| 2024 | Florida | 7–5 | Oregon (12–1) | |
| 2023 | Michigan | 15–0 | Michigan (15–0) | Yes |
| 2022 | Washington | 10–2 | Georgia (14–0) | |
| 2021 | Baylor | 11–2 | Georgia (13–1) | |
| 2020 | Alabama | 13–0 | Alabama (13–0) | Yes |
| 2019 | LSU | 14–0 | LSU (14–0) | Yes |
| 2018 | Ohio State | 13–1 | Clemson (14–0) | |
| 2017 | Pittsburgh | 4–7 | UCF (12–0) | |
| 2016 | Clemson | 13–1 | Alabama, Clemson (13–1) | Yes |
| 2015 | TCU | 10–2 | Alabama, Clemson (13–1) | |
| 2014 | TCU | 11–1 | Ohio State (14–1) | |
| 2013 | Oklahoma | 11–2 | Florida State (13–0) | |
| 2012 | Baylor | 7–5 | Ohio State (12–0) | |
| 2011 | West Virginia | 9–3 | Boise State, Houston, LSU +1 (12–1) | |
| 2010 | Auburn | 13–0 | Auburn, TCU (13–0) | Yes |
| 2009 | Alabama | 13–0 | Alabama, Boise State (13–0) | Yes |
| 2008 | Florida | 12–1 | Utah (12–0) | |
| 2007 | Missouri | 11–2 | Kansas (11–1) | |
| 2006 | Florida | 12–1 | Boise State (12–0) | |
| 2005 | Texas | 13–0 | Texas (13–0) | Yes |
| 2004 | USC | 13–0 | Auburn, USC, Utah (12–0) | Yes |
| 2003 | USC | 12–1 | Miami (OH) (13–1) | |
| 2002 | Ohio State | 14–0 | Ohio State (14–0) | Yes |
| 2001 | Miami | 12–0 | Miami (12–0) | Yes |
| 2000 | Miami | 10–1 | Oklahoma (13–0) | |
| 1999 | Florida State | 12–0 | Florida State, Marshall (12–0) | Yes |
| 1998 | Texas | 9–3 | Tennessee, Tulane (13–0) | |
| 1997 | Nebraska | 13–0 | Michigan, Nebraska (12–0) | Yes |
| 1996 | BYU | 14–1 | BYU (14–1) | Yes |
| 1995 | Arizona | 6–5 | Nebraska (12–0) | |
| 1994 | Wyoming | 6–6 | Nebraska, Penn State (13–0) | |
| 1993 | Arizona | 10–2 | Auburn (10–0) | |
| 1992 | UCLA | 6–5 | Alabama (13–0) | |
| 1991 | Texas Tech | 6–5 | Miami, Washington (12–0) | |
| 1990 | Colorado | 11–1–1 | Georgia Tech (10–0–1) | |
| 1989 | Illinois | 10–2 | Notre Dame (12–1) | |
| 1988 | Florida State | 9–1 | Notre Dame (12–0) | |
| 1987 | Clemson | 9–2 | Miami (12–0) | |
| 1986 | Penn State | 12–0 | Penn State (12–0) | Yes |
| 1985 | Alabama | 9–2–1 | Fresno State (10–0–1) | |
| 1984 | UCLA | 9–3 | BYU (13–0) | |
| 1983 | Auburn | 11–1 | Nebraska (12–1) | |
| 1982 | Washington State | 2–7–1 | Fresno State (8–0) | |
| 1981 | Ohio State | 9–3 | Clemson (11–0) | |
| 1980 | Michigan | 10–2 | Georgia (12–0) | |
| 1979 | USC | 11–0–1 | Alabama (12–0) | |
| 1978 | USC | 12–1 | USC (12–1) | Yes |
| 1977 | Alabama | 11–1 | Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame +2 (11–1) | Yes |
| 1976 | USC | 11–1 | Pittsburgh, Rutgers (12–0) | |
| 1975 | UCLA | 9–2–1 | Arizona State, Arkansas State (12–0) | |
| 1974 | Tennessee | 7–3–2 | Oklahoma (11–0) | |
| 1973 | Notre Dame | 11–0 | Miami (OH), Notre Dame, Penn State (11–0) | Yes |
| 1972 | USC | 12–0 | USC (12–0) | Yes |
| 1971 | Nebraska | 13–0 | Nebraska, Toledo (13–0) | Yes |
| 1970 | Tulane | 8–4 | Arizona State, Dartmouth, Toledo (11–0) | |
| 1969 | USC | 10–0–1 | Penn State, San Diego State, Texas +1 (11–0) | |
| 1968 | Ohio State | 10–0 | Ohio State, Penn State (10–0) | Yes |
| 1967 | Oklahoma | 10–1 | Oklahoma, USC, Wyoming (10–1) | Yes |
| 1966 | Georgia | 10–1 | Alabama (11–0) | |
| 1965 | LSU | 8–3 | Dartmouth (9–0) | |
| 1964 | Texas | 10–1 | Arkansas, Princeton (11–0) | |
| 1963 | Alabama | 9–2 | Texas (11–0) | |
| 1962 | Ole Miss | 10–0 | Dartmouth, Ole Miss, USC (9–0) | Yes |
| 1961 | LSU | 10–1 | Alabama, Rutgers (11–0) | |
| 1960 | Ole Miss | 10–0–1 | New Mexico State, Yale (11–0) | |
| 1959 | Ole Miss | 10–1 | Syracuse (11–0) | |
| 1958 | LSU | 11–0 | LSU (11–0) | Yes |
| 1957 | Ole Miss | 9–1–1 | Arizona State, Auburn (10–0) | |
| 1956 | Baylor | 9–2 | Oklahoma, Wyoming (10–0) | |
| 1955 | Tennessee | 6–3–1 | Oklahoma (11–0) | |
| 1954 | Auburn | 8–3 | Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCLA (10–0) | |
| 1953 | Arkansas State | 3–0–1 | Notre Dame (9–0–1) | |
| 1952 | Alabama | 10–2 | Georgia Tech, Michigan State (12–0) | |
| 1951 | Princeton | 9–0 | Maryland, Michigan State, Princeton +1 (10–0) | Yes |
| 1950 | Navy | 3–6 | Princeton, Wyoming (9–0) | |
| 1949 | Army | 9–0 | Army, Notre Dame, Oklahoma (9–0) | Yes |
| 1948 | Army | 8–0–1 | Clemson, Michigan (11–0) | |
| 1947 | Columbia | 7–2 | Michigan, Notre Dame (10–0) | |
| 1946 | Army | 9–0–1 | Georgia, Hardin Simmons (11–0) | |
| 1945 | Army | 9–0 | Alabama, Army, Oklahoma State (10–0) | Yes |
| 1944 | Duke | 6–4 | Army, Ohio State, Randolph Field (9–0) | |
| 1942 | Auburn | 6–4–1 | Georgia (11–1) | |
| 1941 | Alabama | 9–2 | Duquesne, Minnesota (8–0) | |
| 1940 | Stanford | 10–0 | Boston College, Hardin Simmons, Minnesota +1 (11–0) | Yes |
| 1939 | USC | 8–0–2 | Cornell, Texas A&M (8–0) | |
| 1938 | Tennessee | 11–0 | Georgetown, TCU, Tennessee (8–0) | Yes |
| 1937 | Auburn | 6–2–3 | Santa Clara (9–0) | |
| 1936 | Notre Dame | 6–2–1 | Alabama (8–0–1) | |
| 1935 | Northwestern | 4–3–1 | Minnesota, Princeton (8–0) | |
| 1934 | Pittsburgh | 8–1 | Alabama, Minnesota (10–0) | |
| 1933 | Columbia | 8–1 | Princeton (9–0) | |
| 1932 | USC | 10–0 | Colgate, Michigan, USC (9–0) | Yes |
| 1931 | San Diego Marines | — | Tennessee (9–0–1) | |
| 1930 | Saint Mary's (CA) | 8–1 | Alabama, Notre Dame, Utah (10–0) | |
| 1929 | Fordham | 7–0–2 | Notre Dame, Purdue, Tulane (9–0) | |
| 1928 | Villanova | 2–0 | Detroit Mercy, Georgia Tech (9–0) | |
| 1927 | Washington & Jefferson | 7–0–2 | Tennessee, Texas A&M (8–0–1) | |
| 1926 | Carnegie Mellon | 7–2 | Utah (7–0) | |
| 1925 | Villanova | 1–0 | Alabama, Dartmouth (10–0) | |
| 1924 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 6–1 | Notre Dame (10–0) | |
| 1923 | Syracuse | 8–1 | Colorado, Cornell, Illinois +3 (9–0) | |
| 1922 | Princeton | 8–0 | California, Cornell, Drake +2 (9–0) | Yes |
| 1921 | Chicago | 6–1 | Cornell, Iowa, Lafayette (8–0) | |
| 1920 | Wisconsin | 6–1 | California, Notre Dame, Texas +1 (9–0) | |
| 1919 | Illinois | 6–1 | Centre, Notre Dame, Texas A&M (9–0) | |
| 1918 | Michigan | 5–0 | Texas, Virginia Tech (9–0) | |
| 1917 | Syracuse | 8–1–1 | Denver, Georgia Tech, Mare Island Marines +2 (9–0) | |
| 1916 | Colgate | 8–1 | Army, Pittsburgh (9–0) | |
| 1915 | Cornell | 9–0 | Cornell, Nebraska, Oklahoma +1 (9–0) | Yes |
| 1914 | Harvard | 7–0–2 | North Carolina, Washington & Jefferson (10–1) | |
| 1913 | Harvard | 9–0 | Auburn, Harvard, Nebraska (8–0) | Yes |
| 1912 | Harvard | 9–0 | Harvard (9–0) | Yes |
| 1911 | Princeton | 8–0–2 | Penn State (8–0–1) | |
| 1910 | Harvard | 8–0–1 | Pittsburgh (9–0) | |
| 1909 | Yale | 10–0 | Yale (10–0) | Yes |
| 1908 | Harvard | 9–0–1 | Kansas, LSU (9–0) | |
| 1907 | Carlisle | 10–1 | Yale (9–0–1) | |
| 1906 | Navy | 8–2–2 | Princeton, Yale (9–0–1) | |
| 1905 | Pennsylvania | 12–0–1 | Chicago, Yale (11–0) | |
| 1904 | Swarthmore | 6–3 | Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania +1 (10–0) | |
| 1903 | Princeton | 11–0 | Nebraska, Princeton (11–0) | Yes |
| 1902 | Yale | 11–0–1 | Michigan, Nebraska (11–0) | |
| 1901 | Harvard | 12–0 | Harvard, Michigan (12–0) | Yes |
| 1900 | Yale | 12–0 | Yale (12–0) | Yes |
| 1899 | Harvard | 10–0–1 | Harvard (10–0–1) | Yes |
| 1898 | Harvard | 11–0 | Harvard (11–0) | Yes |
| 1897 | Pennsylvania | 15–0 | Pennsylvania (15–0) | Yes |
| 1896 | Lafayette | 11–0–1 | Lafayette (11–0–1) | Yes |
| 1895 | Pennsylvania | 14–0 | Pennsylvania (14–0) | Yes |
| 1894 | Pennsylvania | 12–0 | Yale (16–0) | |
| 1893 | Princeton | 11–0 | Princeton (11–0) | Yes |
| 1892 | Yale | 13–0 | Yale (13–0) | Yes |
| 1891 | Yale | 13–0 | Yale (13–0) | Yes |
| 1890 | Yale | 13–1 | Harvard (11–0) | |
| 1889 | Princeton | 10–0 | Yale (16–1) | |
| 1888 | Yale | 13–0 | Yale (13–0) | Yes |
| 1887 | Yale | 9–0 | Yale (9–0) | Yes |
| 1886 | Princeton | 7–0–1 | Harvard (12–2) | |
| 1885 | Princeton | 9–0 | Princeton (9–0) | Yes |
| 1884 | Yale | 8–0–1 | Princeton (9–0–1) | |
| 1883 | Yale | 9–0 | Yale (9–0) | Yes |
| 1882 | Yale | 8–0 | Yale (8–0) | Yes |
| 1881 | Princeton | 7–0–2 | Yale (5–0–1) | |
| 1880 | Princeton | 4–0–1 | Princeton, Yale (4–0–1) | Yes |
| 1879 | Princeton | 4–0–1 | Princeton (4–0–1) | Yes |
| 1878 | Princeton | 6–0 | Princeton (6–0) | Yes |
| 1877 | Yale | 3–0–1 | Yale (3–0–1) | Yes |
| 1876 | Yale | 3–0 | Yale (3–0) | Yes |
| 1875 | Princeton | 2–0 | Harvard (4–0) | |
| 1874 | Princeton | 2–0 | Stevens (3–1) | |
| 1873 | Princeton | 1–0 | Columbia, Stevens, Yale (2–1) | |
| 1872 | Princeton | 1–0 | Rutgers (1–1–1) | |