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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TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 09: Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard (88) hauls in a touchdown pass during the College Football Playoff National Championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers on January 9, 2016, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Alabama Crimson Tide – 2016

Result: National Champions (Def. Clemson, 45-40)

Whenever you’re looking at a great college football team, more often than not the first place that your eyes go is to the quarterback position. So when you look at the 2016 National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide and see that Jake Coker was the man under center, you might be thinking that this team doesn’t belong at the No. 2 spot. However, when you look at the talent around the quarterback, there was more than enough to put them at that spot.

On offense, it was basically a who’s who of top-end prospects, from the offensive line to tight end to wide receiver and of course running back. Ryan Kelly helped anchor the offensive line in the middle while the likes of Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart and O.J. Howard provided Coker with huge weapons. Then, of course, there was Derrick Henry, who won the Heisman Trophy for his work that season, carrying the load of a run-heavy attack behind Kelly and company.

As for the defense, it was basically nothing but NFL prospects taking the field. Sure, some of them were younger when you consider the likes of Jonathan Allen and Reuben Foster. However, the likes of A’Shawn Robison, Jarran Reed and Reggie Ragland were stars for the group along the way.

On both sides of the ball, Nick Saban’s team was able to dominate in almost any situation. While they did suffer a loss in the regular season, it speaks to the overall quality of the team that they were able to achieve this level of success with Coker at the helm of the offense.