NCAA Division I-A national football champions
NCAA Division I-A Football Champions
The NCAA does not yet conduct an official national title game for Division I-A football. Instead over the years various polls and formulas have been used to determine a "mythical champion". For champions prior to 1936 retro polls and research were used to determine the champion of major college football.
Each year since 1869 a college football champion (or in some instances co-champions) has been declared. Although the method has evolved over the years the tradition is carried on today with a NCAA Division I-A Football Champion being compiled by the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) computers. The term Division 1-A was not used until 1978, and before that the term 'major college champion' was often used. Below are some of the selectors:
- National Championship Foundation (NCF) (1869-1935)
- College Football Researchers Association (CRFA) (1869-1935)
- Helms Athletic Foundation (H) 1883–1935
- The Dickinson System (D) 1924–40
- The Associated Press (AP) 1936–present,
- United Press International (UPI) 1958–90,
- USA Today/CNN (CNN) 1991–96,
- USA Today/ESPN (ESPN) 1997–present (recognizes BCS winner)
- BCS selection process
| Year | Champion | Record | Bowl Game (if one) | Head Coach
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| 1869 | Princeton (NCF) | 1-1-0
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| 1870 | Princeton (NCF) | 1-0
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| 1871 | None selected
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| 1872 | Princeton (NCF) | 1-0
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| 1873 | Princeton (NCF) | 1-0
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| 1874 | Yale (NCF) | 3-0
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| 1875 | Harvard (NCF) | 4-0
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| Princeton (CRFA) | 2-0
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| 1876 | Yale (NCF) | 3-0
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| 1877 | Yale (NCF) | 3-0-1
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| 1878 | Princeton (NCF) | 6-0-0
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| 1879 | Princeton (NCF) | 4-0-1
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| 1880 | Princeton (NCF) | 4-0-1
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| Yale (CFRA) | 4-0-1
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| 1881 | Yale (NCF) | 5-0-1
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| 1882 | Yale (NCF) | 8-0-0
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| 1883 | Yale | 8-0-0 | | Ray Tomkins (Captain)
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| 1884 | Yale | 9-0-0 | | Eugene L. Richards (Captain)
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| 1885 | Princeton | 9-0-0 | | Charles DeCamp (Captain)
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| 1886 | Yale | 9-0-1 | | Robert N. Corwin (Captain)
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| 1887 | Yale | 9-0-0 | | Harry W. Beecher (Captain)
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| 1888 | Yale | 13-0-0 | | Walter Camp
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| 1889 | Princeton | 10-0-0 | | Edgar Poe (Captain)
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| 1890 | Harvard | 11-0-0 | | George A. Stewart/George C. Adams
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| 1891 | Yale | 13-0-0 | | Walter Camp
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| 1892 | Yale | 13-0-0 | | Walter Camp
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| 1893 | Princeton | 11-0-0 | | Tom Trenchard (Captain)
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| 1894 | Yale | 16-0-0 | | William C. Rhodes
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| 1895 | Pennsylvania | 14-0-0 | | George Woodruff
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| 1896 | Princeton | 10-0-1 | | Garrett Cochran
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| 1897 | Pennsylvania | 15-0-0 | | George Woodruff
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| 1898 | Harvard | 11-0-0 | | W. Cameron Forbes
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| 1899 | Harvard | 10-0-1 | | Benjamin H. Dibblee
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| 1900 | Yale | 12-0-0 | | Malcolm McBride
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| 1901 | Michigan | 11-0-0 | Won Rose | Fielding Yost
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| 1902 | Michigan | 11-0-0 | | Fielding Yost
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| 1903 | Princeton | 11-0-0 | | Art Hillebrand
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| 1904 | Pennsylvania | 12-0-0 | | Carl Williams
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| 1905 | Chicago | 11-0-0 | | Amos Alonzo Stagg
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| 1906 | Princeton | 9-0-1 | | Bill Roper
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| 1907 | Yale | 9-0-1 | | Bill Knox
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| 1908 | Pennsylvania | 11-0-1 | | Sol Metzger
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| 1909 | Yale | 10-0-0 | | Howard Jones
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| 1910 | Harvard | 8-0-1 | | Percy Houghton
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| 1911 | Princeton | 8-0-2 | | Bill Roper
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| 1912 | Harvard | 9-0-0 | | Percy Houghton
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| 1913 | Harvard | 9-0-0 | | Percy Houghton
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| 1914 | Army | 9-0-0 | | Charley Daly
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| 1915 | Cornell | 9-0-0 | | Al Sharpe
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| 1916 | Pittsburgh | 8-0-0 | | Pop Warner
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| 1917 | Georgia Tech | 9-0-0 | | John Heisman
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| 1918 | Pittsburgh | 4-1-0 | | Pop Warner
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| 1919 | Harvard | 9-0-1 | Won Rose | Bob Fisher
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| 1920 | California | 9-0-0 | Won Rose | Andy Smith
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| 1921 | Cornell | 8-0-0 | | Gil Dobie
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| 1922 | Cornell | 8-0-0 | | Gil Dobie
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| 1923 | Illinois | 8-0-0 | | Bob Zuppke
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| 1924 | Notre Dame | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Knute Rockne
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| 1925 | Alabama (H) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Wallace Wade
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| Dartmouth (D) | 8-0-0 | | Jesse Hawley
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| 1926 | Alabama (H) | 9-0-1 | Tied Rose | Wallace Wade
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| Stanford (D)(H) | 10-0-1 | Tied Rose | Pop Warner
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| 1927 | Illinois | 7-0-1 | | Bob Zuppke
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| 1928 | Georgia Tech (H) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Bill Alexander
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| USC (D) | 9-0-1 | | Howard Jones
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| 1929 | Notre Dame | 9-0-0 | | Knute Rockne
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| 1930 | Alabama | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Wallace Wade
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| Notre Dame | 10-0-0 | | Knute Rockne
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| 1931 | USC | 10-1-0 | Won Rose | Howard Jones
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| 1932 | USC (H) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Howard Jones
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| Michigan (D) | 8-0-0 | | Harry Kipke
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| 1933 | Michigan | 7-0-1 | | Harry Kipke
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| 1934 | Alabama | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Frank Thomas
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| Minnesota | 8-0-0 | | Bernie Bierman
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| 1935 | Minnesota (H) | 8-0-0 | | Bernie Bierman
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| SMU (D) | 12-1-0 | Lost Rose | Matty Bell
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| 1936 | Minnesota | 7-1-0 | | Bernie Bierman
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| 1937 | Pittsburgh | 9-0-1 | | Jock Sutherland
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| 1938 | TCU (AP) | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Dutch Meyer
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| Notre Dame (D) | 8-1-0 | | Elmer Layden
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| 1939 | USC (D) | 8-0-2 | Won Rose | Howard Jones
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| Texas A&M (AP) | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Homer Norton
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| 1940 | Minnesota | 8-0-0 | | Bernie Bierman
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| 1941 | Alabama | 9-2-0 | | Frank Thomas
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| Minnesota | 8-0-0 | | Bernie Bierman
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| 1942 | Ohio State | 9-1-0 | | Paul Brown
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| 1943 | Notre Dame | 9-1-0 | | Frank Leahy
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| 1944 | Army | 9-0-0 | | Red Blaik
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| 1945 | Army | 9-0-0 | | Red Blaik
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| 1946 | Notre Dame | 8-0-1 | | Frank Leahy
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| 1947 | Notre Dame | 9-0-0 | | Frank Leahy
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| Michigan* | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Fritz Crisler
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| 1948 | Michigan | 9-0-0 | | Bennie Oosterbaan
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| 1949 | Notre Dame | 10-0-0 | | Frank Leahy
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| 1950 | Oklahoma | 10-1-0 | Lost Sugar | Bud Wilkinson
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| 1951 | Tennessee | 10-1-0 | Lost Sugar | Bob Neyland
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| 1952 | Georgia Tech (INS) | 12-0-0 | Won Sugar | Bobby Dodd
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| Michigan State | 9-0-0 | | Biggie Munn
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| 1953 | Maryland | 10-1-0 | Lost Orange | Jim Tatum
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| 1954 | Ohio State | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Woody Hayes
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| UCLA (UPI) | 9-0-0 | | Red Sanders
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| 1955 | Oklahoma | 11-0-0 | Won Orange | Bud Wilkinson
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| 1956 | Oklahoma | 10-0-0 | | Bud Wilkinson
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| 1957 | Auburn | 10-0-0 | | Shug Jordan
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| Ohio State (UPI) | 9-1-0 | Won Rose | Woody Hayes
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| 1958 | LSU | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Paul Dietzel
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| 1959 | Syracuse | 11-0-0 | Won Cotton | Ben Schwartzwalder
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| 1960 | Minnesota | 8-2-0 | Lost Rose | Murray Warmath
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| 1961 | Alabama | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Paul Bryant
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| 1962 | USC | 11-0-0 | Won Rose | John McKay
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| 1963 | Texas | 11-0-0 | Won Cotton | Darrell Royal
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| 1964 | Alabama | 10-1-0 | Lost Orange | Paul Bryant
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| 1965 | Alabama | 9-1-1 | Won Orange | Paul Bryant
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| Michigan State (UPI) | 10-1-0 | Lost Rose | Duffy Daugherty
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| 1966 | Notre Dame | 9-0-1 | | Ara Parseghian
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| 1967 | USC | 10-1-0 | Won Rose | John McKay
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| 1968 | Ohio State | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Woody Hayes
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| 1969 | Texas | 11-0-0 | Won Cotton | Darrell Royal
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| 1970 | Nebraska | 11-0-1 | Won Orange | Bob Devaney
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| Texas (UPI) | 10-1-0 | Lost Cotton | Darrell Royal
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| 1971 | Nebraska | 13-0-0 | Won Orange | Bob Devaney
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| 1972 | USC | 12-0-0 | Won Rose | John McKay
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| 1973 | Notre Dame | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Ara Parseghian
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| Alabama (UPI) | 11-1-0 | Lost Sugar | Paul Bryant
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| 1974 | Oklahoma | 11-0-0 | | Barry Switzer
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| USC (UPI) | 10-1-1 | Won Rose | John McKay
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| 1975 | Oklahoma | 11-1-0 | Won Orange | Barry Switzer
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| 1976 | Pittsburgh | 12-0-0 | Won Sugar | Johnny Majors
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| 1977 | Notre Dame | 11-1-0 | Won Cotton | Dan Devine
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| 1978 | Alabama | 11-1-0 | Won Sugar | Paul Bryant
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| USC (UPI) | 12-1-0 | Won Rose | John Robinson
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| 1979 | Alabama | 12-0-0 | Won Sugar | Paul Bryant
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| 1980 | Georgia | 12-0-0 | Won Sugar | Vince Dooley
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| 1981 | Clemson | 12-0-0 | Won Orange | Danny Ford
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| 1982 | Penn State | 11-1-0 | Won Sugar | Joe Paterno
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| 1983 | Miami (FL) | 11-1-0 | Won Orange | Howard Schnellenberger
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| 1984 | BYU | 13-0-0 | Won Holiday | LaVell Edwards
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| 1985 | Oklahoma | 11-1-0 | Won Orange | Barry Switzer
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| 1986 | Penn State | 12-0-0 | Won Fiesta | Joe Paterno
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| 1987 | Miami (FL) | 12-0-0 | Won Orange | Jimmy Johnson
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| 1988 | Notre Dame | 12-0-0 | Won Fiesta | Lou Holtz
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| 1989 | Miami (FL) | 11-1-0 | Won Sugar | Dennis Erickson
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| 1990 | Georgia Tech (UPI) | 11-0-1 | Won Citrus | Bobby Ross
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| Colorado (AP) | 11-1-1 | Won Orange | Bill McCartney
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| 1991 | Miami (FL) | 12-0-0 | Won Orange | Dennis Erickson
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| Washington (CNN) | 12-0-0 | Won Rose | Don James
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| 1992 | Alabama | 13-0-0 | Won Sugar | Gene Stallings
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| 1993 | Florida State | 12-1-0 | Won Orange | Bobby Bowden
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| 1994 | Nebraska | 13-0-0 | Won Orange | Tom Osborne
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| 1995 | Nebraska | 12-0-0 | Won Fiesta | Tom Osborne
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| 1996 | Florida | 12-1 | Won Sugar | Steve Spurrier
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| 1997 | Michigan | 12-0 | Won Rose | Lloyd Carr
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| Nebraska (ESPN) | 13-0 | Won Orange | Tom Osborne
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| 1998 | Tennessee | 13-0 | Won Fiesta | Phillip Fulmer
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| 1999 | Florida State | 12-0 | Won Sugar | Bobby Bowden
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| 2000 | Oklahoma | 13-0 | Won Orange | Bob Stoops
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| 2001 | Miami (FL) | 12-0 | Won Rose | Larry Coker
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| 2002 | Ohio State | 14-0 | Won Fiesta | Jim Tressel
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| 2003 | LSU (BCS) | 13-1 | Won Sugar | Nick Saban
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| USC (AP) | 12-1 | Won Rose | Pete Carroll
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