2021 CFP National Championship Game
The “experts” as usual were half-right. The Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with ease in a 31-14 win that could have been far uglier in the Rose Bowl Game. As a result, the Crimson Tide has earned a spot in the CFP National Championship Game for the fifth time since its inception. But the pajama boys were totally caught off guard in the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 49-28 win over the Clemson Tigers in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Ohio State will play in their second CFP National Championship Game. They won the first-ever CFP National Championship Game over the Oregon Ducks six years ago.
2021 CFP National Championship Game at a Glance
Date: Monday, January 11th, 2021
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
TV: ESPN
CFP National Championship Game Matchup & Odds
#3 Ohio State Buckeyes +8.5
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide -8.5
Total: 75
National Championship Game Preview
The Alabama Crimson Tide opened as an 8-point favorite over the Ohio State Buckeyes for the CFP National Championship Game with an over-under set for 76.
Although Alabama beat Notre Dame 31-14, they failed to cover the spread as 18.5-point overlays. The game stayed under the total of 65.5. It was clearly obvious that Alabama head coach Nick Saban took his foot off the gas early in the second half. Alabama could have named the score. Gamblers backing the Crimson Tide had to be frustrated. While Fighting Irish backers got their Christmas present from St. Nick, albeit a week late.
Alabama Quarterback Mac Jones threw for 25/30, 297 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Najee Harris ran for 125 yards on 15 carries. And DeVonta Smith caught 7 passes for 130 yards and 3 touchdowns. This trio has been touted for the Heisman Trophy all season. Any of the three would be worthy candidates.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban has won a total of 6 national championships with 1 at LSU and 5 at Alabama. By all accounts, he is considered the greatest college football coach of all-time.
The Ohio State Buckeyes easily got the money as 7-point dogs in their 49-28 win over the Clemson Tigers. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney clowned all week leading up to the game with numerous shots taken at the Bucks, including the fact that he ranked OSU 11th in the coach’s poll. Instead, Dabo feasted on humble pie.
The Buckeyes win was no accident. Ohio State outgained Clemson 639-444 with 34:05 time of possession. And it was Justin Fields instead of Trevor Lawrence that was the quarterbacking star of the game. Fields threw for 22/28, 385 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Trey Sermon powered to 193 yards on 31 carries with 1 TD. And Chris Olave had 6 catches good for 132 yards and 2 TDs.
Head coach Ryan Day is in his second season as Ohio State head coach. Last year his team lost to Clemson in the CFP semifinal. This year Day remained quiet during Swinney’s jawbone insults. Revenge is a dish best served cold and Day got the last laugh.
Ohio State is now 7-0 straight up, 4-3 against the spread, and 4-2-1 over the total. Alabama is 12-0 straight up, 8-4 against the spread, and 7-5 over the total.
National Championship Game Format
The College Football Playoff replaced the BCS starting in the 2014 season. Instead of solving the problem, the CFP has made things worse. In fact, many college football community members believe that the BCS was better and at least “got it right” when it came to choosing the top two teams.
The CFP National Championship Game is played between the winning teams of the two semifinal games. A committee selects the four teams with criteria that have become increasingly cloudy.
National Championship Game Prediction
The Alabama Crimson Tide will go down as one of the greatest teams in college football history if they win this game. But their defense, while good, is not invincible. The Ohio State Buckeyes only got to play 7 games because of the pandemic. But their curb-stomping of Clemson proves their worthiness.
The foregone conclusion is that Alabama will win this game going away. Which is a good reason to take the inflated price and points with Ohio State.
National Championship Past Results
| SEASON |
WINNING TEAM |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
| 2020 |
LSU |
Clemson |
42-25 |
| 2019 |
Clemson |
Alabama |
44-16 |
| 2018 |
Alabama |
Georgia |
26-23 (OT) |
| 2017 |
Clemson |
Alabama |
35-31 |
| 2016 |
Alabama |
Clemson |
45-40 |
| 2015 |
Ohio State |
Oregon |
42-20 |
The LSU Tigers capped off a perfect and dream season with a 42-25 win over the Clemson Tigers for their first-ever title in the College Football Playoff era and their first national championship since 2007. A crowd of 76,885 was on hand in the Mercedes Benz Superdome in, appropriately enough, New Orleans, Louisiana. LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy the month prior, thew for 463 yards and 5 touchdowns to win the most valuable player honors. Ja’Marr Chase caught 9 passes for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns for LSU.
Most All-Time Wins at National Championship
| WINS |
TEAM |
YEARS WON |
| 2 |
Clemson |
2016, 2018 |
| 2 |
Alabama |
2015, 2017 |
| 1 |
Ohio State |
2014 |
Since the era of the College Football Playoff began in 2014 the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide have dominated with 4 appearances and 2 wins for each school.
2020-21 College Football Bowl Games
Monday, Dec 21, 2020
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Appalachian State vs. North Texas
|
Brooks Stadium
Conway, SC |
2:30 PM ET
ESPN |
Tuesday, Dec 22, 2020
Wednesday, Dec 23, 2020
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana Tech
|
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
New Orleans, LA |
3:30 PM ET
ESPN |
|
Montgomery Bowl
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
|
Cramton Bowl
Montgomery, AL |
7:00 PM ET
ESPN or ESPN2 |
Thursday, Dec 24, 2020
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
New Mexico Bowl
Hawaii vs. Houston
|
Toyota Stadium
Frisco, TX |
3:30 PM ET
ESPN |
Friday, Dec 25, 2020
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
Camellia Bowl
Buffalo vs. Marshall
|
Cramton Bowl
Montgomery, AL |
2:30 PM ET
ESPN |
Saturday, Dec 26, 2020
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
Cure Bowl
Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina
|
Camping World Stadium
Orlando, FL |
12:00 PM ET
ESPN |
|
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Louisiana vs. UTSA
|
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Dallas, TX |
3:30 PM ET
ABC |
|
LendingTree Bowl
Western Kentucky vs. Georgia State
|
Ladd-Peebles Stadium
Mobile, AL |
3:30 PM ET
ESPN |
Tuesday, Dec 29, 2020
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
Cheez-It Bowl
Oklahoma State vs. Miami
|
Camping World Stadium
Orlando, FL |
5:30 PM ET
ESPN |
|
Valero Alamo Bowl
Texas vs. Colorado
|
Alamodome
San Antonio, TX |
9:00 PM ET
ESPN |
Wednesday, Dec 30, 2020
Thursday, Dec 31, 2020
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Tulsa vs. Mississippi State
|
Amon G. Carter Stadium
Fort Worth, TX |
12:00 PM ET
ESPN |
|
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
West Virginia vs. Army
|
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Memphis, TN |
4:00 PM ET
ESPN |
|
Arizona Bowl
Ball State vs. San Jose State
|
Arizona Stadium
Tucson, AZ |
4:00 PM ET
CBSSN |
|
Texas Bowl
Arkansas vs. TCU
|
NRG Stadium
Houston, TX |
8:00 PM ET
ESPN |
Friday, Jan 1, 2021
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Cincinnati vs. Georgia
|
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta, GA |
12:30 PM ET
ESPN |
|
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Auburn vs. Northwestern
|
Camping World Stadium
Orlando, FL |
1:00 PM ET
ABC |
|
Rose Bowl Game (Semifinal Game)
Alabama vs. Notre Dame
|
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, Texas |
5:00 PM ET
ESPN |
|
Allstate Sugar Bowl (Semifinal Game)
Clemson vs. Ohio State
|
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
New Orleans, LA |
8:45 PM ET
ESPN |
Saturday, Jan 2, 2021
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
NC State vs. Kentucky
|
TIAA Bank Field
Jacksonville, FL |
12:00 PM ET
ESPN |
|
Outback Bowl
Ole Miss vs. Indiana
|
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, FL |
12:30 PM ET
ABC |
|
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Oregon vs. Iowa State
|
State Farm Stadium
Glendale, AZ |
4:00 PM ET
ESPN |
|
Capital One Orange Bowl
Texas A&M vs. North Carolina
|
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami Gardens, FL |
8:00 PM ET
ESPN |
Monday, Jan 11, 2021
| Bowl |
Location |
Time (ET) / TV |
|
CFP National Championship
Ohio State vs. Alabama
|
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami Gardens, FL |
8:00 PM ET
ESPN |
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