LINEAL NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

This display of compiled data prepared by Benjamin Hatch

Sources for game results: James Howell, various collegiate media guides

Special thanks to Matt Walcoff for his painstakingly researched corrections.

In some sports, rather than have a playoff or a complex balloting method, the champion is deemed to be the individual who defeated the preceding champion, e.g., boxing. If this method of determining the college football national championship were to be used, here would be the results:

Date of Game	Champion	Score	Site	Defenses	Notes
11/6/1869	Rutgers	6-4	New Brunswick, NJ	1	First game ever
11/13/1869	Princeton	8-0	Princeton, NJ	11
11/30/1876	Yale	2-0	Hoboken, NJ	11
11/28/1878	Princeton	1-0	Hoboken, NJ	26
11/18/1882	Harvard	3-0	Cambridge, MA	1
11/25/1882	Yale	1-0	Cambridge, MA	26
11/21/1885	Princeton	6-5	New Haven, CT	17
11/12/1887	Harvard	12-0	Cambridge, MA	2
11/24/1887	Yale	17-8	New York, NY	29
11/28/1889	Princeton	10-0	New York, NY	13
11/27/1890	Yale	32-0	Brooklyn, NY	36
11/30/1893	Princeton	6-0	New York, NY	8
11/10/1894	Pennsylvania	12-0	Trenton, NJ	25
10/24/1896	Lafayette	6-4	Philadelphia, PA	13
10/23/1897	Pennsylvania	46-0	Philadelphia, PA	16
11/5/1898	Harvard	10-0	Cambridge, MA	24
11/24/1900	Yale	28-0	New Haven, CT	13
11/23/1901	Harvard	22-0	Cambridge, MA	12
11/22/1902	Yale	23-0	New Haven, CT	11
11/14/1903	Princeton	11-6	New Haven, CT	6
10/15/1904	Navy	10-9	Annapolis, MD	3
10/29/1904	Swarthmore	9-0	Annapolis, MD	3
10/7/1905	Pennsylvania	11-4	Philadelphia, PA	15
10/13/1906	Swarthmore	4-0	Philadelphia, PA	4
11/10/1906	Navy	5-4	Annapolis, MD	9
10/19/1907	Harvard	6-0	Annapolis, MD	3
11/9/1907	Carlisle	23-15	Cambridge, MA	10
11/7/1908	Harvard	17-0	Cambridge, MA	11
11/20/1909	Yale	8-0	Cambridge, MA	5
10/15/1910	Army	9-3	West Point, NY	2
10/29/1910	Harvard	6-0	West Point, NY	9
11/4/1911	Princeton	8-6	Princeton, NJ	9
11/2/1912	Harvard	16-6	Cambridge, MA	26
10/23/1915	Cornell	10-0	Cambridge, MA	8
10/28/1916	Harvard	23-0	Cambridge, MA	3
11/18/1916	Brown	21-0	Cambridge, MA	1
11/25/1916	Colgate	28-0	Providence, RI	3
10/27/1917	Brown	7-6	Providence, RI	1
11/3/1917	Syracuse	6-0	Providence, RI	8
11/16/1918	Michigan	15-0	Ann Arbor, MI	5
10/25/1919	Ohio State	13-3	Ann Arbor, MI	3
11/22/1919	Illinois	9-7	Columbus, OH	6
11/13/1920	Wisconsin	14-9	Madison, WI	8
11/19/1921	Chicago	3-0	Chicago, IL	4
10/28/1922	Princeton	21-18	Chicago, IL	6
10/20/1923	Notre Dame	25-2	Princeton, NJ	3
11/10/1923	Nebraska	14-7	Lincoln, NE	2
11/24/1923	Syracuse	7-0	Lincoln, NE	7
11/8/1924	West Virginia Wesleyan	7-3	Syracuse, NY	3
10/17/1925	Lehigh	3-0	Unknown	2
10/31/1925	Muhlenberg	9-7	Lehigh, PA	3
11/21/1925	Villanova	23-9	Muhlenberg, PA	1
9/25/1926	Lebanon Valley	30-12	Harrisburg, PA	1
10/2/1926	Penn State	27-0	State College, PA	2
10/16/1926	Notre Dame	28-0	South Bend, IN	6
11/27/1926	Carnegie Tech	19-0	Pittsburgh, PA	4
10/15/1927	Washington & Jefferson	20-6	Pittsburgh, PA	8
10/13/1928	Duquesne	12-6	Washington, PA	2
10/27/1928	Geneva	7-0	Washington, PA	1
11/3/1928	Grove City	12-6	Unknown	2
11/17/1928	Villanova	14-13	Philadelphia, PA	8
11/9/1929	Bucknell	9-0	Scranton, PA	2
11/23/1929	Fordham	14-0	New York, NY	8
11/15/1930	St. Mary’s (CA)	20-12	New York, NY	8
11/11/1931	UCLA	12-0	Pasadena, CA	1
11/21/1931	Oregon	13-6	Pasadena, CA	1
11/26/1931	St. Mary's	16-0	Moraga, CA	7	[1]
11/5/1932	Fordham	14-0	New York, NY	8
11/4/1933	St. Mary's	13-6	New York, NY	4
11/30/1933	Oregon	13-7	Moraga, CA	3
10/13/1934	Washington	16-6	Portland, OR	3
11/10/1934	Stanford	24-0	Palo Alto, CA	3
1/1/1935	Alabama	29-13	Pasadena, CA	3	Rose Bowl
10/12/1935	Mississippi State	20-7	Tuscaloosa, AL	4
11/9/1935	Louisiana State	28-13	Baton Rouge, LA	4
1/1/1936	Texas Christian	3-2	New Orleans, LA	2	Sugar Bowl
9/26/1936	Texas Tech	7-0	Lubbock, TX	2
10/9/1936	Wichita State	6-0	Lubbock, TX	1
10/31/1936	St. Louis	25-7	St. Louis, MO	1
11/7/1936	Missouri	13-7	St. Louis, MO	4
10/2/1937	Colorado	14-6	Boulder, CO	8
1/1/1938	Rice	28-14	Dallas, TX	1	Cotton Bowl
10/1/1938	Oklahoma	7-6	Norman, OK	10
1/2/1939	Tennessee	17-0	Miami, FL	11	Orange Bowl
1/1/1940	Southern California	14-0	Pasadena, CA	5	Rose Bowl
10/26/1940	Stanford	21-7	Palo Alto, CA	8
10/11/1941	Oregon State	10-0	Corvallis, OR	1
10/25/1941	Washington State	7-0	Pullman, WA	6
12/6/1941	Texas A&M	7-0	Tacoma, WA	1
1/1/1942	Alabama	29-21	Dallas, TX	6	Cotton Bowl
10/31/1942	Georgia	21-10	Atlanta, GA	3
11/21/1942	Auburn	27-13	Columbus, GA	4	[2]
10/14/1944	Georgia Tech	27-0	Atlanta, GA	3
11/4/1944	Duke	19-13	Durham, NC	7
10/6/1945	Navy	21-0	Durham, NC	7
12/1/1945	Army	32-13	Philadelphia, PA	15
10/25/1947	Columbia	21-20	New York, NY	6
10/2/1948	Harvard	33-24	Cambridge, MA	1
10/9/1948	Cornell	40-6	Ithaca, NY	2
10/23/1948	Army	27-6	Ithaca, NY	22
12/2/1950	Navy	14-2	Philadelphia, PA	2
10/6/1950	Princeton	24-20	Annapolis, MD	18
10/11/1952	Pennsylvania	13-7	Princeton, NJ	3
11/1/1952	Penn State	14-7	Philadelphia, PA	1
11/8/1952	Syracuse	25-7	Syracuse, NY	3
1/1/1953	Alabama	61-6	Miami, FL	1	Orange Bowl
9/18/1953	Southern Mississippi	25-19	Montgomery, AL	5
10/31/1953	Memphis	27-13	Memphis, TN	1
11/7/1953	Arkansas State	20-0	Memphis, TN	5
10/2/1954	Mississippi State	46-13	Starkville, MS	2
10/15/1954	Miami (FL)	27-13	Miami, FL	3
11/6/1954	Auburn	14-13	Birmingham, AL	10
10/29/1955	Tulane	27-13	New Orleans, LA	2
11/12/1955	Vanderbilt	20-7	New Orleans, LA	2
11/26/1955	Tennessee	20-14	Knoxville, TN	11
1/1/1957	Baylor	13-7	New Orleans, LA	3	Sugar Bowl
10/5/1957	Miami (FL)	13-7	Miami, FL	1
10/12/1957	North Carolina	20-13	Miami, FL	1
10/19/1957	Maryland	21-7	College Park, MD	1
10/26/1957	Tennessee	16-0	College Park, MD	3
11/16/1957	Mississippi	14-7	Memphis, TN	9
11/1/1958	Louisiana State	14-0	Baton Rouge, LA	12
11/7/1959	Tennessee	14-13	Knoxville, TN	1
11/14/1959	Mississippi	37-7	Memphis, TN	20
11/4/1961	Louisiana State	10-7	Baton Rouge, LA	11
11/3/1962	Mississippi	15-7	Baton Rouge, LA	14
1/1/1964	Alabama	12-7	New Orleans, LA	11	Sugar Bowl
1/1/1965	Texas	21-17	Miami, FL	5	Orange Bowl
10/16/1965	Arkansas	27-24	Fayetteville, AR	6
1/1/1966	Louisiana State	14-7	Dallas, TX	2	Cotton Bowl
9/24/1966	Rice	17-15	Houston, TX	1
10/1/1966	Tennessee	23-3	Knoxville, TN	1
10/8/1966	Georgia Tech	6-3	Atlanta, GA	6
11/26/1966	Georgia	23-14	Athens, GA	5
10/14/1967	Mississippi	29-20	Jackson, MS	4
11/18/1967	Tennessee	20-7	Memphis, TN	3
1/1/1968	Oklahoma	26-24	Miami, FL	1	Orange Bowl
9/21/1968	Notre Dame	45-21	South Bend, IN	1
9/28/1968	Purdue	37-22	South Bend, IN	2
10/12/1968	Ohio State	13-0	Columbus, OH	16
11/22/1969	Michigan	24-12	Ann Arbor, MI	1
1/1/1970	Southern California	10-3	Pasadena, CA	5	Rose Bowl
10/10/1970	Stanford	24-14	Palo Alto, CA	5
11/14/1970	Air Force	31-14	Colorado Springs, CO	1
11/21/1970	Colorado	49-19	Colorado Springs, CO	1
12/12/1970	Tulane	17-3	Memphis, TN	2	Liberty Bowl
9/18/1971	Georgia	17-7	Athens, GA	8
11/13/1971	Auburn	35-20	Athens, GA	1
11/27/1971	Alabama	31-7	Birmingham, AL	1
1/1/1972	Nebraska	38-6	Miami, FL	1	Orange Bowl
9/9/1972	UCLA	20-17	Pasadena, CA	2
9/23/1972	Michigan	26-9	Pasadena, CA	9
11/25/1972	Ohio State	14-11	Columbus, OH	1
1/1/1973	Southern California	42-17	Pasadena, CA	7	Rose Bowl
10/27/1973	Notre Dame	23-14	South Bend, IN	8
9/28/1974	Purdue	31-20	South Bend, IN	1
10/5/1974	Duke	16-14	Durham, NC	2
10/19/1974	Clemson	17-13	Clemson, SC	1
10/26/1974	Tennessee	29-28	Knoxville, TN	7
9/20/1975	UCLA	34-28	Pasadena, CA	2
10/4/1975	Ohio State	41-20	Pasadena, CA	8
1/1/1976	UCLA	23-10	Pasadena, CA	11	Rose Bowl
11/20/1976	Southern California	24-14	Pasadena, CA	7
10/8/1977	Alabama	21-20	Los Angeles, CA	10
9/23/1978	Southern California	24-14	Birmingham, AL	2
10/14/1978	Arizona State	20-7	Tempe, AZ	1
10/28/1978	Washington	41-7	Seattle, WA	2
11/11/1978	Southern California	28-10	Los Angeles, CA	25
11/15/1980	Washington	20-10	Los Angeles, CA	2
1/1/1981	Michigan	23-6	Pasadena, CA	1	Rose Bowl
9/12/1981	Wisconsin	21-14	Madison, WI	1
9/19/1981	UCLA	31-13	Madison, WI	1
9/26/1981	Iowa	20-7	Iowa City, IA	4
10/24/1981	Minnesota	12-10	Iowa City, IA	1
10/31/1981	Michigan	34-13	Minneapolis, MN	3
11/21/1981	Ohio State	14-9	Ann Arbor, MI	4
9/25/1982	Stanford	23-20	Columbus, OH	2
10/9/1982	Arizona State	21-17	Tempe, AZ	4
11/13/1982	Washington	17-13	Tempe, AZ	1
11/20/1982	Washington State	24-20	Pullman, WA	2
9/10/1983	Michigan	20-17	Ann Arbor, MI	1
9/17/1983	Washington	25-24	Seattle, WA	1
9/24/1983	Louisiana State	40-14	Baton Rouge, LA	1
10/1/1983	Florida	31-17	Baton Rouge, LA	3
10/29/1983	Auburn	28-21	Auburn, AL	5
8/27/1984	Miami (FL)	20-18	East Rutherford, NJ	2
9/8/1984	Michigan	22-14	Ann Arbor, MI	1
9/15/1984	Washington	20-11	Ann Arbor, MI	8
11/10/1984	Southern California	16-7	Los Angeles, CA	1
11/17/1984	UCLA	29-10	Pasadena, CA	5
9/28/1985	Washington	21-14	Seattle, WA	3
10/19/1985	Oregon State	21-20	Seattle, WA	1
11/2/1985	Arizona	27-6	Corvallis, OR	1
11/9/1985	UCLA	24-19	Tucson, AZ	2
11/23/1985	Southern California	17-13	Los Angeles, CA	2
12/28/1985	Alabama	24-3	Honolulu, HI	8	Aloha Bowl
10/25/1986	Penn State	23-3	Tuscaloosa, AL	7
9/12/1987	Alabama	24-13	State College, PA	1
9/19/1987	Florida	23-14	Birmingham, AL	2
10/3/1987	Louisiana State	13-10	Baton Rouge, LA	4
11/7/1987	Alabama	22-10	Baton Rouge, LA	1
11/14/1987	Notre Dame	37-6	South Bend, IN	1
11/21/1987	Penn State	21-20	State College, PA	1
1/1/1988	Clemson	35-10	Orlando, FL	3	Florida Citrus Bowl
9/7/1988	Florida State	24-21	Clemson, SC	10
9/2/1989	Southern Mississippi	30-26	Jacksonville, FL	1
9/9/1989	Mississippi State	26-23	Hattiesburg, MS	1
9/23/1989	Georgia	23-6	Athens, GA	1
9/30/1989	South Carolina	24-20	Athens, GA	3
10/28/1989	North Carolina State	20-10	Columbia, SC	1
11/4/1989	Virginia	20-9	Raleigh, NC	3
1/1/1990	Illinois	31-21	Orlando, FL	1	Florida Citrus Bowl
9/8/1990	Arizona	28-16	Tucson, AZ	3
9/29/1990	California	30-25	Tucson, AZ	4
10/27/1990	Washington	46-7	Seattle, WA	2
11/10/1990	UCLA	25-22	Seattle, WA	1
11/17/1990	Southern California	45-42	Pasadena, CA	1
11/24/1990	Notre Dame	10-6	Los Angeles, CA	1
1/1/1991	Colorado	10-9	Miami, FL	2	Orange Bowl
9/14/1991	Baylor	16-14	Boulder, CO	4
10/12/1991	Rice	20-17	Waco, TX	1
10/19/1991	Texas Christian	39-28	Houston, TX	1
10/26/1991	Baylor	26-9	Waco, TX	2
11/16/1991	Texas Tech	31-24	Waco, TX	2
9/3/1992	Oklahoma	34-9	Lubbock, TX	2
9/19/1992	Southern California	20-10	Norman, OK	1
10/3/1992	Washington	17-10	Seattle, WA	5
11/7/1992	Arizona	16-3	Tucson, AZ	1
11/14/1992	Southern California	14-7	Los Angeles, CA	1
11/21/1992	UCLA	38-37	Pasadena, CA	1
9/4/1993	California	27-25	Pasadena, CA	5
10/9/1993	Washington	24-23	Berkeley, CA	1
10/16/1993	UCLA	39-25	Pasadena, CA	4
11/13/1993	Arizona State	9-3	Pasadena, CA	1
11/26/1993	Arizona	34-20	Tempe, AZ	6
10/8/1994	Colorado State	21-16	Tucson, AZ	2
10/22/1994	Utah	45-31	Fort Collins, CO	2
11/5/1995	New Mexico	23-21	Albuquerque, NM	1
11/12/1994	Wyoming	38-28	Laramie, WY	2
9/9/1995	Air Force	34-10	Colorado Springs, CO	1
9/16/1995	Colorado State	27-20	Colorado Springs, CO	1
9/30/1995	Brigham Young	28-21	Fort Collins, CO	1
10/14/1995	Arizona State	29-21	Tempe, AZ	4
11/24/1995	Arizona	31-28	Tempe, AZ	2
9/7/1996	Iowa	21-20	Iowa City, IA	2
9/21/1996	Tulsa	27-20	Tulsa, OK	3
10/19/1996	Brigham Young	55-30	Tulsa, OK	8
9/6/1997	Washington	42-20	Provo, UT	2
9/20/1997	Nebraska	27-14	Seattle, WA	16
10/10/1998	Texas A&M	28-21	College Station, TX	6
11/27/1998	Texas	26-24	Austin, TX	2
8/28/1999	North Carolina State	23-20	Austin, TX	3
9/18/1999	Florida State	42-11	Tallahassee, FL	15
10/7/2000	Miami (FL)	27-24	Miami, FL	32
1/3/2003	Ohio State	31-24	Tempe, AZ	6	Fiesta Bowl, 2OT
10/11/2003	Wisconsin	17-10	Madison, WI	1
10/18/2003	Purdue	26-23	Madison, WI	1
10/25/2003	Michigan	31-3	Ann Arbor, MI	4
1/1/2004	Southern California	28-14	Pasadena, CA	26	Rose Bowl
1/4/2006	Texas	41-38	Pasadena, CA	2	Rose Bowl
9/9/2006	Ohio State	24-7	Austin, TX	11
1/8/2006	Florida	41-14	Glendale, AZ	5	BCS Championship
9/29/2007	Auburn	20-17	Gainesville, FL	3
10/20/2007	Louisiana State	30-24	Baton Rouge, LA	4
11/23/2007	Arkansas	50-48	Baton Rouge, LA	1	3OT
1/1/2008	Missouri	38-7	Dallas, TX	6	Cotton Bowl
10/11/2008	Oklahoma State	28-23	Columbia, MO	2
10/25/2008	Texas	28-24	Austin, TX	1
11/1/2008	Texas Tech	39-33	Lubbock, TX	2
11/22/2008	Oklahoma	65-21	Norman, OK	3
1/8/2009	Florida	24-14	Miami, FL	13	BCS Championship
12/6/2009	Alabama	32-13	Atlanta, GA	7	SEC Championship
10/9/2010	South Carolina	35-21	Columbia, SC	1
10/16/2010	Kentucky	31-28	Lexington, KY	1
10/23/2010	Georgia	44-31	Lexington, KY	1
10/30/2010	Florida	34-31	Jacksonville, FL	2	OT
11/13/2010	South Carolina	36-14	Gainesville, FL	3
12/4/2010	Auburn	56-17	Atlanta, GA	4	SEC Championship
9/17/2011	Clemson	38-24	Clemson, SC	6
10/29/2011	Georgia Tech	31-17	Atlanta, GA	1
11/10/2011	Virginia Tech	37-26	Atlanta, GA	3
12/3/2011	Clemson	38-10	Charlotte, NC	1	ACC Championship
1/4/2012	West Virginia	70-33	Miami, FL	*	Inc., Orange Bowl

[1] – Lost to non-college team (Olympic Club) 10-0 in Moraga, CA on 11/7/1931.

[2] – Did not play in 1943.