The four-team era of the College Football Playoff is over. Beginning with the 2024 season, we will now have an FBS postseason with 12 teams vying for the title of national champions.
And as that era ends and a new one begins, we thought it was about time to look back on all the semifinal games that were played across those 10 seasons. Some of them — like the two we just saw in 2024 — were a real blast. Others, like the 2015 Cotton Bowl, were big bummers. These games have inspired memes and created legends.
Let’s remember the best semifinal games from the four-team format.
10
Alabama 24, Clemson 6 (2018)
This was the only time that two perennial playoff teams – Alabama and Clemson – met in a semifinal. It featured a throwback performance for a dominant Alabama defense and a solid Jalen Hurts outing.
Somehow, Alabama defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne scored more touchdowns than Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs, DeVonta Smith and Damien Harris combined in this game. And it was beautiful, too.
9
Ohio State 49, Clemson 28 (2020)
This game was not close after the first quarter. It’s not on this list for coming down to the wire or anything like that.
No, this game is simply here because it is probably the greatest Justin Fields has ever been on a football field. He threw for 385 yards and six – SIX! – touchdowns.
8
LSU 63, Oklahoma 28 (2019)
Like our previous entry, this game is not here because it was competitive. It’s here because this was Joe Burrow and that LSU offense at its absolute best. Burrow threw for 493 yards and seven – SEVEN! – touchdowns. Four of those scores were hauled in by Justin Jefferson.
7
Washington 37, Texas 31 (2023)
Perhaps this is a bit of recency bias, but this game was a blast and ended with fireworks as Washington’s Elijah Jackson swatted the Huskies into national title game. There was fun before the game’s ending though, as Texas ran the ball with a defensive lineman and a Washington player taunted Texas with a horns-down sign.
Michael Penix Jr. and Quinn Ewers combined for 748 yards through the air and put on a show in the four-team format’s final semifinal.
6
Michigan 27, Alabama 20 OT (2023)
Yeah, we’re going to put the 2023 games back-to-back on here. This one gets the edge because it was incredibly chaotic, featured a wild fourth-down call, a glorious Rose Bowl sunset, and J.J. McCarthy getting a facemask full of turf.
McCarthy played so well that Jim Harbaugh called him “the greatest” Michigan quarterback ever. While that designation is up for debate, the absurdity of this play is not.
5
Clemson 29, Ohio State 23 (2019)
The Buckeyes were ahead 16-0 in this game before future Jacksonville Jaguars teammates Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne engineered a memorable comeback. Lawrence had 366 yards of total offense while Etienne had 134 and three touchdowns.
Perhaps the most memorable play of the game was Lawrence doing his best Mike Vick impersonation.
4
TCU 51, Michigan 45 (2022)
Hey, remember Max Duggan? This game featured four touchdowns from the TCU quarterback – two passing and two rushing.
TCU built a 21-6 lead before nearly squandering it, with Michigan cutting the deficit to just three points near the start of the fourth quarter. But a 76-yard catch-and-run from Duggan to Quentin Johnson ended the hopes of Michigan fans.
We don’t need to talk about what happened in the game TCU played after this one.
3
Georgia 42, Ohio State 41 (2022)
Ohio State led by 14 points entering the fourth quarter. And then, Stetson Bennett happened. The former walk-on quarterback led Georgia on three scoring drives – one that was a one-play 76-yard pass.
CJ Stroud and the Buckeyes had a chance to win it late, but after lining up for a first-and-10 from the Georgia 31-yard line, they had a run go for a loss of a yard, and followed that with two incomplete passes. A 50-yard field goal attempt with three seconds left then missed, all but sending Georgia back to the title game.
2
Ohio State 42, Alabama 35 (2014)
Cardale Jones became Ohio State’s starting quarterback in the Big Ten Championship. He went 3-0 to cap off the 2014 season, beating Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon all at neutral sites, throwing for 742 yards, rushing for 90 and scoring six touchdowns. A decade later, what Jones did is still wild and impressive – and his performance remains an argument why Florida State should’ve been in the playoff in 2023, because sometimes backups can do crazy and improbable things.
It’s worth noting, the 2023 Florida State team did not have a running back like 2014 Ohio State. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 230 yards and two touchdowns against this Alabama team on 20 touches. That’s an average of 11.5 yards per carry. And Alabama’s defense couldn’t do a damn thing about him.
1
Georgia 54, Oklahoma 48 2OT (2017)
An absolute thriller at the Rose Bowl. This is a game where Sony Michel and Nick Chubb combined for 326 rushing yards and five touchdowns as they and Georgia’s offensive line just exerted their will against Oklahoma. But the Sooners were in their bag too – Baker Mayfield made plays, Rodney Anderson rushed for 201 yards, and CeeDee Lamb even threw a touchdown pass.
It all came down to the second overtime, where Georgia’s defense got a crucial stop, and Sony Michel went on a memorable run out of a wildcat formation.
And look, don’t ignore the block that Jake Fromm makes here.
