Rating the ten best CFP video games: The place Miami-Ole Miss Fiesta Bowl traditional sits on listing

Blowouts usually command many of the on-line consideration with regards to discussing the School Soccer Playoff. It’s true {that a} majority of playoff video games, at this level, have resulted in lopsided style. However if you put one of the best groups within the sport in a single bracket, with nationwide glory on the road, there’s certain to be some bangers. 

The 2025-26 School Soccer Playoff has seen its justifiable share of entertaining video games. In actual fact, the newest installment between No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 10 Miami within the Fiesta Bowl will go down as top-of-the-line postseason video games ever. 

The Hurricanes triumphed in a 31-27 thriller to safe their first nationwide title recreation look in over twenty years. However the place does the Fiesta Bowl rank among the many finest School Soccer Playoff video games of all time? 

This is a rundown of the highest 10 clashes because the playoff started in 2014. 

10. 2015 CFP Nationwide Championship: Alabama 45, Clemson 40

One other recreation by which the fourth quarter took this from a battle between goliaths to a Conflict of Titans. Clemson entered the ultimate body with a 24-21 benefit, which Alabama shortly erased with a 33-yard subject objective. Then, the Crimson Tide transformed on a profitable onside kick and pulled forward with a 51-yard landing connection between quarterback Jake Coker and tight finish O.J. Howard. 

These had been 10 of the 40 mixed factors scored between Alabama and Clemson within the fourth quarter. There wasn’t a single punt for the ultimate 12:54 of motion. Alabama was capable of keep a reasonably comfy lead after working again Kenyan Drake returned a kick 95 yards for a landing. His fellow working again and Heisman Trophy winner, Derrick Henry, carried the ball 36 occasions for 158 yards and a trio of scores. 

First off, Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II had a dashing landing, in order that robotically certified this recreation for a prime 10 spot. It simply so occurs that all the pieces else that occurred round Murphy’s landing was fairly superior, as nicely. Washington and Texas traded blows within the first half and entered halftime tied 21-all. 

That is when the upstart Huskies put their foot on the gasoline. They went on a 13-0 run between the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter open up a two-possession lead, after which held off a late rally from the Longhorns, who did not convert on fourth down with the ultimate possession of the sport to advance to their first official nationwide title recreation look in program historical past. 

8. 2024 Rose Bowl: Michigan 27, Alabama 20 (OT)

School soccer followers had been gifted with a pair of banger semifinal video games to wrap the 2023 season. Michigan and Alabama went back-and-forth for the complete recreation, but it surely’s actually the ultimate 5 minutes of regulation and extra time that elevate this to one of many best postseason clashes to ever grace the game. Down 20-13 with 4:41 left on the clock, Michigan launched into an eight-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard landing connection between quarterback J.J. McCarthy and broad receiver Roman Wilson to tie it up. 

Alabama was pressured to punt on its subsequent drive, Michigan muffed the ball at its 1-yard line after which correctly drained the clock after recovering its personal mistake. In extra time, Michigan received the ball first and handed it twice to working again Blake Corum, who scored from 17 yards out. Alabama responded by transferring the ball to Michigan’s 1-yard line, the place quarterback Jalen Milroe was stoned on a fourth-and-goal dashing try. Michigan went on to win its first nationwide title of the BCS/CFP period. 

7. 2026 Fiesta Bowl: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27 

An on the spot traditional in a playoff full of strong video games. Miami opened up a 17-10 lead late within the second quarter when quarterback Carson Beck hit broad receiver Keelan Marion for a 52-yard landing in opposition to busted protection. Ole Miss slowly pulled forward once more with three straight Lucas Carneiro subject targets, together with a 54-yarder close to the top of the third quarter that doinked in off the left upright. 

The 2 then mixed for 22 factors within the final seven minutes of regulation. Beck threw a display screen to Malachi Toney, who took it 36 yards for a landing. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss then answered with a 24-yard passing landing of his personal. Beck then sealed the take care of an unbelievable 3-yard landing run, his first landing on the bottom since September. Ole Miss coated 40 yards in lower than 12 seconds on its final possession to arrange a sensible Hail Mary try, however Chambliss’ toss fell incomplete. 

6. 2022 Fiesta Bowl: TCU 51, Michigan 45 

The Cinderella Horned Frogs affirmed their standing as a reliable nationwide contender with an exciting win in opposition to a closely favored Michigan staff. It is spectacular that TCU did not rating for the final 10 minutes of regulation however nonetheless put 51 factors on the board. As an alternative, the Horned Frogs leaned on their protection — and some essential Michigan errors. 

McCarthy and Wilson linked on a 5-yard landing with 3:18 left to play to chop TCU’s result in 51-45, after which Michigan pressured a punt with lower than a minute on the clock. The Wolverines had hassle transferring the ball from their very own 25-yard line and a botched snap ended any hope they’d of changing on fourth-and-10. The Fiesta Bowl’s 96 mixed factors are the second-most in CFP historical past. 

5. 2025 Peach Bowl: Texas 39, Arizona State 31 (2OT) 

Arizona State working again Cam Skattebo had a whole lot of Heisman Trophy voters second-guessing their respective selections after he placed on one of the vital heroic particular person performances the School Soccer Playoff has ever seen. He turned in 284 yards of complete offense. He rushed for 2 touchdowns and threw one other. He pounded his means into the top zone for a key two-point conversion that tied the sport at 24 within the fourth quarter and ultimately despatched it to extra time. 

Alas, it wasn’t sufficient. An interception from Texas’ Andrew Mukuba introduced Arizona State’s second-overtime possession, and its playoff run, to an abrupt finish. 

Ohio State misplaced star broad receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on a brutal hit, but it surely nonetheless entered the fourth quarter with a 38-24 lead over the Bulldogs. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett’s 76-yard landing cross to a large open Arian Smith, and a profitable 2-point conversion, introduced the Bulldogs inside a landing and so they ultimately took a 42-41 lead when Bennett hit Adonai Mitchell for a 10-yard rating with lower than a minute left within the closing body. 

Although momentum had totally swung in opposition to it, Ohio State wasn’t out of the sport. A 27-yard scramble by quarterback C.J. Stroud — the third-longest of his profession — put the Buckeyes in life like subject objective vary. With time ticking away, kicker Noah Ruggles tried a 50-yard boot … that did not even come near the uprights because it hooked left. Ruggles’ miss was additionally notable for the truth that it lined up precisely with the clock putting midnight to mark New Yr’s Day 2023. 

3. 2016 CFP Nationwide Championship: Clemson 35, Alabama 31 

A uncommon occasion by which the sequel was higher than the unique. A 12 months after Alabama rode a fourth-quarter surge to down Clemson within the School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship, the Tigers received their revenge. Quarterback Deshaun Watson torched the Tide with 36 completions for 420 yards and three touchdowns. 

4 Clemson receivers completed with at the least 90 yards receiving. Hunter Renfrow had a game-high 10 catches, however none had been extra vital than his 2-yard landing reception with one second left within the fourth quarter that sealed the deal for his Tigers. 

2. 2018 CFP Nationwide Championship: Alabama 26, Georgia 23 (OT) 

Going through a 13-0 deficit at halftime, Alabama coach Nick Saban made a significant change: he benched beginning quarterback Jalen Hurts in favor of extremely touted however nonetheless extremely inexperienced freshman Tua Tagovailoa. Over the subsequent half-hour, Tagovailoa cemented himself as one of many best quarterbacks in faculty soccer. 

He led the Tide on a 20-0 run within the second half and received them in game-winning subject objective vary late within the fourth quarter, although kicker Andy Pappanastos’ 36-yard try missed. In extra time, Tagovailoa answered Georgia’s subject objective — and a 16-yard sack on the Crimson Tide’s first play — with a 41-yard landing strike to broad receiver DeVonta Smith, a fellow true freshman with a brilliant way forward for his personal. 

Tagovailoa completed the sport with 166 yards passing and three touchdowns in lower than three quarters of play. 

1. 2018 Rose Bowl: Georgia 54, Oklahoma 48 (2OT)  

Georgia and Oklahoma set a bar for playoff video games that also has but to be surpassed. The celebs aligned for this to be an unbelievable recreation. Two of faculty soccer’s most storied progams, loaded with NFL expertise, met within the sport’s most commemorated venue with a visit to the nationwide title recreation on the road. 

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns whereas distributing the ball to the likes of Hollywood Brown, CeeDee Lamb and Mark Andrews. Georgia working backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel mixed for 326 yards dashing and 6 complete touchdowns. In the end, it was a 27-yard Michel landing scamper that handed Georgia the win in two overtimes after Oklahoma missed a subject objective. 

The 2018 Rose Bowl additionally featured a 21-0 second-half run from Georgia, a 75-yard landing run from Michel and 4 touchdowns within the fourth quarter, together with a fumble returned for a rating by the Bulldogs.