Sports The College Soccer Playoff has dramatically shifted the college soccer panorama.
Sooner than the CFP, ideal two teams were interested by competing for the championship. Then, in 2014, it became four teams. Now in 2025, 12 teams are competing for the title.
Since 2014, we bear considered a handful of memorable teams produced by Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Clemson and Ohio Instruct, amongst others, nevertheless many of those teams mechanically won in blowouts, leaving them on the exterior taking a test up on in at basically the most easy games of all time.
Taking a deep dive, together with some semifinal, quarterfinal and championship games, we bear assembled the head 10 CFP games of all time, with a good deal of future NFL stars.
Right here are the head 10 College Soccer Playoff games of all time:
10. 2014 semifinal: No. 4 Ohio Instruct 42, No. 1 Alabama 35
One of many extra fabulous stories in the CFP skills became the stellar play of Ohio Instruct backup QB Cardale Jones in 2014.
Jones led the team on an unexpected title bustle after an damage to starter J.T. Barrett. The semifinal proved he had some guts with the Buckeyes falling in the encourage of 21-6 early in the second quarter earlier than outscoring the Tide 36-14 the relaxation of the means.
Jones, pointless to direct, didn’t place it himself though, with future NFL RB Ezekiel Elliott leading the offense to the tune of 230 speeding yards and two speeding touchdowns. That efficiency helped offset the nine-discover, 71 receiving-yard and two-touchdown sport that Alabama WR Amari Cooper place up.
The main to the sport came in the middle when Ohio Instruct delivered a haymaker, running off 28 unanswered components and going from a 21-6 deficit to a 34-21 lead that they underneath no conditions relinquished.
9. 2015 Championship: No. 2 Alabama Forty five, No. 1 Clemson 40
Possibly the ideal championship sport in the CFP skills, the 85 mixed components on this one are a epic to this point in CFP title games. The 2 teams mixed for 740 total yards of offense, the correct title sport to surpass 700 total yards between the two teams.
The exact memoir on this sport became how a form of the fourth quarter became from the relaxation of the sport. The main three quarters saw genuine Forty five components mixed, nevertheless in the fourth quarter, the Tigers and Crimson Tide place up 40 components between the two teams.
Clemson QB Deshaun Watson delivered 405 passing yards and four touchdowns, nevertheless couldn’t overcome Derrick Henry’s 158 speeding yards and three touchdowns in the cease.
8. 2023 semifinal: No. 1 Michigan 27, No. 4 Alabama 20 (OT)
Alabama and Michigan placed on a uncover in a single in all the four time beyond regulations games in CFP historical past, and the first since 2018.
After an early Alabama touchdown to place them up 7-0, Michigan proceeded to outscore the Tide 27-13 the relaxation of the sport, nevertheless the greatest play came in the fourth quarter when Wolverines’ QB J.J. McCarthy realized Roman Wilson for the four-yard touchdown with 1:34 left to tie the sport at 20-20.
In time beyond regulations, Michigan RB Blake Corum realized the cease zone on the team’s second play in the further length, giving the team a seven-level lead. Alabama managed to discover the ball down to the two-yard line, nevertheless on fourth-and-goal, QB Jalen Milroe became stuffed, giving Michigan its first CFP title sport berth in college historical past.
7. 2023 semifinal: No. 2 Washington 37, No. 3 Texas 31
A battle of two no longer going teams entering the season, this sport didn’t disappoint. The semifinal featured 68 components between the two teams and 1,030 yards of total offense, with the latter being the fourth-most in CFP historical past.
After entering halftime tied 21-21, Washington came out and took administration, scoring the first 13 components of the second half and sealing the team’s berth in the title sport.
The Huskies’ offense became led by its QB, Michael Penix Jr., who placed on a uncover, with 430 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. His 19-yard touchdown jog in the third quarter proved to be the sport-winner, with that striking the team ahead for aesthetic.
6. 2022 semifinal: No. 3 TCU 51, No. 2 Michigan Forty five
One of basically the most spirited soccer games of the final five years, the two teams mixed for 69 components in the second half, and 44 in the third quarter. Many of the scoring will be traced encourage to one thing — turnovers. This sport had a whopping six turnovers, the second-most in a CFP sport in historical past.
Although the scoring kept up at some level of the sport, the Horned Frogs’ 14-0 lead on the cease of the first proved to be insurmountable, with Michigan getting as finish as three components, nevertheless unable to rob the lead.
When all became stated and executed, the sport featured 96 mixed components, the second-most in a CFP sport to this level in the occasion’s historical past.
5. 2024 quarterfinal: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona Instruct 31 (2OT)
The most modern sport on the list became an fabulous one, with multiple twists and turns. After the Sun Devils had seemingly nothing occurring in the first half and entered the damage trailing 17-3, the team came alive in the second half and namely in the fourth quarter.
After the Longhorns realized the cease zone early in the fourth quarter, striking them up 24-8, the sport looked over. Arizona Instruct had a form of suggestions though, scoring two touchdowns, every with two-level conversions, in precisely 1:31 of sport time, tying the sport at 24-24.
Both teams would ranking in the first time beyond regulations earlier than ASU didn’t reach the cease zone in the second time beyond regulations. No topic the loss, Sun Devils RB Cam Skattebo launched himself to the nation with 143 yards on 242 yards from scrimmage, two speeding touchdowns and a 42-yard passing touchdown.
4. 2022 semifinal: No. 1 Georgia 42, No. 4 Ohio Instruct 41
Ohio Instruct looked capable of almost referring to the 2022 title sport after entering the fourth quarter with a 38-24 lead. Stetson Bennett and the Bulldogs had a form of suggestions though, responding in the final frame with an 18-3 edge.
Stetson Bennett led the team encourage and hit Adonai Mitchell for the 10-yard touchdown jog with genuine 54 seconds left, nevertheless the first play came when Ohio Instruct kicker Noah Ruggles neglected a 50-yard field goal as time expired, handing the Bulldogs the narrow one-level score and sending the SEC powerhouse to the title sport where they claimed the conference’s fifth CFP title.
3. 2017 semifinal: No. 3 Georgia 54, No. 2 Oklahoma forty eight (2OT)
The compatible sport in the CFP skills where the teams mixed to damage the century rate, and this one featured rather just a few smartly-known individual vitality.
Oklahoma’s offense became powered by future No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield, who place up 287 jog yards and two touchdowns. His targets featured three NFL studs with CeeDee Lamb, Hollywood Brown and Label Andrews combining for 18 receptions, 232 yards and two touchdowns.
On the a form of aspect, Georgia’s backfield became the stuff of legends with two future NFL-starters on the identical team. Sony Michel delivered the ideal affect with 181 speeding yards and three touchdowns, whereas Reduce Chubb furthermore contributed with a modest 145 speeding yards and two scores.
This sport had fireworks and it saved basically the most easy for final with every team scoring 14 components in the fourth quarter and the defenses tightening up in further time, earlier than Sony Michel’s 27-yard speeding touchdown won it in the second time beyond regulations.
2. 2016 Championship: No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31
Alabama became quarter-hour faraway from a success encourage-to-encourage titles earlier than Deshaun Watson led Clemson encourage to avenge the championship sport loss from 2015. Entering the fourth quarter, the Tide held a 24-14 lead after Jalen Hurts hit O.J. Howard for a 68-yard touchdown jog, giving Alabama the total momentum.
The next two touchdowns would belong to the Tigers, though, with Clemson going ahead 28-24 with genuine over four minutes final. Alabama would acknowledge by finding the cease zone with two minutes left, seemingly striking them ahead for aesthetic. That became unless Deshaun Watson led the team down the field and realized future NFL WR Hunter Renfrow for the touchdown with one second final and sealing the score for the Tigers.
1. 2017 Championship: No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23 (OT)
The game that featured one in all basically the most grand moments in CFP historical past tests in at No. 1. That, pointless to direct, referencing Reduce Saban benching smartly-known individual QB Jalen Hurts at halftime and subbing in Tua Tagovailoa. Tua would jumpstart an offense that became loaded with dynamic future pros. Calvin Ridley and DeVonta Smith mixed for five catches, 73 yards and two touchdowns, with every their scores accounting for the two main.
Ridley’s seven-yard touchdown reception would tie the sport at 20 late in the fourth quarter, erasing what became a 13-level deficit. While DeVonta Smith’s 41-yard touchdown take care of finish won the sport for the Tide in time beyond regulations, ending an unreal comeback.
Honorable mentions:
2014 championship: No. 4 Ohio Instruct 42, No. 2 Oregon 20 2019 semifinal: No. 3 Clemson 29, No. 2 Ohio Instruct 23 2020 semifinal: No. 3 Ohio Instruct 49, No. 2 Clemson 28 2019 championship: No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25 2024 semifinal: No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 6 Penn Instruct 24 Need gigantic stories delivered aesthetic to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports story, practice leagues, teams and gamers to receive a custom-made e-newsletter on every day foundation !
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