The Top 5 CFB National Championship Games of All-Time

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff national championship game is set for Monday, January 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Ironically, it’s the home stadium of the Miami Hurricanes who will take on No. 1 Indiana for this year’s national title.

The Hoosiers, under head coach Curt Cignetti, continue to amaze the college football world. Not many thought Cignetti and Indiana would be able to match what they did last season let alone better it. Indiana heads into Monday night’s game as an 8.5-point favorite. The game total is set at 47.5.

As we get ready to watch what should be a great game between two outstanding football teams, we look back at some of the most memorable national championship games in history. Keep in mind, there has only been a true college football national championship game for the last 26 years. 

Here’s a look at the top-5 college football national championship games of all-time.

Honorable Mention 

1984 Orange Bowl Nebraska-Miami 

Before the Bowl Alliance and Bowl Coalition, there were occasions where the No. 1 and No. 2 teams would play in a bowl game. It happened in the ‘84 Orange Bowl when top-ranked Nebraska faced No. 2 Miami.

Upstart Miami shocked the world by taking a 31-17 lead into the fourth quarter. Then, the Cornhuskers dialed up a comeback. Running back Jeff Smith scored twice in the final quarter, the second on a 24-yard run with just 48 seconds left in the game.

Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne elected to go for two instead of kicking the extra point. A kick would have likely resulted in a tie which would have given Nebraska a national title. Instead, the Cornhuskers two-point attempt failed and a new era of college football followed.

1979 Sugar Bowl Penn State-Alabama

Even longer before the Bowl Alliance, Bowl Coalition, and BCS, No. 1 Penn State (11-0) faced No. 2 Alabama (10-1) in the 1979 Sugar Bowl. It was a hard-fought physical battle where defense prevailed.

Alabama took a 14-7 lead into the fourth quarter. Penn State recovered an Alabama fumble and proceeded to march down the field on the Crimson Tide. The Nittany Lions would end up with a first-and-goal at the Alabama eight-yard line. 

Three plays later, Penn State faced a fourth-and-goal from just inside the one-yard line. PSU RB Mike Guman took the hand off and was met immediately by Alabama LB Barry Krauss and the rest of the Tide. The game would end 14-7 in favor of the Tide who would share the national championship with USC. The Trojans were voted the national champs in the coaches poll.

5. Auburn-Florida State, BCS 2014

It was the final national championship game of the BCS era. Auburn and Florida State played at the Rose Bowl in the Vizio BCS National Championship game at the end of the 2013 season. Florida State jumped out to an early lead, but Auburn responded with three first-half touchdowns.

With Auburn leading 24-20 in the fourth quarter after a field goal, the Seminoles returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to go ahead 27-24. Auburn, led by first-year head coach Gus Malzahn, retook the lead 31-27 with just 1:19 left in the game.

Jameis Winston hit WR Kelvin Benjamin with a two-yard touchdown pass with just 13 seconds left to secure Florida State’s first national championship since 1999. 

4. Ohio State-Miami, BCS 2003

At the end of the 2002 college football season, Ohio State and Miami met in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, which was designated as the national championship game that season. The game pitted the No. 1-ranked Hurricanes, the defending national champions, against the No. 2 Buckeyes.

Miami was an 11.5-point favorite heading into the game. Ohio State took a 14-7 lead into halftime. The Buckeyes scored late in the second quarter and then were able to score their second touchdown thanks to a Miami fumble on the ensuing drive. 

Ohio State would go up 17-7 before the Hurricanes came back late in the third quarter. A Willis McGahee touchdown run made it 17-14. Miami K Todd Sievers hit a 40-yard field goal at the end of regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime.

It was only the second time in history that a national title game had gone to overtime. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime. Miami scored first and then there was some controversy as a pass interference penalty on Miami on an Ohio State fourth down gave the Buckeyes a fresh set of downs. 

Ohio State scored on quarterback Craig Krenzel’s one-yard run and then scored again in the second OT on RB Maurice Clarett’s five-yard run. The Buckeyes would stop Miami on 4th-and-goal from the one-yard line to win the national championship, 31-24.

3. Clemson-Alabama, CFP 2016

It was a shootout in the 2016 College Football Playoff national championship between the No. 1-seeded Clemson Tigers and No. 2 Alabama. Clemson scored near the end of the third quarter to take a 24-21 as the game headed into its final 15 minutes.

A total of 40 points on seven different scoring plays were put up in the final quarter of play. Alabama had taken a 38-27 lead on a kick return right after Clemson’s Greg Huegel had just hit a 31-yard field goal.

Clemson did not quit. QB Deshaun Watson threw a touchdown pass to Artavis Scott with 4:40 left in the game to pull the Tigers within five, 38-33. Alabama answered with an 8-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a Derrick Henry one-yard scoring run. Another Watson touchdown pass with 12 seconds left gave Clemson a glimmer of hope, but the Tigers would end up losing 45-40.

2. Alabama-Georgia, CFP 2018

It was the first CFP national championship to go to overtime. It sure didn’t look like it early on. Georgia dominated the first half and built a solid 13-0 halftime lead. The game also began the career of a young quarterback named Tua Tagovailoa, who was an Alabama redshirt freshman at the time.

Tagovailoa started the second half for the Crimson Tide. He would lead Alabama to 20 second-half points, including a seven-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley that would tie the game at 20-all. Alabama even had a chance to win at the end of regulation but missed a long field goal.

Georgia went ahead in overtime on a 51-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship. Alabama’s overtime drive started with a 16-yard sack of Tagovailoa. However, on the very next play, Tagovailoa hit DeVonta Smith with the game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass.

1. Texas-USC, BCS 2006

For most fans of college football that are old enough, the 2006 Rose Bowl is the gold standard when it comes to national championship games. It was still the BCS era and the Rose Bowl hosted the matchup between No. 1 USC and No. 2 Texas. 

The Trojans had won 34 straight games and they were the defending national champions. This game featured the Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush of USC, against the runner-up, QB Vince Young of Texas.

USC drew first blood on a LenDale Moore touchdown run in the first quarter. Texas responded by going up 16-7 before a USC field goal cut the halftime lead to 16-10. Like the 2016 CFP national title game, this one featured plenty of scoring in the fourth quarter. 

The Trojans scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take a 38-26 lead with 6:42 to play in the game. It was at that point Young took matters into his own hands. The Texas quarterback would score on a 17-yard run with 4:03 to play and then come back and score the game-winner with just 19 seconds on the clock. Texas 41, USC 38.