In fact, in the very first season of college football's existence -- that's 1869, in case you were wondering -- pollsters split the national title between Rutgers and Princeton. This, even though Rutgers beat Princeton earlier that year.
Controversies about the college football national championship have plagued the game ever since.
As a result, listing college football’s national champions isn’t as easy as one might think. There have been so many polls and organizations naming champions, in fact, that in some years up to six different teams claimed some kind of title.
What follows, then, is a comprehensive list of all the national championship teams, as recorded by the NCAA. Listed alongside the champions are the polls or nominating bodies that awarded the title.
Of course, not all "national championships" are created equal -- the New York Times national championship, for instance, is not quite on par with the Associated Press national championship. So below, those teams considered "consensus" national champions -- the teams fans would most recognize as national title holders -- are marked with an asterisk. But even the "consensus" title is somewhat misleading, as some seasons ended with multiple "consensus" national champions.
Only in college football.
2009
*Florida: BCS
2007
*LSU: BCS
2006
*Florida: BCS
2005
*Texas: AP, BCS, Berryman, Billingsley, Colley Matrix, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FW, Massey, Matthews, NFF, Sagarin (ELO-Chess), Seattle Times, Sporting News, USA/ESPN, Wolfe
Southern California: Harris
2004
*Southern California: AP, BCS, Berryman, Billingsley, Colley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, Massey, Matthews, NFF, NY Times, Sagarin, Seattle Times, Sporting News, USA/ESPN, Wolfe
2003
*LSU: BCS, Billingsley, Colley, DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, Massey, NFF, Sagarin, Seattle Times, USA/ESPN
Oklahoma: Berryman
*Southern California: AP, Eck, Matthews, NY Times
2002
*Ohio State: AP, BCS, Berryman, Billingsley, Colley, DeVold, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, Massey, NFF, NY Times, Seattle Times, Sporting News, USA/ESPN, Wolfe
Southern California: Dunkel, Matthews, Sagarin
2001
*Miami (Fla.): AP, BCS, Berryman, Billingsley, Colley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, Massey, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sagarin, Seattle Times, Sporting News, USA/ESPN, Wolfe
2000
*Oklahoma: AP, BCS, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, Massey, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sagarin, Seattle Times, Sporting News, USA/ESPN
1999
*Florida State: AP, BCS, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, Massey, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sagarin, Seattle Times, Sporting News, USA/ESPN
1998
Ohio State: Sagarin
*Tennessee: Alderson, AP, BCS, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Seattle Times, Sporting News, USA/ESPN
1997
*Michigan: AP, FB News, FW, National Championship Foundation*, NFF, Sporting News
*Nebraska: Alderson, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, Matthews, National Championship Foundation*, NY Times, Sagarin, Seattle Times, USA/ESPN
1996
*Florida: AP, Berryman, Billingsley, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, NFF, Sagarin, Sporting News, USA/CNN, NY Times, National Championship Foundation, Dunkel, Matthews, DeVold
Florida State: Alderson
1995
*Nebraska : Alderson, AP, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sagarin, Sporting News, UPI, USA/CNN
1994
Florida State: Dunkel
*Nebraska: Alderson, AP, Berryman, Billingsley, FACT, FB News, FW, National Championship Foundation, Sporting News, UPI, USA/CNN, USA/NFF
Penn State: DeVold, Eck, FACT, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NY Times, Sagarin
1993
Auburn: National Championship Foundation
*Florida State: AP, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, FW, National Championship Foundation, NY Times, Sagarin, Sporting News, UPI, USA/CNN ,USA/NFF
Nebraska : National Championship Foundation
Notre Dame: Matthews, National Championship Foundation
1992
*Alabama: AP, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NY Times, Sporting News, UPI/NFF, USA/CNN
Florida State: Sagarin
1991
*Miami (Fla.): AP, Eck, Football Research, National Championship Foundation, NY Times, Sporting News
*Washington: Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, FB News, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin, UPI/NFF, USA/CNN
1990
*Colorado: AP, Berryman, DeVold, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, Sporting News, USA/CNN
*Georgia Tech: Dunkel, FACT, National Championship Foundation, UPI
Miami (Fla.): Billingsley, Eck, FACT, NY Times, Sagarin
Washington: FACT
1989
*Miami (Fla.): AP, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sporting News, UPI, USA/CNN
Notre Dame: Berryman, Eck, FACT, Sagarin
1988
Miami (Fla.): Berryman
*Notre Dame: AP, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sagarin, Sporting News, UPI, USA/CNN
1987
Florida State: Berryman, Sagarin
*Miami (Fla.): AP, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sporting News, UPI, USA/CNN
1986
Miami (Fla.): FACT
Oklahoma: Berryman, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, NY Times, Sagarin
*Penn State: AP, Billingsley, FACT, FB News, FW, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, Sporting News, UPI, USA/CNN
1985
Michigan: Matthews, Sagarin
*Oklahoma: AP, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Sporting News, UPI, USA/CNN
