The 2024/25 college football season is wrapping up, with the College Football Playoff National Championship between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday, Jan. 20. Many national championship games are back-and-forth games, with many coming down the final drive of the game. However, since the turn of the century, there have been games that haven’t been close.
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The Most Lopsided College Football National Championship Games Since 2000
#5: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 1 Notre Dame (2012-13)
Final Score: 42-14 Alabama
Going into the 2012 championship game, the No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish were the favorite. Many sports writers nationwide believed in the Irish taking down Nick Saban and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide to deny another Alabama dynasty. It was for a fair reason, too.
The Irish were led by senior linebacker and Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te’o, the main strongpoint in the No. 1 ranked defense that season. Notre Dame had four AP Top 25 victories, including a 30-13 victory on the road at the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners.
Despite all of this, the Irish were not the betting favorite. Many sportsbooks were projecting the Crimson Tide as heavy favorites, as high as 10-point spread favorites going into the matchup.
Alabama was led by quarterback A.J. McCarron, running back Eddie Lacy and linebacker C.J. Mosley. The Tide had a 12-1 record going into the title game, including a SEC Championship victory, and posed as a formidable opponent for the Irish in the season’s final game.
Despite the thought of the game being close, the game was the complete opposite. Alabama dominated the game and held a 35-0 lead before Notre Dame scored any points.
The blowout victory established the second Alabama Crimson Tide dynasty, this time led by Nick Saban.
#4: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Ohio State (2020-21)
Final Score: 52-24 Alabama
The COVID College Football season was unprecedented. Multiple conferences did not compete or began seasons much are beginning much earlier in the fall than others. However, the two teams that made it to the College Football Playoff Championship were some of the usual suspects.
The No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide was led by multiple future NFL standouts, including wide receiver Devonta Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy. The Saban-led team faced off against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes competed in the shortened season because the Big Ten originally opted to cancel the 2020 fall season. However, it eventually decided to have a conference-only schedule that began at the end of October.
Ohio State had eight games on the schedule but only competed in five because three other games were canceled due to COVID-19. However, the Buckeyes defeated No. 14 Northwestern in the Big Ten title game and No. 2 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl to get to the national title game.
The game started dead, even between the two teams. However, a 28-point second quarter for the Crimson Tide changed the entire outlook of the game, leading to Alabama cruising to victory.
#3: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 1 Alabama (2018-19)
Final Score: 44-16 Clemson
The fourth iteration of the Alabama-Clemson rivalry in the College Football Playoffs blossomed into something no one expected. Both teams were undefeated going into the season finale, but the Crimson Tide were five-point favorites.
The Tigers and Tide traded blows during the first 20 minutes of the game until freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Clemson scored 30 unanswered points.
Lawrence’s performance kicked off his college career, which led to him becoming the best NFL quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.
#2: No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 Oklahoma (2004-05)
Final Score: 55-19 USC
The 2004 national championship occurred between two Heisman Trophy winners in the Orange Bowl. USC quarterback Matt Leinart (2004 winner) faced off against Oklahoma quarterback Jason White (2003 winner), and it was set up to be a great matchup. However, this was not the case.
The Sooners got on the board first after stopping the Trojans’ first drive. Despite that, USC scored 28 unanswered points, leading to a 38-10 halftime lead. The Trojans kept their foot on the gas, scoring 17 points in the second half, putting up 55 on the Sooners.
This game was the most lopsided national championship game since 2000 until another dynasty broke all-time records 18 years later.
#1: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 3 TCU (2022-23)
Final Score: 65-7 Georgia
The story of the TCU Horned Frogs in the 2022-23 season was remarkable. The Horned Frogs were led by the preseason backup quarterback Max Duggan and went on a tear in the Big 12 during the regular season. However, TCU failed to win the Big 12 Conference Championship, falling short of Kansas State.
Most of the time that would mark the end of any College Football Playoff hopes, but the Horned Frogs still made it into the playoffs as the No. 3 overall seed and were scheduled to face off against the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines were the favorite, but TCU went in and took down Michigan, advancing to face the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs and Horned Frogs matchup was over right from the start. After scoring its first and only touchdown, TCU’s performance was disastrous, standing no chance to Georgia. The Bulldogs scored 55 unanswered points, winning the national championship and clinching the largest blowout in national championship history.
The 58-point scoring differential obliterated the original record of 38 from the 1996 national championship game when the Nebraska Cornhuskers ran the Florida Gators off the field.
This year’s matchup between the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes is between two perennial powerhouses who did not play in a conference championship.
The Buckeyes and Irish faced off on Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Kickoff was set at 6:30 p.m. CST.
Main Image: © Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
