College Football Playoff by the numbers
Alabama Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire)
January 8th, 2021
The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes are scheduled to clash in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 11.
It will mark the first playoff meeting between these historic football programs since Ohio State downed top-seeded Alabama, 42-35, in the semifinal of the 2014 season.
The Buckeyes went on to win the inaugural CFP title that year as a No. 4 seed.
Since then, Ohio State has lost twice to Clemson in the semifinal (2016, 2019), and finally repaid the Tigers by defeating them, 49-28, to advance to this season's championship.
Alabama is back in the final, after it missed the CFP last season for the first time. The Crimson Tide own two CFP titles and made four straight appearances in the title game, from 2015-2018.
With Monday’s epic showdown nearing, let’s examine a few interesting facts and figures behind the College Football Playoff.
0
The number of times Alabama has covered the spread in the CFP National Championship.
The Crimson Tide has been favored in all four of its championship appearances and is again favored (-8.5) in Monday's matchup.
1
The number of times the CFP National Championship has gone to overtime.
In the 2017 season, No. 4 Alabama needed extra time to defeat SEC rival and No. 3 seed Georgia, 26-23.
In Georgia's semifinal game, the Bulldogs defeated Oklahoma, 54-48, in double overtime.
2
The seed with the most wins in the CFP National Championship. No. 2 seeds are 3-1 in the title game, while the No. 1 seed is 1-3, the No. 3 seed is 0-2, and the No. 4 seed is 2-0.
4
The number of appearances by the Big 12 in the CFP. Oklahoma is the only school to represent the conference in the playoff and is winless in four tries.
5
The record for most touchdown passes in the CFP National Championship. Joe Burrow set the mark in last season's final against Clemson. In the game prior, against Oklahoma, Burrow passed for seven scores, all in the first half.
Clemson just got Moss'd.
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) January 14, 2020
Joe Burrow delivers his 3rd TD pass of the night, this one to Thaddeus Moss.
(via @ESPN)pic.twitter.com/Ws63zVqslx
6
The most appearances by a school in the CFP. Alabama and Clemson are tied for the record. In Alabama's six CFP appearances, the Tide is 7-3, while Clemson is 6-4 in six appearances from 2015-2020.
9
The Under is 9-11 in CFP games since 2014.
13
The average margin of victory in the CFP National Championship.
Clemson won by the largest margin in 2018, when it trounced Alabama, 44-16.
14
The number of players selected from last year's national champion, LSU, in the 2020 NFL Draft.
That number tied a record set by Ohio State in 2004.
Last year's runner-up, Clemson, had seven players picked in the 2020 draft.
New Minnesota WR Justin Jefferson went CRAZY in the College Football Playoffs 🐯 pic.twitter.com/N9snRneLp0
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) April 28, 2020
65
The average points total in the CFP National Championship.
The Over/Under for Alabama and Ohio State's matchup is set at 75.
The highest-scoring final occurred in 2015, when Alabama defeated Clemson, 45-40. The lowest total is 49, which Alabama and Georgia achieved in 2017.
246
The record for rushing yards in the CFP National Championship, set by Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott in 2014. Elliott also ran for 230 yards in that year's semifinal against Alabama.
Crimson Tide lead back Najee Harris ran for 125 yards in this year's semifinal against Notre Dame, while Trey Sermon gained 193 in Ohio State's semifinal matchup against Clemson.
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