Stories
The wildest seasons
Some years the belt barely moves. Other years it can’t sit still — it changes hands in September, again in October, and twice in November. These are the seasons with the most title changes, and the chains the belt followed.
7title changes in 2020, the most in any single season
No. 1 2020: 7 title changes
7 title changes in 13 belt games, 6 different holders. The belt went LSU → Mississippi State → Arkansas → Auburn → South Carolina → LSU → Auburn → Alabama.
The shortest reign of the year was Mississippi State’s 7 days. The closest title change was Auburn 30–28 Arkansas; the widest, Auburn 48–11 LSU. Auburn and LSU lost the belt and won it back within the same season.
No. 2 1990: 7 title changes
7 title changes in 13 belt games, 8 different holders. The belt went Illinois → Arizona → California → Washington → UCLA → USC → Notre Dame → Colorado.
The shortest reign of the year was UCLA’s 7 days. The closest title change was Colorado 10–9 Notre Dame; the widest, Washington 46–7 California.
No. 3 1989: 7 title changes
7 title changes in 11 belt games, 8 different holders. The belt went Florida State → Southern Miss → Mississippi State → Georgia → South Carolina → NC State → Virginia → Illinois.
The shortest reign of the year was Southern Miss’ 7 days. The closest title change was Mississippi State 26–23 Southern Miss; the widest, Georgia 23–6 Mississippi State.
No. 4 1987: 7 title changes
7 title changes in 12 belt games, 6 different holders. The belt went Penn State → Alabama → Florida → LSU → Alabama → Notre Dame → Penn State → Clemson.
The shortest reign of the year was Alabama’s 7 days. The closest title change was Penn State 21–20 Notre Dame; the widest, Notre Dame 37–6 Alabama. Alabama and Penn State lost the belt and won it back within the same season.
No. 5 2025: 6 title changes
6 title changes in 11 belt games, 7 different holders. The belt went Florida → South Florida → Miami → Louisville → California → Stanford → Notre Dame.
The shortest reign of the year was South Florida’s 7 days. The closest title change was South Florida 18–16 Florida; the widest, Miami 49–12 South Florida.
No. 6 2010: 6 title changes
6 title changes in 15 belt games, 6 different holders. The belt went Alabama → South Carolina → Kentucky → Georgia → Florida → South Carolina → Auburn.
The shortest reign of the year was South Carolina’s 7 days. The closest title change was Kentucky 31–28 South Carolina; the widest, Auburn 56–17 South Carolina. South Carolina lost the belt and won it back within the same season.
No. 7 1992: 6 title changes
6 title changes in 11 belt games, 6 different holders. The belt went Texas Tech → Oklahoma → USC → Washington → Arizona → USC → UCLA.
The shortest reign of the year was Arizona’s 7 days. The closest title change was UCLA 38–37 USC; the widest, Oklahoma 34–9 Texas Tech. USC lost the belt and won it back within the same season.
No. 8 1985: 6 title changes
6 title changes in 13 belt games, 6 different holders. The belt went UCLA → Washington → Oregon State → Arizona → UCLA → USC → Alabama.
The shortest reign of the year was Arizona’s 7 days. The closest title change was Oregon State 21–20 Washington; the widest, Arizona 27–6 Oregon State. UCLA lost the belt and won it back within the same season.
The shape of a normal year
Across 156 seasons the belt has changed hands 327 times — 2.1 per season — and 26 seasons saw no change at all. The busiest decade was the 1980s with 44 changes; the quietest full decade was the 1870s with 2.
A wild year usually needs two ingredients: a holder that is good enough to keep scheduling real opponents but not good enough to beat them all, and a run of takers who are each slightly worse than the last. The belt then falls down the standings one upset at a time until it lands with someone who can hold it through a bye week.
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