Ranking every Alabama College Football Playoff game of the four-team era

Michigan knocked out Alabama in the Rose Bowl to end the Crimson Tide's storied run of dominance over the four-team CFP era, but where does it rank among the best games in Alabama CFP history?

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

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2. 2017 National Championship: No. 2 Clemson 35 No. 1 Alabama 31

I hate to put so many Alabama losses at the top of this list, but these games were all fantastic and it just proves how insanely difficult Nick Saban is to beat. It takes a near miracle every single time to send Alabama packing.

This time it took heroics from Deshaun Watson, 364 days after Alabama beat Watson, Dabo Swinney, and Clemson in the 2016 title game. Alabama’s biggest lead was 24-14, but Clemson scored on a nine-play drive to pull within three with 14:00 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The teams then exchanged five punts before all hell broke loose. Watson led Clemson on a touchdown drive with 4:38 left to go up 28-24, Alabama answered on a Jalen Hurts 30-yard TD run with 2:07 left which gave Watson the ball back needing to go 68 yards in two minutes.

I think everyone remembers how that one ended.

Three years ago today, Deshaun Watson connected with Hunter Renfrow to win it all 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wEfGJEWwZf
— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2020

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