Non-Conference Championship Winning Teams That Won National Titles In CFP And BCS Eras

A byproduct of a 12-team playoff is that it allows for the possibility of multiple teams that do not win a conference championship, or even play for one, to advance to the national title game. That is guaranteed to be the case in this first season of the expanded field. In fact, it is possible neither of the two teams playing for the CFP title on Jan. 20 participated in a conference championship game on their path to Atlanta.

Texas lost to Georgia in the SEC championship and Penn State fell short against Oregon in the Big Ten title matchup. Ohio State and Notre Dame sat home waiting for their first-round playoff opponent. The Buckeyes lost their final regular season game to Michigan, which prevented a rematch with Oregon – the Buckeyes lost at Eugene in October – for Big Ten supremacy, and Fighting Irish are independent.

There are a handful of instances in which a team did not win its conference title, including a couple that did not play for a chance to do so, but made it to the national championship game. That included the 2001 season when a set of computer rankings resulted in much confusion and a total mess.

College Football Playoff Era

2022 TCU Horned Frogs | Coach: Sonny Dykes

A team that ran the table in the regular season fell short in the Big 12 championship game against Kansas State, 31-28, in overtime. Would the Horned Frogs make the cut? Naturally, coach Sonny Dykes felt his team should not “be punished” for playing in a conference championship game. It wasn’t.

TCU outslugged Michigan, 51-45, in a semifinal matchup before it was embarrassed every which way by Stetson Bennett (6 total TDs) and Georgia in the championship game, 65-7. TCU was outgained 589-188 and turned the ball over three times. Thank you for coming.

2021 Georgia Bulldogs | Coach: Kirby Smart

The Bulldogs met Alabama twice in five weeks with the first encounter in the SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide scored 24 points in the second quarter, which propelled them to a 41-24 win.

In the national championship game, Stetson Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell for a 40-yard touchdown to give UGA a 19-18 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Bennett and Brock Bowers hooked up on a 15-yard TD with 3:33 remaining to give Kirby Smart’s team some breathing room at 26-18. On the ensuing possession, the Tide drove to the Georgia 44-yard line when corner Kelee Ringo picked off a Bryce Young pass and went 79 yards the other way for a score to seal the title. The 33-18 win was Smart’s first in five tries against former boss Nick Saban.

2017 Alabama Crimson Tide | Coach: Nick Saban

In an Iron Bowl matchup with SEC West supremacy on the line and a meeting with Georgia for the conference championship, Alabama was held to a season low scoring output in a 26-14 loss to Auburn at Jordan-Hare.

The loss prevented an undefeated regular season, but did not prevent the Tide from partaking in the CFP. After limiting top-ranked Clemson to 188 yards in a 24-6 semifinal victory, ‘Bama defeated Georgia in overtime, 26-23, for Saban’s fifth national title in Tuscaloosa.

A memorable championship game saw Tua Tagovailoa take over for Jalen Hurts in the first half. Tagovailoa led a fourth-quarter rally to force OT and, after Rodrigo Blankenship booted a 51-yard field goal to give UGA a 23-20 lead, he found an open DeVonta Smith for a 41-yard touchdown after taking a 16-yard sack on first down.

Bowl Championship Series Era

2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Coach: Brian Kelly

The independent Irish won three games by a field goal and otherwise cruised through a 12-0 regular season in which they allowed as many as 20 points only once. They entered the BCS championship matchup with Alabama yielding all of 10.3 points per game to lead the nation. Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide had the second-best mark at 10.7. Instead of a low scoring tug of war, what ensued was a one-sided affair. A.J. McCarron (4 TD passes) threw for 264 yards and ‘Bama ran for 265 in a 42-14 win that was not that close. The Irish were held to 32 yards on the ground.

2011 Alabama Crimson Tide | Coach: Nick Saban

A 9-6 overtime loss to visiting LSU on the first Saturday of November ultimately proved to be the difference in the Tigers winning the SEC West and a date with Georgia for the conference crown, a 42-10 win for Les Miles’ team. The nine points LSU scored exceeded the Crimson Tide’s final average allowed of an incredible 8.2 per game. (LSU finished second nationally at 11.3.)

The teams met in New Orleans for the national championship and a rematch not nearly as nail-biting an affair. The Tide dominated, 21-0, for their third shutout of the season and held the Tigers to 92 yards and five – five! – first downs. Jeremy Shelley had a very busy night in making five of seven field goal attempts and Trent Richardson had a 34-yard touchdown run to polish off the victory.

The BCS did not have a designated championship game until the 2006 season, or 2007 game. Computer rankings determined No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups that were played on a rotating basis among four top bowls: Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta.

2003 Oklahoma Sooners | Coach: Bob Stoops

An offense led by Heisman-winning quarterback Jason White topped 50 points in seven of 12 regular season games. It appeared little would change in a Big 12 championship matchup with Kansas State when Kejuan Jones broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run less than three minutes in. The Wildcats then scored 35 unanswered points in a 35-7 win.

The Sooners still had an opportunity to win the national title in the Sugar Bowl against LSU. Alas, Marcus Spears picked off a White pass and returned it 20 yards to give the Tigers 21-7 third-quarter lead, the difference in a 21-14 outcome.

2001 Nebraska Cornhuskers | Coach: Frank Solich

Nebraska was 11-0 and No. 2 when it lost its final regular season game to two-loss Colorado. The ‘Huskers turned the ball over four times and CU’s Chris Brown ran for 198 yards and six touchdowns in the Buffaloes’ 62-36 win. Both teams finished conference play at 7-1 with Colorado advancing to the Big 12 championship game as a result of the head-to-head tiebreaker.

However, the BCS computer rankings kept Nebraska at No. 2. That meant a date with No. 1 Miami in the Rose Bowl for the national title. The Cornhuskers had no shot. They turned the ball over three times and trailed 34-0 at the half in a 37-14 loss.