What are the 10 best individual performances in CFP history?
2025-01-22
Category: sports

The 2024 college football season was one for the record books, with it being the first campaign to feature the expanded 12-team playoff format. Ohio State took home the title, beating Notre Dame 34-23 in the championship game. True freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith was instrumental throughout the Buckeyes' run, making game-changing plays and coming up in the clutch when they needed him the most. But he wasn't the only star to make a name for himself in this year's CFP. Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo helped the Sun Devils nearly pull off one of the biggest upsets in 11 years of CFP games, taking Texas to double overtime in a 39-31 shootout. This had us thinking, where do these individual performances rank in the history of the CFP? FOX Sports research broke down the top 10, looking at all the incredible showings put on by multiple players since the first edition of the tournament in the 2014 season. Let's take a look: 10. Cam Skattebo vs. Texas (2025 Peach Bowl) Stats: 30 carries, 143 yards, two rushing touchdowns; eight receptions, 99 yards; 42-yard passing touchdown  Skattebo had to be the superhero for Arizona State's offense in order for it to stand a chance against Texas. He did a bit of everything in the process.&nbsp; With ASU trailing 24-8 in the fourth quarter and facing a fourth-and-2 situation, Skattebo took a pitch and threw the ball downfield to&nbsp;Malik McClain for a 42-yard touchdown. That jump-started the Sun Devils' comeback attempt, which included a Skattebo rushing touchdown in regulation and another in overtime.&nbsp; 9. Jeremiah Smith vs. Oregon (2025 Rose Bowl) Stats: 7 receptions, 187 yards, two touchdowns&nbsp;  One year into his college career, and Jeremiah Smith already appears to be a receiver for the ages. He set Big Ten records for receiving yards (1,315) and touchdown receptions (15) en route to helping the Buckeyes win the national championship. While his long reception late in the fourth quarter versus Notre Dame sealed the title, Smith's most memorable performance of the postseason came in the Rose Bowl.&nbsp; He torched the top-seeded Ducks for 187 receiving yards with two scores as Ohio State won in blowout fashion, 41-21. It's no wonder many have said the Buckeyes freshman could go first in the 2025 draft if he were eligible. Fortunately for Ohio State, Smith will be sticking around Columbus for at least two more seasons.&nbsp; 8. DeVonta Smith vs. Ohio State (2021 National Championship Game) Stats: 12 receptions, 215 yards, three touchdowns  The Heisman winner set title game records for receptions (12) and receiving touchdowns (three) — and he did it all in one half. His final grab came in the second quarter, but it was a huge one. Smith ran right past an Ohio State defender while hauling in a 42-yard strike from Mac Jones to give Alabama a 35-17 lead going into halftime. The star wideout suffered a finger injury early in the second half that forced an early exit. But the damage was already done, as he put a bow on one of the best wide receiver seasons in college football history.&nbsp; 7. Justin Fields vs. Clemson (2021 Sugar Bowl) Stats: 22 of 28, 385 yards, six touchdowns, one interception; 42 rushing yards  Fields was briefly knocked out of this game after taking a punishing hit from Clemson linebacker James Skalski, who was ejected for targeting. (The Ohio State QB later said he injured his ribs on the play and consequently felt pain all over the right side of his body.) Two plays later, Fields threw a touchdown pass to Chris Olave. It wasn't Fields' most memorable highlight, however. That would be when he connected with Olave in perfect stride for a 56-yard strike in the third quarter to give the Buckeyes a commanding lead. Ohio State won 49-28 to advance to the national title game. 6. Joe Burrow vs. Clemson (2020 National Championship Game) Stats: 31 of 49, 463 yards, five touchdowns; 58 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown  An eight-touchdown performance in a semifinal win is hard to top, but Burrow nearly matched that in this national championship game.&nbsp; Burrow actually had to help LSU climb out of an early 10-point deficit against the defending national champs, leading three straight touchdown drives in the second quarter. His 29-yard scamper before halftime highlighted a 95-yard drive that gave the Tigers a 28-17 lead.&nbsp; Burrow then sealed the win with a pair of TD passes in the second half, capping off the best passing season in college football history.&nbsp; 5. Joe Burrow vs. Oklahoma (2019 Peach Bowl) Stats: 29 of 39, 493 yards, seven touchdowns; 21 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown  Burrow put on an absolute passing clinic against Oklahoma in his first game after winning the Heisman. LSU reached the end zone on eight of its first nine possessions, with Burrow passing for a touchdown on seven of them and rushing for the other score. At halftime, Burrow had seven TD passes and six incompletions, as the Tigers held a 49-14 lead.&nbsp; He still holds the CFP records for first-half passing yards (403), touchdown passes (seven) and touchdowns responsible for (eight). Justin Jefferson also set new CFP highs with 14 receptions, 227 receiving yards and four touchdowns in the 63-28 win.&nbsp; 4. Trevor Lawrence vs. Alabama (2019 National Championship Game) Stats: 20 of 32, 347 yards, three touchdowns; 27 rushing yards  The national championship stage certainly wasn't too big for this freshman quarterback. Lawrence had his way against an Alabama defense that started eight future NFL Draft picks, leading five consecutive scoring drives at one point and throwing three touchdowns as Clemson put the game away by the third quarter. His 74-yard touchdown pass to Justyn Ross was the second-longest touchdown pass in a CFP game. The Tigers' 44-16 win, against a previously unbeaten Crimson Tide team no less, served as Nick Saban's largest margin in a loss during his historic Alabama tenure. 3. Tua Tagovailoa vs. Georgia (2018 National Championship Game) Stats: 14 of 24, 166 yards, three touchdowns, one interception; 27 rushing yards  When trouble beckoned for Alabama in the 2018 title game, Nick Saban called upon a freshman to save the day. The Crimson Tide shockingly trailed 13-0 at halftime when Jalen Hurts was benched in favor of Tagovailoa, who'd played sparingly in his first season in Tuscaloosa and was contemplating transferring. He almost immediately lived up to his promising billing, leading Alabama to a touchdown on his second drive. Tagovailoa led three more scoring drives to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide had a chance to win in regulation but missed a 36-yard field goal at the buzzer. After Georgia kicked a field goal to open up overtime, Tagovailoa took a 16-yard sack on the first play of the ensuing possession. He made up for it seconds later, connecting with DeVonta Smith on a 41-yard touchdown pass to seal the title.&nbsp; 2. Deshaun Watson vs. Alabama (2017 National Championship Game) Stats:&nbsp;36 of 56, 420 yards, three touchdowns; 43 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown  Watson's 405-yard performance against Alabama in the title game a season prior wasn't enough for Clemson to get a victory. So, he had to one-up himself to make sure he won the Tigers the title when the two teams met again a year later.&nbsp; Facing an Alabama defense that started 10 future NFL players, Watson had to work his magic right away, too. Clemson fell into a 14-0 hole, which ultimately led to Watson tallying 77 passes and rushing attempts among Clemson's 99 offensive snaps.&nbsp; With the Tigers trailing 31-28 in the final minutes, Watson conducted a drive for the ages. He completed six of his seven passes on the 68-yard drive, including the game-winning score to Hunter Renfrow with one second remaining. 1. Ezekiel Elliott vs. Oregon (2015 National Championship Game) Stats: 36 carries, 246 yards, four touchdowns  Elliott was dominant in Ohio State's upset victory over Alabama in the 2015 Sugar Bowl, rushing for 230 yards and scoring an 85-yard touchdown late to punch the Buckeyes' ticket to the national title game.&nbsp; Somehow, Elliott topped that outing against Oregon for the championship. After a strong first half (98 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown), Elliott turned his play up a notch in the second half. He rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns in the game's final 30 minutes, setting the record for the most rushing yards in a half in the four-team CFP era. Those three rushing touchdowns were the game's final three scores, turning Ohio State's one-point lead late in the third quarter into a 42-20 stomping.&nbsp; Elliott's four rushing touchdowns are also the most ever in a CFP national title game, cementing him as one of the best running backs in Ohio State's storied history. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.