How Much Tougher is it to Win the CFP National Championship?

The University of Alabama football team is in an extremely tough stretch of playing four ranked opponents on four straight Saturdays, with no bye week in the middle, with at least another two looming in November unless either LSU or Oklahoma falls apart by then which seems highly unlikely.

Consequently, the Crimson Tide is looking at a minimum of facing six ranked teams during the regular season, and a seventh if it qualifies to play in the SEC Championship Game. Factor most College Football Playoff scenarios, if Alabama is in the 12-team field this year, and in order for it to win the national title it'll have to play a minimum of 10 ranked opponents — never mind that Florida State probably should have been included in the preseason polls as well, and it assumes that South Carolina and Auburn don't move back into the AP Top 25 before facing the Tide.

If that happens, it'll be a record. The most ranked teams a national champion has ever faced is nine, done by Nick Saban and the 2015 Crimson Tide.

It goes without syaing that not all championships are created equal. With the advent of the Bowl Championship Series on top of a 12-game regular seasons and conference title games, there have progressively been more marquee matchups. The last time a consensus national champion didn’t have to face any top-five opponents was Georgia in 1980. The only time that one didn’t have to face any ranked teams at all was Oklahoma in 1956.

With the expanded playoff and the Big Ten and SEC expanding again, one would think that more national champions are facing tougher teams en route to the title, which hasn't quite happened as expected, although Ohio State did have to face seven raked teams last season compared to the four Urban Meyer's did with the Buckeyes in 2014. However, they are clearly facing more top-5 teams of late, which is a trend that should continue.

To gauge how much tougher it’s become, the following is every consensus national champion during the poll era, along with the number of ranked opponents each faced, and those ranked in the top five of the AP poll. (Note: from 1962 to 1967 the poll only ranked 10 teams.) Previous to when the Bowl
Championship Series began in 1998, the team atop the AP poll is listed, with one
exception: 1947.

Number Of Ranked Opponents National Champions Faced

Year, Coach, Team, Ranked opponents, Top 5

2024 Ryan Day, Ohio State   — 7;          6
2023 Jim Harbaugh, Michigan  — 5;         3
2022 Kirby Smart, Georgia   —    5;          3
2021 Kirby Smart, Georgia    — 5;          2
2020 NIck Saban, Alabama —   6;          3
2019 Ed Orgeron, LSU    — 7;          4
2018 Dabo Sweeney, Clemson —   4;         2
2017 Nick Saban, Alabama — 6;         3
2016 Dabo Sweeeny, Clemson  — 5;          3
2015 Nick Saban, Alabama — 9;          3
2014 Urban Meyer, Ohio State  — 4;          2
2013 Jimbo Fisher, Florida State —     5;          2
2012 Nick Saban, Alabama — 6;         3
2011 Nick Saban, Alabama —    5;          2
2010 Gene Chizik, Auburn   —   6;          1
2009 Nick Saban, Alabama — 6;          2
2008 Urban Meyer, Florida   — 6;          3
2007 Les Miles, LSU —   8;          1
2006 Urban Meyer, Florida — 5;          1
2005 Mack Brown, Texas  —   4;          2
2004 Pete Carroll, USC (vacated) — 3;          1
2003 Nick Saban, LSU  —   5;          2
2002 Jim Tressel, Ohio State —    5;          1
2001 Larry Coker Miami  —   5;          1
2000 Bob Stoops, Oklahoma — 6;          3
1999 Bobby Bowden, Florida State  —   5;          2
1998 Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee —   6;          2
1997 Lloyd Carr, Michigan —   7;          2
1996 Steve Spurrier, Florida  —   6;          3
1995 Tom Osborne, Nebraska  — 4;          1
1994 Tom Osborne Nebraska — 5 ;         2
1993 Bobby Bowden, Florida State  — 7;          3
1992 Gene Stallings, Alabama  — 4;          1
1991 Dennis Erickson, Miami   — 4;          1
1990 Bill McCartney, Colorado  —   7;          2
1989 Dennis Erickson, Miami   —   4;          1
1988 Lou Holtz Notre Dame   — 4;         3
1987 Jimmy Johnson, Miami   — 6;          2
1986 Joe Paterno Penn State —    2;          2
1985 Barry Switzer, Oklahoma — 4;          2
1984 LaVell Edwards, Brigham Young — 1;          1
1983 Howard Schnellenberger, Miami — 3;          1
1982 Joe Paterno, Penn State   —   6;          4
1981 Danny Ford, Clemson  — 3;          2
1980 Vince Dooley, Georgia —   3;          0
1979 Paul “Bear” Bryant, Alabama  — 3;          0
1978 Paul “Bear” Bryant, Alabama  — 5;          1
1977 Dan Devine, Notre Dame — 4;          2
1976 Johnny Majors, Pittsburgh  — 3;          1
1975 Barry Switzer, Oklahoma — 7;          3
1974 Barry Switzer, Oklahoma  — 2;          0
1973 Ara Parseghian, Notre Dame — 3;          1
1972 John McKay, USC  — 6;          2
1971 Bob Devaney, Nebraska  — 3;          2
1970 Bob Devaney, Nebraska — 4;          2
1969 Darrell Royal, Texas  —   3;          1
1968 Woody Hayes, Ohio State —     4;          3
1967 John McKay, USC  — 3;          3
1966 Ara Parseghian, Notre Dame   — 4;          1
1965 Paul “Bear” Bryant, Alabama  — 1;          1
1964 Paul “Bear” Bryant, Alabama  — 4;          1
1963 Darrell Royal, Texas — 2;          2
1962 John McKay, USC  — 3;          1
1961 Paul “Bear” Bryant, Alabama — 1;          0
1960 Murray Warmath, Minnesota — 3;          2
1959 Ben Schwartzwalder, Syracuse  — 3;          1
1958 Paul Dietzel, LSU  —   2;          0
1957 Shug Jordan, Auburn  — 3;          0
1956 Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma — 0;          0
1955 Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma — 3;          1
1954 Woody Hayes, Ohio State — 6;          1
1953 Jim Tatum, Maryland  — 3;          1
1952 Biggie Munn, Michigan State — 3;          0
1951 Bob Neyland, Tennessee — 3;          1
1950 Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma — 4;          2
1949 Frank Leahy, Notre Dame — 3;          1
1948 Bernie Oosterbaan, Michigan — 4;          1
1947 Fritz Crisler, Michigan — 3;          1
1946 Frank Leahy, Notre Dame — 3;          1
1945 Red Blaik, Army — 5;          2
1944 Red Blaik, Army — 2;          2
1943 Frank Leahy, Notre Dame — 5;          4
1942 Paul Brown, Ohio State  — 3;          1
1941 Bernie Bierman, Minnesota — 2;          1
1940 Bernie Bierman, Minnesota — 3;          1
1939 Homer Norton, Texas A&M — 2;          1
1938 Dutch Meyer, Texas Christian — 1;          0
1937 Jock Sutherland, Pittsburgh — 4;          0
1936 Bernie Bierman, Minnesota — 2;          2