The College Football BeltThe CFB Belt
Standings

The belt vs. the standings

The belt rewards beating the right team on the right day. The standings reward beating everyone. How often they finish in the same place:

55 of 152Seasons the holder at season’s end had the best record
77Seasons it ended with an unbeaten holder
36%Belt and best record agree
Every season

Who ended with the belt, and who had the best record

SeasonBelt at season’s endTheir recordBest recordSame team?
2024Florida7–5Oregon (12–1)
2023Michigan15–0Michigan (15–0)Yes
2022Washington10–2Georgia (14–0)
2021Baylor11–2Georgia (13–1)
2020Alabama13–0Alabama (13–0)Yes
2019LSU14–0LSU (14–0)Yes
2018Ohio State13–1Clemson (14–0)
2017Pittsburgh4–7UCF (12–0)
2016Clemson13–1Alabama, Clemson (13–1)Yes
2015TCU10–2Alabama, Clemson (13–1)
2014TCU11–1Ohio State (14–1)
2013Oklahoma11–2Florida State (13–0)
2012Baylor7–5Ohio State (12–0)
2011West Virginia9–3Boise State, Houston, LSU +1 (12–1)
2010Auburn13–0Auburn, TCU (13–0)Yes
2009Alabama13–0Alabama, Boise State (13–0)Yes
2008Florida12–1Utah (12–0)
2007Missouri11–2Kansas (11–1)
2006Florida12–1Boise State (12–0)
2005Texas13–0Texas (13–0)Yes
2004USC13–0Auburn, USC, Utah (12–0)Yes
2003USC12–1Miami (OH) (13–1)
2002Ohio State14–0Ohio State (14–0)Yes
2001Miami12–0Miami (12–0)Yes
2000Miami10–1Oklahoma (13–0)
1999Florida State12–0Florida State, Marshall (12–0)Yes
1998Texas9–3Tennessee, Tulane (13–0)
1997Nebraska13–0Michigan, Nebraska (12–0)Yes
1996BYU14–1BYU (14–1)Yes
1995Arizona6–5Nebraska (12–0)
1994Wyoming6–6Nebraska, Penn State (13–0)
1993Arizona10–2Auburn (10–0)
1992UCLA6–5Alabama (13–0)
1991Texas Tech6–5Miami, Washington (12–0)
1990Colorado11–1–1Georgia Tech (10–0–1)
1989Illinois10–2Notre Dame (12–1)
1988Florida State9–1Notre Dame (12–0)
1987Clemson9–2Miami (12–0)
1986Penn State12–0Penn State (12–0)Yes
1985Alabama9–2–1Fresno State (10–0–1)
1984UCLA9–3BYU (13–0)
1983Auburn11–1Nebraska (12–1)
1982Washington State2–7–1Fresno State (8–0)
1981Ohio State9–3Clemson (11–0)
1980Michigan10–2Georgia (12–0)
1979USC11–0–1Alabama (12–0)
1978USC12–1USC (12–1)Yes
1977Alabama11–1Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame +2 (11–1)Yes
1976USC11–1Pittsburgh, Rutgers (12–0)
1975UCLA9–2–1Arizona State, Arkansas State (12–0)
1974Tennessee7–3–2Oklahoma (11–0)
1973Notre Dame11–0Miami (OH), Notre Dame, Penn State (11–0)Yes
1972USC12–0USC (12–0)Yes
1971Nebraska13–0Nebraska, Toledo (13–0)Yes
1970Tulane8–4Arizona State, Dartmouth, Toledo (11–0)
1969USC10–0–1Penn State, San Diego State, Texas +1 (11–0)
1968Ohio State10–0Ohio State, Penn State (10–0)Yes
1967Oklahoma10–1Oklahoma, USC, Wyoming (10–1)Yes
1966Georgia10–1Alabama (11–0)
1965LSU8–3Dartmouth (9–0)
1964Texas10–1Arkansas, Princeton (11–0)
1963Alabama9–2Texas (11–0)
1962Ole Miss10–0Dartmouth, Ole Miss, USC (9–0)Yes
1961LSU10–1Alabama, Rutgers (11–0)
1960Ole Miss10–0–1New Mexico State, Yale (11–0)
1959Ole Miss10–1Syracuse (11–0)
1958LSU11–0LSU (11–0)Yes
1957Ole Miss9–1–1Arizona State, Auburn (10–0)
1956Baylor9–2Oklahoma, Wyoming (10–0)
1955Tennessee6–3–1Oklahoma (11–0)
1954Auburn8–3Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCLA (10–0)
1953Arkansas State3–0–1Notre Dame (9–0–1)
1952Alabama10–2Georgia Tech, Michigan State (12–0)
1951Princeton9–0Maryland, Michigan State, Princeton +1 (10–0)Yes
1950Navy3–6Princeton, Wyoming (9–0)
1949Army9–0Army, Notre Dame, Oklahoma (9–0)Yes
1948Army8–0–1Clemson, Michigan (11–0)
1947Columbia7–2Michigan, Notre Dame (10–0)
1946Army9–0–1Georgia, Hardin Simmons (11–0)
1945Army9–0Alabama, Army, Oklahoma State (10–0)Yes
1944Duke6–4Army, Ohio State, Randolph Field (9–0)
1942Auburn6–4–1Georgia (11–1)
1941Alabama9–2Duquesne, Minnesota (8–0)
1940Stanford10–0Boston College, Hardin Simmons, Minnesota +1 (11–0)Yes
1939USC8–0–2Cornell, Texas A&M (8–0)
1938Tennessee11–0Georgetown, TCU, Tennessee (8–0)Yes
1937Auburn6–2–3Santa Clara (9–0)
1936Notre Dame6–2–1Alabama (8–0–1)
1935Northwestern4–3–1Minnesota, Princeton (8–0)
1934Pittsburgh8–1Alabama, Minnesota (10–0)
1933Columbia8–1Princeton (9–0)
1932USC10–0Colgate, Michigan, USC (9–0)Yes
1931San Diego Marines—Tennessee (9–0–1)
1930Saint Mary's (CA)8–1Alabama, Notre Dame, Utah (10–0)
1929Fordham7–0–2Notre Dame, Purdue, Tulane (9–0)
1928Villanova2–0Detroit Mercy, Georgia Tech (9–0)
1927Washington & Jefferson7–0–2Tennessee, Texas A&M (8–0–1)
1926Carnegie Mellon7–2Utah (7–0)
1925Villanova1–0Alabama, Dartmouth (10–0)
1924West Virginia Wesleyan6–1Notre Dame (10–0)
1923Syracuse8–1Colorado, Cornell, Illinois +3 (9–0)
1922Princeton8–0California, Cornell, Drake +2 (9–0)Yes
1921Chicago6–1Cornell, Iowa, Lafayette (8–0)
1920Wisconsin6–1California, Notre Dame, Texas +1 (9–0)
1919Illinois6–1Centre, Notre Dame, Texas A&M (9–0)
1918Michigan5–0Texas, Virginia Tech (9–0)
1917Syracuse8–1–1Denver, Georgia Tech, Mare Island Marines +2 (9–0)
1916Colgate8–1Army, Pittsburgh (9–0)
1915Cornell9–0Cornell, Nebraska, Oklahoma +1 (9–0)Yes
1914Harvard7–0–2North Carolina, Washington & Jefferson (10–1)
1913Harvard9–0Auburn, Harvard, Nebraska (8–0)Yes
1912Harvard9–0Harvard (9–0)Yes
1911Princeton8–0–2Penn State (8–0–1)
1910Harvard8–0–1Pittsburgh (9–0)
1909Yale10–0Yale (10–0)Yes
1908Harvard9–0–1Kansas, LSU (9–0)
1907Carlisle10–1Yale (9–0–1)
1906Navy8–2–2Princeton, Yale (9–0–1)
1905Pennsylvania12–0–1Chicago, Yale (11–0)
1904Swarthmore6–3Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania +1 (10–0)
1903Princeton11–0Nebraska, Princeton (11–0)Yes
1902Yale11–0–1Michigan, Nebraska (11–0)
1901Harvard12–0Harvard, Michigan (12–0)Yes
1900Yale12–0Yale (12–0)Yes
1899Harvard10–0–1Harvard (10–0–1)Yes
1898Harvard11–0Harvard (11–0)Yes
1897Pennsylvania15–0Pennsylvania (15–0)Yes
1896Lafayette11–0–1Lafayette (11–0–1)Yes
1895Pennsylvania14–0Pennsylvania (14–0)Yes
1894Pennsylvania12–0Yale (16–0)
1893Princeton11–0Princeton (11–0)Yes
1892Yale13–0Yale (13–0)Yes
1891Yale13–0Yale (13–0)Yes
1890Yale13–1Harvard (11–0)
1889Princeton10–0Yale (16–1)
1888Yale13–0Yale (13–0)Yes
1887Yale9–0Yale (9–0)Yes
1886Princeton7–0–1Harvard (12–2)
1885Princeton9–0Princeton (9–0)Yes
1884Yale8–0–1Princeton (9–0–1)
1883Yale9–0Yale (9–0)Yes
1882Yale8–0Yale (8–0)Yes
1881Princeton7–0–2Yale (5–0–1)
1880Princeton4–0–1Princeton, Yale (4–0–1)Yes
1879Princeton4–0–1Princeton (4–0–1)Yes
1878Princeton6–0Princeton (6–0)Yes
1877Yale3–0–1Yale (3–0–1)Yes
1876Yale3–0Yale (3–0)Yes
1875Princeton2–0Harvard (4–0)
1874Princeton2–0Stevens (3–1)
1873Princeton1–0Columbia, Stevens, Yale (2–1)
1872Princeton1–0Rutgers (1–1–1)

Records count the games the belt itself could count: every game on record through 1977, and from the 1978 split on, games between two FBS (I-A) teams. “Best record” is the best winning percentage among teams that played at least 60% as many of those games as the busiest team that season (ties count half). The season in progress is left out.