In 2014, the first NCAA College Football Championship Tournament resulted in The Ohio State Buckeyes earning, what many call, the first undisputed national college NCAA Division 1 football champion. Since then, Alabama and Clemson have added their names to the list. But prior that, even the vaunted BCS saw different polls and systems declared national champions based on algorithms, guess, coaches voting and in some cases, perhaps pixie dust.
- 2020 – Alabama (CFP)
- 2019 – LUS (CFP)
- 2018 Clemson (CFP)
- 2017 Alabama (CFP)
- 2016 Clemson (CFP)
- 2015 Alabama (CFP)
- 2014 Ohio State (CFP)
- 2013 Florida State (BCS)
- 2012 Alabama (BCS) and Notre Dame (12-1) – Notre Dame was named champion only by Colley Matrix
- 2011 Alabama (BCS) and Louisiana State University (Congrove Computer Rankings and Anderson & Hester), and Oklahoma State (Colley Matrix)
- 2010 Auburn(BCS) and Texas Christian University (13-0 named by Congrove Computer Rankings only)
- 2009 Alabama (BCS)
- 2008 Florida (BCS) and Utah (13-0) Utah named by Anderson and Hester, and the Massey College Football Ratings
- 2007 Louisiana State (BCS) and Missouri (12-2 named by Anderson and Hester), and USC (11-2 named by Dunkel System only)
- 2006 Florida (BCS) and The Ohio State University (12-1 named only by Rothman FACT)
- 2005 Texas (BCS)
- 2004 Southern California (BCS) – but the FWAA stripped USC of its 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy and vacated the selection of its national champion for 2004. The BCS also vacated USC’s participation in the 2005 Orange Bowl and vacated USC’s 2004 BCS National Championship and the AFCA Coaches’ Poll Trophy was returned
- 2003 Louisiana State and Oklahoma (12-2 named only by Berryman QPRS) and USC (12-1 named by AP, Congrove Computer Rankings NYT and others)
- 2002 Ohio State (BCS) and USC (11-2 named by Dunkek, Matthews Grid Ratings and Sagarin)
- 2001 Miami (Fla.) (BCS)
- 2000 Oklahoma (BCS)
- 1999 Florida State (BCS)
- 1998 Tennessee (BCS)
