9 Biggest Snubs In College Football Playoff History

Another college football season will soon be upon us as we look ahead to the 2025 campaign. Come December, 12 new teams will compete for the right to hoist a national championship trophy.

This coming year will be the second edition of the 12-team postseason format. The College Football Playoff previously consisted of just four schools from 2014-2023.

Each season, regardless of the size of the field, there is someone just on the outside looking in come selection time. This past year, Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina were among the first four left out, as was 10-win Miami.

While each had an argument as to why it should’ve been included, none would be considered amongst the most egregious snubs in the CFP era.

9 Biggest Snubs In College Football Playoff History

Here, we’ll look back at the most controversial selection decisions dating back to the 2014 season. In some instances, the committee’s picks would go onto prove them right. In others, those teams fell flat.

Regardless of the final outcome, these snubs had strong cases for inclusion but were ultimately rejected for one reason or another. Below are the nine teams with the biggest beefs.

2014: Baylor Bears (11-1)

Baylor won 11 games in the 2014 season but finished fifth in the final CFP Poll. Despite beating three teams ranked in the Top 20, they were leapt by Ohio State in the selection process.

That Buckeyes team was down to its third quarterback, but still managed to beat Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship. The decision to put Ohio State in over the Bears proved to be correct as they’d go onto win the national title.

2014: TCU Horned Frogs (11-1)

TCU also finished 11-1 in 2014 with the lone loss coming to the previously mentioned Baylor Bears, 61-58. They’d beat four teams ranked in the Top 20 during the regular season but fell from No. 3 to No. 6 in the final release of the CFP Poll.

That drop in the rankings came despite having not played on season’s final weekend. The Big 12 did not have a championship game at the time. Ohio State’s blowout of Wisconsin was enough to give the Buckeyes the nod.

2016: Penn State (11-2)

In 2016, Penn State won 11 games and a Big Ten title. They were left out of the College Football Playoff only to see an opponent they’d previously beaten get the final spot.

The Nittany Lions beat Ohio State as part of a nine-game winning streak to end the regular season. Unfortunately, early losses to Pitt and Michigan proved too much to overcome. Ohio State would make the committee look foolish this time around with a 31-0 loss in their postseason opener.

2017: Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2)

Ohio State was on the wrong side of the final selection in 2017, one season after getting boat raced by Clemson in the CFP. Despite going 11-2 and winning the Big Ten title, they were left out for Alabama.

The Buckeyes beat three Top 15 foes in Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State but a 31-point loss to Iowa prevented a playoff appearance. They’d go onto beat USC in the Cotton Bowl.

2017: Wisconsin Badgers (12-1)

Wisconsin fell in the 2017 Big Ten title game to Ohio State after completing a perfect regular season. The six-point loss was enough to keep the Badgers out of the College Football Playoff.

Alabama was instead selected after losing its final regular season game to Auburn and missing the SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide would then go onto win the national championship by beating Clemson and Georgia.

2017: UCF Knights (12-0)

A third team in the 2017 season also had a beef with the committee’s decision to include Alabama. Central Florida posted a perfect 12-0 season, beating ranked foes South Florida and Memphis in the final two weeks.

It wasn’t enough to give the Knights CFP consideration as they finished 12th in the final poll. They’d later claim a national championship after beating Auburn in the Peach Bowl.

2018: Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1)

The Buckeyes again make the list having been spurned in 2018. The team was left out following a 12-1 campaign in which it won the Big Ten championship.

Ohio State fell to Purdue during the regular season as a heavy favorite. Despite beating five ranked teams in the campaign, they were ousted from the College Football Playoff field for one-loss Oklahoma.

2020: Texas A&M Aggies (8-1)

The 2020 season was weird. There’s no other way to describe it. The SEC played a ten-game schedule. Texas A&M went 8-1 after having one game cancelled amid the COVID pandemic.

The Big Ten, meanwhile, played just six games. Ohio State got the playoff nod after going 6-0. A one-loss Notre Dame also got in over the Aggies despite losing its final game to Clemson.

2023: Florida State Seminoles (13-0)

Florida State went undefeated in the 2023 campaign, posting a 12-0 regular season record with wins over LSU, Clemson Miami, and Florida. They capped the year with an ACC Championship victory over Louisville.

The Seminoles dropped in the final rankings despite winning their conference title. One-loss Alabama took their place at No. 4. FSU’s omission had nothing to do with its play on the field. Instead, an injury to starting quarterback Jordan Travis was the reason cited by the committee.