The 9 Most Impressive College Football Playoff National Championship Game Records

It’s been a little over a decade since the College Football Playoff was introduced to determine a national championship, and the 12th iteration of the title game will feature Miami and Indiana battling for the right to hoist that trophy for the first time. There’s no telling if they’ll be able to set some new records in that showdown, but some other teams have been responsible for more than a few impressive marks to beat.

Here are some College Football Playoff National Championship records to keep an eye on when Miami faces off against Indiana

The College Football Playoff is still in its relative infancy when you consider the first college football game was played close to 160 years ago, and there are currently fewer than a dozen games to pick from when it comes to the best (and worst) performances on the sport’s biggest stage.

However, I figured I might as well look at some of the records that have been set since Ohio State and Oregon ushered in a new era in 2015.

Most Rushing Yards: 256—Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

A number of records were set by default when the Buckeyes and the Ducks faced off in the first-ever national championship game, but no one has come close to matching the one Ezekiel Elliot was responsible for.

The future Cowboys running back had 230 rushing yards in the semifinal game against Alabama, and he outdid himself with the 246 he had on the ground while punching the ball into the end zone four times (which also set the record for rushing TDs and most points scored by a single player) in the 42-20 victory.

Derrick Henry still sits in second place with his performance the following year, but the Alabama star only ended up with a relatively paltry 158.

Most Passing Yards: 465—Mac Jones, Alabama

Prior to 2020, DeShaun Watson was the only quarterback who had passed for over 400 yards in the national championship (he had 405 in Clemson’s losing effort against Alabama in 2016 and 420 when the Tigers avenged the loss the following season).

Joe Burrow joined that club while showing why he won the Heisman in dominant fashion with a 463-yard, five-touchdown performance against Clemson, which set a couple of records that seemed like they had the potential to stand for a while.

However, that did not end up being the case, as Mac Jones matched Burrow’s TD total in the air while beating him out by a single yard to lead Alabama to a 52-24 victory over Ohio State a year later.

Total Offensive Yards: 521—Joe Burrow, LSU

Jones had 11 yards on four carries to finish with a total of 476 yards on his own, but Burrow holds the record on that front by adding 58 on the ground while rushing 14 times (which included a 29-yard run and a three-yard scramble for a touchdown).

Most Receiving Yards: 221—Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

Ja’Marr Chase was Burrow’s favorite receiver during their time at LSU, and he accounted for nearly half of the passing yards he racked up in the aforementioned national championship game while snagging nine passes for 221 yards.

DeVonta Smith did what he could to surpass that total with Jones’ help the following year, but he currently sits in second with 215 (although he did set a record with 12 receptions).

Longest Rush: 70 Yards—Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

Ohio State had a 21-7 lead over Notre Dame heading into the second half of the national championship game in 2025, and it didn’t take them very long to extend it.

Quinshon Jenkins got the handoff on the second play of the quarter for what initially looked to be a pretty straightforward play up the middle, but he burst through the seam and exploded for 70 yards before he was tackled just five yards away from the end zone.

He punched the ball in three plays later, and that ended up being the deciding score in the 34-23 victory.

Longest Pass/Reception: 80 Yards—Jake Fromm to Mecole Hardman, Georgia

Georgia was facing a 3rd-and-11 from its own 20 with a 13-7 lead over Alabama midway through the third quarter of the national championship in 2018, and the Crimson Tide had the potential to gain some momentum with a stop.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs had other ideas, as Jake Fromm connected with Mecole Hardman on a pass his wide receiver hauled in near Alabama’s 40-yard line before taking it to the house.

That gave Georgia a 20-7 lead, but Alabama was able to claw back before walking away with the 26-23 victory.

Longest Kickoff Return: 95 Yards—Kenyan Drake, Alabama

As things currently stand, only one player has returned a kickoff return for a touchdown in the national championship: Kenyan Drake, who demoralized a Clemson team that had cut its deficit to four points with less than eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter in 2016 with a kickoff return that helped give Alabama a 38-27 lead.

If you’re curious, we’re not only waiting for someone to return a punt for a touchdown but for someone to take one back more than 20 yards; two players are tied with the longest one at 19.

Most Tackles: 14—Tuf Borland, Ohio State

Ohio State linebacker Tuf Borland lived up to his name against Alabama in 2021, as he had 14 total tackles (seven solo and another seven assisted) in the losing effort.

A member of the Crimson Tide holds the record for the most solo tackles in the title game, as Geno Matias-Smith was credited with 11 against Clemson in 2016.

Biggest Margin of Victory: 58 Points—Georgia

Georgia headed into its national championship showdown with TCU as overwhelming 13.5-point favorites against a Horned Frogs team that had overcome some slightly less imposing odds when they beat a Michigan squad that was favored by around a touchdown in the semifinal.

Anyone who bet on the Bulldogs did not have to sweat it out, as they pulled out to a 10-7 lead and responded to TCU’s only touchdown with 55 consecutive points (the 65 points they scored is also a record).