national title in program history in the 1978 season, needing to take down Bear Bryant’s powerhouse at Alabama to do so. Much of the first half was a defensive struggle, with the score at a stalemate until late in the second quarter. Jeff Rutledge threw a 30-yard strike to Bruce Bolton that gave Alabama a 7-0 lead.

After the Nittany Lions got an interception, Penn State quarterback Chuck Fusina connected with Scott Fitzkee for a 17-yard score to tie the game in the third quarter. Alabama responded quickly, with Major Ogilvie scoring on a nifty option play to give the Crimson Tide a 14-7 lead. Penn State got in position to tie the game again in the fourth quarter after forcing a turnover deep in enemy territory, but Alabama made a key tackle at the 1-yard line before coming up with two stuffs on consecutive plays to keep PSU off the scoreboard and secure the national championship.

8. 2016 CFP National Championship: Alabama 45, Clemson 40

The first game of the Alabama-Clemson championship trilogy was one of the best national title games of all time. Both teams battled to an even 14-14 score going into halftime before Clemson took a 24-21 lead going into the fourth quarter. That’s when the game got wild. 

Alabama tied it again at 24-all after its first possession of the fourth quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, Alabama recovered a surprise onside kick. That shifted the game toward the Crimson Tide, with Jake Coker hitting O.J. Howard for a 51-yard touchdown that gave Alabama a 31-24 lead. Clemson settled for a field goal on the ensuing drive, and Alabama answered with a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown to take a 38-27 lead halfway through the fourth quarter. The Tigers scored another touchdown, but Derrick Henry’s 1-yard touchdown run put Alabama up 45-33 and helped clinch the win with 1:07 remaining.

7. 1973 Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23

Alabama and Notre Dame battled for the national championship in 2013, with the Crimson Tide decisively winning that game. But their first meeting for the title 40 years earlier was a much closer contest.

Both teams traded touchdowns early on in the 1973 Sugar Bowl before Al Hunter’s 93-yard kickoff return touchdown gave Notre Dame a 14-7 edge, but Alabama scored 10 unanswered points to take a 17-14 lead early in the third quarter. An Alabama turnover later on in the third quarter helped Notre Dame take a 21-17 lead entering the fourth.  Early in the final frame, running back Mike Stock threw a 25-yard touchdown to quarterback Richard Todd on a trick play to put Alabama back in front — but it missed the extra point.

So, when Notre Dame went on a time-consuming drive on the ensuing possession before settling for a field goal, it took a 24-23 lead with under five minutes remaining. Notre Dame still needed to seal the win, doing so by converting on a third-and-long while backed up near its own goal line in the final minutes.

6. 1987 Fiesta Bowl: Penn State 14, Miami (Fla.) 10

The showdown between the top two teams of the 1986 season was preceded by a lot of off-field drama. Miami infamously arrived in Arizona wearing fatigues to hype up the idea that the game would be warfare.

Well, Miami dominated Penn State on the stat sheet. The Canes massively outgained the Nittany Lions, 445-162, and they had nearly three times as many first downs (22 to eight) — but Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde & Co. couldn’t stop turning the ball over. Miami committed seven turnovers in the game, fumbling on its possession after Penn State took a 14-10 lead in the fourth quarter. Miami had another chance to win the game, moving down to Penn State’s 10-yard line with a minute left. Four plays later, on fourth-and-goal, Testaverde’s pass into the end zone was intercepted, marking the Heisman winner’s fifth interception of the game and giving Penn State the national title. 

5. 2017 CFP National Championship: Clemson 35, Alabama 31

The sequel to the Alabama-Clemson trilogy outdid the original. This time around, Alabama had the early lead, going up 14-0 in the second quarter. Clemson cut into Alabama’s halfway through the third quarter, making it a 17-14 game before the Crimson Tide took a 10-point lead entering the fourth.

That’s when Deshaun Watson flipped the script and put up one of the best championship performances of all time. The Clemson quarterback led his team to two straight scores, taking a 28-24 lead with under five minutes to go. Jalen Hurts and Alabama responded with a 30-yard score that put Alabama ahead, 31-28, with just over two minutes to go.

Finally, Clemson was able to get the game-deciding score with a second left. After leading Clemson down to Alabama’s 2-yard line, Watson threw the game-winning touchdown to Hunter Renfrow right before the clock expired to take a 34-31 lead. Clemson recovered an onside kick right after to ensure the win. 

4. 2018 CFP National Championship: Alabama 26, Georgia 23 (OT)

Alabama avenged its title game loss from the year prior, but not without some dramatics. Kirby Smart coached Georgia to a 13-0 against Nick Saban, seeking to defeat his mentor for a championship, but Saban made the decision to swap Hurts out for then-freshman Tua Tagovailoa at halftime. That decision paid off. 

Tagovailoa led Alabama to a touchdown on his second drive to make it a 13-7 game. Georgia added another score right after to go ahead 20-7, but Alabama was able to score six consecutive points off a pair of field goals before Tagovailoa threw a game-tying 7-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley with 3:49 remaining. Alabama had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Andy Pappanastos’ 36-yard field goal went wide left, sending the game to overtime.

Georgia took a 23-20 lead after the opening drive of the first overtime and put pressure on Alabama when it sacked Tagovailoa for a 16-yard loss on its first play with the ball. But the Bulldogs’ elation quickly turned into deflation when Tagovailoa found DeVonta Smith on a deep ball for a 41-yard touchdown to win the game and the title. 

3. 1984 Orange Bowl: Miami 31, Nebraska 30

The birth of Miami’s run began in its home stadium against one of the sport’s biggest powerhouses in January 1984. The Hurricanes, who were a double-digit underdog, got out to a quick 17-0 lead before the Cornhuskers made it a three-point game before halftime. 

Miami built its lead back by multiple scores before the fourth quarter — getting a 31-17 edge behind Bernie Kosar’s 300-yard passing night to go with rushing touchdowns from Alonzo Highsmith and Albert Bentley — but Nebraska scored two more touchdowns to make it a 31-30 game with 48 seconds remaining.

After Jeff Smith’s 24-yard touchdown run, Tom Osborne opted to go for two and the win instead of settling for a tie. Nebraska’s Turner Gil rolled out and tried to connect with Smith for the game-winning score, but Miami’s Kenny Calhoun knocked the ball away to give the Hurricanes their first national championship.

2. 2003 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (2OT)

Ohio State was able to break its decades-long title drought while ending Miami’s reign of dominance in college football on the same night, but not without a little controversy. Miami, which was a heavy favorite, needed to kick a 40-yard field goal to send the game to overtime.

In the first overtime, Ken Dorsey threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow Jr. that gave the Hurricanes a 24-17 lead. It appeared that Miami had secured the national title on the next possession, forcing an incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal. As Miami began celebrating, a late flag came in that penalized Miami’s Glenn Sharpe for interfering with Chris Gamble on Craig Krenzel’s pass. Krenzel ran in for the game-tying score three plays later.

Maurice Clarett helped Ohio State take a 31-24 lead at the beginning of the second overtime with his 5-yard touchdown run. Miami picked up a key fourth down on the ensuing possession, driving down to Ohio State’s 1-yard line. But on fourth-and-goal, Dorsey was hit as he threw the ball, causing an incompletion and an Ohio State title win. 

1. 2006 Rose Bowl: USC 41, Texas 38 

The obvious choice for the No. 1 spot, the 2006 Rose Bowl, is often regarded as one of the best championship games played in modern American sports history.

Two-time defending champ USC looked to become the first team to three-peat since the 1930s, rolling over its opponents en route to an undefeated regular season. But Texas too had a dominant year, also going 12-0 behind Heisman Trophy runner-up Vince Young, who lost the award to USC’s Reggie Bush a few weeks prior. 

Both players showed out in the title game. Bush had 177 yards of total offense and a touchdown, rushing for a 26-yard touchdown that gave USC a 31-23 lead early in the fourth quarter. That’s when Young turned into a superhero. He led Texas to three straight scoring drives after that touchdown, overcoming a 38-26 deficit with just over seven minutes remaining. After Young ran for a 17-yard touchdown to make it a 38-33 game with 4:03 remaining, Texas stuffed USC’s LenDale White on a fourth-and-2 run with 2:13 remaining. 

Texas got the ball back at its own 44-yard line, driving down to USC’s 8-yard line with 30 seconds left. After Young threw an incompletion on third-and-5, he ran to the corner of the end zone and beat USC’s defense to the goal line to score a touchdown that gave Texas a 41-38 lead with 19 seconds remaining. The touchdown capped off a performance in which Young threw for 267 yards while rushing for 200 yards and three touchdowns. 

HONORABLE MENTION

• 2011 BCS National Championship: Auburn 22, Oregon 19
• 2009 BCS National Championship: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14
• 1999 Fiesta Bowl: Tennessee 23, Florida State 16
• 1995 Orange Bowl: Nebraska 24, Miami 17
• 1994 Orange Bowl: Florida State 18, Nebraska 16
• 1981 Sugar Bowl: Georgia 17, Notre Dame 10
• 1970 Cotton Bowl: Texas 21, Notre Dame 17
• 1963 Rose Bowl: USC 42, Wisconsin 37

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]