Parent DirectoryHistorically accurate contemporary consensus annual national leading teams: If the AP poll existed prior to 1936, which teams would have been voted number one?
| Year | Team | Record | Coach | Notable Player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876 | Yale | 3-0-0 | none | Eugene Baker, b |
| 1877 | Princeton | 2-0-1 | none | Earle Dodge, b |
| 1878 | Princeton | 6-0-0 | none | Ted McNair, b |
| 1879 | Princeton | 4-0-1 | none | Bland Ballard, forward |
| 1880 | Princeton | 4-0-1 | none | Francis Loney, t |
| Yale | 4-0-1 | none | Robert Watson, b | |
| 1881 | Yale | 5-0-1 | none | Waker Camp, b |
| 1882 | Yale | 8-0-0 | none | Louis Hull, c |
| 1883 | Yale | 8-0-0 | none | Ray Tompkins, g |
| 1884 | Yale | 8-0-1 | none | Eugene Richards, b |
| 1885 | Princeton | 9-0-0 | none | Henry Lamar, b |
| 1886 | Yale | 9-0-1 | none | Harry Beecher, b |
| 1887 | Yale | 9-0-0 | none | William Corbin, c |
| 1888 | Yale | 13-0-0 | Walter Camp | William Bull, b |
| 1889 | Princeton | 10-0-0 | none | Hector Cowan,t |
| 1890 | Harvard | 11-0-0 | George Stewart | Marshall Newell, t |
| 1891 | Yale | 13-0-0 | Walter Camp | Pudge Heffelfinger, g |
| 1892 | Yale | 13-0-0 | Walter Camp | Vance McCormick |
| 1893 | Princeton | 11-0-0 | none | Philip King, hb |
| 1894 | Yale | 16-0-0 | Bill Rhodes | Frank Hinkey, e |
| 1895 | Pennsylvania | 14-0-0 | George Woodruff | Charles Gelbert, e |
| 1896 | Princeton | 10-0-1 | none | Addison Kelly, hb |
| 1897 | Pennsylvania | 15-0-0 | George Woodruff | John Minds, b |
| 1898 | Harvard | 11-0-0 | Cameron Forbes | Benjamin Dibblee, b |
| 1899 | Princeton | 12-1-0 | none | Arthur Poe, e |
| 1900 | Yale | 12-0-0 | Malcolm McBride | Gordon Brown, g |
| 1901 | Harvard | 12-0-0 | Bill Reid | Robert Kernan, hb |
| 1902 | Yale | 11-0-1 | Joe Swan | George Chadwick, b |
| 1903 | Princeton | 11-0-0 | Art Hillebrand | John DeWitt, g |
| 1904 | Pennsylvania | 12-0-0 | Carl Williams | Andy Smith, b |
| 1905 | Yale | 10-0-0 | Jack Owsley | Tom Shevlin, e |
| 1906 | Yale | 9-0-1 | Foster Rockwell | Paul Veeder, b |
| 1907 | Yale | 9-0-1 | Bill Knox | Tad Jones, hb |
| 1908 | Harvard | 9-0-1 | Percy Haughton | Hamilton Fish, t |
| 1909 | Yale | 10-0-0 | Howard Jones | Ted Coy, fb |
| 1910 | Harvard | 8-0-1 | Percy Haughton | Percy Wendeil, hb |
| 1911 | Princeton | 8-0-2 | Bill Roper | Sanford White, e |
| 1912 | Harvard | 9-0-0 | Percy Haughton | Charley Brickley, hb |
| 1913 | Harvard | 9-0-0 | Percy Haughton | Eddie Mahan, fb |
| 1914 | Harvard | 7-0-2 | Percy Haughton | Huntington Hardwick, e |
| 1915 | Cornell | 9-0-0 | AI Sharpe | Charley Barrett, qb |
| 1916 | Pittsburgh | 8-0-0 | Pop Warner | Bob Peck, c |
| 1917 | Georgia Tech | 9-0-0 | John Heisman | Ev Strupper, hb |
| 1918 | Pittsburgh | 4-0-0 | Pop Warner | Tom Davies, hb |
| 1919 | Penn State | 7-1-0 | Hugo Bezdek | Bob Higgins, e |
| 1920 | Princeton | 6-0-1 | Bill Roper | Don Lourie, qb |
| 1921 | Centre | 10-1-0 | Charlie Moran | Bo McMillin, b |
| 1922 | Princeton | 8-0-0 | Bill Roper | Herb Treat, t |
| 1923 | Illinois | 8-0-0 | Bob Zuppke | Red Grange, hb |
| 1924 | Notre Dame | 10-0-0 | Knute Rockne | Harry Stuhldreher, qb |
| 1925 | Dartmouth | 8-0-0 | Jesse Hawley | Swede Oberlander, hb |
| 1926 | Navy | 9-0-1 | Bill Ingram | Frank Wickhorst, t |
| 1927 | Illinois | 7-0-1 | Bob Zuppke | Russ Crane, g |
| 1928 | Georgia Tech | 10-0-0 | Bill Alexander | Pete Pund, c |
| 1929 | Notre Dame | 9-0-0 | Knute Rockne | Frank Carideo, qb |
| 1930 | Notre Dame | 10-0-0 | Knute Rockne | Marchy Schwartz, hb |
| 1931 | USC | 10-1-0 | Howard Jones | John Baker, g |
| 1932 | USC | 10-0-0 | Howard Jones | Ernie Smith, t |
| 1933 | Michigan | 7-0-1 | Harry Kipke | Chuck Bernard, c |
| 1934 | Minnesota | 8-0-0 | Bernie Bierman | Pug Lund, hb |
| 1935 | Minnesota | 8-0-0 | Bernie Bierman | Dick Smith, t |
There are four national championships in college football that have the
highest recognition factor:
The AP rankings began in 1936 and consist of a poll of
sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the nation. In the
coaches poll, begun in 1950, head coaches across the country
are polled. These two polls have produced different
champions, and teams on probation are not recognized in the
poll of coaches while the AP permits their inclusion.
Beginning in 1974, by agreement with the American Football
Coaches Association, teams on NCAA probation were ineligible
for ranking and national championship consideration by
the poll of coaches. Not until the 1974 season did the poll of
coaches conduct its final poll after the bowl games. Prior to
this time the poll of coaches champion was announced at the
end of the regular season. The AP first announced its post-bowl
champion after the 1965 season, then dropped the
practice for two years before resuming after the 1968 campaign.
The MacArthur Bowl is determined by the National
Football Foundation and Hall of Fame which polls voting
members after the last bowl game to determine a consensus
champion. The MacArthur Bowl is, of course, named for
U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur who was a devotee
of college football. The Hall of Fame has been making its
award since 1959. Starting in 1971 this award was presented
after the bowl games.
The football writers or FWAA is picked by a panel of
five veteran writers, each from a different section of the
country. After the last bowl game, each calls in his choice.
The school with the most votes is declared champion. The
identity of the five voters is kept secret until after the vote so
as to prevent undue pressure being placed on any of them.
The FWAA began its award in 1954 and since 1955 has
taken their final vote after the bowl games.
Various rating systems, computerized rankings and
other polls are syndicated by different papers but the four
listed here generally are considered preeminent. However,
the NCAA has never declared the winner of any poll or bowl
game as the official major college football national champion.
The chronology of each follow.
The Associated Press poll first began selecting national champions in 1936.
1936 Minnesota 1937 Pittsburgh 1938 TCU 1939 Texas A&M 1940 Minnesota 1941 Minnesota 1942 Ohio State 1943 Notre Dame 1944 Army 1945 Army 1946 Notre Dame 1947 Notre Dame (Unofficial post-bowl poll selected Michigan) 1948 Michigan 1949 Notre Dame
The United Press poll first began selecting national champions in 1950.
1950 Oklahoma (both) 1951 Tennessee (both) 1952 Michigan State (both) 1953 Maryland (both)
The Football Writers Association of America began selecting national champions in 1954. The Grantland Rice Award is given to the team that wins the FWAA vote. Grantland Rice, the dean of American sportswriters, was born an November 1, 1880, and died on July 13, 1954.
1954 UCLA (UP, FWAA)
Ohio State (AP)
In 1955, and in every year since then, the FWAA has taken their final vote after the bowl games.
1955 Oklahoma (all 3)
1956 Oklahoma (all 3)
1957 Ohio State (UP, FWAA)
Auburn (AP)
On May 24, 1958, the United Press and International News Service joined forces around the world in the creation of a single news agency named United Press International.
The correct designation of the coaches poll is United Press from 1950 to 1957 and United Press International since 1958. Prior to this merger, the International News Service had been taking their own poll for six years and voted these teams number one: Georgia Tech in 1952, Maryland in 1953, Ohio State in 1954, Oklahoma in 1955 and 1956, and Ohio State in 1957. [INS poll information provided by Harry Carson Frye.]
1958 LSU (AP, UPI)
Iowa (FWAA)
In 1959 the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame began awarding the MacArthur Bowl to their choice of the national champion. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was born on January 26, 1880 and died on April 5, 1964.
1959 Syracuse (all four)
1960 Minnesota (AP, UPI, NFF)
Mississippi (FWAA)
1961 Alabama (AP, UPI, NFF)
Ohio State (FWAA)
1962 USC (all four)
1963 Texas (all four)
1964 Alabama (AP, UPI)
Arkansas (FWAA)
Notre Dame (NFF)
In 1965 the Associated Press took their final poll after the bowl games for the first time.
1965 Michigan State (UPI, FWAA, NFF)
Alabama (AP, FWAA)
In 1966 and 1967 the Associated Press took their final poll before the bowl games, just as they had done in all the years prior to 1965.
1966 Notre Dame (AP, UPI, FWAA, NFF)
Michigan State (NFF)
1967 USC (all four)
In 1968 and in every year since then the Associated Press waited until after the bowl games to take their final poll.
1968 Ohio State (all four)
1969 Texas (all four)
1970 Nebraska (AP, FWAA)
Texas (UPI, NFF)
Ohio State (NFF)
The first year in which the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame waited until after the bowl games to award their MacArthur Bowl was 1971.
1971 Nebraska (all four)
1972 USC (all four)
1973 Notre Dame (AP, FWAA, NFF)
Alabama (UPI)
The first year in which the United Press International took their final poll after the bowl games was 1974. Thus, starting with 1974 for the first time, all of the four major national championship selectors waited until after the bowl games to select their top team.
1974 USC (UPI, FWAA, NFF)
Oklahoma (AP)
1975 Oklahoma (all four)
1976 Pittsburgh (all four)
1977 Notre Dame (all four)
1978 Alabama (AP, FWAA, NFF)
USC (UPI)
1979 Alabama (all four)
1980 Georgia (all four)
1981 Clemson (all four)
1982 Penn State (all four)
1983 Miami FL (all four)
1984 Brigham Young (all four)
1985 Oklahoma (all four)
1986 Penn State (all four)
1987 Miami FL (all four)
1988 Notre Dame (all four)
1989 Miami FL (all four)
1990 Colorado (AP, FWAA, NFF)
Georgia Tech (UPI)
The coaches poll that UPI had been publishing moved in 1991 to USA Today/CNN.
1991 Washington (USA Today/CNN, FWAA, NFF)
Miami FL (AP)
1992 Alabama (all four)
1993 Florida State (all four)
1994 Nebraska (all four)
1995 Nebraska (all four)
1996 Florida (all four)
In 1997 the coaches poll became the USA Today/ESPN poll.
1997 Michigan (AP, FWAA, NFF)
Nebraska (USA Today/ESPN)
1998 Tennessee (all four)
1999 Florida State (all four)
| Year | Won * | You Voted For **
| 1868
| Ulysses S. Grant
| Horatio Seymour
| 1920
| Warren G. Harding
| James Cox
| 1928
| Herbert Hoover
| Alfred Smith
| 1936
| F D R
| F D R
| 1952
| Dwight Eisenhower
| Dwight Eisenhower
| 1968
| Richard Nixon
| Hubert Humphrey
| |
|---|
* This represents the historical reality national champion of college football.
** This represents any individual with a subjective or math formula
rating. It does not have priority over historical reality.
The national champion for me is the team I vote for as number one,
but the historical reality is the contemporary consensus.
Bob Kirlin is a college football historian, researcher and chronicler. He was the editor of the College Football Researchers Association, 1982-1992. His mailing address is:
Bob Kirlin East 7609 Marietta Spokane, WA 99212-2228
Bob Kirlin / cfrabob@hotmail.com