On a team level, the ultimate goal of the College Football Playoff is to raise the trophy at the end of it all. On an individual level, etching your name in the record books is either the greatest cherry on top or the ultimate consolation prize. Players like Jeremiah Smith or Fernando Mendoza won't get to accomplish the former in the quarterfinals, but the latter is up for grabs in every game they play.
Aiming for a record and hitting it are two different things, though. It won't just take a good performance from Gunner Stockton or Dante Moore or any other player to wear the crown. It'll take a career one. A legendary one. That's because the bar has been set at the highest possible level already. Who already owns the records and who has the best chance to clear them? Let's have a look.
CFP Single-Game Records
- College Football Playoff rushing records, single-game
- College Football Playoff passing records, single-game
- College Football Playoff receiving records, single-game
College Football Playoff rushing records, single-game
STAT | RECORD | GAME |
|---|---|---|
Net Rushing | 246, Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State) | 2014 NCG |
Yards Per Rush | 17.3, Donovan Edwards (Michigan) | 2023 NCG |
Rushing TDs | 4, Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State) | 2014 NCG |
QB Rushing | 145, Deshaun Watson (Clemson) | 2014 SF |
Long Carry | 98, Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) | 2024 R1 |
Most likely to set a new rushing record — Cameron Dickey
I can tell you one thing, players for Oregon, Alabama, Ole Miss, Miami and Ohio State aren't breaking these ones. They're playing Texas Tech, Indiana, Georgia, Ohio State and Miami respectively, the No. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 rushing defenses in the country. Georgia has the advantage of facing Ole Miss's 67th-ranked rush defense, but Nate Frazier doesn't get the volume of carries he'd need to be a threat.
So it's Texas Tech's Cameron Dickey on deck. He'll be facing Oregon's rush defense, ranked 23rd nationally, which just gave up 110 yards on a 6.5-yard per carry average to JMU's Wayne Knight. Dickey rushed for 263 yards on 21 carries against Kansas this year.
I wouldn't bank on Dickey coming close to Ezekiel Elliot's impressive record for rushing yards in a game, but he's got the clearest shot.
College Football Playoff passing records, single-game
STAT | RECORD | GAME |
|---|---|---|
Net Passing | 493, Joe Burrow (LSU) | 2019 SF |
Passing TDs | 7, Joe Burrow (LSU) | 2019 SF |
Completions | 36, Mac Jones (Alabama) / Deshaun Watson (Clemson) | 2020 NCG / 2016 NCG |
Consecutive Completions | 13, Will Howard (Ohio State) | 2024 NCG |
Long Completion | 80, Jake Fromm (Georgia) | 2015 NCG |
Most likely to set a new passing record — Trinidad Chambliss
Ohio State, Oregon and Alabama have top 10 passing defenses, so Miami's Carson Beck, Texas Tech's Behren Morton and even Indiana's Fernando Mendoza aren't in the running.
Here is something I would not have had on my bingo card: Georgia has the worst pass defense in the quarterfinals, ranking 48th. They were particularly vulnerable to giving up chunk plays through the air.
Trinidad Chambliss threw one of the two +70-yard pass plays the Bulldogs allowed this year. Big plays through the air accounted for nearly half of his yards in that October meeting.
Joe Burrow's 493 yards feels untouchable, but that long completion record from Jake Fromm feels up for grabs.
College Football Playoff receiving records, single-game
STAT | RECORD | GAME |
|---|---|---|
Receptions | 14, Justin Jefferson (LSU) | 2019 SF |
Receiving Yards | 227, Justin Jefferson (LSU) | 2019 SF |
Receiving TDs | 4, Justin Jefferson (LSU) | 2019 SF |
Long Reception | 80, Mecole Hardman (Georgia) | 2017 NCG |
Most likely to set a new receiving record — Jeremiah Smith
Miami's pass defense isn't elite, but they're not terrible, ranking 30th nationally. They've only allowed three receivers to top 100 yards in 2025. They're going up against Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith this time though.
Smith had 144 yards receiving against Indiana's highly-ranked pass defense. We know he can dominate in the playoff. He dropped 187 on Oregon in last year's first round. That Ducks defense ranked 25th, by the way.
He'd need a career game against Miami to come close to Justin Jefferson's volume totals. However, he has an 87-yard touchdown to his name this year, so he could be coming for Mecole Hardman's record.