The most exciting championship game in recent memory?

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18450552/was-clemson-alabama-most-exciting-championship-game-recent-memory

"So which recent title games have been most exciting? It begins with the historic 2006 Rose Bowl, but Monday night's title game is not far behind. One thing is for sure -- we've been lucky enough to witness a number of classics in the past few years.

1. 2005 season: Texas 41, Southern California 38

Excitement score: 6.8
The 2006 Rose Bowl is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in college football history. USC and Texas both entered the game undefeated, and featured dynamic playmakers in Reggie Bush and Vince Young. The Trojans were seeking their 35th consecutive win before Young posted one of the greatest individual performances (467 total yards, 3 TD) in championship game history.
More importantly, this game was a thriller on the field. After a back-and-forth first half, USC took a 12-point lead with 6:42 remaining. At that point, Texas' win probability dropped to 3 percent before Young led the Longhorns on two straight touchdown drives. Young capped off his historic performance with an 8-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds remaining, which increased Texas' chance to win from 37 percent to 94 percent, the most impactful play in a championship game (based on win probability added) since 2005.

2. 2013 season: Florida State 34, Auburn 31

Excitement score: 6.6
It's easy to forget how dominant Florida State was in Jameis Winston's Heisman-winning season. The undefeated Seminoles entered the title game with a plus-42 average scoring margin and had won all but one game by at least 27 points. Meanwhile, Auburn was widely regarded as a "team of destiny" with a number of miraculous finishes, including the 'Prayer at Jordan-Hare' and 'Kick Six' game.
In this game, Auburn jumped out to a 21-3 lead before Florida State scored 17 straight points. The Tigers and Seminoles traded scores in a fourth quarter that included four different plays that increased a team's chance to win by at least 30 percentage points. One of those was Kermit Whitfield's 100-yard kickoff return touchdown. The game was capped off by a 2-yard touchdown pass from Winston to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds remaining to seal the victory for the Seminoles.

3. 2016 season: Clemson 35, Alabama 31

Excitement score: 6.4

ESPN Analytics

Despite all the off-field intrigue, this game will be remembered in future generations because of its exciting fourth quarter. Let's run through the final five minutes. With 4:28 remaining, Wayne Gallman plunged into the end zone to give Clemson its first lead (28-24) of the game. A few plays later, the Tigers' win probability reached 89 percent. Then Jalen Hurts led the Tide 68 yards for a touchdown with 2:07 remaining to take a 31-28 lead, which dropped Clemson's win expectancy to about 18 percent. Finally, Watson mounted a historic drive, which was capped by a 2-yard pass to Hunter Renfrow with 1 second remaining to cap the victory. Overall, Monday's game registered as the third-most exciting in recent history, but the gap between No. 1 and No. 3 is minimal.

4. 2015 season: Alabama 45, Clemson 40

Excitement score: 5.4

The main reason why the Alabama-Clemson sequel was so highly anticipated was because of the way the first game played out. In their first meeting, Watson led the Tigers in a back-and-forth fourth quarter that featured 40 total points and a number of monster plays. Two of those plays were on special teams, as Alabama recovered a surprise onside kick (plus-0.16 WPA) and returned a kickoff for a touchdown (plus-0.16 WPA). Watson fought back with 170 total yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but those two special teams plays were too large to overcome as Alabama won its fourth title in seven years.

5. 2010 season: Auburn 22, Oregon 19

Excitement score: 5.4
Auburn kicker Wes Byrum kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired to complete Auburn's perfect season. In a game that featured three lead changes and two ties, the biggest play was undoubtedly Michael Dyer's highlight-worthy 37-yard rush (plus-0.18 WPA). Dyer appeared to be spun down shy of the 50-yard line before getting up and scampering into field goal range with under two minutes remaining. Auburn would kick the winning field goal a few plays later to clinch its first title since 1957.
Best of the rest since 2005:
6. 2008 season: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14 -- Excitement score: 4.7
7. 2014 season: Ohio State 42, Oregon 20 -- Excitement score: 3.7
8. 2009 season: Alabama 37, Texas 21 -- Excitement score: 3.1
9. 2007 season: LSU 38, Ohio State 24 -- Excitement score: 2.2
10. 2011 season: Alabama 21, LSU 0 -- Excitement score: 1.9
11. 2006 season: Florida 41, Ohio State 14 -- Excitement score: 1.6
12. 2012 season: Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14 -- Excitement score: 0.8"