| College football National championship winners | |
| YEAR | CHAMPION |
| 2019 | LSU |
| 2018 | Clemson |
| 2017 | Alabama |
| 2016 | Clemson |
| 2015 | Alabama |
| 2014 | Ohio State |
| 2013 | Florida State |
| 2012 | Alabama |
| 2011 | Alabama |
| 2010 | Auburn |
| 2009 | Alabama |
| 2008 | Florida |
| 2007 | LSU |
| 2006 | Florida |
| 2005 | Texas |
| 2004 | Southern California |
| 2003 | LSU, Southern California |
| 2002 | Ohio State |
| 2001 | Miami (Fla.) |
| 2000 | Oklahoma |
| 1999 | Florida State |
| 1998 | Tennessee |
| 1997 | Michigan, Nebraska |
| 1996 | Florida |
| 1995 | Nebraska |
| 1994 | Nebraska |
| 1993 | Florida St. |
| 1992 | Alabama |
| 1991 | Washington, Miami (Fla.) |
| 1990 | Colorado, Georgia Tech |
| 1989 | Miami (Fla.) |
| 1988 | Notre Dame |
| 1987 | Miami (Fla.) |
| 1986 | Penn State |
| 1985 | Oklahoma |
| 1984 | Brigham Young |
| 1983 | Miami (Fla.) |
| 1982 | Penn State |
| 1981 | Clemson |
| 1980 | Georgia |
| 1979 | Alabama |
| 1978 | Alabama, Southern California |
| 1977 | Notre Dame |
| 1976 | Pittsburgh |
| 1975 | Oklahoma |
| 1974 | Southern California, Oklahoma |
| 1973 | Notre Dame, Alabama |
| 1972 | Southern California |
| 1971 | Nebraska |
| 1970 | Nebraska, Texas, Ohio State |
| 1969 | Texas |
| 1968 | Ohio State |
| 1967 | Southern California |
| 1966 | Notre Dame, Michigan State |
| 1965 | Michigan State, Alabama |
| 1964 | Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame |
| 1963 | Texas |
| 1962 | Southern California |
| 1961 | Alabama, Ohio State |
| 1960 | Minnesota, Mississippi |
| 1959 | Syracuse |
| 1958 | LSU, Iowa |
| 1957 | Ohio State, Auburn |
| 1956 | Oklahoma |
| 1955 | Oklahoma |
| 1954 | UCLA, Ohio State |
| 1953 | Maryland |
| 1952 | Michigan State |
| 1951 | Tennessee |
| 1950 | Oklahoma |
| 1949 | Notre Dame |
| 1948 | Michigan |
| 1947 | Notre Dame |
| 1946 | Notre Dame |
| 1945 | Army |
| 1944 | Army |
| 1943 | Notre Dame |
| 1942 | Ohio State |
| 1941 | Minnesota |
| 1940 | Minnesota |
| 1939 | Texas A&M |
| 1938 | Texas Christian |
| 1937 | Pittsburgh |
| 1936 | Minnesota |
| 1935 | Minnesota |
| 1934 | Minnesota |
| 1933 | Michigan |
| 1932 | Southern California |
| 1931 | Southern California |
| 1930 | Alabama, Notre Dame |
| 1929 | Notre Dame |
| 1928 | Georgia Tech. |
| 1927 | Illinois, Yale |
| 1926 | Alabama, Stanford |
| 1925 | Alabama |
| 1924 | Notre Dame |
| 1923 | Illinois, Michigan |
| 1922 | California, Cornell, Princeton |
| 1921 | California, Cornell |
| 1920 | California |
| 1919 | Harvard, Illinois, Notre Dame, Texas A&M |
| 1918 | Michigan, Pittsburgh |
| 1917 | Georgia Tech |
| 1916 | Pittsburgh |
| 1915 | Cornell |
| 1914 | Army |
| 1913 | Harvard |
| 1912 | Harvard, Penn St. |
| 1911 | Penn State., Princeton |
| 1910 | Harvard, Pittsburgh |
| 1909 | Yale |
| 1908 | LSU, Pennsylvania |
| 1907 | Yale |
| 1906 | Princeton |
| 1905 | Chicago |
| 1904 | Michigan, Pennsylvania |
| 1903 | Michigan, Princeton |
| 1902 | Michigan |
| 1901 | Michigan |
| 1900 | Yale |
| 1899 | Harvard |
| 1898 | Harvard |
| 1897 | Pennsylvania |
| 1896 | Lafayette, Princeton |
| 1895 | Pennsylvania |
| 1894 | Yale |
| 1893 | Princeton |
| 1892 | Yale |
| 1891 | Yale |
| 1890 | Harvard |
| 1889 | Princeton |
| 1888 | Yale |
| 1887 | Yale |
| 1886 | Yale |
| 1885 | Princeton |
| 1884 | Yale |
| 1883 | Yale |
| 1882 | Yale |
| 1881 | Yale |
| 1880 | Princeton, Yale |
| 1879 | Princeton |
| 1878 | Princeton |
| 1877 | Yale |
| 1876 | Yale |
| 1875 | Harvard |
| 1874 | Yale |
| 1873 | Princeton |
| 1872 | Princeton |
| 1871 | None selected |
| 1870 | Princeton |
| 1869 | Princeton, Rutgers |