Annual national champions
Year	AP	Coaches*
2002	Ohio State	Ohio State
2001	Miami (Fla.)	Miami (Fla.)
2000	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
1999	Florida St	Florida St
1998	Tennessee	Tennessee
1997	Michigan	Nebraska
1996	Florida	Florida
1995	Nebraska	Nebraska
1994	Nebraska	Nebraska
1993	Florida St	Florida St
1992	Alabama	Alabama
1991	Miami (Fla.)	Washington
1990	Colorado	Georgia Tech
1989	Miami (Fla.)	Miami (Fla.)
1988	Notre Dame	Notre Dame
1987	Miami (Fla.)	Miami (Fla.)
1986	Penn St	Penn St
1985	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
1984	BYU	BYU
1983	Miami (Fla.)	Miami (Fla.)
1982	Penn St	Penn St
1981	Clemson	Clemson
1980	Georgia	Georgia
1979	Alabama	Alabama
1978	Alabama	USC
1977	Notre Dame	Notre Dame
1976	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
1975	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
1974	Oklahoma	USC
1973	Notre Dame	Alabama
1972	USC	USC
1971	Nebraska	Nebraska
1970	Nebraska	Texas
1969	Texas	Texas
1968	Ohio St	Ohio St
1967	USC	USC
1966	Notre Dame	Notre Dame
1965	Alabama	Michigan St
1964	Alabama	Alabama
1963	Texas	Texas
1962	USC	USC
1961	Alabama	Alabama
1960	Minnesota	Minnesota
1959	Syracuse	Syracuse
1958	LSU	LSU
1957	Auburn	Ohio St
1956	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
1955	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
1954	Ohio St	UCLA
1953	Maryland	Maryland
1952	Michigan St	Michigan St
1951	Tennessee	Tennessee
1950	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
1949	Notre Dame	---
1948	Michigan	---
1947	Notre Dame	---
1946	Notre Dame	---
1945	Army	---
1944	Army	---
1943	Notre Dame	---
1942	Ohio St	---
1941	Minnesota	---
1940	Minnesota	---
1939	Texas A&M	---
1938	TCU	---
1937	Pittsburgh	---
1936	Minnesota	---
* UPI until 1991, USA Today-CNN until 1996