Top 5 upsets in College Football Playoff history ft. Clemson Tigers

The college football playoff is no stranger to upsets. Fans across the globe lean toward favoritism for elite programs. The Alabama Crimson Tide, the Georgia Bulldogs, the Michigan Wolverines, and the Clemson Tigers have battled it out over the past decade and epic games have resulted in champions thanks to upsets.

Top 5 Upsets and some of the greatest College Playoff Games

#5 2015 Sugar Bowl: Ohio State 42 vs Alabama 35

The 2015 Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Ohio State set the tone for the high level of competition the College Football Playoff could and would garner.

Nick Saban’s Alabama was a clear favorite after knocking off the Dak Prescott led Mississippi State team with their stout defense. Ohio State's miracle season was led by redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett after starting QB Braxton Miller got injured in training camp.

These two teams were mirrors of each other with their defensive philosophy, but it was Ohio State's running back Ezekiel Elliot and the offensive line that dominated this upset with 281 rushing yards in this game that would lead them to win it all in the first inaugural College Football Playoff Championship against Oregon.

#4 2018 National Championship: Alabama 26 vs Georgia 23 (Second Half)

This is a technicality, as Alabama was the favorite going into the 2018 National Championship against Georgia. This game was the first of many modern matchups between these two elite SEC teams in the College Football Playoff, as well as the mentor/mentee coaching battle between Nick Saban and Kirby Smart.

By halftime of this game, Georgia was up 13 to 0. Alabama had a missed field goal and 3 punts with an anemic offense. The momentum had shifted. Saban knew this and benched Jalen Hurts for backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Well, on hindsight, both are elite starting QB’s in the NFL, but at that moment, it was a major risk that ignited the Alabama offense. Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to victory in overtime with 166 yards and three touchdowns.

#3 2019 National Championship Clemson 44 vs Alabama 16

It is up for debate whether a close upset or a blowout upset is better, but for the Clemson Tigers, winning is all that matters. This was a special national championship as it was the first undefeated matchup since 2011 as well as a rematch from 2017.

Alabama’s dominance in the Saban Era is a testament to not only greatness but also the fact that his team is usually the favorite in these matchups. Thus, this creates upsets, especially with Dabo Swinney leading Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and Justyn Ross to demolish Alabama’s defense with over 400 yards and six touchdowns.

This upset became a blowout in the second half and solidified the historic rivalry between the Tigers and Crimson Tide.

#2 2022 Fiesta Bowl: TCU 51 vs Michigan 45

The TCU Horned Frogs will go down in history for getting crushed by the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship, but it is important to acknowledge the hard work it took to get to that stage.

After losing the Big 12 Championship, TCU was still selected for the 2022 playoff. This set up a stellar matchup against Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan which was undefeated and had housed Ohio State for the second year in a row.

JJ McCarthy took over the starting job for Michigan and his big arm led them to the Playoffs. Yet, TCU had a magical run led by coach Sonny Dykes and quarterback Max Duggan. Duggan's 76-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnson in the 4th quarter flipped the momentum of a high-scoring back-and-forth game.

Topped off with a field goal later, TCU pulled ahead and Michigan was unable to catch up with little time remaining.

#1 2017 National Championship: Clemson 35 vs Alabama 31

The original usually cannot be beat, and this game was the definition of an upset. This game had all the storylines for the College Football Playoff. Alabama beat Clemson in the 2016 National Championship 45–40.

Alabama was undefeated, while Clemson had one loss to a feisty Pittsburgh team. Jalen Hurts was looking to become the first true freshman since 1985 to win a national championship.

On the other side, Deshaun Watson performed a Heisman finalist-level season with over 4,000 yards passing, 38 touchdowns, and 586 rushing yards. This game had one of the greatest endings, with Watson throwing the game-winning touchdown to Hunter Renfrow, leaving only 1 second left on the clock. In my opinion, this is the greatest upset in college football history.