As part of ESPN’s year-long initiative marking the 150-year anniversary of college football, we set out to rank the 150 greatest college football single-season teams of all time.
The panel of 150 media members, athletic administrators and former players and coaches selected these teams from 210 finalists initially identified by ESPN’s Sports & Information group.
The voters went for national champions galore — undefeated champions, one-loss champions and, at the very top, rarely tested champions. But not every team here finished No. 1. The highest-ranked one-loss team, at No. 31, is remembered for the game it didn’t win.
The final list represents an array of styles but a commonality of substance, and the teams range from one that played 131 years ago to two squads that suited up as recently as 2018.
You’ll likely find a team you once loved. You’ll definitely find a ranking you don’t love at all.— Ivan Maisel
1. 1971 Nebraska (13-0)
Coach: Bob Devaney
The Huskers held 10 of their 13 opponents to seven points or fewer. Only No. 2 Oklahoma scored more than 17. On Thanksgiving Day, the Huskers beat the Sooners 35-31 in a “Game of the Century.” Nebraska crushed No. 2 Alabama 38-6 in the Orange Bowl. The only other ranked opponent, No. 9 Colorado, went down 31-7. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado and Alabama finished 1-2-3-4 that season, which meant the Huskers defeated the next three in the final poll, routing two of them. Defensive lineman Larry Jacobsen won the Outland Trophy. Jacobsen, fellow D-lineman Willie Harper and Johnny Rodgers — a receiver, running back and return specialist — made the consensus All-America team. Rodgers’ 71-yard punt return for a touchdown against Oklahoma is remembered to this day; however, he didn’t win the Heisman Trophy until 1972.
2. 2004 USC (13-0)
Coach: Pete Carroll
The Trojans won their second straight national championship, remaining No. 1 from wire to wire, capping it off by stunning No. 2 Oklahoma 55-19 for the BCS title in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award and the Manning Award.
All-purpose star Reggie Bush, linebacker Matt Grootegoed and defensive linemen Shaun Cody joined Leinart as consensus All-Americans. The Trojans won three of their four Pac-10 road games by eight points or fewer but still had an average margin of victory of 38-13. In a season with three undefeated teams (Auburn was the other) and a year after the BCS snubbed the Trojans, they came into the Orange Bowl with a point to make. USC dominated the game from the opening kickoff.
3. 1972 USC (12-0)
Coach: John McKay
The Trojans won their third national title in 11 seasons under McKay with a performance memorable for its dominance. They zoomed from No. 8 to No. 1 with an opening 31-10 win versus No. 4 Arkansas in Little Rock. And they never left the top spot. USC won every game by at least nine points. They beat six ranked opponents. They scored at least 30 points in 10 games. And they crushed No. 3 Ohio State 42-17 in the Rose Bowl. It was a team of future stars — only tight end Charles Young made All-American — and yet the names are recognizable to anyone who paid attention to the NFL of the mid-to-late 1970s. The leading rusher was sophomore Anthony Davis (1,191 yards, 17 touchdowns). And the leading receiver was junior Lynn Swann, who averaged 20 yards per catch; his problem was he caught only 27 passes.
4. 1995 Nebraska (12-0)
Coach: Tom Osborne
The Huskers were the only national champion since 1950 to win each game by at least 14 points. Nebraska scored at least 35 points in every game and set an NCAA record by rushing for 7.0 yards per attempt. There would be no on-field controversy for the Huskers, but there was plenty off the field. Osborne took a lot of heat for not throwing tailback Lawrence Phillips off the team after Phillips was arrested for assaulting a Huskers women’s basketball player in the apartment of teammate Scott Frost. Osborne suspended Phillips for six games and brought him back late in the season. Freshman Ahman Green rushed for 1,086 yards and 13 touchdowns in Phillips’ place. Nebraska defeated Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship, a game remembered for Tommie Frazier’s epic 75-yard touchdown run. Frazier broke seven tackles as he churned down the sideline. Frazier finished second in the Heisman vote that year to Ohio State’s Eddie George and was the Huskers’ only first-team All-American that season.
5. 2018 Clemson (15-0)
Coach: Dabo Swinney
The Tigers routed defending national champion Alabama 44-16 in the College Football Playoff championship (the fourth straight year the teams met in the playoff) to become the first 15-0 team since 1897. Clemson dominated thanks to a coming-of-age season by freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who took over as starter for Kelly Bryant in the fifth game. That might be why Clemson won its last 10 games by at least 20 points. The offense averaged 526 yards per game, but the defense, which held eight teams to 10 points or fewer, carried the load. Clemson gave up 13 points per game, best in the nation, and 291 yards per game, sixth in the FBS. Two veteran defensive linemen won national awards: Clelin Ferrell took the Hendricks Award as best DE, and Christian Wilkins earned the Campbell Trophy as the best student-athlete. Ferrell, Wilkins and offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt made the consensus All-America team. The Tigers won their fourth consecutive ACC title, a school first.
6. 2005 Texas (13-0)
Coach: Mack Brown
The No. 2 Longhorns upset No. 1 USC 41-38 in the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl, ending the Trojans’ 34-game winning streak and blunting their quest not only for a third straight national title, but to be considered the most dominant team in the history of the game. Texas won thanks to the performance of All-American quarterback Vince Young, who threw for 267 yards and ran for 200.
Young scored the winning touchdown with 19 seconds left, capping the Horns’ 12-point comeback in the final four minutes. Young won the Manning and O’Brien quarterback awards, in addition to the Maxwell Award as the game’s best player. But he finished runner-up to USC tailback Reggie Bush for the Heisman, and the slight spurred Young and Texas into the Rose Bowl. Texas averaged 50.2 points, scoring at least 40 in 12 games. Texas embarrassed Colorado 70-3 in the Big 12 title game. Safety Michael Huff, like Young a consensus All-American, won the Thorpe Award. Defensive lineman Rodrique Wright and offensive lineman Jonathan Scott also were consensus All-Americans.
7. 2001 Miami (12-0)
Coach: Larry Coker (national coach of the year as first-year HC)
The Hurricanes extended the winning streak that began in 2000 to 22 games. They held eight opponents to fewer than 10 points en route to humiliating Nebraska 37-14 in the BCS title game in the Rose Bowl. The Canes led 34-0 at halftime. Quarterback Ken Dorsey won the Maxwell Award. Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, the Outland Trophy winner, and safety Ed Reed, a Hall of Famer in the college and pro ranks, were consensus All-Americans. Tight end Jeremy Shockey, offensive tackle Joaquin Gonzalez and corner Phillip Buchanon also made at least one All-America team.
8. 1979 Alabama (12-0)
Coach: Paul “Bear” Bryant
The sixth and last of Bryant’s national champions, unlike his No. 1 teams in 1964, 1965, 1973 and 1978, left no room for argument. The Crimson Tide shut out five teams and held five more to fewer than 10 points. The wishbone remained unsolvable, even though Bryant had employed it for nine seasons. Alabama averaged 69 rushes and 10 passes per game. Only offensive lineman Jim Bunch made the All-America team, a commentary on Bryant’s belief in depth. The Tide averaged 344 rushing yards per game, yet senior quarterback Steadman Shealy led the team with 791 rushing yards. Five other backs gained at least 230 yards. Only SEC rivals LSU (3-0) and Auburn (25-18) came within a touchdown, and the 24-9 defeat of Lou Holtz’s No. 9 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl seemed more like a coronation.
9. 1956 Oklahoma (10-0)
Coach: Bud Wilkinson
The Sooners repeated as national champs with a third straight undefeated season. Their last victory, 53-0 over Oklahoma State, stretched their winning streak to 40 games. Oklahoma shut out six of their 10 opponents and gave up only 5.1 points per game. No, they didn’t play a ranked opponent, but the nonconference schedule included North Carolina, Notre Dame and, of course, Texas. The Sooners beat those three teams by a combined 121-0. They were so good that they prevented one of their own from winning the Heisman Trophy. Lineman Jerry Tubbs and back Tommy McDonald were both All-Americans and both finished in the top five of Heisman voting. It was one of the screwy reasons that allowed Paul Hornung of the 2-8 Irish to take home the award. McDonald did win the Maxwell Trophy.
10. 2009 Alabama (14-0)
Coach: Nick Saban
The Crimson Tide team that won the first of five national championships in nine seasons for Saban remains the only one of his No. 1s to finish the season undefeated. The Tide, stung in the fourth quarter of the SEC championship game by eventual national champ Florida the previous year, used that loss to spur them on through a schedule that included six ranked teams. Their two toughest victories came against unranked archrivals — a 12-10 win over Tennessee in which All-American defensive tackle Terrence Cody blocked a field goal attempt on the last play of the game, and a 26-21 comeback win at Auburn. The Tide followed that win by dominating their two highest-ranked opponents: a 32-13 defeat of No. 1 Florida in the conference title game and a wild 37-21 defeat of Texas in the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl. Tailback Mark Ingram, the Tide’s first Heisman winner, joined Cody and three other teammates — linebacker Rolando McClain (Butkus winner), offensive tackle Mike Johnson and defensive back Javier Arenas — on the consensus All-America team.
11. 1987 Miami (12-0)
Coach: Jimmy Johnson
After coming close to winning the national championship in the previous two seasons, the Hurricanes reached the top by defeating six ranked teams, including a 20-14 defeat of No. 1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl (the game wasn’t that close; the Sooners scored a late touchdown on a fumblerooski). Miami had the advantage of playing eight home games, including their last six (the Orange Bowl was certainly a home game). But their most memorable victory came on the road, a 26-25 decision at No. 4 Florida State in which the Canes overcame a 19-3 deficit. Safety Bennie Blades, the Jim Thorpe Award winner and a College Football Hall of Famer, and defensive lineman Daniel Stubbs made the consensus All-America team. The offense, under first-year starter Steve Walsh at quarterback, scored more than 40 points in five of the first seven games, and it didn’t score more than 27 in the final five. But that’s all Miami needed: The Canes gave up only 10.4 points per game.
12. 1999 Florida State (12-0)
Coach: Bobby Bowden
Unlike Bowden’s first national champion six years earlier, these Seminoles left little room for doubt. They won their eighth consecutive ACC title (in eight years in the league) and defeated five ranked teams, including No. 2 Virginia Tech 46-29 in a humdinger of a Sugar Bowl. The Seminoles went wire to wire as No. 1. Only unranked Clemson held Florida State to fewer than 31 points. That might have had something to do with the Tigers’ being coached by Tommy Bowden, Bobby’s son, in the first “Bowden Bowl.” That win was Bobby’s 300th. Wide receiver Peter Warrick had a real shot at the Heisman as a wide receiver/kick returner, until he was suspended for two games for shoplifting at a local mall. Warrick “settled” for being a consensus All-American, along with offensive lineman Jason Whitaker, kicker Sebastian Janikowski and defensive end Corey Simon. Against the Hokies, Warrick caught scoring passes of 64 and 43 yards and returned a punt 59 yards for a score.
13. 1968 Ohio State (10-0)
Coach: Woody Hayes
A precocious group of sophomores (remember, freshmen weren’t yet eligible) matured over the course of the season into Hayes’ third national champion. The young players learned as they went. They won at unranked Illinois and at unranked Iowa by less than a touchdown. But the Buckeyes also beat three top-four teams by double digits. They closed the season with a 50-14 rout of No. 4 Michigan (Hayes famously went for two to reach 50) and, in the Rose Bowl, a 27-16 defeat of No. 2 USC. Only offensive lineman Dave Foley made the All-America team, but among the sophomores were future College Football Hall of Famers Rex Kern at quarterback and Jack Tatum at defensive back, 1970 Outland/Lombardi winner Jim Stillwagon and running back John Brockington. Five would be taken in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft.
14. 1974 Oklahoma (11-0)
Coach: Barry Switzer
In only his second season as head coach, the 37-year-old Switzer led Oklahoma to its first national title in 18 seasons. The Sooners won it with a powerful wishbone offense and a defense that held every opponent to no more than 14 points. Only archrival Texas challenged Oklahoma, which won that game 16-13. The only other opponent to come within 14 points was OU’s other rival, Nebraska. The Sooners won that one, in Lincoln, 28-14. Only the NCAA slowed the Sooners that year. Probation prevented Oklahoma from playing in a bowl or winning the coaches’ poll (USC finished No. 1 there). Halfback Joe Washington, offensive lineman John Roush and linebacker Rod Shoate made the All-America team; Washington and Shoate are in the College Football Hall of Fame.
15. 1994 Nebraska (13-0)
Coach: Tom Osborne
The Huskers climbed the mountain for the first time since 1971 in Osborne’s 22nd season as head coach. They won the title with an explosive offense, led by two quarterbacks: Tommie Frazier and — after Frazier missed half the season because of a blood clot in his leg — Brook Berringer. Nebraska won its first 12 games by at least 10 points, then concluded the season by defeating No. 3 Miami 24-17 in the Orange Bowl (the Canes’ home field) with a physically dominant fourth quarter. Nebraska had always been strong. Osborne saw what Miami and Florida State did with speed in the late 1980s and early 1990s and made his defense faster too. That said, the Huskers proved themselves stronger in that fourth quarter, methodically grinding out two touchdown drives for a comeback win. Frazier returned from injury for the game. Berringer replaced him in the first half, and Frazier came back in the decisive fourth quarter. Offensive linemen Zach Wiegert, one of three consensus All-Americans on the team, won the Outland Trophy. Fellow lineman Brenden Stai and linebacker Ed Stewart joined him as All-Americans.
16. 1994 Penn State (12-0)
Coach: Joe Paterno
This might have been JoePa’s best team, even if the voters snubbed the Nittany Lions in favor of Nebraska. Penn State averaged 47 points (and never fewer than 31), thanks to an offense led by quarterback Kerry Collins, tailback Ki-Jana Carter and tight end Kyle Brady, all of whom were selected among the first 10 players in the 1995 NFL draft. The Nittany Lions defeated four ranked teams and beat nine opponents by at least 18 points. Their gutsiest victory came at Illinois, where they spotted the Illini a 21-0 lead before coming back to win 35-31. But the victory that might have cost them the national championship occurred a week earlier at Indiana. Penn State led 35-14 when JoePa began playing his subs. The Hoosiers’ scored two late touchdowns for a 35-29 final that made the game appear close. Penn State dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 and never caught Nebraska. Collins and Carter made the consensus All-America team. Collins won the Maxwell and O’Brien awards, and wide receiver Bobby Engram won the Biletnikoff Award.
17. 1969 Texas (11-0)
Coach: Darrell Royal
Using the newfangled wishbone offense that Longhorns assistant Emory Bellard had created the previous year, Texas extended its winning streak to 20 games with impressive dominance. Only No. 8 Oklahoma (27-17) came within 10 points of Texas until the season finale, a showdown at No. 2 Arkansas. ABC moved the game from its usual October date with the hope that both teams would be undefeated. Not only did that happen, but Michigan’s 24-12 upset of season-long No. 1 Ohio State cleared the way for Texas and Arkansas to be ranked 1-2. Texas scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to win 15-14 and closed out the season with a 21-17 defeat of No. 9 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, the Fighting Irish’s first bowl game in 44 seasons. Only offensive lineman Bob McKay (a future College Football Hall of Famer) made the All-America team. The Longhorns averaged 68 rushes and 13 passes per game. Yet with nine backs rushing for at least 200 yards, Jim Bertelsen led the team with only 740 rushing yards.
18. 1988 Notre Dame (12-0)
Coach: Lou Holtz
The Fighting Irish won their first national title in 11 seasons (and, at this writing, their most recent) with a stifling defense and a punishing ground game. Notre Dame won 10 games by at least 10 points, including its last two games, a 27-10 dismantling of No. 2 USC in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the 34-21 defeat of undefeated No. 2 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl. This Irish team, however, will be best remembered for its other defeat of a top-3 team, the 31-30 victory over No. 1 Miami in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish won by stopping a two-point conversion late in the game. Miami coach Jimmy Johnson maintains to this day that instant replay would have overruled a called fumble by Canes running back Cleveland Gary at the Irish goal line. Defensive lineman Frank Stams and linebacker Michael Stonebreaker made the consensus All-America team. Sophomore quarterback Tony Rice led the team with 700 rushing yards and threw for nearly 1,200 more. His poise, despite his inexperience, justified Holtz’s belief in him.
19. 1955 Oklahoma (10-0)
Coach: Bud Wilkinson
The Sooners dominated every team in their path, extending their three-season winning streak to 30 games. After opening with a 13-6 victory at North Carolina, Oklahoma won its next nine games by at least 12 points. In fact, the Sooners shut out their last four regular-season opponents. The Orange Bowl against No. 3 Maryland showcased Wilkinson against his mentor, former OU head coach Jim Tatum. The Terps had finished No. 1 two years earlier. When Maryland scored in the second quarter to take a 6-0 halftime lead, it was the first points Oklahoma had given up since Oct. 29. The Sooners controlled the second half, winning easily, 20-6. Lineman Bo Bolinger represented the Sooners on the consensus All-America team.
20. 1991 Miami (12-0)
Coach: Dennis Erickson
The Canes won their second AP national title in three seasons under Erickson pretty much as Miami had won in 1987 under Jimmy Johnson: with a dominant defense and an explosive, balanced offense. Defensive back Darryl Williams and kicker Carlos Huerta made the consensus All-America team. Miami led the nation by giving up only 8.3 points per game; you had to be ranked in the top 10 to score more than 14. No. 9 Penn State fell 26-20 (in a game in which the telecast was partially preempted by the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas). More famous was the Canes’ 17-16 victory at No. 1 Florida State, known forever as Wide Right I. Seminoles kicker Gerry Thomas’ 34-yard field goal attempt drifted just to the right in the first season after the NCAA narrowed the goal post by some six feet. Miami embarrassed No. 11 Nebraska 22-0 in the Orange Bowl and shared the national title with Washington.
21. 1992 Alabama (13-0)
Coach: Gene Stallings (unanimous coach of the year)
The only people who believed No. 2 Alabama would topple the undefeated defending national champion No. 1 Miami Hurricanes in the Sugar Bowl wore Crimson. But the Crimson Tide did so with surprising ease, a 34-13 rout in which Alabama displayed the suffocating defense that it had played all season. The Tide led the nation in total defense (184.7 yards per game) and scoring defense (9.1 points per game). Miami was one of only three opponents to score more than 11 points all season. Defensive ends John Copeland and Eric Curry both made the consensus All-America team. Alabama reached the Sugar Bowl by winning the first conference championship game in any league, a 28-21 defeat of Florida sealed by corner Antonio Langham’s pick-six in the final minutes. If the Gators had cost the No. 1 Tide a chance at a national title, the concept of the championship game probably would have been dismissed as a short-term money grab. Instead, it became the norm.
22. 1976 Pittsburgh (12-0)
Coach: Johnny Majors (coaches and writers voted him Coach of the Year)
The Panthers cruised to their first national title since 1937 by steamrollering nearly every opponent. Only West Virginia came within eight points of the Panthers, who didn’t become No. 1 until only three games remained, two of them against ranked teams. The Panthers defeated cross-state rival No. 16 Penn State 24-7, then routed No. 5 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl 27-3. Senior tailback Tony Dorsett, who won the Heisman, the Maxwell and the Walter Camp, capped a remarkable collegiate career by rushing for 2,150 yards and 22 touchdowns. Quarterback Matt Cavanaugh didn’t throw much — the Panthers ran on nearly 80% of their snaps — but he still finished seventh in the Heisman vote. Defensive lineman Al Romano joined Dorsett on the consensus All-American team.
23. 1991 Washington (12-0)
Coach: Don James
The coaches voted the Huskies national champions, the second consecutive year in which the coaches disagreed with the media vote, because Washington beat 11 of its 12 opponents by at least 11 points and because their three wins over ranked teams came away from home. In fact, they beat two top-10 teams on the road, not to mention the 34-14 rout of No. 4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl. After an early-season 36-21 victory at No. 9 Nebraska, their toughest challenge came at No. 7 California, where the Huskies won 24-17. That Cal team finished 10-2. Washington won with an impenetrable defense led by defensive tackle Steve Emtman, the Outland and Lombardi winner. The Huskies gave up only 237 yards of total offense per game, including a rush defense that allowed only 67 yards per game. Wide receiver Mario Bailey joined Emtman on the consensus All-America team.
24. 1997 Nebraska (13-0)
Coach: Tom Osborne
The third and final national champion coached by Osborne (he retired after the season) didn’t dominate the way the 1994 and 1995 teams did. The Huskers shared the national championship with undefeated Michigan. Nebraska won the coaches’ vote, which some saw as a going-away bouquet for Osborne from his peers, especially because the Huskers needed the miracle “flea-kicker” play for a 45-38 overtime win at Missouri. But Nebraska did win 11 games by at least 10 points, and the Huskers blew out their four ranked opponents by a combined 179-72, closing the season with a 54-15 rout of No. 14 Texas A&M in the initial Big 12 title game and an equally one-sided 42-17 rout of No. 3 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. Versatile offensive lineman Aaron Taylor won the Outland Trophy. Defensive end Grant Wistrom won the Lombardi Award. They were joined on the consensus All-America team by defensive lineman Jason Peter.
25. 2000 Oklahoma (13-0)
Coach: Bob Stoops
Like Barry Switzer, Stoops won a national championship in his second season. Unlike Switzer, Stoops — who swept the coach of the year awards — had a team that snuck up on everyone. Oklahoma’s 7-5 record the previous year was its first winning record since 1993. But the Sooners proved themselves by defeating four teams ranked eighth or better and six ranked teams overall. The offense, directed by a young offensive coordinator named Mike Leach, spread the field and threw it, scoring at least 31 points in the first nine games. The defense, led by consensus All-Americans Rocky Calmus (linebacker) and J.T. Thatcher (defensive back), came up big in the BCS title game against No. 3 Florida State. The Sooners wanted to shut down the Seminoles because Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke had beaten out Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel for the Heisman Trophy, even as Heupel made the consensus All-America team. Oklahoma held Florida State to no points and 27 rushing yards in a 13-2 victory.
Jump to: Legend for polls that decided titles
26. 1986 Penn State (12-0)
Titles: AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI
Coach: Joe Paterno
Led by: RB D.J. Dozier, LB Shane Conlan
What to know: Beat No. 2 Alabama on the road, and No. 1 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions intercepted five of Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde’s passes and sacked him four times in a 14-10 upset. The Nittany Lions were outgained 442-116 in total offense by the Hurricanes.
27. 1963 Texas (11-0)
Titles: AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Darrell Royal
Led by: QB Duke Carlisle, DL Scott Appleton, LB Tommy Nobis
What to know: Defeated No. 1 Oklahoma in Dallas, and No. 2 Navy in the Cotton Bowl. Texas won five of its last six regular-season games by a touchdown or less, including a 7-0 victory over Baylor, in which two-way star Carlisle made a leaping interception in the end zone to preserve the win.
28. 1973 Notre Dame (11-0)
Titles: AP, FWAA, NFF (Alabama won coaches)
Coach: Ara Parseghian
Led by: QB Tom Clements, TE Dave Casper
What to know: Defeated No. 6 USC and No. 20 Pittsburgh, and No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Against the Crimson Tide, Notre Dame rallied from deficits three times, falling behind 23-21 on a halfback-to-quarterback pass. But Clements led the Irish on a 79-yard scoring drive in which his 30-yard pass to Casper set up a go-ahead field goal.
29. 2013 Florida State (14-0)
Titles: BCS
Coach: Jimbo Fisher
Led by: QB Jameis Winston, LB Telvin Smith
What to know: Defeated No. 25 Maryland, No. 3 Clemson and No. 20 Duke, and No. 2 Auburn in the BCS National Championship at the Rose Bowl. Behind Winston, the Heisman Trophy winner, the Seminoles won by an average margin of 39.5 points and scored 40 points or more in 12 games. They set an NCAA single-season scoring record with 723 points.
30. 1979 USC (11-0-1)
Titles: None (Alabama won AP and UPI)
Coach: John Robinson
Led by: RB Charles White, S Ronnie Lott
What to know: Beat No. 20 LSU, No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 15 Washington, and No. 1 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Arguably the best team to not win a national championship, USC’s only blemish in 1979 was a 21-21 tie against Stanford. The Trojans beat four ranked opponents by an average of eight points, and White won the Heisman Trophy by running for 2,050 yards.
31. 1971 Oklahoma (11-1)
Titles: None (Nebraska won AP and UPI)
Coach: Chuck Fairbanks
Led by: RB Greg Pruitt, QB Jack Mildren
What to know: Defeated No. 17 USC, No. 3 Texas, and No. 6 Colorado, and No. 5 Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. While utilizing offensive coordinator Barry Switzer’s wishbone offense, the Sooners set an NCAA record with 472.4 rushing yards per game. Their only setback was a 35-31 loss to No. 1 Nebraska in the “Game of the Century.”
32. 1985 Oklahoma (11-1)
Titles: AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI
Coach: Barry Switzer
Led by: LB Brian Bosworth, NG Tony Casillas, QB Jamelle Holieway
What to know: Beat No. 17 Texas, No. 2 Nebraska and No. 17 Oklahoma State, and No. 1 Penn State in the Orange Bowl. The Sooners’ only loss came against Miami, after they lost quarterback Troy Aikman to injury. Holieway took over the wishbone offense and won the next eight games. OU’s defense held nine opponents to 10 points or fewer.
33. 1980 Georgia (12-0)
Titles: AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Vince Dooley
Led by: RB Herschel Walker, WR Lindsay Scott, CB Scott Woerner
What to know: Defeated No. 14 South Carolina, No. 20 Florida and No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Walker set an NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,616 yards and gained 200 yards or more in four games. Georgia’s national title hopes were saved by Buck Belue’s 93-yard touchdown pass to Lindsay Scott in the final minutes of a 26-21 win over Florida.
34. 2002 Ohio State (14-0)
Titles: BCS
Coach: Jim Tressel
Led by: RB Maurice Clarett, WR Michael Jenkins, S Mike Doss
What to know: The Buckeyes defeated five ranked teams, including No. 1 Miami in two overtimes in the Fiesta Bowl to win the school’s first national championship since 1968. OSU won several close games over Cincinnati (23-19), Wisconsin (19-14), Penn State (13-7), Purdue (10-6), Illinois (23-16 in overtime) and Michigan (14-9) to finish unbeaten in the regular season.
35. 1998 Tennessee (13-0)
Titles: BCS
Coach: Phillip Fulmer
Led by: QB Tee Martin, WR Peerless Price, LB Al Wilson
What to know: A year after losing quarterback Peyton Manning to the NFL, the Volunteers defeated six ranked opponents, including No. 2 Florida State in the first BCS National Championship, to win their first national title since 1951. Tennessee went unbeaten in the SEC for the first time since 1967, after ending a five-game losing streak to rival Florida.
36. 1983 Nebraska (12-1)
Titles: None (Miami won AP and UPI)
Coach: Tom Osborne
Led by: RB Mike Rozier, WR Irving Fryar, G Dean Steinkuhler
What to know: The Cornhuskers, dubbed the “Scoring Explosion,” had one of the most prolific offenses in college football history, averaging 52 points in their first 12 games and scoring 654 points for the season. The Huskers were ranked No. 1 from wire to wire until losing to Miami on a failed two-point conversion attempt in a 31-30 loss in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska might have won at least a share of the national title if Osborne had settled for a tie.
37. 1949 Oklahoma (11-0)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP)
Coach: Bud Wilkinson
Led by: E Jim Owens, QB Darrell Royal, T Wade Walker
What to know: The Sooners gave up only eight points per game and shut out five opponents, including a 35-0 victory over No. 9 LSU in the Sugar Bowl. They won the Big Six Conference title and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 399-88, but still finished No. 2 behind the Irish in the final AP poll. The team included two future head coaches: Royal (most famously at Texas) and Owens (Washington).
38. 1966 Alabama (11-0)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP and coaches; Notre Dame and Michigan State shared NFF)
Coach: Paul “Bear” Bryant
Led by: QB Ken Stabler, WR Ray Perkins
What to know: Alabama didn’t play a ranked opponent during the regular season, and gave up only four points per game with six shutouts. Before beating No. 6 Nebraska 34-7 in the Sugar Bowl, the Tide were voted No. 3 in the final AP poll, behind Notre Dame and Michigan State, which had played to an infamous 10-10 tie during the regular season.
39. 1959 Syracuse (11-0)
Titles: AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Ben Schwartzwalder
Led by: RB Ernie Davis, G Roger Davis
What to know: Led in the backfield by Davis, who would become the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961, the Orange defeated No. 7 Penn State and No. 17 UCLA, and No. 4 Texas 23-14 in the Cotton Bowl to win the school’s only national championship. Syracuse shut out five opponents and gave up only 59 points during the regular season.
40. 1981 Clemson (12-0)
Titles: AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Danny Ford
Led by: QB Homer Jordan, LB Jeff Davis, DB Terry Kinard
What to know: Unranked in the preseason, the Tigers upset defending national champion Georgia 13-3 in their third game to debut in the polls. They kept winning, beating No. 9 North Carolina and finally No. 4 Nebraska 22-15 in the Orange Bowl to win the school’s first national title. The Tigers gave up only 8.8 points per game and gave up eight points or fewer in seven games.
0:59
Auburn fan Alecia Hamm recalls how her belief that Cam Newton could lead Auburn to a national championship led to a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
41. 2010 Auburn (14-0)
Titles: BCS
Coach: Gene Chizik
Led by: QB Cam Newton, DT Nick Fairley, RB Michael Dyer
What to know: Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner, guided Auburn to a perfect season, taking down No. 12 South Carolina, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Alabama, No. 18 South Carolina and No. 2 Oregon in the process. The Tigers rallied from a 24-point deficit to beat Alabama 28-27 in the Iron Bowl, and beat the Ducks 22-19 in the BCS National Championship to win their first title since 1957.
42. 2015 Alabama (14-1)
Titles: CFP
Coach: Nick Saban
Led by: RB Derrick Henry, DL A’Shawn Robinson, LB Reggie Ragland
What to know: The Crimson Tide were upset by Ole Miss 43-37 at home in their third game but rallied to win their final nine regular-season games. Alabama faced nine ranked opponents and beat eight of them. The Tide blasted No. 3 Michigan State 38-0 in a CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl and then outlasted No. 1 Clemson 45-40 in the CFP National Championship to win their fourth title in seven years. Henry won the Heisman Trophy by rushing for 1,059 yards with 12 touchdowns.
43. 1997 Michigan (12-0)
Titles: AP, FWAA (Nebraska won coaches poll)
Coach: Lloyd Carr
Led by: DB Charles Woodson, QB Brian Griese, DE Glen Steele
What to know: The Wolverines defeated seven AP-ranked teams in winning a share of the school’s first national title since 1948. Michigan and Nebraska were both undefeated after the regular season. Michigan beat No. 8 Washington State 21-16 in the Rose Bowl; Nebraska routed No. 3 Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl the next day. Then-Cornhuskers quarterback Scott Frost politicked for votes, and Tom Osborne’s contemporaries apparently listened. Michigan was No. 1 in the final AP poll; Nebraska was No. 1 in the coaches’ poll. Woodson became the first defensive player to win the Heisman.
44. 1975 Oklahoma (11-1)
Titles: AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Barry Switzer
Led by: DT Lee Roy Selmon, RB Joe Washington, NG Dewey Selmon
What to know: The Sooners won their first eight games — three of them by seven points or fewer, which caused them to fall to No. 2 in the polls — and then fell to Kansas 23-3 at home, which ended their 28-game winning streak. But OU rebounded to win its last three games, beating No. 18 Missouri, No. 2 Nebraska and No. 5 Michigan in the Orange Bowl. The Sooners climbed to the top spot in the final polls after No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Texas A&M lost their bowl games.
45. 1961 Alabama (11-0)
Titles: AP, Coaches, NFF (Ohio State won FWAA)
Coach: Paul “Bear” Bryant
Led by: T Billy Neighbors, LB Lee Roy Jordan, QB Pat Trammell
What to know: The 1961 Alabama team was Bryant’s first to win a national championship — and maybe his best defense. The Crimson Tide shut out six opponents and gave up only 25 points the entire season. They didn’t allow a touchdown – giving up only two field goals — in the final seven games. Alabama led the NCAA in three defensive categories and set 10 school records for defense. The Tide defeated No. 9 Arkansas 10-3 in the Sugar Bowl to finish unbeaten.
46. 1969 Penn State (11-0)
Titles: None (Texas won AP, FWAA, NFF and UPI)
Coach: Joe Paterno
Led by: DT Mike Reid, LB Jack Ham, RB Franco Harris
What to know: The Nittany Lions gave up only 8.2 points per game and finished unbeaten for the second straight season. They finished No. 2 in the polls behind Texas, after President Richard Nixon declared that the winner of the Texas-Arkansas game would be the national champion. The slight caused Paterno to famously quip later, “I’d like to know how could the president know so little about Watergate in 1973 and so much about college football in 1969?” Penn State defeated No. 6 Missouri 10-3 in the Orange Bowl.
47. 1972 Oklahoma (11-1)
Titles: None (USC won AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Coach: Chuck Fairbanks
Led by: LB Rod Shoate, RB Greg Pruitt, DL Derland Moore
What to know: The Sooners played seven games against ranked opponents, losing once to No. 9 Colorado 20-14 on the road, which was enough to cost them a national title to unbeaten USC. OU’s high-powered offense averaged 478 yards and 37 points, which were best among Division I teams. The Sooners held nine opponents to 10 points or fewer and shut out No. 10 Texas in Dallas and No. 5 Penn State in the Sugar Bowl, handing Joe Paterno his first loss in a bowl game.
48. 1954 Oklahoma (10-0)
Titles: None (Ohio State won AP; UCLA won coaches and FWAA)
Coach: Bud Wilkinson
Led by: C/LB Kurt Burris, E Max Boydston
What to know: The Sooners went unbeaten in what would be the second year of a three-year stretch without a defeat, while establishing the NCAA record for consecutive victories at 47 from 1953 to 1957. The Sooners gave up only 62 points in 10 games but didn’t play a top-10 team, which caused them to finish behind Ohio State and UCLA in the polls. Because of the Big Seven’s no-repeat rule, the Sooners didn’t even get to play in a bowl game.
49. 1978 USC (12-1)
Titles: UPI (Alabama won AP)
Coach: John Robinson
Led by: RB Charles White, S Ronnie Lott, OT Anthony Munoz
What to know: The 1978 USC squad, which shared a national title with Alabama, might have arguably been its most talented team under Robinson. More than three dozen players from the 1978 roster, including Charles White, Marcus Allen, Anthony Munoz and Ronnie Lott, played in the NFL. The Trojans upset No. 1 Alabama 24-14 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, and knocked off defending national champion Notre Dame 27-25 at the Coliseum. The only blemish was a 20-7 loss at Arizona State, in which the Trojans fumbled the snap six times after losing their starting center to injury. USC defeated No. 5 Michigan 17-10 in the Rose Bowl to finish No. 1 in the UPI poll.
50. 1970 Nebraska (11-0-1)
Titles: AP (Texas won coaches poll)
Coach: Bob Devaney
Led by: QB Jerry Tagge, LB Jerry Murtaugh, WR Johnny Rodgers
What to know: A year after assistant Tom Osborne went to an I-formation with a balanced line, the Sooners went unbeaten for the first time since 1965. The Cornhuskers tied USC 21-21 at the Coliseum in their second game and then beat Army 28-0 the next week, which was the start of a 23-game winning streak. They rolled through the Big Eight and defeated Oklahoma 28-21 to finish 10-0-1 in the regular season. The No. 3 Cornhuskers beat No. 5 LSU (the only ranked opponent they played that season) 17-12 in the Orange Bowl, and grabbed a share of the title after No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State lost their bowl games.
51. 2011 Alabama: (12-1 )
Titles: BCS
Coach: Nick Saban
Led by: RB Trent Richardson, QB A.J. McCarron, LB Courtney Upshaw, LB Dont’a Hightower
What to know: The Crimson Tide avenged a 9-6 OT loss at home to LSU with 21-0 win over the Tigers in BCS title game in New Orleans. The Crimson Tide led FBS in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense. Bama went 5-1 against ranked teams in 2011, including wins over Penn State, Arkansas, Florida and Auburn.
52. 2005 USC: (12-1)
Titles: None (Lost to Texas in BCS title game)
Coach: Pete Carroll
Led by: RB Reggie Bush, QB Matt Leinart, RB LenDale White, WR Dwayne Jarrett, DL Frostee Rucker, DB Darnell Bing
What to know: The explosive Trojans scored 50+ points seven times and went 5-1 vs. ranked opponents. USC rallied for a 34-31 win at Notre Dame in the “Bush Push” game. The Trojans lost to No. 2 Texas 41-38 at the Rose Bowl in the BCS title game, ending USC’s 34-game win streak and bid for a third straight national title. USC’s roster included two Heisman winners, Bush (2005) and Leinart (2004).
53. 1983 Miami (FL) (11-1)
Titles: AP, USA/CNN, UPI, FWAA, NFF
Coach: Howard Schnellenberger
Led by: QB Bernie Kosar, RB Albert Bentley, WR Eddie Brown
What to know: The Hurricanes won 11 straight after a season-opening loss to Florida. The Canes defense held seven opponents under 10 points. Miami upset No. 1 Nebraska 31-30 in a classic Orange Bowl. The “Miracle in Miami” team claimed the school’s first national championship and started the Miami dynasty. It was also the first national champion without a single player making first team All-America by AP, UPI, FWAA and CFCA.
54. 2003 USC (12-1)
Titles: AP, FWAA (LSU won BCS)
Coach: Pete Carroll
Led by: QB Matt Leinart, RB LenDale White, RB Reggie Bush, WR Mike Williams, DL Kenechi Udeze
What to know: The Trojans beat three Top-10 teams by combined 94-30. USC lost Week 4 at Cal 34-31. Team had eight All-Pac-12 and three All-Americans. USC finished third in the BCS standings behind Oklahoma and LSU. USC beat Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl to claim a share of the national championship.
55. 1973 Oklahoma (10-0-1)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP, FWAA, NFF; Alabama won UPI)
Coach: Barry Switzer
Led by: RB Joe Washington, QB Steve Davis, LB Rod Shoate, DL Lucious Selmon, DL Lee Roy Selmon, DL Dewey Selmon
What to know: The Sooners finished third in the final AP poll in Switzer’s first year as head coach. OU tied No. 1 USC 7-7 in Los Angeles in Week 2. The Sooners beat six AP-ranked teams, including a 52-13 crushing of No. 13 Texas and 27-0 blanking of No. 10 Nebraska 27-0. The Sooners were under an NCAA bowl ban in 1973.
56. 1962 USC (11-0)
Titles: AP, UPI, FWAA, NFF
Coach: John McKay
Led by: QB Pete Beathard, RB Willie Brown, WR Hal Bedsole, LB Damon Bame
What to know: The Trojans beat three top-10 opponents (Duke, Washington Wisconsin. USC held off a frantic rally from No. 2 Wisconsin in a classic Rose Bowl for a 42-37 win to claim its first national championship of the John McKay era.
57. 2004 Auburn (13-0)
Titles: None (USC won BCS)
Coach: Tommy Tuberville
Led by: QB Jason Campbell, RB Carnell Williams, RB Ronnie Brown, DB Carlos Rogers
What to know: The Tigers finished second in the final AP poll after beating No. 9 Virginia Tech 16-13 in the Sugar Bowl. Auburn had five wins vs ranked opponents but USC and Oklahoma had the highest BCS standings at the end of the regular season, which left the Tigers out of the title game. Auburn featured six consensus All-SEC players.
58. 1945 Army (9-0)
Titles: AP
Coach: Earl “Red” Blaik
Led by: RB Doc Blanchard, RB Glenn Davis, lineman Tex Coulter, guard John Green, lineman Albert Nemetz
What to know: Army outscored opponents (five of them ranked) 412-46 on the way to the national championship. RB Doc Blanchard won the Heisman Trophy and backfield teammate Glenn Davis finished second. The dominant Black Knights held the AP No. 1 spot the entire season, beating Michigan 28-7, Notre Dame 48-0 and Navy 32-13.
59. 1947 Notre Dame (9-0)
Titles: AP
Coach: Frank Leahy
Led by: QB Johnny Lujack, lineman George Connor, end Leon Hart, lineman Ziggy Czarobski
What to know: The national champions held eight opponents to 7 points or less. The Irish beat No. 3 USC 38-7 and No. 9 Army 27-7; Notre Dame, whose roster included seven future CFB Hall of Famers, averaged 32.3 points per game and held opponents to 5.8 points per game. QB Johnny Lujack took home the Heisman.
60. 1973 Penn State (12-0)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP, FWAA, NFF; Alabama won UPI)
Coach: Joe Paterno
Led by: RB John Cappelletti, QB Tom Shuman, LB Ed O’Neill
What to know: The Nittany Lions finished fifth in the final AP poll after beating No. 13 LSU 16-9 in the Orange Bowl. Heisman Trophy winning running back John Cappelletti paced a Penn State team that won 10 games by double digits, including a 35-13 win over rival No. 20 Pittsburgh.
61. 1954 Ohio State (10-0)
Titles: AP (UCLA won UPI, FWAA)
Coach: Woody Hayes
Led by: RB Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, end Dean Dugger, guard Jim Reichenbach, QB Dave Leggett
What to know: The Buckeyes rolled with six of 10 wins against ranked opponents by an average of 14 points to win their first national title under coach Woody Hayes. Ohio State beat Michigan 21-7 and scored a 20-7 win over USC in the Rose Bowl.
62. 1954 UCLA (9-0)
Titles: UPI, FWAA (Ohio State won AP)
Coach: Henry “Red” Sanders
Led by: QB Terry Debay, RB Primo Villanueva, tackle Jack Ellena, guard Jim Salsbury, FB Bob Davenport
What to know: The Bruins allowed only one opponent to score more than seven points, posted five shutouts and outscored teams 367-40 on the road to the national championship. UCLA beat No. 6 Maryland 12-7 and No. 7 USC 34-0. The Pacific Coast Conference’s no-repeat rule kept the Bruins out of a bowl game.
63. 2016 Clemson (14-1)
Titles: CFP
Coach: Dabo Swinney
Led by: QB Deshaun Watson, WR Mike Williams, LB Ben Boulware, DL Carlos Watkins
What to know: The Tigers beat No. 2 Ohio State 31-0 in the CFP semifinals then toppled No. 1 Alabama in a 35-31 thriller in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Clemson was the first national title winner without a consensus All-American since 1984 BYU.
64. 1989 Miami (FL) (11-1)
Titles: AP, USA/CNN, FWAA, UPI, NFF
Coach: Dennis Erickson
Led by: QB Craig Erickson, DT Russell Maryland, DT Cortez Kennedy, LB Bernard Clark, RB Leonard Conley
What to know: The Hurricanes lost at No. 9 FSU 24-10, but beat No. 1 ND 27-10 and No. 7 Bama 33-25 in the Sugar Bowl to win the national championship in Dennis Erickson’s first year at Miami. The Canes had the top scoring defense (9.3 ppg) and total defense in FBS.
65. 2016 Alabama (14-1)
Titles: None (Lost to Clemson in CFP National Championship)
Coach: Nick Saban
Led by: DL Jonathan Allen, LB Reuben Foster, DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, QB Jalen Hurts, WR Calvin Ridley, OL Cam Robinson
What to know: The Crimson Tide beat nine ranked teams, won the SEC in a 54-16 crushing of Florida and extended its winning streak to 26 games with a 24-7 CFP semifinal win over Washington before a last-second loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff title game. An opportunistic defense led the way to Bama scoring 15 non-offensive touchdowns.
66. 1958 LSU (11-0)
Titles: AP, UPI (Iowa won FWAA)
Coach: Paul Dietzel
Led by: RB Billy Cannon, QB, Warren Rabb, back Johnny Robinson, lineman Max Fugler
What to know: The Tigers allowed only 53 points all season and no SEC opponent reached 10 points. LSU used a three-platoon system (before unlimited substitution was legal) to go undefeated in the regular season and claim the national title. The Tigers beat Clemson 7-0 in the Sugar Bowl.
0:59
Former Florida QB Tim Tebow recalls his famous speech, “The Promise.”
67. 2008 Florida (13-1)
Titles: BCS
Coach: Urban Meyer
Led by: QB Tim Tebow, WR Percy Harvin, LB Brandon Spikes, DB Joe Haden
What to know: The Gators posted eight straight wins by 28+ points on the way to the national championship. Led by 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow, Florida beat three AP Top-5 teams, including wins over consecutive then-No. 1 teams: 31-20 over Alabama in the SEC title game and 24-14 over Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game.
68. 1978 Alabama (11-1)
Titles: AP, FWAA (USC won UPI)
Coach: Paul “Bear” Bryant
Led by: QB Jeff Rutledge, DL Marty Lyons, RB Tony Nathan
What to know: The AP national champs only lost to USC (Week 3 in Birmingham, 24-14). Bama took care of Florida, Tennessee, LSU and Auburn with relative ease to win the SEC. The Crimson Tide won a classic Sugar Bowl vs. then-No. 1 Penn State, stopping the Nittany Lions on a late goal-line stand to secure a 14-7 win and a share of the national championship.
69. 1967 USC (10-1)
Titles: AP, UPI, FWAA, NFF
Coach: John McKay
Led by: RB O.J. Simpson, OL Ron Yary, DL Tim Rossovich, LB Adrian Young
What to know: The Trojans beat No. 1 UCLA on a classic TD run by OJ Simpson in the fourth quarter. USC beat four Top-5 teams and won three games by four points or less, The Trojans lost at Oregon State 3-0, but had wins over Texas and Notre Dame in the regular season. USC defeated Indiana 14-3 in the Rose Bowl
70. 1974 USC (10-1-1)
Titles: UPI, FWAA (OU won AP)
Coach: John McKay
Led by: RB Anthony Davis, QB Pat Haden
What to know: Beat No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 3 Ohio State in its final two games. USC trailed the Irish 24-0 before rallying for a classic 55-24 win and scored a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 2:03 left to beat the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl.
71. 1988 Miami (FL): (11-1)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI) Coach: Jimmy Johnson
Led by: QB Steve Walsh, RB Cleveland Gary, LB Maurice Crum
What to know: The Canes went 5-1 vs ranked opponents, only dropping a controversial 31-30 loss at No. 4 Notre Dame. Miami dominated No. 1 Florida State 31-0 in the opener, rallied for a 31-30 win at Michigan and ended the season crushing No. 6 Nebraska by 20 in Orange Bowl. Finished No. 2 in AP and Coaches poll.
72. 1966 Michigan State (9-0-1)
Titles: Shared NFF title with Notre Dame (Irish won AP, UPI, FWAA)
Coach: Duffy Daugherty
Led by: QB Jimmy Raye, WR Gene Washington, RB Clinton Jones, DE Bubba Smith, LB George Webster
What to know: The Spartans finished No. 2 in the final AP poll. No. 2 Michigan State tied No. 1 Notre Dame 10-10 in its finale. The contest lived up to its “Game of the Century” billing and Notre Dame’s decision not to try for a score in its final possession remains a controversy to this day. The Spartans held eight opponents to 10 points or less and featured four CFB Hall of Famers.
73. 1993 Florida State (12-1)
Titles: AP, USA/CNN, UPI, FWAA, NFF
Coach: Bobby Bowden
Led by: QB Charlie Ward, WR Kez McCorvey, RB Sean Jackson, RB Warrick Dunn, LB Derrick Brooks, DL Derrick Alexander, DB Corey Sawyer
What to know: The Seminoles claimed their first national title and first Heisman Trophy winner in 1993. FSU held seven opponents below 10 points and went 6-1 vs ranked teams (lost at No. 2 Notre Dame 31-24). The Irish lost a week later to open the door for the ‘Noles, who ran the table and beat No. 2 Nebraska 18-16 in the Orange Bowl to clinch the national championship.
74. 1996 Florida (12-1)
Titles: AP, USA/CNN, FWAA, NFF
Coach: Steve Spurrier
Led by: QB Danny Wuerffel, WR Ike Hilliard, WR Reidel Anthony, RB Fred Taylor
What to know: The “Fun ‘n Gun” Gators led the nation in scoring (46.6 points/game) on the way to winning the school’s first national championship. Florida avenged its only loss by beating then-No. 1 Florida State by 32 (52-20) in the Sugar Bowl. QB Danny Wuerffel, who led the Gators to score 50+ points in seven games, won the Heisman Trophy.
75. 2012 Alabama (13-1)
Titles: BCS
Coach: Nick Saban
Led by: QB A.J. McCarron, OL Chance Warmack, OL Barrett Jones, OL D.J. Fluker, LB C.J. Mosley, DB Dee Milliner
What to know: The Crimson Tide beat five ranked opponents by an average of 19 points on the way to the national championship. Bama lost Week 10 to No. 15 Texas A&M 29-24, but won the SEC West and beat Georgia 38-28 for the SEC crown. The Tide crushed then-No. 1 Notre Dame 42-14 in the BCS National Championship in Miami to win the national title.
76. 1964 Arkansas: (11-0)
Titles: FWAA (Alabama won AP/UPI, Notre Dame won NFF)
Coach: Frank Broyles
Led by: DB Ken Hatfield, LB Ronnie Caveness, QB Fred Marshall
What to know: The Razorbacks finished No. 2 in both polls, but won the FWAA national championship. The Hogs blanked five opponents and toppled two ranked teams — No. 1 Texas 14-13 in Austin, No. 6 Nebraska 10-7 in the Cotton Bowl. The 1964 team is Arkansas’ only national championship.
77. 2002 Miami (FL) (12-1)
Titles: None
Coach: Larry Coker
Led by: QB Ken Dorsey, RB Willis McGahee, C Brett Romberg, WR Andre Johnson, TE Kellen Winslow Jr., LB Jonathan Vilma, S Sean Taylor
What to know: The Canes beat No. 6 Florida 41-16 and No. 9 Florida State 28-27, then took a 34-game winning streak into the BCS National Championship Game at the Fiesta Bowl against No. 2 Ohio State. Miami lost to the Buckeyes, 31-24, in double overtime after a controversial pass interference penalty on fourth down at the end of the first overtime gave Ohio State new life. The Hurricanes averaged 40.5 points per game, and McGahee led the country with 28 rushing touchdowns.
78. 1944 Army (9-0)
Titles: AP
Coach: Earl “Red” Blaik
Led by: RB Glenn Davis, RB Doc Blanchard, end Barney Poole, guard John Green
What to know: The national champions outscored a weakened wartime schedule 504-35 The Black Knights didn’t allow more than seven points in any game and their NCAA record of 56 PPG still stands. Army rolled past Notre Dame 59-0 and beat Navy 23-7.
79. 1982 Penn State (11-1)
Titles: AP, UPI, USA/CNN, FWAA, NFF
Coach: Joe Paterno
Led by: QB Todd Blackledge, RB Curt Warner, WR Kenny Jackson, WR Gregg Garrity, DB Mark Robinson
What to know: The Nittany Lions went 3-1 vs. AP Top-5 (lost at No. 5 Bama 42-21 in Week 5) on the way to the national championship. PSU topped both Nebraska (27-24) and Notre Dame (24-14) during the regular season. Penn State beat No. 1 Georgia 27-23 in the Sugar Bowl to secure its first national crown in the Joe Paterno era.
80. 1977 Notre Dame (11-1)
Titles: AP, UPI, FWAA, NFF
Coach: Dan Devine
Led by: QB Joe Montana, TE Ken MacAfee, DL Ross Browner, DB Luther Bradley, RB Jerone Heavens
What to know: The Fighting Irish won its last 10 after a 20-13 loss at Ole Miss. Notre Dame went 4-0 vs ranked opponents, including blasting No. 1 Texas 38-10 in the Cotton Bowl to win the national championship.
81. 1939 Texas A&M (11-0)
Titles: AP
Coach: Homer Norton
Led by: RB John Kimbrough, OT Joe Boyd, E Herbert Smith
What to know: The Aggies allowed just 31 points all season, beat Villanova 33-7, for its first loss in three years, then beat No. 5 Tulane on the road in the Sugar Bowl to claim the national title. The A&M defense allowed just 54 total first downs and 1.7 yards per play, likely an unbreakable NCAA record.
82. 1932 USC (10-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF, CFRA
Coach: Howard Jones
Led by: Tackle Joe Kurth, guard Aaron Rosenberg, back Cotton Warburton
What to know: The Trojans outscored opponents 201-13 and tallied eight wins via shutout, including a 13-0 blanking of Notre Dame. USC topped unbeaten Pitt 35-0 in the Rose Bowl. USC won 13-0 at Stanford and 9-6 at Washington in its only two road games.
83. 1968 Penn State (11-0)
Titles: None (Ohio State won AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Coach: Joe Paterno
Led by: Lineman Ted Kwalick, LB Dennis Onkotz, QB Chuck Burkhart, RB Charlie Pittman
What to know: The Nittany Lions finished second in the final AP poll. Penn State’s 1968 squad had an average winning margin of 21.3 points. After facing no ranked opponents in the regular season, the Nittany Lions beat No. 6 Kansas 15-14 in the Orange Bowl.
84. 2006 Florida (13-1)
Titles: BCS
Coach: Urban Meyer
Led by: QB Chris Leak, WR Dallas Baker, DE Derrick Harvey, FS Reggie Nelson, CB Ryan Smith
What to know: The Gators went 5-0 in one-score games and beat six ranked opponents, including a 38-28 win over No. 8 Arkansas for the SEC title. Florida stunned No. 1 Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS National Championship.
85. 1938 TCU (11-0)
Titles: AP
Coach: Dutch Meyer
Led by: QB Davey O’Brien, lineman Ki Aldrich
What to know: The Horned Frogs held 10 teams to seven points or fewer on the way to winning the national championship. QB Davey O’Brien won the Heisman Trophy and led the Frogs past No. 6 Carnegie Mellon 15-7 in the Sugar Bowl.
86. 1946 Notre Dame (8-0-1)
Titles: AP
Coach: Frank Leahy
Led by: QB Johnny Lujack, lineman George Connor, lineman George Mastrangelo, lineman George Strohmeyer
What to know: The Fighting Irish defense never allowed more than six points in any game and pitched five shutouts. Notre Dame’s famous 0-0 tie vs Army, which won the title in 1944 and 1945, earned the Irish the No. 1 ranking and national title.
87. 2018 Alabama (14-1)
Titles: None (lost to Clemson in CFP National Championship)
Coach: Nick Saban
Led by: QB Tua Tagovailoa, WR Jerry Jeudy, S Deionte Thompson, OT Jonah Williams, DT Quinnen Williams
What to know: The Tide won its first 12 games by at least 22 points and beat five ranked teams, including a 29-0 road win over No. 4 LSU. Bama beat No. 4 Georgia 35-28 for the SEC title, followed by a 45-31 win over Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinals, before getting crushed by Clemson, 44-16, in the CFP National Championship.
88. 1987 Florida State (11-1)
Titles: None (Miami won AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI)
Coach: Bobby Bowden
Led by: RB Sammie Smith, TE Pat Carter, CB Deion Sanders, LB Paul McGowan
What to know: The Seminoles’ only loss was to No. 3 Miami, 26-25, before Miami went on to win the national championship (and ranks 11th on this list). FSU beat opponents by an average of 26.5 points and beat No. 5 Nebraska, 31-28, in the Fiesta Bowl.
89. 1949 Army (9-0)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP)
Coach: Earl “Red” Blaik
Led by: QB Arnold Galiffa, end Dan Foldberg, back Gil Stephenson
What to know: The Black Knights finished fourth in the final AP poll. Army outscored its opponents 354-68 and led D-I in scoring offense. The Black Knights beat Navy 38-0 and topped Penn 14-13. Army also claimed a 21-7 victory at Michigan.
90. 1948 Michigan (9-0)
Titles: AP
Coach: Bennie Oosterbaan
Led by: End Dick Rifenburg, lineman Alvin Wistert, back Pete Elliott, QB Chuck Ortmann
What to know: The national champs allowed only 44 points all season. The Wolverines beat four ranked opponents by a combined 108-17. Michigan, which did not go to a bowl, had two All-Americans (Dick Rifenburg and Alvin Wistert) on a one-platoon team.
91. 1930 Alabama (10-0)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won HAF, NCF; Alabama won CFRA)
Coach: Wallace Wade
Led by: Lineman Fred Sington, back Johnny Cain
What to know: The Crimson Tide defense allowed only 13 points all season and had eight shutouts. Bama had eight wins by 12-plus points and blanked unbeaten Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl. Before the 1930 campaign started, coach Wallace Wade announced he would resign from Alabama at the end of the season.
92. 1901 Michigan (11-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF
Coach: Fielding Yost
Led by: End Neil Snow, halfback Willie Heston, QB Boss Weeks
What to know: In Fielding Yost’s first year leading the Wolverines, Michigan outscored its opponents 550-0 and scored at least 21 points in every game. Not a bad way to start. The “Point a Minute” Wolverines beat Stanford 49-0 in the inaugural Rose Bowl.
93. 1977 Alabama (11-1)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Coach: Paul “Bear” Bryant
Led by: QB Jeff Rutledge, TE Ozzie Newsome, FB Johnny Davis, RB Tony Nathan, LB Barry Krauss
What to know: In Week 2 at Nebraska, Rutledge threw the team’s only five interceptions of the season and the Tide lost its only game, 31-24. Three weeks later, Bama beat No. 1 USC in the Coliseum, 21-20, then wrapped up the season by crushing No. 9 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, 35-6, and finishing No. 2 in the AP poll.
94. 1888 Yale (13-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF
Coach: Walter Camp
Led by: back Malcolm McBride
What to know: The Bulldogs didn’t allow a point all season (outscored opponents 694-0, including a 105-0 shutout over Wesleyan) in its first campaign under coach Walter Camp. Yale had 12 wins by 28+ points.
95. 1957 Auburn (10-0)
Titles: AP (Ohio State won UPI, FWAA)
Coach: Ralph “Shug” Jordan
Led by: End Jimmy Phillips, QB Lloyd Nix, back Tommy Lorino
What to know: Coach Shug Jordan led the Tigers to a share of the national championship, which was Auburn’s first. The Tigers defense allowed only 28 points all season and finished with six shutouts, including a 40-0 win over Alabama. Auburn beat three ranked teams during the regular season, but NCAA probation meant no bowl for the Tigers.
96. 1902 Michigan (11-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF
Coach: Fielding Yost
Led by: QB Boss Weeks, back Albert E. Hernstein, back James E. Lawrence
What to know: Fielding Yost’s second “Point a Minute” squad outscored opponents 644-12 and surpassed 100 points in a single game twice (119-0 over Michigan State and 107-0 over Iowa). Michigan won 10 games by 21+ points, including a 21-0 shutout at Chicago, 21-0.
97. 1947 Michigan (10-0)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP)
Coach: Herbert “Fritz” Crisler
Led by: Back Bob Chappuis, back Bump Elliott, QB Chuck Ortmann
What to know: The Wolverines finished second in final AP poll. Michigan’s potent offense led D-I in passing, total and scoring offense. The Wolverines won eight games by 21-plus. They handled Ohio State 21-0 and crushed USC 49-0 in the Rose Bowl.
98. 1945 Alabama (10-0)
Titles: None (Army won AP)
Coach: Frank Thomas
Led by: Back Harry Gilmer, lineman Vaughn Mancha
What to know: The Crimson Tide ended up second in final AP poll. Bama outscored opponents 430-80 and won every game by double digits, including dominating No. 11 USC by 20 (34-14) in the Rose Bowl.
99. 1978 Penn State (11-1)
Titles: None (Alabama won AP, FWAA; USC won UPI)
Coach: Joe Paterno
Led by: QB Chuck Fusina, RB Matt Suhey, DT Matt Millen, DT Bruce Clark, K Matt Bahr
What to know: The Nittany Lions beat No. 6 Ohio State and No. 5 Maryland by a combined score of 46-3. But they fell from first to fourth in the final AP poll when they lost in the Sugar Bowl to No. 2 Alabama, 14-7. The defense allowed just 9.3 points per game.
100. 1938 Tennessee (11-0)
Titles: None (TCU won AP)
Coach: Robert Neyland
Led by: End Bowden Wyatt, back George Cafego, lineman Bob Suffridge
What to know: The Volunteers found themselves second in the final AP poll. Tennessee allowed 16 points all season against a schedule that included no ranked regular-season opponents. The Vols blanked No. 5 Oklahoma 17-0 in the Orange Bowl.
101. 1940 Stanford (10-0)
Titles: None (Minnesota won AP)
Coach: Clark Shaughnessy
Led by: QB Frankie Albert, HB Pete Kmetovic, HB Hugh Gallarneau
What to know: A year after finishing 1-7-1, the “Wow Boys” finished undefeated under first-year coach Shaughnessy, who reintroduced the T-formation, which had largely been discarded in college football. Stanford defeated five ranked opponents, including a 21-13 win over No. 7 Nebraska in the Rose Bowl.
102. 2003 LSU (13-1)
Titles: BCS (USC won AP, FWAA)
Coach: Nick Saban
Led by: WR Michael Clayton, DE Marcus Spears, RB Justin Vincent
What to know: The Tigers lost to Florida 19-7 early in the season, but recovered to win every game after, including a 34-13 win over No. 5 Georgia in the SEC championship game and 21-14 victory over No. 3 Oklahoma in the BCS title game at the Sugar Bowl. USC, which ended the regular season at No. 2 in the polls but was left out of the BCS title game, finished No. 1 in the AP poll.
103. 1973 Michigan (10-0-1)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP, FWAA, NFF; Alabama won UPI)
Coach: Bo Schembechler
Led by: DL Dave Gallagher, DB Dave Brown, RB Ed Shuttlesworth
What to know: Michigan went 30-2-1 from 1972 to 1974 and didn’t play in a bowl game. The Wolverines were 10-0 and ranked No. 4 in the country entering the finale against No. 1-ranked Ohio State in 1973. Michigan missed two field goals in the final 1:06 and the game ended in a 10-10 tie. The next day, Big Ten athletics directors voted 6-4 to send OSU to the Rose Bowl.
104. 1951 Maryland (10-0)
Titles: None (Tennessee won AP, UPI)
Coach: Jim Tatum
Led by: QB Jack Scarbath, FB Ed Modzelewski, HB/DB Ed Fullerton
What to know: The Terrapins shut out three opponents and held seven to seven points or fewer in finishing unbeaten and untied for the first time since 1893. Maryland finished No. 3 in the final AP poll, behind national champion Tennessee and Michigan State. But then the Terrapins upset the Volunteers 28-13 in the Sugar Bowl.
105. 1892 Yale (13-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF
Coach: Walter Camp
Led by: QB Vance McCormick, E Frank Hinkey, T A. Hamilton Wallis
What to know: The Bulldogs didn’t allow a single point for the second straight season, outscoring their 13 opponents by a combined score of 429-0. They beat undefeated Harvard 6-0 in Week 12 and then Princeton 12-0 five days later. Camp left for Stanford after the 1892 season.
106. 1930 Notre Dame (10-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF (Alabama won CFRA)
Coach: Knute Rockne
Led by: QB Frank Carideo, HB Marchmont Schwartz, G Bert Metzger
What to know: The Irish won their third and final national championship under Rockne, who was killed in a plane crash the next spring. It was also the season in which Notre Dame Stadium debuted. The Irish defeated their 10 opponents by a combined score of 256-74, including a 7-6 win over Army in Chicago, which was the Black Knights’ only loss of the season.
107. 1924 Notre Dame (10-0)
Titles: CFRA, HAF, NCF
Coach: Knute Rockne
Led by: QB Harry Stuhldreher, HB Don Miller, HB Jim Crowley, FB Elmer Layden
What to know: Rockne’s first national championship team featured the most famous backfield in college football — Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden — who were famously dubbed the “Four Horsemen” by legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice after a 13-7 win over Army at the Polo Grounds in New York. The Irish held eight opponents to seven points or fewer and beat Stanford 27-10 in the Rose Bowl in their first bowl game.
108. 1970 Texas (10-1)
Titles: UPI, NFF (Nebraska won AP; Ohio State won a share of NFF)
Coach: Darrell Royal
Led by: SE Cotton Speyrer, QB Eddie Phillips, DE Bill Atessis
What to know: Riding Royal’s wishbone offense, the defending national champions’ winning streak reached 30 games before they fell to Notre Dame 24-11 in the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns had already been declared national champions by UPI, after winning eight games by 24 points or more and defeating two ranked opponents.
109. 1980 Pittsburgh (11-1)
Titles: None (Georgia won AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Coach: Jackie Sherrill
Led by: QB Dan Marino, DE Hugh Green, OT Mark May
What to know: The Panthers finished No. 2 in the AP and coaches’ poll with their only blemish coming in a 36-22 loss at Florida State. Pittsburgh beat No. 5 Penn State 14-9 in its regular-season finale and No. 18 South Carolina 37-9 in the Gator Bowl. Green and May were consensus All-Americans.
110. 1975 Arizona State (12-0)
Titles: None (Oklahoma won AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Coach: Frank Kush
Led by: CB Mike Haynes, WR John Jefferson, RB Freddie Williams
What to know: The Sun Devils were still in the Western Athletic Conference and didn’t get much respect until they came from behind to upset No. 6 Nebraska 17-14 in the Fiesta Bowl. They finished No. 2 in the AP and coaches’ poll, their highest finish ever. Arizona State jumped to the Pac-10 three years later.
111. 2010 TCU (13-0)
Titles: None (Auburn won BCS)
Coach: Gary Patterson
Led by: QB Andy Dalton, RB Ed Wesley, LB Tank Carder
What to know: The Horned Frogs finished No. 3 in the final Bowl Championship Series rankings and narrowly missed a chance to play for a national title. They completed the school’s first undefeated and untied season since 1938 by knocking off No. 4 Wisconsin 21-19 in the Rose Bowl. TCU’s defense led the FBS in total defense and pass defense.
112. 1949 Notre Dame (10-0)
Titles: AP
Coach: Frank Leahy
Led by: E Leon Hart, QB Bob Williams
What to know: The Irish won their third national championship and went unbeaten for the fourth straight year by outscoring their opponents 360-86. Notre Dame beat three ranked opponents by a combined 84 points, but needed a late touchdown to knock off 4-4-1 SMU 27-20 in the finale. Hart won the Heisman Trophy.
113. 1986 Miami (11-1)
Titles: None (Penn State won AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI)
Coach: Jimmy Johnson
Led by: QB Vinny Testaverde, WR Michael Irvin, RB Alonzo Highsmith, DT Jerome Brown
What to know: The Hurricanes rolled through the regular season, beating No. 1 Oklahoma 28-16 and No. 20 Florida State 41-23, before they were stunned by No. 2 Penn State 14-10 in the Fiesta Bowl. Of the 91 players on Miami’s roster, 34 were eventually drafted by NFL teams. Testaverde won the Heisman trophy. Miami won national titles in 1987 and ’89.
114. 1925 Alabama (10-0)
Titles: CFRA, HAF, NCF
Coach: Wallace Wade
Led by: QB Pooley Hubert, HB Johnny Mack Brown
What to know: In one of the most important games in Southern college football history, the Crimson Tide upset Washington 20-19 in the Rose Bowl to finish 10-0. It was Alabama’s first bowl game and the first time a team from the South was invited to play in Pasadena, California. The Tide shut out eight of their nine regular-season foes; Birmingham-Southern scored once in a 50-7 loss.
115. 1952 Michigan State (9-0)
Titles: AP, UPI
Coach: Clarence Munn
Led by: G Frank Kush, C Richard Tamburo, HB Donald McAuliffe
What to know: The Spartans went 9-0 for the second consecutive season and finished No. 1 in both wire-service polls to win the school’s first national championship. The Spartans allowed 14 points or fewer in every game and defeated three ranked opponents — No. 17 Penn State, No. 8 Purdue and No. 6 Notre Dame. It was MSU’s last season as an independent before joining the Big Ten.
116. 1891 Yale (13-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF
Coach: Walter Camp
Led by: E Frank Hinkey, HB Lee McClung, G William Heffelfinger
What to know: Yale didn’t allow a single point in 13 games, outscored its opponents 488-0 and won seven games by 30 points or more. Yale had four players on a 12-man All-America team and three of them (Hinkey, McClung and Heffelfinger) were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
117. 1952 Georgia Tech (12-0)
Titles: None (Michigan State won AP, UPI)
Coach: Bobby Dodd
Led by: T Hal Miller, HB Bobby Morehead, C Pete Brown
What to know: The Yellow Jackets went unbeaten for the second straight season (they didn’t lose in 31 consecutive games from 1950 to 1953). They shut out four opponents and allowed only 4.9 points per game. They won 10 games by 13 points or more, including a 24-7 victory over No. 7 Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
118. 2014 Ohio State (14-1)
Titles: CFP
Coach: Urban Meyer
Led by: DE Joey Bosa, RB Ezekiel Elliott, QB J.T. Barrett
What to know: The Buckeyes lost starting quarterback Braxton Miller in the preseason and then his replacement J.T. Barrett in the regular-season finale against Michigan. Third-stringer Cardale Jones led the Buckeyes to a 59-0 win over Wisconsin the Big Ten title game, which earned them a trip to the CFP. Ohio State upset No. 1 Alabama 42-35 in a CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl, and then beat Oregon 42-20 in the CFP National Championship.
119. 1894 Yale (16-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF
Coach: William Rhodes
Led by: E Frank Hinkey, G Bill Hickcock, FB Frank Butterworth
What to know: Yale is still the only major college team to ever win 16 games in a season. They outscored their opponents 495-13 and beat Harvard, Princeton and Army, along with five club teams. Yale’s 12-4 win over Harvard was known as the “Hampden Park Blood Bath” because of its brutality.
120. 1942 Grambling (8-0)
Titles: None (Ohio State won AP)
Coach: Eddie Robinson
Led by: G Fred Hobdy,C Dan Washington
What to know: The 1942 Grambling squad is known as the “Un” team because it was unbeaten, untied and unscored upon. Robinson’s second Grambling team had only 33 players on its roster (there were only 67 men enrolled at the school). Grambling didn’t field a team the next two seasons because of World War II. The players included Hobdy, who would become Grambling’s all-time winningest basketball coach and athletics director.
121. 1970 Notre Dame (10-1)
Titles: None (Nebraska won AP; Texas won coaches)
Coach: Ara Parseghian
Led by: QB Joe Theismann, DE Walt Patulski, WR Thom Gatewood
What to know: The Fighting Irish were 9-0 and ranked No. 1 before they lost to USC 38-28 to spoil their chances at winning another national championship. The Irish bounced back and upset No. 1 Texas 24-11 in the Cotton Bowl, which ended the Longhorns’ 30-game winning streak. Notre Dame finished No. 2 in the final AP poll.
122. 1990 Colorado (11-1-1)
Titles: AP, FWAA (Georgia Tech won UPI)
Coach: Bill McCartney
Led by: RB Eric Bienemy, LB Alfred Williams, G Joe Garten
What to know: The Buffaloes tied Tennessee 31-31 in their opener and lost at Illinois 23-22 in their third game. But then they won 10 straight games, including victories over No. 22 Texas, No. 12 Washington, No. 22 Oklahoma and No. 3 Nebraska (and escaped Missouri with the help of an infamous fifth down). They defeated No. 5 Notre Dame 10-9 in the Orange Bowl to earn a share of the national championship.
123. 1934 Alabama (10-0)
Titles: None (Minnesota won CFRA, HAF and NCF)
Coach: Frank Thomas
Led by: E Don Hutson, HB Dixie Howell, T Bill Lee
What to know: The Crimson Tide won the SEC for the second straight season, winning nine games by 10 points or more. Their defense, which included a rugged end named Paul “Bear” Bryant, shut out five opponents. The Tide was invited back to the Rose Bowl and knocked off Stanford, 29-13. The Tide had three All-Americans during the one-platoon era.
124. 2009 Florida (13-1)
Titles: None (Alabama won BCS)
Coach: Urban Meyer
Led by: QB Tim Tebow, LB Brandon Spikes, CB Joe Haden
What to know: The Gators were ranked No. 1 in the polls for all but one week during the regular season, but lost to Alabama 32-13 in the SEC championship game to knock them out of the BCS national title game. Meyer retired for health reasons after suffering chest pains the night of the SEC championship game, but changed his mind. He coached in the Gators’ 51-24 rout in the Sugar Bowl and returned in 2010 following a leave of absence.
125. 1966 Notre Dame (9-0-1)
Titles: AP, FWAA, UPI (split NFF with Michigan St.)
Coach: Ara Parseghian
Led by: QB Terry Hanratty, HB Nick Eddy, LB Jim Lynch, DE Alan Page
What to know: The Irish led the nation in scoring (36.2 points per game) and scoring defense (3.8 ppg allowed) and shut out six opponents, including road wins at No. 10 Oklahoma (38-0) and No. 10 USC (51-0). Late in the season, Parseghian chose to run out the clock against No. 2 Michigan State instead of trying to win, preserving a controversial 10-10 tie that preserved Notre Dame’s national title.
126. 1900 Yale: (12-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF
Coach: Malcolm McBride
Led by: G Gordon Brown, FB Perry Hale
What to know: There’s nothing new in football, cont.: Yale perfected a new “tackle back” series of plays, using three formations in which, as author Allison Danzig wrote, the Bulldogs used “five plays run off in rapid-fire sequence.” The birth of uptempo? The Elis shut out 10 opponents and averaged 28 points per game. Seven of the starting 11 made first-team All-American.
127. 1904 Minnesota (13-0)
Titles: None
Coach: Henry Williams
Led by: QB Sigmund Harris, guard Walton Thorpe
What to know: The Golden Gophers went undefeated in the Western (Big Ten) Conference, won 12 of their 13 games by shutout, and averaged 55.8 points. The eyebrow-raiser: Minnesota 146, Grinnell 0. The Gophs did beat four current Big Ten members by an average score of 18-3. However, they didn’t play equally undefeated Michigan.
128. 1929 Notre Dame (9-0)
Titles: CFRA, HAF, NCF
Coach: Knute Rockne
Led by: L Jack Cannon, QB Frank Carideo
What to know: Despite a leg infection that left Rockne in bed or off his feet for a good part of the season – he coached two games from a wheelchair – the Irish excelled. They didn’t blow anyone out, never scoring more than 26 points. But they edged a USC team, 13-12, that went on to humble Pitt, 47-14, in the Rose Bowl.
0:59
ESPN announcer & Alabama alum Rece Davis recalls how heartbroken he was after Notre Dame defeated his Crimson Tide in the 1973 Sugar Bowl.
129. 1973 Alabama (11-1)
Titles: UPI (Notre Dame won AP, FWAA)
Coach: Paul “Bear” Bryant
Led by: RB Wilbur Jackson, LB Woodrow Lowe
What to know: The Crimson Tide won every regular-season game by at least 14 points and took the UPI coaches’ (pre-bowl) vote. In the Sugar Bowl, Alabama’s first game against Notre Dame, the Tide lost 24-23 in a game with six lead changes. Alabama finished fourth in the final AP poll.
130. 1946 Georgia (11-0)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP)
Coach: Wally Butts
Led by: B Charley Trippi, G Herbert St. John
What to know: The Bulldogs had the poor timing to go undefeated in the same season that Notre Dame and Army played their “Game of the Century,” a 0-0 tie. Georgia quietly beat four ranked teams and won every game by at least 10 pts, finishing with a 20-10 defeat of North Carolina in the Sugar Bowl.
131. 1962 Ole Miss (10-0)
Titles: None (USC won AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Coach: John Vaught
Led by: B Glynn Griffing, T Jim Dunaway
What to know: As the rest of the campus convulsed in riots and violence when federal troops ensured that James Meredith could become the first African American to enroll at Ole Miss, the Rebels just kept winning. They finished third in the final poll behind USC and Wisconsin, who met in the Rose Bowl. Ole Miss defeated No. 6 Arkansas 17-13 in Sugar Bowl
132. 1982 SMU (11-0-1)
Titles: None (Penn State won AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI)
Coach: Bobby Collins
Led by: B Eric Dickerson, B Craig James
What to know: One of the best backfields in the modern era led the Mustangs to a No. 2 finish in the final AP poll behind Penn State. The Mustangs didn’t finish with the necessary flourish to sway the voters. They finished the regular season with a 17-17 tie with No. 9 Arkansas and a narrow 7-3 victory over No. 6 Pittsburgh in a Cotton Bowl dogged by rain and sleet.
133. 1946 Army (9-0-1)
Titles: None (Michigan won CFRA, HAF, NCF)
Coach: Earl “Red” Blaik
Led by: B Doc Blanchard, B Glenn Davis, B Arnold Tucker, E Hank Foldberg
What to know: The four Hall of Famers in the starting lineup couldn’t overcome Notre Dame in the famed 0-0 “Game of the Century.” This was a team for the ages: a backfield with consecutive Heisman Trophy winners (Blanchard and Davis), a team that defeated four ranked opponents. However, Army barely hung on to beat a 1-7 Navy team 21-18 in the season finale.
134. 1923 Yale: (8-0)
Titles: None (Illinois won HAF, CFRA, split NCF with Michigan)
Coach: Tad Jones
Led by: B William Mallory, L Century Milstead
What to know: Grantland Rice called this the “greatest Yale team of all time.” The Bulldogs shut out five opponents. Yale had the luxury of playing its first seven games at home but easily handled its archrival on the road in the last game of the season, winning at Harvard 13-0.
135. 1928 Georgia Tech (10-0)
Titles: CFRA, HAF, NCF
Coach: Bill Alexander
Led by: C Pete Pund, B Ronald Durant
What to know: The Ramblin’ Wreck won every regular-season game by at least 12 points, including defeats of Notre Dame and Alabama. But it’s best remembered for the 8-7 Rose Bowl victory over California, with the winning points coming on a safety after the Bears’ Roy “Wrong Way” Riegels returned a fumble to his own goal line, where a teammate tackled him at the Cal 1.
136. 1919 Notre Dame (9-0)
Titles: Split NCF with Texas A&M and Harvard; (Harvard won HAF; Illinois and Harvard split CFRA)
Coach: Knute Rockne
Led by: B George Gipp
What to know: Rockne’s second team, and his first great one, featured Gipp, whom Rockne called “the greatest football player Notre Dame ever produced.” The team featured four players – Eddie Anderson, Hunk Anderson, Slip Madigan and Buck Shaw – who became prominent coaches. This Notre Dame team showed a knack for the comeback, coming from behind at Nebraska, at Army and at Purdue.
137. 1973 Ohio State (10-0-1)
Titles: None (Notre Dame won AP, FWAA, NFF; Alabama won UPI)
Coach: Woody Hayes
Led by: RB Archie Griffin, OT John Hicks, LB Randy Gradishar
What to know: The Buckeyes won their first nine games by an average of 36 points and rose to No. 1 before facing No. 4 Michigan, which was 9-0. The Wolverines came back from a 10-0 halftime deficit to salvage a 10-10 tie. Ohio State pulled away to a convincing 42-21 defeat of USC in the Rose Bowl.
138. 2006 Boise State (13-0)
Titles: None (Florida won BCS)
Coach: Chris Petersen
Led by: QB Jared Zabransky, TB Ian Johnson; CB Orlando Scandrick
What to know: The Broncos made America swoon with their 43-42 overtime upset of No. 7 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Though Boise State finished as the only unbeaten FBS team, Oklahoma was the only ranked team the Broncos faced.
139. 1920 California (9-0)
Titles: CFRA, HAF, NCF
Coach: Andy Smith
Led by: E Brick Mueller, QB Charley Erb
What to know: The greatest of the Bears’ “Wonder Teams” of the post-World War I era shut out seven opponents, averaged 56 point, gave up only 14 points all season, and blanked Ohio State 28-0 in the Rose Bowl. That season launched a five-season unbeaten streak in which Cal won 44 games and tied four.
140. 1933 Princeton (9-0)
Titles: None (Michigan won CFRA, HAF, NCF)
Coach: Fritz Crisler
Led by: G Jac Weller, B Pepper Constable
What to know: In 1932, Crisler’s first class of recruits at Princeton included 30 prep team captains. A year later, those sophomores anchored a team that gave up eight points all season and beat Columbia, the Rose Bowl winner, 20-0 (Princeton didn’t go to bowls at that time). In three seasons through 1935, Crisler’s first class went 25-1.
141. 1941 Minnesota (8-0)
Titles: AP
Coach: Bernie Bierman
Led by: B Bruce Smith, B Bill Daley, L Dick Wildung
What to know: The Gophers won their second consecutive national title and third in six years with Bierman’s blend of power football: stifling defense and the running of Daley, Smith, and Bob Higgins. Since Smith also passed, he attracted the votes to win the Heisman. In consecutive weeks, Minnesota defeated No. 3 Michigan 7-0 and No. 9 Northwestern 8-7.
142. 1937 Pittsburgh (9-0-1)
Titles: AP
Coach: Dr. Jock Sutherland
Led by: B Marshall Goldberg, L Tony Matisi
What to know: The greatest team of Sutherland’s Hall of Fame career defeated four ranked opponents by a combined score of 65-13 but is best remembered for a third consecutive scoreless tie against Fordham – they were called Much Ado About Nothing to Nothing. The team, led by halfback Goldberg, voted against a return trip to the Rose Bowl.
143. 1964 Alabama (10-1)
Titles: AP, UPI (Arkansas won FWAA and Notre Dame won NFF)
Coach: Paul “Bear” Bryant
Led by: QB Joe Namath, FB Steve Bowman, G Wayne Freeman
What to know: The Crimson Tide won the national title, awarded before the bowls, by beating three top-10 opponents, despite a midseason knee injury to Namath. No. 5 Texas jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the Orange Bowl, which forced Alabama to bring in a gimpy Namath off the bench.
144. 1951 San Francisco (9-0)
Titles: None (Tennessee won AP, UPI)
Coach: Joe Kuharich
Led by: B Ollie Matson, L Burl Toler, L Bob St. John
What to know: The Dons, 14th in the final AP poll, won eight games by at least 18 points. They turned down an Orange Bowl bid because of one condition: the Miami game wanted USF’s two African American stars, Matson and Toler, to stay home. The Dons voted as a team to stay home with them.
145. 2012 Mount Union (15-0)
Titles: NCAA Division III
Coach: Larry Kehres
Led by: QB Kevin Burke, WR Jasper Collins, S Nick Driskill
What to know: The last of Kehres’ 27 Purple Raiders teams, 11 of which won D-III national titles, might have been his greatest. Mount Union outscored its opponents by an average of 44 points per game, including six consecutive shutouts. The Purple Raiders averaged 55 points in five playoff games.
146. 1984 BYU (13-0)
Titles: AP, USA/CNN, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: LaVell Edwards
Led by: QB Robbie Bosco, RB Vai Sikahema
What to know: In a season in which only three schools had fewer than two losses, the Cougars, who began the season unranked, finished No. 1 because they had none. Washington (11-1) lost late, and Florida (9-1-1), on NCAA probation, didn’t play in a bowl game. BYU had the offensive goods, leading the nation in total offense and passing offense.
147. 2013 North Dakota State (15-0)
Titles: FCS
Coach: Craig Bohl
Led by: QB Brock Jenson, OL Billy Turner, LB Grant Olson
What to know: The Bison, with two straight FCS titles, didn’t sneak up on Kansas State in the season opener, but they beat the Wildcats 24-21 anyway. They also beat six ranked FCS opponents and won all four of their NCAA playoff games by at least 28 points to take home their third straight national title.
148. 1905 Chicago (11-0)
Titles: HAF, NCF
Coach: Amos Alonzo Stagg
Led by: B Walter Eckersall, E Mark Catlin
What to know: The Maroons mauled opponents by a cumulative score of 271-5 but are best remembered for their lowest-scoring victory. Chicago added seats to Marshall Field for its game against mighty Michigan. Nearly 26,000 watched as the Maroons, with a late safety, defeated the Wolverines 2-0, Michigan’s first loss in five seasons.
149. 1959 Ole Miss (10-1)
Titles: None (Syracuse won AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Coach: John Vaught
Led by: B Charlie Flowers, E Larry Grantham, G Marvin Terrell
What to know: The Rebels gave up only 21 points all season, but the most famous seven of them cost them the national championship. Billy Cannon’s 89-yard punt return proved to be the difference in LSU’s 7-3 defeat of Ole Miss. The Rebels finished the game at the Tigers’ goal line, but couldn’t cross it. No one outside the state recalls that Ole Miss won a rematch in the Sugar Bowl 21-0.
150. 1944 Ohio State (9-0)
Titles: None (Army won AP)
Coach: Carroll Widdoes
Led by: B Les Horvath, L Bill Hackett, E Jack Dugger
What to know: Head coach Paul Brown left after the 1943 season to coach Great Lakes Naval Training Station, and the Buckeyes didn’t miss a step. They won eight games by at least 13 points. Star back Les Horvath won the Heisman when Army’s Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard cannibalized each other’s vote. They finished second and third, respectively.
Legend for polls
The polls listed for each title season are from the NCAA’s list of recognized organizations. Here is what each abbreviation means:
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AP: Associated Press (1936-present)
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CFRA: College Football Researchers Association (1919-1992; 2010-present)
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FWAA: Football Writers Association of America (1954-2013)
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HAF: Helms Athletic Foundation (1883-1982)
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NCF: National Championship Foundation (1869-2000)
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NFF: National Football Foundation (1959-1990; 1997-2013)
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UPI: United Press International (1950-1995)
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USA/CNN: USA Today/CNN (1983-1990)