Ranking every College Football Playoff team in history

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney holds up the National Championship trophy after the 2017 College Football National Championship Game between the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide on January 9, 2017, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. Clemson defeated Alabama 35-31. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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12 January 2015: Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) during the Ohio State Buckeyes game versus the Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff National Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Ohio State won 42-20. (Photo by Ray Carlin/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images) /

3. Ohio State Buckeyes – 2015

Result: National Champions (Def. Oregon, 42-20)

For the most part, when you look at the No. 4 seeds that have made it into the College Football Playoff over the brief history of the four-team competition, you’re considering teams that the argument could be made that they weren’t wholly deserving of the honor. Heck, if you look at the forthcoming 2018 CFP, you’re talking about an Alabama team that didn’t even make it into their conference championship game as the fourth seed.

However, the outlier in that regard is most certainly the Ohio State Buckeyes back in the inaugural playoff. They started off their College Football Playoff run against the Crimson Tide that season and prevailed against a team predictably loaded with NFL caliber talent in a thriller. If that didn’t show enough wherewithal, though, Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliott and company then went into the National Championship and put the work on one of the most explosive teams in the country in Oregon.

Not only were Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington and the rest of the Ohio State defense able to control Marcus Mariota and an electric offense, but Jones — a backup quarterback — and the offense had their way to win by three scores in the National Championship game. For a No. 4 seed, the Buckeyes most certainly didn’t look the part.