Picking a national champion in college football has always been something of a debate.
For most of the last 150 or so years, the sport has not had a formal championship setting
That changed in 2014, when the College Football Playoff introduced a four-team format to fix that.
It replaced a system of media polls, coaches polls, and computer systems that came before.
Much better to settle things on the field, team vs. team. But that wasn't always the case.
Let's take a look at every national title team since the very beginning... College football national championship teams from 1869 to 2021
Where no selecting organization is listed below, a combination of the Associated Press, FWAA, NFF, UPI, or NCF is responsible for naming a national champion
2020s national champions 2021 Georgia (College Football Playoff) 2020 Alabama (College Football Playoff)
2010s national champions 2019 LSU (College Football Playoff) 2018 Clemson (College Football Playoff) 2017 Alabama (College Football Playoff) 2016 Clemson (College Football Playoff) 2015 Alabama (College Football Playoff) 2014 Ohio State (College Football Playoff) 2013 Florida State (BCS) 2012 Alabama (BCS) 2011 Alabama (BCS) 2010 Auburn (BCS)
2000s national champions 2009 Alabama (BCS) 2008 Florida (BCS) 2007 LSU (BCS) 2006 Florida (BCS) 2005 Texas (BCS) 2004 USC (BCS) 2003 LSU, USC (BCS, AP, FWAA) 2002 Ohio State (BCS) 2001 Miami (BCS) 2000 Oklahoma (BCS)
1990s national champions 1999 Florida State (BCS) 1998 Tennessee (BCS) 1997 Michigan, Nebraska 1996 Florida 1995 Nebraska 1994 Nebraska 1993 Florida State 1992 Alabama 1991 Washington, Miami 1990 Georgia Tech
1980s national champions 1989 Miami 1988 Notre Dame 1987 Miami 1986 Penn State 1985 Oklahoma 1984 BYU 1983 Miami 1982 Penn State 1981 Clemson 1980 Georgia
1970s national champions 1979 Alabama 1978 Alabama, USC 1977 Notre Dame 1976 Pittsburgh 1975 Oklahoma 1974 USC, Oklahoma 1973 Notre Dame, Alabama 1972 USC 1971 Nebraska 1970 Nebraska, Texas, Ohio State
1960s national champions 1969 Texas 1968 Ohio State 1967 USC 1966 Notre Dame, Michigan State 1965 Alabama, Michigan State 1964 Arkansas, Alabama, Notre Dame 1963 Texas 1962 USC 1961 Alabama, Ohio State 1960 Minnesota, Ole Miss
1950s national champions 1959 Syracuse 1958 LSU, Iowa 1957 Ohio State, Auburn 1956 Oklahoma 1955 Oklahoma 1954 UCLA, Ohio State 1953 Maryland 1952 Michigan State 1951 Oklahoma 1950 Oklahoma
1940s national champions 1949 Notre Dame 1948 Michigan 1947 Notre Dame 1946 Notre Dame 1945 Army 1944 Army 1943 Notre Dame 1942 Ohio State 1941 Minnesota 1940 Minnesota
1930s national champions 1939 Texas A&M 1938 TCU 1937 Pittsburgh 1936 Minnesota 1935 Minnesota 1934 Minnesota 1933 Michigan 1932 USC 1931 USC 1930 Alabama, Notre Dame
1920s national champions 1929 Notre Dame 1928 Georgia Tech 1927 Illinois, Yale 1926 Alabama, Stanford 1925 Alabama 1924 Notre Dame 1923 Illinois, Michigan 1922 Cal, Cornell, Princeton 1921 Cal, Cornell 1920 Cal
1910s national champions 1919 Illinois 1918 Michigan, Pittsburgh 1917 Georgia Tech 1916 Pittsburgh 1915 Cornell 1914 Army 1913 Harvard 1912 Harvard, Penn State 1911 Penn State, Princeton 1910 Harvard, Pittsburgh
1900s national champions 1909 Yale 1908 LSU, Penn 1907 Yale 1906 Princeton 1905 Chicago 1904 Michigan, Penn 1903 Michigan, Princeton 1902 Michigan 1901 Michigan 1900 Yale
1890s national champions 1899 Harvard 1898 Harvard 1897 Penn 1896 Lafayette, Princeton 1895 Penn 1894 Yale 1893 Princeton 1892 Yale 1891 Yale 1890 Harvard
1880s national champions 1889 Princeton 1888 Yale 1887 Yale 1886 Yale 1885 Princeton 1884 Yale 1883 Yale 1882 Yale 1881 Yale 1880 Princeton, Yale
1870s national champions 1879 Princeton 1878 Princeton 1877 Yale 1876 Yale 1875 Harvard 1874 Yale 1873 Princeton 1872 Princeton 1871 No champion 1870 Princeton
1860s national champions 1869 Princeton, Rutgers Need to know... Where college football began... There were only two teams, and two games between them. The teams split the series, 1-1, in what was a mix between a soccer match and a fistfight... Co-championship rewarded retroactively.