Ranking each CFP Championship game since 2014 before Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

Ten years ago this month the first-ever College Football Playoff national champion was determined and a brand new era of the sport was born. For the first time ever, college football would crown its king after a battle featuring more than two teams.

The inaugural playoff bracket featured just four programs: Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State. The Buckeyes defeated the Ducks in the title game and now, a decade later, will have another opportunity to reclaim glory.

This time, however, they'll have conquered a 12-team bracket - the first of its kind - and ushered in a brand new period of the CFP era. Their opponents will be the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who have made two previous appearances in the four-team field.

Fans seem to have taken a liking to the CFP despite obvious complaints from those who have been left out, with the tournament leading to some all-time classics in the national championship game.

Ranking every CFP national championship game ahead of Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

In honor of the 10-year anniversary of the football equivalent of March Madness, let's take a look back and pick our favorite title games of the CFP era.

10. 2022 – Georgia 65 – TCU 7

On paper, this was supposed to be the David vs Goliath matchup the college football world had been waiting for. TCU was on fire in 2022 and looked like it couldn't be beat but the Horned Frogs unfortunately fell flat against the defending champion Bulldogs. What resulted was an embarrassing Georgia rout and a less than entertaining title game.

9. 2023 – Michigan 34 – Washington 13

Last year's contest felt like a completely original feature presentation for fans, offering a brand new Big Ten squad against the Pac-12 champion in the conference's swan song. If Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. wasn't injured in-game, the final score probably would've been tighter but the result was likely inevitable.

8. 2018 – Clemson 44 – Alabama 16

Despite the Tigers practically toppling what felt like the "Evil Empire" in Alabama, a year removed from it's improbable overtime victory, the game itself was just a rout. That being said it was a rather enjoyable rout for everyone but Crimson Tide fans. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence dismantled Alabama's back-to-back title bid but that result was secured rather early for those looking for something a little more cinematic.

7. 2020 – Alabama 52 – Ohio State 24

The first half of this title game looked promising, the Tide and Buckeyes exchanged early blows until wide receiver and Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith decided to go nuclear in the second half. Quarterback Mac Jones just could not miss his favorite target and torched the Ohio State defense. Justin Field did his best to get his teammates back into the contest but the Tide were just overwhelming in this one.

6. 2021 – Georgia 33 – Alabama 18

This was the crowning achievement in head coach Kirby Smart's career, finally besting his mentor - Alabama's mighty Nick Saban — on the biggest stage. Don't let the score fool you, this was a drama fest of a game but mostly on the sidelines watching two maestros play four-dimensional chess on the gridiron. It would be the start of a Georgia dynasty that has only until recently been questioned in its authority.

5. 2019 – LSU 42 – Clemson 25

With every national title game since the inaugural playoff seemingly dominated by Clemson and Alabama, it appeared as if only one man could end the monotony. Enter LSU's Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback with the bravado of a movie star and the skills of legends past. Despite the practical blowout, the college football world celebrated the end of an era and welcomed parity back into the playoff via one of the most stacked rosters in the sport's history.

4. 2015 – Alabama 45 – Clemson 40

The second edition of the playoff was capped off with a shoot-out in the desert, the first episode in the Crimson Tide v. Tigers rivalry that seemed so novel and exciting at the time. The duel between Deshaun Watson and Jake Coker (remember him?) was an epic back-and-forth on offense that established a competitive dynasty and earned Saban his first national title in the CFP era.

3. 2014 – Ohio State 42 – Oregon 20

The very first CFP national championship crowned an unlikely champion. The fourth-seeded Buckeyes toppled the No. 1 Crimson Tide before poaching the No. 2 Ducks in an all-time underdog dismantling. Down to its third-string quarterback (Cardale Jones), Ohio State relied on running back Ezekiel Elliott, receiver Michael Thomas and pass rusher Joey Bosa to ride its momentum to an unlikely (yet undisputed) championship. Who knew it would only be an appetizer to what is now a near-annual conference rivalry?

2. 2016 – Clemson 35 – Alabama 31

College football fans (minus those in Tuscaloosa) rejoiced seeing head coach Dabo Swinney get his revenge against Saban in an all-time classic of a title game. Both teams went back and forth trading blows until a last-minute game-winning drive was necessary for Clemson to emerge champions for the first time since 1981. It's hard not to think of wide receiver Hunter Renfrow's clutch catch in the corner of the endzone to practically walk it off for the Tigers down in Tampa Bay, Florida.

1. 2017 – Alabama 26 – Georgia 23

Needless to say, a college football national championship that requires overtime will always top the list of the best ever. So, in the CFP era, a national title game that was won on a ridiculous walk-off touchdown in overtime would naturally top this list. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was the backup entering the contest for the Crimson Tide, replacing Jalen Hurts after a sub-optimal first half. What resulted sparked a year-long firestorm of locker room controversy that forced Hurts to transfer after the following season. The heart-breaking final play of this game was just the motivation Georgia would need to start its own rival football dynasty in the CFP era.