The first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff started with a whimper as the first round delivered four games decided by double-digits, sparking furious debate over the selection and seeding criteria. But as the bracket began to weed out the imposters, the game quality improved sharply.
Three of the four quarterfinal matchups were competitive into the second half, and one of them was an instant classic as Texas outlasted Arizona State in double-overtime after a memorable rally from the Sun Devils. That led into a pair of semifinal matchups that delivered in memorable fashion.
Ohio State’s 28-14 Cotton Bowl victory over Texas is forever defined by a heroic late-game stand from the Buckeyes’ defense marked by a legendary play from an a quintessential Ohio State player. Not to be outdone, Notre Dame’s 27-24 Orange Bowl win over Penn State was a back-and-forth affair that kept viewers engaged until the end.
As we reflect on a historic postseason, here is a posthumous ranking of the 11 games that comprised the expanded CFP.
1. Texas 39, Arizona State 31 (Quarterfinal)
When a player from the losing team is named a game’s MVP, it’s typically an indication that something wacky transpired. That was certainly the case in the Peach Bowl as Cam Skattebo did everything possible to will Arizona State back from a 24-8 deficit in the fourth quarter. He was a runner, passer and receiver as the Sun Devils roared back to force overtime. Texas somehow prevailed in the second extra period, even after finding its back against the wall in a fourth-and-13 situation. The massive momentum swings and Skattebo’s heroics make this not just the best CFP game this year, but one of the greatest ever.
2. Ohio State 28, Texas 14 (Semifinal)
Jack Sawyer’s strip sack of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and 82-yard return for a touchdown will live in Ohio State lore. The game-clinching score from an Ohio native will forever define a tightly contested Cotton Bowl that propelled the Buckeyes into the CFP National Championship. Sawyer was among the contingent of Ohio State stars who spurned the 2024 NFL Draft to return for a title run. And for one last bit of storybook fate, Sawyer and Ewers were roommates during Ewers’ brief stint with the Buckeyes in 2021.
3. Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24 (Semifinal)
This game had a little bit of everything. There were massive ebbs and flows for both teams and fantastic individual playmaking, (including Jaden Greenhouse’s 54-yard touchdown reception for Notre Dame in the fourth quarter and Tyler Warren doing everything for Penn State). This one also had a dramatic finish. Ultimately, Penn State gave it away with shoddy late defense and a critical interception with under a minute remaining.
4. Notre Dame 23, Georgia 10 (Quarterfinal)
Neither team averaged 5 yards per play, neither reached 300 total yards and it was never a one-possession game at any point in the second half. Still, the Sugar Bowl captivated a national TV audience as the SEC champions floundered in their effort to advance. With the help of a UGA fumble and Jayden Harrison’s kickoff return for a touchdown, the Fighting Irish scored 14 points in a span of 42 seconds of gameplay wrapped around halftime. Georgia responded with a touchdown, but Notre Dame stood strong on three straight UGA drives into Irish territory to close the game.
5. Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23 (National championship)
There have been too many blowouts in CFP National Championship games over the past several years, and this one was trending that direction during the middle quarters. However, Notre Dame’s 18-play game-opening touchdown drive and late rally at least made it interesting. In the end, the contest showcased Ohio State’s unmatchable elite gear and Notre Dame’s gritty culture. It could have been worse (see: Georgia 65, TCU 7).
6. Texas 38, Clemson 24 (First round)
Texas was steamrolling Clemson, until all of a sudden it wasn’t. Cade Klubnik led a furious rally to bring the Tigers within 31-24 early in the fourth quarter. However, the Longhorns slammed the door with Jaydon Blue’s 77-yard touchdown run and a couple of defensive stands. This wasn’t an instant classic, but it was the best game of an otherwise-lackluster first round.
7. Penn State 31, Boise State 14 (Quarterfinal)
This one was better than the final score indicates. Penn State used some surprising early potency in the pass game to pull ahead 14-0 before Boise State fought its way back into the hunt. In the end, the Nittany Lions were just more talented and physical. But unlike SMU, the Broncos put up a fight and made things interesting in the second half.
8. Ohio State 42, Tennessee 17 (First round)
Ohio State’s 21-0 first quarter outburst served as a warning call to the rest of the CFP field that the Buckeyes had put the frustration of a loss to Michigan behind them and meant business in the postseason. Tennessee scored 10 unanswered points to close the first half and received the opening kickoff of the second half down just 21-10. However, the Buckeyes quickly mashed the gas again to pull away for an authoritative victory that foreshadowed what was ahead.
9. Ohio State 41, Oregon 21 (Quarterfinal)
In light of what this game was supposed to be, the actual product disappointed. The Pasadena sunset was brilliant, but Oregon’s performance was not. The rematch of the Ducks’ thrilling 32-31 regular-season win over the Buckeyes was over in the blink of an eye. Ohio State followed its dismantling of Tennessee with an even more impressive beatdown of the Big Ten champions.
10. Notre Dame 27, Indiana 17 (First round)
This one peaked early with Jeremiyah Love’s 98-yard touchdown run four minutes into the game. Indiana did actually drive the football to midfield on four straight possessions to close the first half, even reaching the red zone twice. The problem was that those drives produced only three points, which subsequently led to a comfortable victory for the Fighting Irish.
11. Penn State 38, SMU 10 (First round)
SMU did the CFP Selection Committee no favors after squeaking in with the final at-large bid over a trio of three-loss SEC teams. The Mustangs fell behind 28-0 in the first half and looked like a team that didn’t belong. By the the time they finally scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Penn State had begun scouting Boise State and the nation had stopped watching.
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