| 2019-20 | LSU (15-0) | CFP |
| 2018-19 | Clemson (15-0) | CFP |
| 2017-18 | Alabama (13-1) | CFP |
| 2016-17 | Clemson (14-1) | CFP |
| 2015-16 | Alabama (14-1) | CFP |
| 2014-15 | Ohio State (14-1) | CFP |
| 2013-14 | Florida State (14-0) | BCS |
| 2012-13 | Alabama (13-1) | BCS |
| 2011-12 | Alabama (12-1) | BCS |
| 2010-11 | Auburn (14-0) | BCS |
| 2009-10 | Alabama (14-0) | BCS |
| 2008-09 | Florida (13-1) | BCS |
| 2007-08 | LSU (12-2) | BCS |
| 2006-07 | Florida (13-1) | BCS |
| 2005-06 | Texas (13-0) | BCS |
| 2004-05 | USC (13-0) | BCS |
| 2003-04 | LSU (13-1), USC (12-1) | LSU (BCS, NFF, USA-ESPN), USC (AP, FWAA) |
| 2002-03 | Ohio State (14-0) | BCS |
| 2001-02 | Miami (Fla.) (12-0) | BCS |
| 2000-01 | Oklahoma (13-0) | BCS |
| 1999-00 | Florida State (12-0) | BCS |
| 1998-99 | Tennessee (13-0) | BCS |
| 1997 | Michigan (12-0), Nebraska (13-0) | Michigan (AP, FWAA, NFF), Nebraska (USA-ESPN) |
| 1996 | Florida (12-1) | AP, FWAA, NFF,USA/CNN |
| 1995 | Nebraska (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1994 | Nebraska (13-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1993 | Florida State (12-1) | AP, FWAA,NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1992 | Alabama (13-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1991 | Washington (12-0), Miami (Fla.) (12-0) | Washington (FWAA, UPI-NFF, USA-CNN), Miami (FL) (AP) |
| 1990 | Colorado (11-1-1), Georgia Tech (11-0-1) | Colorado (AP, FWAA, NFF, USA-CNN), Georgia Tech (UPI) |
| 1989 | Miami (Fla.) (11-1) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1988 | Notre Dame (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1987 | Miami (Fla.) (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1986 | Penn State (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1985 | Oklahoma (11-1) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1984 | BYU (13-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1983 | Miami (Fla.) (11-1) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1982 | Penn State (11-1) | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1981 | Clemson (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1980 | Georgia (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1979 | Alabama (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1978 | Alabama (12-1), USC (12-1) | Alabama (AP, FWAA, NFF), USC (UPI) |
| 1977 | Notre Dame (11-1) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1976 | Pittsburgh (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1975 | Oklahoma (11-1) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1974 | USC (10-1-1), Oklahoma (11-0) | USC (FWAA, NFF, UPI), Oklahoma (AP) |
| 1973 | Notre Dame (11-0), Alabama (11-1) | Notre Dame (AP, FWAA, NFF), Alabama (UPI) |
| 1972 | USC (12-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1971 | Nebraska (13-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1970 | Nebraska (11-0-1), Texas (10-1), Ohio State (9-1) | Texas (NFF, UPI), Nebraska (AP, FWAA), Ohio State (NFF) |
| 1969 | Texas (11-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1968 | Ohio State (10-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1967 | USC (10-1) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1966 | Notre Dame (9-0-1), Michigan State (9-0-1) | Notre Dame (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI), Michigan State (NFF) |
| 1965 | Michigan State (10-1), Alabama (9-1-1) | Michigan State (FWAA, NFF, UPI), Alabama (AP, FWAA) |
| 1964 | Alabama (10-1), Arkansas (11-0), Notre Dame (9-1) | Alabama (AP, UPI), Arkansas (FWAA), Notre Dame (NFF) |
| 1963 | Texas (11-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1962 | USC (11-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1961 | Alabama (11-0), Ohio State (8-0-1) | Alabama (AP, NFF, UPI), Ohio State (FWAA) |
| 1960 | Minnesota (8-2), Ole Miss (10-0-1) | Minnesota (AP, NFF, UPI), Ole Miss (FWAA) |
| 1959 | Syracuse (11-0) | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1958 | LSU (11-0), Iowa (8-1-1) | AP, UPI, FWAA |
| 1957 | Ohio State (9-1), Auburn (10-0) | Ohio State (FWAA, UPI), Auburn (AP) |
| 1956 | Oklahoma (10-0) | AP, FWAA, UPI |
| 1955 | Oklahoma (11-0) | AP, FWAA, UPI |
| 1954 | UCLA (9-0), Ohio State (10-0) | UCLA (FWAA, UPI), Ohio State (AP) |
| 1953 | Maryland (10-1) | AP, UPI |
| 1952 | Michigan State (9-0) | AP, UPI |
| 1951 | Tennessee (10-0) | AP, UPI |
| 1950 | Oklahoma (10-1) | AP, UPI |
| 1949 | Notre Dame (10-0) | AP |
| 1948 | Michigan (9-0) | AP |
| 1947 | Notre Dame (9-0) | AP |
| 1946 | Notre Dame (8-0-1) | AP |
| 1945 | Army (9-0) | AP |
| 1944 | Army (9-0) | AP |
| 1943 | Notre Dame (9-1) | AP |
| 1942 | Ohio State (9-1) | AP |
| 1941 | Minnesota (8-0) | AP |
| 1940 | Minnesota (8-0) | AP |
| 1939 | Texas A&M (11-0) | AP |
| 1938 | TCU (11-0), Tennessee (11-0) | AP |
| 1937 | Pittsburgh (9-0-1) | AP |
| 1936 | Minnesota (7-1) | AP |
| 1935 | Minnesota (8-0) | CFRA/HAF/NCF |
| 1934 | Minnesota (8-0) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1933 | Michigan (7-0-1) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1932 | USC (10-0) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1931 | USC (10-1) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1930 | Notre Dame (10-0), Alabama (10-0) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1929 | Notre Dame (7-2-2) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1928 | Georgia Tech (10-0) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1927 | Illinois (7-0-1), Yale (7-1) | HAF, NCF, CFRA |
| 1926 | Alabama (9-0-1), Stanford (10-0-1) | CFRA, HAF, NCF, HAF |
| 1925 | Alabama (10-0), Notre Dame (10-0) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1924 | Notre Dame (7-2-2) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1923 | Illinois (8-0), Michigan (8-0) | CFRA, HAF, NCF, NCF |
| 1922 | California (9-0), Cornell (8-0), Princeton (8-0) | NCF, HAF, CFRA, NCF |
| 1921 | California (9-0-1), Cornell (8-0) | CFRA, NCF, HAF |
| 1920 | California (9-0) | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1919 | Harvard (9-0-1), Illinois (6-1), Notre Dame (9-0), Texas A&M (10-0) | CFRA, HAF, NCF, CFRA, NCF, NCF |
| 1918 | Michigan (5-0), Pittsburgh (4-1) | NCF, HAF, NCF |
| 1917 | Georgia Tech (9-0) | HAF, NCF |
| 1916 | Pittsburgh (8-0) | HAF, NCF |