[9] In August 2018, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, was announced as the host site for the seventh College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship.

[11] On August 5, 2020, CFP organizers announced that they would move the release of the final rankings and semifinal matchups (sometimes referred to as "Selection Weekend") from December 6 to 20, in order to accommodate conferences that had delayed their championship games to mid-December.

[14][15] As the 2020 FBS season was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, CFP organizers had identified a contingency date of January 18 for the championship game,[16] which did not need to be used.

[24] Ohio State had appeared in one prior CFP National Championship game, having won the inaugural edition in 2015, after defeating Alabama in the semifinal.

During the drive, cameras showed Ohio State running back Trey Sermon walking to the locker room with an apparent shoulder injury sustained on the first play of the game.

Filling in for kicker Blake Haubeil, who did not travel with the Ohio State team due to COVID issues, punter Drue Chrisman handled the kickoff, which was taken back to the 25.

[28] On the second quarter's opening play, Tide quarterback Mac Jones connected with Heisman winner DeVonta Smith for a five-yard passing touchdown, giving Alabama a lead it would not relinquish for the rest of the game.

The Tide responded quickly; it took them only five plays to score on a Najee Harris 26-yard reception, giving them back a touchdown lead.

Alabama's next drive began on their own 25, and the Tide's offense had no problem moving the ball down the field again, with Jones finding Smith for the second time to take a two-possession lead.

[29] The Crimson Tide scored again, as Slade Bolden caught a five-yard Mac Jones pass and increased the lead back to 21.

[28] Alabama increased their lead to four touchdowns on the fourth play of the game's final quarter, as Najee Harris scored for the second time.

Alabama was able to run the remaining clock out and the game and football season concluded with the Crimson Tide as national champions, 52–24.

[1] at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida The game was televised nationally in the United States by ESPN for the seventh straight year, along with its sister networks and ESPN+ in a "Megacast" made up of several other channels, including game data, radio calls from the Ohio State and Alabama radio networks, stadium audio-only, and other camera angles.

The game announcers were Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit, with Maria Taylor and Allison Williams serving as sideline reporters.