The 2014 college football season was a massive experiment. For decades, we argued over polls and computers. Then, everything changed. People were nervous. Fans didn't know if a four-team playoff would actually fix the mess that was the BCS. When you look back at who won the national championship in 2014, you aren't just looking at a box score. You’re looking at the Ohio State Buckeyes pulling off one of the most improbable runs in the history of the sport.
They weren't supposed to be there. Honestly, by September, most people had written them off entirely.
The Chaos Before the Crown
To understand how Ohio State ended up holding the trophy, you have to remember how ugly things looked early on. They lost their starting quarterback, Braxton Miller, before the season even kicked off. Then, they lost to Virginia Tech at home in week two. It was a bad loss. A "you’re definitely not making the playoffs" kind of loss.
But Urban Meyer didn't blink.
The Buckeyes started climbing. J.T. Barrett, the backup, became a star. They started destroying Big Ten opponents. But then, disaster struck again during the Michigan game. Barrett broke his ankle. Enter Cardale Jones. A third-string quarterback who hadn't started a game in his life was suddenly tasked with leading a blue-blood program through the post-season.
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The committee had a choice. They had to pick between a one-loss Ohio State, a one-loss TCU, and a one-loss Baylor. On the final day, Ohio State humiliated Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship. That 59-point statement was enough. They jumped into the fourth spot, setting up a collision course with the giants of the era.
How the Buckeyes Shocked Alabama and Oregon
Most folks thought the semifinal against Alabama was a death sentence for the Big Ten. Nick Saban was at the height of his power. The SEC was the king of the world. But 2014 was different. Ezekiel Elliott happened.
Elliott ran through the heart of the South. That 85-yard touchdown sprint through the Alabama defense is still played on loops in Columbus. Ohio State won 42-35. It wasn't a fluke. They were bigger, faster, and arguably more physical than the Crimson Tide. It shifted the entire narrative of national recruiting.
Then came the final. January 12, 2015. AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
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The Oregon Ducks were led by Marcus Mariota, the Heisman winner. They were fast. They ran that blur offense that made defensive coordinators lose sleep. But the Buckeyes had a different kind of speed. They had a defensive line that lived in the backfield and a running back in Elliott who couldn't be tackled by one person.
Despite turning the ball over four times—which usually means you lose by thirty—Ohio State bullied Oregon. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 246 yards and four touchdowns. Cardale Jones, the "12th Gauge," looked like a seasoned pro instead of a guy who was third on the depth chart four weeks earlier. The final score was 42-20.
The Legacy of the 2014 Championship
This wasn't just another trophy for the case. It was the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship. It proved that the "fourth seed" could be the best team in the country. It also validated Urban Meyer’s place among the coaching immortals, giving him titles at two different schools.
The roster was absurd. Think about the NFL talent on that field. Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas, Joey Bosa, Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, Taylor Decker. It was a pro team disguised in scarlet and gray. They averaged 44.8 points per game that season.
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There’s a lot of debate about which national champion was the "best" of the playoff era. People point to 2019 LSU or 2020 Alabama. But neither of those teams faced the adversity Ohio State did. Losing your first and second-string quarterbacks and still winning it all? That’s movie script stuff.
What We Can Learn from the 2014 Run
If you’re a coach or an athlete looking at this season, the lessons are pretty clear.
- Depth is everything. You aren't as good as your starter; you’re as good as your third-stringer. Ohio State’s "Next Man Up" mantra wasn't a cliché; it was a blueprint.
- Peaking at the right time matters more than a perfect record. That loss to Virginia Tech mattered in September, but by January, Ohio State was a completely different animal.
- Physicality beats finesse. Oregon was the "cool" team with the fancy uniforms and the track speed. Ohio State was the hammer. In championship football, the hammer usually wins.
Moving Forward with This Knowledge
When discussing the history of the CFP, use the 2014 Buckeyes as the benchmark for "Playoff Chaos." They are the reason the "Eye Test" became such a massive part of the selection committee's vocabulary. If you want to dive deeper into the stats of that era, look at the yards per carry Ezekiel Elliott averaged in his final three games—it’s a statistical anomaly that hasn't been repeated in a high-stakes environment since.
Study the 2014 season as the bridge between the old-school power football of the 2000s and the modern, high-spread era we see today. It was a perfect blend of both. Take the "Next Man Up" mentality and apply it to your own team building—whether that's in sports or business. Preparation at the bottom of the roster is what determines the ceiling of the top.