document_title: College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS

question_text: who's won the most college national championships

question_tokens: who 's won the most college national championships

text: History[edit]

text: The concept of a national championship in college football dates to the early years of the sport in the late 19th century,[8] and the earliest contemporaneous polls can be traced to Caspar Whitney, Charles Patterson, and The Sun in 1901.[9] Therefore, the concept of polls and national champions predated mathematical ranking systems, but it was Frank Dickinson's math system that was one of the first to be widely popularized. His system named 10–0 Stanford the national champion of 1926, prior to their tie with Alabama in the Rose Bowl. A curious Knute Rockne, then coach of Notre Dame, had Dickinson backdate two seasons, which produced Notre Dame as the 1924 national champion and Dartmouth in 1925.[10]

text: A number of other mathematical systems were born in the 1920s and 1930s and were the only organized methods selecting national champions until the Associated Press began polling sportswriters in 1936 to obtain rankings. Alan J. Gould, the creator of the AP Poll, named Minnesota, Princeton, and SMU co-champions in 1935, and polled writers the following year, which resulted in a national championship for Minnesota.[10] The AP's main competition, United Press, created the first poll of coaches in 1950. For that year and the next three, the AP and UP agreed on the national champion. The first "split" championship occurred in 1954, when the writers selected Ohio State and the coaches chose UCLA.[10] The two polls also disagreed in 1957, 1965, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1991, 1997, and 2003. The Coaches' Poll would stay with United Press (UP) when they merged with International News Service (INS) to form United Press International (UPI) but was acquired by USA Today and CNN in 1991. The poll was in the hands of USA Today and ESPN from 1997 to 2005 before moving to sole ownership by USA Today. Beginning in 2014, Amway became a joint sponsor with USA Today.[11]

text: Though some of the math systems selected champions after the bowl games, both of the major polls released their rankings after the end of the regular season until the AP polled writers after the bowls in 1965, resulting in what was perceived at the time as a better championship selection (Alabama) than UPI's (Michigan State).[10] After 1965, the AP again voted before the bowls for two years, before permanently returning to a post-bowl vote in 1968. The coaches did not conduct a vote after the bowls until 1974, in the wake of awarding their 1973 championship to Alabama, who lost to the AP champion, undefeated Notre Dame, in the Sugar Bowl.[10] The AP and Coaches' polls remain the major rankings to this day.

text: The Bowl Championship Series, famous for its use of math, was the successor of the Bowl Alliance (1995–1997), which was itself the successor of the Bowl Coalition (1992–1994).[12] Besides the many adjustments it underwent during its tenure, including a large overhaul following the 2004 season that included the replacement of the AP Poll with the Harris poll, the BCS remained a mixture of math and human polls since its inception in 1998, with the goal of matching the best two teams in the nation in a national championship bowl game which rotated yearly between the Sugar, Fiesta, Rose, and Orange Bowls from 1998 to 2005, and later a standalone game titled the BCS National Championship Game (2006 to 2013).[10] The winner of the BCS Championship Game was awarded the national championship of the Coaches' Poll thus winning the AFCA National Championship Trophy. The BCS winner also received the MacArthur Bowl from the National Football Foundation.[13] Neither the AP Poll, nor other current selectors, had contractual obligations to select the BCS champion as their national champion.[14] The BCS resulted in a number of controversies, most notably after the 2003 season, when the BCS championship game did not include eventual AP champion USC, the only time the two championships have diverged since the advent of the BCS. After many seasons of controversy, the BCS was replaced with the College Football Playoff, a Plus-One system aimed at reducing the controversy involved in which teams get to play in a championship game through use of a tournament.

text: National championships in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision records[edit]

text: The NCAA maintains an official records book of historical statistics and records for football. In the records book, with consultation from various college football historians, it has created and maintains a list of "major selectors" of national championships throughout the history of college football along with their championship picks for each season.[6]:107–116

text: Major selectors[edit]

text: A variety of selectors have named national champions throughout the years. They generally can be divided into four categories: those determined by mathematical formula, human polls, historical research, and recently, playoffs. The selectors below are listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records as having been deemed to be "major selectors" for which the criteria is that the poll or selector be "national in scope either through distribution in newspaper, television, radio and/or computer online".[6]:107–109 The former selectors, deemed instrumental in the sport of college football, and selectors that were included for the calculation of the BCS standing, are listed together.[6]:107–116,119

text: Math[edit]

text: The mathematical system is the oldest systematic selector of college football national champions. Many of the math selectors were created during the "championship rush" of the 1920s and 1930s, beginning with Frank Dickinson's system, or during the dawn of the computer age in the 1990s. Selectors are listed below with years selected retroactively in italics.

text:
Selector
Name
Seasons

A&H
Anderson & Hester
1997–present

AS
Alderson System
1994–1998

B(QPRS)
Berryman (QPRS)
1920–1989, 1990–2011

BR
Billingsley Reporta
1869–1870, 1872–1969, 1970–present

BS
Boand System
1919–1929, 1930–1960

CCR
Congrove Computer Rankings
1993–present

CM
Colley Matrix
2001–present

CW
Caspar Whitney
1905–1907

DeS
DeVold System
1939–1944, 1945–2006

DiS
Dickinson System
1924–1925, 1926–1940

DuS
Dunkel System
1929–present

ERS
Eck Ratings System
1987–2005

HS
Houlgate System
1885, 1887–1905, 1907–1926, 1927–1949

L
Litkenhous
1934–1972, 1974, 1978, 1981–1984

MCFR
Massey College Football Ratings
1995–present

MGR
Matthews Grid Ratings
1966–1972, 1974–2006

NYT
New York Times
1979–2004

PS
Poling System
1924–1934, 1935–1955, 1957–1984

R(FACT)
Rothman (FACT)
1968–2006

SR
Sagarin Ratings
1919–1977, 1978–present

W
Wolfe
2001–present

WS
Williamson System
1931, 1932–1963

text: aThe Billingsley Report also provides an alternate selection that uses margin-of-victory in its calculation. The NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book notes both selections in years where they disagree.[6]:107–116

text: Poll[edit]

text: The poll has been the dominant national champion selector since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936. It is notable that the NFF merged its poll with UPI from 1991 to 1992, with USA Today from 1993 to 1996, and with the FWAA from 2014 forward. Selectors are listed below with years selected retroactively in italics.

text: For many years, the national champion of various polls were selected prior to the bowl games. The national champion was selected before bowl games as follows: AP (1936–1964 and 1966–1967), Coaches' Poll (1950–1973), FWAA (1954), and NFF (1959–1970). In all other latter-day polls, champions were selected after bowl games.[6]:107–119

text: During the BCS era, the winner of the BCS Championship Game was automatically awarded the national championship of the Coaches' Poll and the National Football Foundation.

text:
Selector
Name
Seasons

AP
Associated Press
1936–present

Coaches'
  BRC
  UP
  UPI
  USAT/CNN
  USAT/ESPN
  USAT
  USAT/AMWAY
American Football Coaches Association
  AFCA Blue Ribbon Commission
  United Press
  United Press International
  USA Today/CNN
  USA Today/ESPN
  USA Today
  USA Today/Amway
1922–present
  1922–1949a
  1950–1957
  1958–1990b
  1991–1996b c
  1997–2004
  2005–2013b
  2014–present

CFRA
College Football Researchers Association
1919–1935, 1936–1981, 1982–1992, 2010–present

FN
Football News
1958–2002

FWAA
Football Writers Association of America
1954–2013c

FWAA/NFF
FWAA-NFF Grantland Rice Super 16
2014–presentc

HAF
Helms Athletic Foundation
1883–1935, 1936–1940, 1941–1982

INS
International News Service
1952–1957

NCF
National Championship Foundation
1869–1870, 1872–1935, 1936–1979, 1980–2000

NFF
National Football Foundation
1959–1990, 1997–2013c d e

SN
Sporting News
1975–2006

UPI
United Press International
1993–1995f

UPI/NFF
United Press International/National Football Foundation
1991–1992e

USAT
USA Today
1982g

USAT/CNN
USA Today/CNN
1983–1990g

USAT/NFF
USA Today/National Football Foundation
1993–1996d

text: aAt the request of several schools, the AFCA established a "Blue Ribbon Commission" in 2016 to begin retroactively selecting Coaches' Trophy winners from 1922 through 1949.[15]

text: bServed as the Coaches' Poll during the designated years, but also conducted their own poll at different times.

text: cThe Football Writers Association of America merged its poll with that of the National Football Foundation members beginning in 2014; as a result, the Grantland Trophy was retired and the FWAA/NFF national champion now receives the MacArthur Bowl.[6]:116

text: dUSA Today took over, from the UPI, the poll of the National Football Foundation's members in 1993, and its winner was designated by the NFF as its national champion and received the MacArthur Bowl. The poll was conducted by USA Today through the 1996 season, although national championship selections in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records do not distinguish the NFF from the USAT/NFF poll in 1995 and 1996. Not to be confused with the USA Today/CNN Coaches' Poll, which USA Today conducted separately.

text: eUPI conducted the Coaches' Poll through the 1990 season, which was subsequently taken over by CNN/USA Today. UPI then conducted a poll of National Football Foundation members in 1991 and 1992, the winner of which was designated by the NFF as its national champion and received the MacArthur Bowl.

text: fUPI conducted its own poll from 1993 to 1995, after the National Football Foundation Poll was taken over by USA Today.

text: gUSA Today conducted its own poll of college football sportswriters in 1982, then joined with CNN to do their own joint poll until they took over the Coaches' Poll starting with the 1991 season.

text: Research[edit]

text: College football historian Parke H. Davis is the only selector considered by the NCAA to have primarily used research in his selections.[6]:107–109 Davis did all of his work in 1933, naming retroactive national champions for most of the years from 1869 to 1932 while naming Michigan and Princeton (his alma mater) co-champions at the end of the 1933 season.

text:
Selector
Name
Seasons

PD
Parke H. Davis
1869–1870, 1872–1909, 1911–1916, 1919–1932, 1933

text: Hybrid[edit]

text: The Bowl Championship Series used a mathematical system that combined polls (Coaches' and AP/Harris) and multiple computer rankings (including some individual selectors listed above) to determine a season ending matchup between its top two ranked teams in the BCS Championship Game. The champion of that game was contractually awarded the Coaches' Poll and National Football Foundation championships.

text:
Selector
Name
Seasons

BCS
Bowl Championship Series
1998–2013

text: Playoff[edit]

text: Unlike all selectors prior to 2014, the College Football Playoff does not use math, polls or research to select the participants. Rather, a 13-member committee selects and seeds the teams.[16] The playoff system marked the first time any championship selector arranged a bracket competition to determine whom it would declare to be its champion.

text:
Selector
Name
Seasons

CFP
College Football Playoff
2014–present

text: Yearly national championship selections from major selectors[edit]

text: Below is a list of the national champions of college football from 1869 to present (with the exception of 1871, in which no games were played) deemed to be chosen by "major selectors" as listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records.[6]:107–109 Many teams did not have coaches as late as 1899. "Consensus" selectors in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records correspond to the period from 1950 to present which began with the introduction of the two poll system upon the appearance of the Coaches Poll in 1950. Selectors used to determine teams listed as "Consensus National Champions" in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records include the AP Poll, Coaches' Poll, Football Writers Association of America, and the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame.[6]:119

text: The first contemporaneous poll to include teams across the country and selection of a national champions can be traced to Caspar Whitney in 1901.[9] The last retroactive selection was made by Clyde Berryman in 1989 (Notre Dame). The tie was removed from college football in 1995 and the last consensus champion with a tie in its record was Georgia Tech in 1990. The 1947 Michigan Wolverines are often credited with a national championship on the basis of a "free poll" conducted by an AP sportswriter after the 1948 Rose Bowl, though that poll was unofficial and it is not recognized in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records.[6]:107–109

text: Note that the Harris Interactive Poll (2005–2013) was contracted by the BCS to help formulate its standings, and although its final ranking which occurs prior to the bowl games is listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records, it does not conduct a final poll or award or name a national champion on its own.[17]

text: As designated by the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records, the table below shows:

text:
Teams listed in italics indicate retroactively-applied championships.
Teams listed in bold reflect the NCAA's designation as "Consensus National Champions" by virtue of their selection from 1950 onward by one or more selectors from Associated Press, United Press/UPI, Football Writers Association of America, NFF/College Football Hall of Fame, and USA Today.

text: A letter next to any season, team, record, coach or selector indicates a footnote that appears at the bottom of the table.

text:
Season
Champion(s)
Record
Coach
Selector(s)
Source

1869
Princeton
1–1

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

Rutgers
1–1

PD
[6]:110

1870
Princeton
1–0

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1871
None
No games played

1872
Princeton
1–0

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

Yale
1–0

PD
[6]:110

1873
Princeton
2–0

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1874
Harvard
1–1

PD
[6]:110

Princeton
2–0

BR, PD
[6]:110

Yale
3–0

NCF, PD
[6]:110

1875
Columbia
3–1–1

PD
[6]:110

Harvard
4–0

NCF, PD
[6]:110

Princeton
2–0

BR, PD
[6]:110

1876
Yale
3–0

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1877
Princeton
2–0–1

BR, PD
[6]:110

Yale
3–0–1

NCF, PD
[6]:110

1878
Princeton
6–0

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1879
Princeton
4–0–1

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

Yale
3–0–2

PD
[6]:110

1880
Princeton
4–0–1

NCF, PD
[6]:110

Yale
4–0–1

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1881
Princeton
7–0–2

BR, PD
[6]:110

Yale
5–0–1

NCF, PD
[6]:110

1882
Yale
8–0

BR, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1883
Yale
9–0

BR, HAF, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1884
Princeton
9–0–1

BR, PD
[6]:110

Yale
8–0–1

HAF, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1885
Princeton
9–0

BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1886
Princeton
7–0–1

BR, PD
[6]:110

Yale
9–0–1

HAF, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1887
Yale
9–0

BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1888
Yale
13–0
Walter Camp
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1889
Princeton
10–0

BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1890
Harvard
11–0
George C. Adams, George A. Stewart
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1891
Yale
13–0
Walter Camp
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1892
Yale
13–0
Walter Camp
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1893
Princeton
11–0

BR, HAF, HS, NCF
[6]:110

Yale
10–1
William Rhodes
PD
[6]:110

1894
Penn
12–0
George Washington Woodruff
PD
[6]:110

Princeton
8–2

HS
[6]:110

Yale
16–0
William Rhodes
BR, HAF, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1895
Penn
14–0
George Washington Woodruff
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

Yale
13–0–2
John A. Hartwell
PD
[6]:110

1896
Lafayette
11–0–1
Parke H. Davis
NCF, PD
[6]:110

Princeton
10–0–1
Franklin Morse
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

1897
Penn
15–0
George Washington Woodruff
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:110

Yale
9–0–2
Frank Butterworth
PD
[6]:110

1898
Harvard
11–0
William Forbes
BR, HAF, HS, NCF
[6]:110

Princeton
11–0–1

PD
[6]:110

1899
Harvard
10–0–1
Benjamin Dibblee
HAF, HS, NCF
[6]:111

Princeton
12–1

BR, PD
[6]:111

1900
Yale
12–0
Malcolm McBride
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1901
Harvard
12–0
Bill Reid
BR
[6]:111

Michigan
11–0
Fielding H. Yost
HAF, HS, NCF
[6]:111

Yale
11–1–1
George S. Stillman
PDa
[6]:111

1902
Michigan
11–0
Fielding H. Yost
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

Yale
11–0–1
Joseph R. Swan
PD
[6]:111

1903
Michigan
11–0–1
Fielding H. Yost
NCF
[6]:111

Princeton
11–0
Art Hillebrand
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1904
Michigan
10–0
Fielding H. Yost
NCF
[6]:111

Minnesota
13–0
Henry Williams
BR
[6]:111

Penn
12–0
Carl S. Williams
HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1905
Chicago
10–0
Amos Alonzo Stagg
BR, HAF, HS, NCF
[6]:111

Yale
10–0
Jack Owsley
CW, PD
[6]:111

1906
Princeton
9–0–1
William Roper
HAF, NCF
[6]:111

Yale
9–0–1
Foster Rockwell
BR, CW, PD
[6]:111

1907
Yale
9–0–1
William F. Knox
BR, CW, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1908
Harvard
9–0–1
Percy Haughton
BR
[6]:111

LSU
10–0
Edgar Wingard
NCF
[6]:111

Penn
11–0–1
Sol Metzger
HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1909
Yale
10–0
Howard Jones
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1910
Harvard
8–0–1
Percy Haughton
BR, HAF, HS, NCF
[6]:111

Pittsburgh
9–0
Joseph Thompson
NCF
[6]:111

1911
Minnesota
6–0–1
Henry L. Williams
BR
[6]:111

Penn State
8–0–1
Bill Hollenback
NCF
[6]:111

Princeton
8–0–2
William Roper
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1912
Harvard
9–0
Percy Haughton
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

Penn State
8–0
Bill Hollenback
NCF
[6]:111

1913
Auburn
8–0
Mike Donahue
BR
[6]:111

Chicago
7–0
Amos Alonzo Stagg
BR, PD
[6]:111

Harvard
9–0
Percy Haughton
HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1914
Army
9–0
Charles Daly
HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

Illinois
7–0
Robert Zuppke
BR, PD
[6]:111

Texas
8–0
Dave Allerdice
BR
[6]:111

1915
Cornell
9–0
Albert Sharpe
HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

Minnesota
6–0–1
Henry L. Williams
BR
[6]:111

Oklahoma
10–0
Bennie Owen
BR
[6]:111

Pittsburgh
8–0
Glenn "Pop" Warner
PD
[6]:111

1916
Army
9–0
Charles Daly
PD
[6]:111

Georgia Tech
8–0-1
John Heisman
BR
[6]:111

Pittsburgh
8–0
Glenn "Pop" Warner
BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

1917
Georgia Tech
9–0
John Heisman
BR, HAF, HS, NCF
[6]:111

1918
Michigan
5–0
Fielding H. Yost
BR, NCF
[6]:111

Pittsburgh
4–1
Glenn "Pop" Warner
HAF, HS, NCF
[6]:111

1919
Centre
9–0
Charley Moran
SR
[6]:111

Harvard
9–0–1
Bob Fisher
CFRA, HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

Illinois
6–1
Robert Zuppke
BR, BS, CFRA, PD, SR
[6]:111

Notre Dame
9–0
Knute Rockne
NCF, PD
[6]:111

Texas A&M
10–0
Dana X. Bible
BR, NCF
[6]:111

1920
California
9–0
Andy Smith
CFRA, HAF, HS, NCF, SR
[6]:111

Georgia
8–0–1
Herman Stegeman
B(QPRS)
[6]:111

Harvard
8–0–1
Bob Fisher
BS
[6]:111

Notre Dame
9–0
Knute Rockne
BR, PD
[6]:111

Princeton
6–0–1
William Roper
BS, PD
[6]:111

1921
California
9–0–1
Andy Smith
BR, BS, CFRA, SR
[6]:111

Cornell
8–0
Gil Dobie
HAF, HS, NCF, PD
[6]:111

Iowa
7–0
Howard Jones
BR, PD
[6]:111

Lafayette
9–0
Jock Sutherland
BS, PD
[6]:111

Vanderbilt
7–0–1
Dan McGugin
B(QPRS)
[6]:111

Washington & Jefferson
10–0–1
Greasy Neale
BS
[6]:111

1922
California
9–0
Andy Smith
BR, HS, NCF, SR
[6]:111

Cornell
8–0
Gil Dobie
HAF, PD
[6]:111

Iowa
7–0
Howard Jones
BR
[6]:111

Princeton
8–0
William Roper
BS, CFRA, NCF, PD, SR
[6]:111

Vanderbilt
8–0–1
Dan McGugin
B(QPRS)
[6]:111

1923
California
9–0–1
Andy Smith
HS
[6]:111

Cornell
8–0
Gil Dobie
SR
[6]:111

Illinois
8–0
Robert Zuppke
BS, CFRA, HAF, NCF, PD, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:111

Michigan
8–0
Fielding H. Yost
BR, NCF
[6]:111

Yale
8–0
Tad Jones
B(QPRS)
[6]:111

1924
Notre Dame
10–0
Knute Rockne
BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, HAF, HS, NCF, PS, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:111

Penn
9–1–1
Lou Young
PD
[6]:111

1925
Alabama
10–0
Wallace Wade
BR, BS, CFRA, HAF, HS, NCF, PS, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:111

Dartmouth
8–0
Jesse Hawley
DiS, PD
[6]:111

Michigan
7–1
Fielding H. Yost
SR
[6]:111

1926
Alabama
9–0–1
Wallace Wade
BR, CFRA, HAF, NCF, PS, B(QPRS)
[6]:111

Lafayette
9–0
Herb McCracken
PD
[6]:111

Michigan
7–1
Fielding H. Yost
SR
[6]:111

Navy
9–0–1
Bill Ingram
BS, HS
[6]:111

Stanford
10–0–1
Glenn "Pop" Warner
DiS, HAF, NCF, SR
[6]:111

1927
Georgia
9–1
George Cecil Woodruff
BS, PS, B(QPRS)
[6]:111–112

Illinois
7–0–1
Robert Zuppke
BR, DiS, HAF, NCF, PD
[6]:112

Notre Dame
7–1–1
Knute Rockne
HS
[6]:112

Texas A&M
8–0–1
Dana X. Bible
SR
[6]:112

Yale
7–1
Thomas Jones
CFRA
[6]:112

1928
Detroit
9–0
Gus Dorais
PD
[6]:112

Georgia Tech
10–0
William Alexander
BR, BS, CFRA, HAF, HS, NCF, PD, PS, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

USC
9–0–1
Howard Jones
DiS, SR
[6]:112

1929
Notre Dame
9–0
Knute Rockne
BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, DuS, HAF, NCF, PS, SR
[6]:112

Pittsburgh
9–1
Jock Sutherland
PD
[6]:112

USC
10–2
Howard Jones
HS, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

1930
Alabama
10–0
Wallace Wade
CFRA, PD, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

Notre Dame
10–0
Knute Rockne
BR, BS, DiS, DuS, HAF, HS, NCF, PD, PS
[6]:112

1931
Pittsburgh
8–1
Jock Sutherland
PD
[6]:112

Purdue
9–1
Noble Kizer
PD
[6]:112

USC
10–1
Howard Jones
BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, DuS, HAF, HS, NCF, PS, SR, WS, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

1932
Colgate
9–0
Andrew Kerr
PD
[6]:112

Michigan
8–0
Harry Kipke
DiS, PD, SR
[6]:112

USC
10–0
Howard Jones
BR, BS, CFRA, DuS, HAF, HS, NCF, PD, PS, SR, WS, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

1933
Michigan
7–0–1
Harry Kipke
BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, HAF, HS, NCF, PD, PS, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

Ohio State
7–1
Sam Willaman
DuS
[6]:112

Princeton
9–0
Fritz Crisler
PD
[6]:112

USC
10–1–1
Howard Jones
WS
[6]:112

1934
Alabama
10–0
Frank Thomas
DuS, HS, PS, WS, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

Minnesota
8–0
Bernie Bierman
BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, HAF, L, NCF, SR
[6]:112

1935
LSU
9–2
Bernie Moore
WS
[6]:112

Minnesota
8–0
Bernie Bierman
BR, BS, CFRA, HAF, L, NCF, PS
[6]:112

Princeton
9–0
Fritz Crisler
DuS
[6]:112

SMU
12–1
Matty Bell
DiS, HS, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

TCU
12–1
Dutch Meyer
WS
[6]:112

1936
Duke
9–1
Wallace Wade
B(QPRS)
[6]:112

LSU
9–1–1
Bernie Moore
SR, WS
[6]:112

Minnesota
7–1
Bernie Bierman
AP, BR, DiS, DuS, HAF, L, NCF, PS
[6]:112

Pittsburgh
8–1–1
Jock Sutherland
BS, CFRA, HS
[6]:112

1937
California
10–0–1
Stub Allison
DuS, HAF
[6]:112

Pittsburgh
9–0–1
Jock Sutherland
AP, BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

1938
Notre Dame
8–1
Elmer Layden
DiS
[6]:112

TCU
11–0
Dutch Meyer
AP, HAF, NCF, WS
[6]:112

Tennessee
11–0
Robert Neyland
BR, BS, CFRA, DuS, HS, L, PS, SR, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

1939
Cornell
8–0
Carl Snavely
L, SR
[6]:112

Texas A&M
11–0
Homer Norton
AP, BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, HAF, HS, NCF, PS, SR, WS, B(QPRS)
[6]:112

USC
8–0–2
Howard Jones
DiS
[6]:112

1940
Minnesota
8–0
Bernie Bierman
AP, B(QPRS), BS, CFRA, DeS, DiS, HS, L, NCF, SR
[6]:112

Stanford
10–0
Clark Shaughnessy
BR, HAF, PS
[6]:112

Tennessee
10–1
Robert Neyland
DuS, WS
[6]:112

1941
Alabama
9–2
Frank Thomas
HS
[6]:112

Minnesota
8–0
Bernie Bierman
AP, BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, HAF, L, NCF, PS, SR
[6]:112

Texas
8–1–1
Dana X. Bible
B(QPRS), WS
[6]:112

1942
Georgia
11–1
Wally Butts
B(QPRS), BR, DeS, HS, L, PS, SR, WS
[6]:112

Ohio State
9–1
Paul Brown
AP, BS, DuS, CFRA, NCF
[6]:112

Wisconsin
8–1–1
Harry Stuhldreher
HAF
[6]:112

1943
Notre Dame
9–1
Frank Leahy
AP, B(QPRS), BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, HAF, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS
[6]:112

1944
Army
9–0
Earl Blaik
AP, B(QPRS), BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, HAF, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS
[6]:112

Ohio State
9–0
Carroll Widdoes
NCF, SR
[6]:112

1945
Alabama
10–0
Frank Thomas
NCF
[6]:112

Army
9–0
Earl Blaik
AP, B(QPRS), BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, HAF, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS
[6]:112

Oklahoma A&M
9–0
Jim Lookabaugh
BRC
[6]:112

1946
Army
9–0–1
Earl Blaik
BR, BS, CFRA, HAF, HS, PS
[6]:112

Georgia
11–0
Wally Butts
WS
[6]:112

Notre Dame
8–0–1
Frank Leahy
AP, B(QPRS), BS, DeS, DuS, HAF, L, NCF, PS, SR
[6]:112

1947
Michigan
10–0
Fritz Crisler
B(QPRS), BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, HAF, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR
[6]:112

Notre Dame
9–0
Frank Leahy
AP, HAF, WS
[6]:112

1948
Michigan
9–0
Bennie Oosterbaan
AP, B(QPRS), BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, HAF, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS
[6]:112

1949
Notre Dame
10–0
Frank Leahy
AP, B(QPRS), BR, BS, DeS, DuS, HAF, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS
[6]:112

Oklahoma
11–0
Bud Wilkinson
CFRA
[6]:112

1950
Kentucky
11–1
Paul "Bear" Bryant
SR
[6]:112

Oklahoma
10–1
Bud Wilkinson
AP, B(QPRS), HAF, L, UP, WS
[6]:112

Princeton
9–0
Charley Caldwell
BS, PS
[6]:112

Tennessee
11–1
Robert Neyland
BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, NCF, SR
[6]:113

1951
Georgia Tech
11–0–1
Bobby Dodd
B(QPRS), BS
[6]:113

Illinois
9–0–1
Ray Eliot
BS
[6]:113

Maryland
10–0
Jim Tatum
CFRA, DeS, DuS, NCF, SR
[6]:113

Michigan State
9–0
Biggie Munn
BR, HAF, PS
[6]:113

Tennessee
10–1
Robert Neyland
AP, L, UP, WS
[6]:113

1952
Georgia Tech
12–0
Bobby Dodd
B(QPRS), BR, INS, PS, SR
[6]:113

Michigan State
9–0
Biggie Munn
AP, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, HAF, L, NCF, SR, UP, WS
[6]:113

1953
Maryland
10–1
Jim Tatum
AP, INS, UP
[6]:113

Notre Dame
9–0–1
Frank Leahy
BR, BS, DeS, DuS, HAF, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS
[6]:113

Oklahoma
9–1–1
Bud Wilkinson
B(QPRS), CFRA
[6]:113

1954
Ohio State
10–0
Woody Hayes
AP, B(QPRS), BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, HAF, INS, NCF, PS, SR, WS
[6]:113

UCLA
9–0
Henry Sanders
CFRA, DuS, FWAA, HAF, L, NCF, UP
[6]:113

1955
Michigan State
9–1
Duffy Daugherty
BS
[6]:113

Oklahoma
11–0
Bud Wilkinson
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FWAA, HAF, INS, L, NCF, PS, SR, UP, WS
[6]:113

1956
Georgia Tech
10–1
Bobby Dodd
B(QPRS), SR
[6]:113

Iowa
9–1
Forest Evashevski
CFRA
[6]:113

Oklahoma
10–0
Bud Wilkinson
AP, BR, BS, DeS, DuS, FWAA, HAF, INS, L, NCF, SR, UP, WS
[6]:113

Tennessee
10–1
Bowden Wyatt
SR
[6]:113

1957
Auburn
10–0
Ralph Jordan
AP, BR, CFRA, HAF, NCF, PS, SR, WS
[6]:113

Michigan State
8–1
Duffy Daugherty
DuS
[6]:113

Ohio State
9–1
Woody Hayes
BS, DeS, FWAA, INS, L, UP
[6]:113

Oklahoma
10–1
Bud Wilkinson
B(QPRS)
[6]:113

1958
Iowa
8–1–1
Forest Evashevski
FWAA
[6]:113

LSU
11–0
Paul Dietzel
AP, B(QPRS), BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, HAF, L, NCF, PS, SR, UPI, WS
[6]:113

1959
Ole Miss
10–1
Johnny Vaught
B(QPRS), DuS, SR
[6]:113

Syracuse
11–0
Ben Schwartzwalder
AP, BR, BS, CFRA, DeS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, NCF, NFF, PS, SR, UPI, WS
[6]:113

1960
Iowa
8–1
Forest Evashevski
B(QPRS), BS, L, SR
[6]:113

Minnesota
8–2
Murray Warmath
AP, FN, NFF, UPI
[6]:113

Ole Miss
10–0–1
Johnny Vaught
BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FWAA, NCF, WS
[6]:113

Missouri
11–0*
Dan Devine
PS
[6]:113

Washington
10–1
Jim Owens
HAF
[6]:113

1961
Alabama
11–0
Paul "Bear" Bryant
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, HAF, L, NCF, NFF, SR, UPI, WS
[6]:113

Ohio State
8–0–1
Woody Hayes
FWAA, PS
[6]:113

1962
LSU
9–1–1
Charles McClendon
B(QPRS)
[6]:113

Ole Miss
10–0
Johnny Vaught
BR, L, SR
[6]:113

USC
11–0
John McKay
AP, B(QPRS), CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, PS, UPI, WS
[6]:113

1963
Texas
11–0
Darrell Royal
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, NCF, NFF, PS, SR, UPI, WS
[6]:113

1964
Alabama
10–1
Paul "Bear" Bryant
AP, B(QPRS), L, UPI
[6]:113

Arkansas
11–0
Frank Broyles
BR, CFRA, FWAA, HAF, NCF, PS, SR
[6]:113

Michigan
9–1
Bump Elliott
DuS
[6]:113

Notre Dame
9–1
Ara Parseghian
DeS, FN, NFF
[6]:113

1965
Alabama
9–1–1
Paul "Bear" Bryant
AP, CFRA, FWAA, NCF
[6]:113

Michigan State
10–1
Duffy Daugherty
B(QPRS), BR, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, NFF, PS, SR, UPI
[6]:113

1966
Alabama
11–0
Paul "Bear" Bryant
B(QPRS), SR
[6]:113

Michigan State
9–0–1
Duffy Daugherty
CFRA, HAF, NFF, PS
[6]:113

Notre Dame
9–0–1
Ara Parseghian
AP, BR, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, MGR, NCF, NFF, PS, SR, UPI
[6]:113

1967
Notre Dame
8–2
Ara Parseghian
DuS
[6]:113

Oklahoma
10–1
Chuck Fairbanks
PS
[6]:113

USC
10–1
John McKay
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, FN, FWAA, HAF, MGR, NCF, NFF, SR, UPI
[6]:113

Tennessee
9–2
Doug Dickey
L
[6]:113

1968
Georgia
8–1–2
Vince Dooley
L
[6]:113

Ohio State
10–0
Woody Hayes
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SR, UPI
[6]:113

Texas
9–1–1
Darrell Royal
DeS, MGR, SR
[6]:113

1969
Ohio State
8–1
Woody Hayes
MGR
[6]:113

Penn State
11–0
Joe Paterno
R(FACT), SR
[6]:113

Texas
11–0
Darrell Royal
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SR, UPI
[6]:113

1970
Arizona State
11–0
Frank Kush
PS
[6]:113

Nebraska
11–0–1
Bob Devaney
AP, BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, R(FACT), SR
[6]:113

Notre Dame
10–1
Ara Parseghian
MGR, R(FACT), SR
[6]:113

Ohio State
9–1
Woody Hayes
NFF
[6]:113

Texas
10–1
Darrell Royal
B(QPRS), L, NFF, R(FACT), UPI
[6]:113

1971
Nebraska
13–0
Bob Devaney
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, MGR, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SR, UPI
[6]:113

1972
USC
12–0
John McKay
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, MGR, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SR, UPI
[6]:113

1973
Alabama
11–1
Paul "Bear" Bryant
B(QPRS), UPI
[6]:113

Michigan
10–0–1
Bo Schembechler
NCF, PS
[6]:113

Notre Dame
11–0
Ara Parseghian
AP, BR, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF
[6]:113

Ohio State
10–0–1
Woody Hayes
NCF, PS, R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

Oklahoma
10–0–1
Barry Switzer
CFRA, DeS, DuS, SR
[6]:114

1974
Ohio State
10–2
Woody Hayes
MGR
[6]:114

Oklahoma
11–0
Barry Switzer
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, HAF, L, NCF, PS, R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

USC
10–1–1
John McKay
FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, UPI
[6]:114

1975
Alabama
11–1
Paul "Bear" Bryant
MGR
[6]:114

Arizona State
12–0
Frank Kush
NCF, SN
[6]:114

Ohio State
11–1
Woody Hayes
B(QPRS), HAF, MGR, PS, R(FACT)
[6]:114

Oklahoma
11–1
Barry Switzer
AP, BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, R(FACT), SR, UPI
[6]:114

1976
Pittsburgh
12–0
Johnny Majors
AP, BR, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI
[6]:114

USC
11–1
John Robinson
B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, MGR
[6]:114

1977
Alabama
11–1
Paul "Bear" Bryant
CFRA
[6]:114

Arkansas
11–1
Lou Holtz
R(FACT)
[6]:114

Notre Dame
11–1
Dan Devine
AP, BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, MGR, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI
[6]:114

Texas
11–1
Fred Akers
B(QPRS), R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

1978
Alabama
11–1
Paul "Bear" Bryant
AP, CFRA, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, R(FACT)
[6]:114

Oklahoma
11–1
Barry Switzer
DeS, DuS, HAF, L, MGR, PS, R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

USC
12–1
John Robinson
B(QPRS), BR, FN, HAF, NCF, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI
[6]:114

1979
Alabama
12–0
Paul "Bear" Bryant
AP, B(QPRS), BR, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI
[6]:114

USC
11–0–1
John Robinson
CFRA
[6]:114

1980
Florida State
10–2
Bobby Bowden
R(FACT)
[6]:114

Georgia
12–0
Vince Dooley
AP, B(QPRS), BR, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI
[6]:114

Nebraska
10–2
Tom Osborne
R(FACT)
[6]:114

Oklahoma
10–2
Barry Switzer
DuS, MGR
[6]:114

Pittsburgh
11–1
Jackie Sherrill
CFRA, DeS, NYT, R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

1981
Clemson
12–0
Danny Ford
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI
[6]:114

Nebraska
9–3
Tom Osborne
NCF
[6]:114

Penn State
10–2
Joe Paterno
DuS
[6]:114

Pittsburgh
11–1
Jackie Sherrill
NCF
[6]:114

SMU
10–1
Ron Meyer
NCF
[6]:114

Texas
10–1–1
Fred Akers
NCF
[6]:114

1982
Nebraska
12–1
Tom Osborne
B(QPRS)
[6]:114

Penn State
11–1
Joe Paterno
AP, BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI, USAT
[6]:114

SMU
11–0–1
Bobby Collins
HAF
[6]:114

1983
Auburn
11–1
Pat Dye
BR, CFRA, NYT, R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

Miami (FL)
11–1
Howard Schnellenberger
AP, DuS, FN, FWAA, NCF, NFF, SN, UPI, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

Nebraska
12–1
Tom Osborne
B(QPRS), DeS, L, MGR, PS, R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

1984
BYU
13–0
LaVell Edwards
AP, BR, CFRA, FWAA, NCF, NFF, PS, SR, UPI, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

Florida
9–1–1
Galen Hall
DeS, DuS, MGR, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR
[6]:114

Nebraska
10–2
Tom Osborne
L
[6]:114

Washington
11–1
Don James
B(QPRS), FN, NCF
[6]:114

1985
Florida
9–1–1
Galen Hall
SR
[6]:114

Michigan
10–1–1
Bo Schembechler
MGR
[6]:114

Oklahoma
11–1
Barry Switzer
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, NCF, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, UPI, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

1986
Miami (FL)
11–1
Jimmy Johnson
R(FACT)
[6]:114

Oklahoma
11–1
Barry Switzer
B(QPRS), CFRA, DeS, DuS, NYT, SR
[6]:114

Penn State
12–0
Joe Paterno
AP, BR, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NFF, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

1987
Florida State
11–1
Bobby Bowden
B(QPRS)
[6]:114

Miami (FL)
12–0
Jimmy Johnson
AP, BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

1988
Miami (FL)
11–1
Jimmy Johnson
B(QPRS)
[6]:114

Notre Dame
12–0
Lou Holtz
AP, BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

1989
Miami (FL)
11–1
Dennis Erickson
AP, BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, UPI, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

Notre Dame
12–1
Lou Holtz
B(QPRS), ERS, R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

1990
Colorado
11–1–1
Bill McCartney
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NFF, R(FACT), SN, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

Georgia Tech
11–0–1
Bobby Ross
DuS, NCF, R(FACT), SR, UPI
[6]:114

Miami (FL)
10–2
Dennis Erickson
ERS, NYT, R(FACT), SR
[6]:114

Washington
10–2
Don James
R(FACT)
[6]:114

1991
Miami (FL)
12–0
Dennis Erickson
AP, BR, CFRA, ERS, NCF, NYT, SN, SR
[6]:114

Washington
12–0
Don James
B(QPRS), DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, R(FACT), SR, UPI/NFF, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

1992
Alabama
13–0
Gene Stallings
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI/NFF, USAT/CNN
[6]:114

Florida State
11–1
Bobby Bowden
SR
[6]:114

1993
Auburn
11–0
Terry Bowden
NCF
[6]:114

Florida State
12–1
Bobby Bowden
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CCR, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, NCF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI, USAT/CNN, USAT/NFF
[6]:114

Nebraska
11–1
Tom Osborne
NCF
[6]:114

Notre Dame
11–1
Lou Holtz
MGR, NCF
[6]:114

1994
Florida State
10–1–1
Bobby Bowden
DuS
[6]:114

Nebraska
13–0
Tom Osborne
AP, AS, B(QPRS), BR, FN, FWAA, NCF, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI, USAT/CNN, USAT/NFF
[6]:114–115

Penn State
12–0
Joe Paterno
CCR, DeS, ERS, MGR, NCF, NYT, R(FACT), SR
[6]:115

1995
Nebraska
12–0
Tom Osborne
AP, AS, B(QPRS), BR, CCR, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI, USAT/CNN
[6]:115

1996
Florida
12–1
Steve Spurrier
AP, B(QPRS), BR, CCR, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, USAT/CNN
[6]:115

Florida State
11–1
Bobby Bowden
AS
[6]:115

1997
Michigan
12–0
Lloyd Carr
AP, BR, FN, FWAA, NCF, NFF, SN
[6]:115

Nebraska
13–0
Tom Osborne
A&H, AS, B(QPRS), BR, CCR, DeS, DuS, ERS, MGR, NCF, NYT, R(FACT), SR, USAT/ESPN
[6]:115

1998
Ohio State
11–1
John Cooper
SRb
[6]:115

Tennessee
13–0
Phillip Fulmer
A&H, AP, AS, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, USAT/ESPN
[6]:115

1999
Florida State
12–0
Bobby Bowden
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MCFR, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, USAT/ESPN
[6]:115

2000
Miami (FL)
11–1
Butch Davis
NYT
[6]:115

Oklahoma
13–0
Bob Stoops
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MCFR, MGR, NCF, NFF, R(FACT), SN, SR, USAT/ESPN
[6]:115

2001
Miami (FL)
12–0
Larry Coker
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, CM, DeS, DuS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MCFR, MGR, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, USAT/ESPN, W
[6]:115

2002
Ohio State
14–0
Jim Tressel
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, CM, DeS, ERS, FN, FWAA, MCFR, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, USAT/ESPN, W
[6]:115

USC
11–2
Pete Carroll
DuS, MGR, SR
[6]:115

2003
LSU
13–1
Nick Saban
A&H, BCS, BR, CM, DeS, DuS, MCFR, NFF, R(FACT), SR, USAT/ESPN, W
[6]:115

Oklahoma
12–2
Bob Stoops
B(QPRS)
[6]:115

USC
12–1
Pete Carroll
AP, CCR, ERS, FWAA, MGR, NYT, SN
[6]:115

2004
USCc
11–0d
Pete Carroll
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BR, CCR, CM, DeS, DuS, ERS, MCFR, MGR, NFF, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR, W
Vacated:c BCS, FWAA, USAT/ESPN
[6]:115

2005
Texas
13–0
Mack Brown
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, CM, DeS, DuS, ERS, FWAA, MCFR, MGR, NFF, R(FACT), SN, SR, USAT, W
[6]:115

2006
Florida
13–1
Urban Meyer
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, CM, DuS, FWAA, MCFR, MGR, NFF, R(FACT), SN, SR, USAT, W
[6]:115

Ohio State
12–1
Jim Tressel
DeS, R(FACT)
[6]:115

2007
LSU
12–2
Les Miles
AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, CM, FWAA, MCFR, NFF, SR, USAT, W
[6]:115

Missouri
12–2
Gary Pinkel
A&H
[6]:115

USC
11–2
Pete Carroll
DuSe
[6]:115

2008
Florida
13–1
Urban Meyer
AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, CM, DuS, FWAA, NFF, SR, USAT
[6]:115

Utah
13–0
Kyle Whittingham
A&H, MCFR, W
[6]:115

2009
Alabama
14–0
Nick Saban
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CCR, CFRA, CM, DuS, FWAA, MCFR, NFF, SR, USAT, W
[6]:115

2010
Auburn
14–0
Gene Chizik
A&H, AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CFRA, CM, DuS, FWAA, MCFR, NFF, SR, USAT, W
[6]:115

TCU
13–0
Gary Patterson
CCR
[6]:115

2011
Alabama
12–1
Nick Saban
AP, B(QPRS), BCS, BR, CFRA, DuS, FWAA, MCFR, NFF, SR, USAT, W
[6]:115

LSU
13–1
Les Miles
A&H, CCR
[6]:115

Oklahoma State
12–1
Mike Gundy
CM
[6]:115

2012
Alabama
13–1
Nick Saban
A&H, AP, BCS, BR, CCR, CFRA, DuS, FWAA, MCFR, NFF, SR, USAT, W
[6]:115

Notre Dame
12–1
Brian Kelly
CM
[6]:115

2013
Florida State
14–0
Jimbo Fisher
A&H, AP, BCS, BR, CCR, CFRA, CM, DuS, FWAA, MCFR, NFF, SR, USAT, W
[6]:115

2014
Ohio State
14–1
Urban Meyer
A&H, AP, BR, CCR, CFP, CFRA, CM, DuS, FWAA/NFF, MCFR, SR, USAT/AMWAY, W
[6]:115

2015
Alabama
14–1
Nick Saban
A&H, AP, BR, CCR, CFP, CFRA, CM, DuS, FWAA/NFF, MCFR, SR, USAT/AMWAY, W
[6]:115

2016
Alabama
14–1
Nick Saban
CCR, CM, DuS
[6]:115

Clemson
14–1
Dabo Swinney
A&H, AP, BR, CFP, CFRA, FWAA/NFF, MCFR, SR, USAT/AMWAY, W
[6]:115

2017
Alabama
13–1
Nick Saban
A&H[18], AP[19], BR[20], CCR[21], CFP[22], CFRA[23], DuS[24], FWAA/NFF[25], MCFR[26], SR[27], USAT/AMWAY[28], W[29]

UCF
13–0
Scott Frost
CM
[30]

text:
aParke Davis' selection for 1901, as published in the 1935 Spalding's Foot Ball Guide (which he himself edited until his death), was Harvard.[31]:233
bThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Sagarin as having selected Tennessee,[6]:114 while Sagarin's official website gives Ohio State as its 1998 selection.[32]
cThe FWAA stripped USC of its 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy and vacated the selection of its national champion for 2004. The BCS also vacated USC's participation in the 2005 Orange Bowl and USC's 2004 BCS National Championship, and the AFCA Coaches' Poll Trophy was returned.[33][34]
dRecord does not count wins against UCLA, or against Oklahoma in the BCS Championship game on January 4, 2005, as they were vacated by the NCAA.[35]
eThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Dunkel as having selected LSU,[6]:114 while Dunkel's official website gives USC as its 2007 selection.[36]

text: Total championship selections from major selectors by school[edit]

text: The national title count listed below is a culmination of all championship awarded since 1869, regardless of consensus or non-consensus status, as listed in the table above according to the selectors deemed to be major as listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (minus the Harris Interactive poll, 2005–2013, that is listed but does not conduct a final poll or award a championship).[6]:107–119

text: The totals can be said to be disputed. Individual schools may claim national championships not accounted for by the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records or may not claim national championship selections that do appear in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (see National championship claims by school below). For an alternative independent view of national championship totals for each team, please see the Poll era (1936–present) selections in the tables below.

text:
School
Championships

Princeton
28

Yale
27

Alabama
22

Notre Dame
22

Oklahoma
17

USC
17

Michigan
16

Ohio State
16

Harvard
12

Nebraska
11

Pittsburgh
11

Miami (FL)
9

Minnesota
9

Texas
9

Florida State
8

LSU
8

Georgia Tech
7

Penn State
7

Tennessee
7

Georgia
6

Michigan State
6

Penn
6

Iowa
5

Army
5

Auburn
5

California
5

Cornell
5

Florida
5

Illinois
5

Washington
4

Lafayette
3

Ole Miss
3

SMU
3

TCU
3

Texas A&M
3

Arizona State
2

Arkansas
2

Chicago
2

Clemson
2

Maryland
2

Missouri
2

Oklahoma State
2

Stanford
2

BYU
1

Centre
1

Colgate
1

Colorado
1

Columbia
1

Dartmouth
1

Detroit
1

Kentucky
1

Navy
1

Purdue
1

Rutgers
1

Syracuse
1

UCF
1

UCLA
1

Utah
1

Washington & Jefferson
1

Wisconsin
1

text: National championship claims by school[edit]

text: The following is a table of known schools' claims on national championships at the highest level of play in college football. Several of these schools no longer compete at the highest level, which is currently NCAA Division I FBS, but nonetheless maintain claims to titles from when they did compete at the highest level.

text: Because there is no one governing or official body that regulates, recognizes, or awards national championships in college football, and because many independent selectors of championships exist, many of the claims by the schools listed below are shared, contradict each other, or are controversial.[5][6]:107–119 In addition, because there is no one body overseeing national championships, no standardized requirements exist in order for a school to make a claim on a national championship, as any particular institution is free to make any declaration it deems to be fit. However, all known national championship claims are for seasons in which a national championship, or share of a championship, was believed to be awarded to that particular school by at least one independent third-party selector.[37] The majority of these claims, but not all, are based on championships awarded from selectors listed as "major" in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records.[6]:107–109 Not all championships awarded by third party selectors, nor those listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records, are necessarily claimed by each school.[note 1] Therefore, these claims represent how each individual school sees their own history on the subject of national championships.

text: This table below includes only national championship claims originating from each particular school and therefore represents the point-of-view of each individual institution. Each total number of championships, and the years for which they are claimed, are documented by the particular school on its official website, in its football media guide, or in other official publications or literature (see Source). If a championship is not mentioned by a school for any particular season, regardless of whether it was awarded by a selector or listed in a third-party publication such as the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records, it is not considered to be claimed by that institution.[note 2]

text:
School
Claimed
national
championships
Seasons
Source

Princeton
28
1869, 1870, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889, 1893, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1920, 1922, 1933, 1935, 1950
[38]

Yale
27
1872, 1874, 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1927
[39][40]

Alabama
17
1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017
[41]

Michigan
11
1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997
[42]

Notre Dame
11
1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988
[43]

USC
11a
1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004
[44]

Pittsburgh
9
1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976
[45]

Ohio State
8
1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014
[46][47]

Harvard
7
1890, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1919
[48]

Minnesota
7
1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960
[49]

Oklahoma
7
1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000
[50]

Penn
7
1894, 1895, 1897, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1924
[51]

Michigan State
6
1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966
[52]

Tennessee
6
1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998
[53][54]

California
5
1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1937
[55]

Cornell
5
1915, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1939
[56]

Illinois
5
1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951
[57]

Miami (FL)
5
1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001
[58]

Nebraska
5
1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997
[59]

Georgia Tech
4
1917, 1928, 1952, 1990
[60]

Iowa
4b
1921, 1956, 1958, 1960
[61]

Texas
4
1963, 1969, 1970, 2005
[62]

Washington
4
1960, 1984, 1990, 1991
[63]

Army
3
1944, 1945, 1946
[64]

Florida
3
1996, 2006, 2008
[65]

Florida State
3
1993, 1999, 2013
[66]

Lafayette
3
1896, 1921, 1926
[67]

LSU
3
1958, 2003, 2007
[68]

Ole Miss
3
1959, 1960, 1962
[69]

SMU
3
1935, 1981, 1982
[70]

Texas A&M
3
1919, 1927, 1939
[71]

Auburn
2c
1957, 2010
[72]

Chicago
2
1905, 1913
[73]

Clemson
2
1981, 2016
[74][75]

Georgia
2d
1942, 1980
[76][77]

Penn State
2
1982, 1986
[78]

TCU
2
1935, 1938
[79]

Stanford
2
1926, 1940
[80][81]

Arkansas
1
1964
[82]

Boston College
1
1940
[83]

BYU
1
1984
[84]

Centre
1
1921
[85]

Colorado
1
1990
[86]

Dartmouth
1
1925
[87]

Kentucky
1
1950
[88]

Maryland
1
1953
[89]

Navy
1
1926
[90]

Oklahoma State
1
1945
[91][92]

Rutgers
1
1869
[93]

Syracuse
1
1959
[94]

UCF
1
2017
[95]

UCLA
1
1954
[96]

text:
aUSC's January 4, 2005 win over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game was vacated as mandated by the NCAA, its 2004 BCS National Championship vacated by the BCS, and its AFCA Coaches' Trophy returned. NCAA sanctions mandate that "any reference to the vacated results, including championships, shall be removed." USC still retains the 2004 Associated Press National Championship and has not abandoned its claim to a 2004 national championship.[97][98]
bIowa lists the awarding of the 1958 Grantland Rice National Championship in various publications, but describes championship selections from 3 other years as well in its annual media guide.
cAuburn's 1913, 1983, and 1993 (Auburn was disqualified from post-season play in 1993 and did not play in a bowl game) championships are not recognized by the school.
dGeorgia's website has multiple pages which list national championships by sport and only callout two seasons for football (1942 and 1980).[99][76][100] The Georgia football media guide contains a year-by-year results section in which five seasons (1927, 1942, 1946, 1968, 1980) have "National Champions#" headers paired with selector callouts,[77]:159–161, but also a "Championship History" page which pairs 1942 and 1980 into a "The Consensus National Champions" section and groups 1927, 1946, and 1968 together without description as national champions beyond identification of those specific selectors.[77]:192

text: Poll era (1936–present)[edit]

text: The polling system first gained widespread consistency with the introduction of the AP poll in 1936, followed by the Coaches' Poll in 1950. National championships are often popularly considered to be "consensus" when both of these polls are in agreement with their national championship selections, although other selectors exist and do make alternative selections. A more modern incarnation, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), was a consortium of college football conferences that uses a combination of various computer rankings and human polls to mathematically determine a post-season matchup between the two top teams as determined by its formula. The USA Today Coaches' Poll was contractually obligated to name the BCS champion as its national champion.

text: AP Poll[edit]

text: The AP college football poll has a long history. The news media began running their own polls of sports writers to determine who was, by popular opinion, the best football team in the country at the end of the season. One of the earliest such polls was the AP College Football Poll, first run in 1934 (compiled and organized by Charles Woodroof, former SEC Assistant Director of Media Relations, but not recognized in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records) and then continuously from 1936. Due to the long-standing historical ties between individual college football conferences and high-paying bowl games like the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl, the NCAA has never held a tournament or championship game to determine the champion of what is now the highest division, NCAA Division I, Football Bowl Subdivision (the Division I, Football Championship Subdivision and lower divisions do hold championship tournaments). As a result, the public and the media began to take the leading vote-getter in the final AP Poll as the national champion for that season.

text: While the AP Poll currently lists the Top 25 teams in the nation, from 1936 to 1961 the wire service only ranked 20 teams. And from 1962 to 1967 only 10 teams were recognized. From 1968 to 1988, the AP again resumed its Top 20 before expanding to 25 teams in 1989.

text: Until the 1968 college football season, the final AP Poll of the season was released following the end of the regular season, with the exception of the 1965 season. In 1964, Alabama was named the national champion in the final AP Poll following the completion of the regular season, but lost in the Orange Bowl to Texas, leaving Arkansas as the only undefeated, untied team after the Razorbacks defeated Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl Classic. In 1965, the AP's decision to wait to crown its champion paid off, as top-ranked Michigan State lost to UCLA in the Rose Bowl, number two Arkansas lost to LSU in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and fourth-ranked Alabama defeated third-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, vaulting the Crimson Tide to the top of the AP's final poll. Michigan State was named national champion in the final United Press International poll of coaches, which did not conduct a post-bowl poll. At the end of the 1947 season, the AP released an unofficial post-bowl poll which differed from the regular season final poll. The AP national championship had been awarded before bowl games were played.

text: Beginning in the 1968 season, a post bowl game poll was released and the AP championship reflected the bowl game results. The UPI did not follow suit with the coaches' poll until the 1974 season.[101]

text: Coaches' Poll[edit]

text: The Coaches' poll began selecting the top 20 teams on a weekly basis during the 1950–1951 college football season. It is conducted among selected members of the American Football Coaches Association. In 1990 the poll expanded to a top 25, and it has retained this format since. The Coaches' Poll took their final poll prior to the bowl games from 1950–1973, and since 1974, has taken their final poll after bowl games. The Coaches' Poll does not include teams on either NCAA or conference-sanction probation, which also differentiates it from the AP poll.[102] The poll has been released through various media outlets and with differing sponsors over its history, and thus has taken a succession of different names, including United Press (UP) from 1950 thru 1957, the United Press International (UPI) from 1958 thru 1990, USA Today/CNN from 1991 thru 1996, USA Today/ESPN from 1997 to 2004, and USA Today from 2005 to present.

text: During the era of the BCS, the Coaches' Poll was under contractual obligation to award its national championship selection to the winner of the BCS Championship Game or its predecessors—who was presented with the AFCA National Championship Trophy during a post-game presentation. The College Football Playoff is not tied to the Coaches' Poll in this manner.[103]

text: Poll era national championships by school (1936–present)[edit]

text: The following table contains the national championships that have been recognized by the final AP or Coaches' Poll. Originally both the AP and Coaches' poll champions were crowned after the regular season, but since 1968 and 1974, respectively, both polls crown their champions after the bowl games are completed. The BCS champion was automatically awarded the Coaches' Poll championship. Of the current 120+ Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, formerly Division I-A) schools, only 30 have won at least a share of a national title by the AP or Coaches' poll. Of these 30 teams, only 19 teams have won multiple titles. Of the 19 teams, only 7 have won five or more national titles: Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC, Miami (FL), Nebraska, and Ohio State. The years listed in the table below indicate a national championship selection by the AP or Coaches' Poll. The selections are noted with (AP) or (Coaches) when a national champion selection differed between the two polls for that particular season, which has occurred in twelve different seasons (including 2004, for which the coaches selection was rescinded) since the polls first came to coexist in 1950.

text:
School
Championships
Seasons

Alabama
12
1961, 1964, 1965 (AP), 1973 (Coaches), 1978 (AP), 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017

Notre Dame
8
1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973 (AP), 1977, 1988

Oklahoma
7
1950, 1955, 1956, 1974 (AP), 1975, 1985, 2000

USC
7
1962, 1967, 1972, 1974 (Coaches), 1978 (Coaches), 2003 (AP), 2004 (AP)†

Ohio State
6
1942, 1954 (AP), 1957 (Coaches), 1968, 2002, 2014

Miami (FL)
5
1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 (AP), 2001

Nebraska
5
1970 (AP), 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997 (Coaches)

Minnesota
4
1936, 1940, 1941, 1960

Texas
4
1963, 1969, 1970 (Coaches), 2005

Florida
3
1996, 2006, 2008

Florida State
3
1993, 1999, 2013

LSU
3
1958, 2003 (Coaches), 2007

Army
2
1944, 1945 (AP)

Auburn
2
1957 (AP), 2010

Clemson
2
1981, 2016

Michigan
2
1948, 1997 (AP)

Michigan State
2
1952, 1965 (Coaches)

Penn State
2
1982, 1986

Pittsburgh
2
1937, 1976

Tennessee
2
1951, 1998

BYU
1
1984

Colorado
1
1990 (AP)

Georgia
1
1980

Georgia Tech
1
1990 (Coaches)

Maryland
1
1953

Oklahoma State
1
1945 (Coaches)‡

Syracuse
1
1959

TCU
1
1938

Texas A&M
1
1939

UCLA
1
1954 (Coaches)

Washington
1
1991 (Coaches)

text:
† USC's 2004–2005 BCS National Championship was vacated by the BCS and the AFCA Coaches' Trophy returned.[104]
‡ Retroactively awarded in 2016 by AFCA Blue Ribbon Panel[15]

text: BCS championships[edit]

text: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system designed to give the top two teams in NCAA Division I-A (now known as the FBS) an opportunity to compete in a "national championship game". This championship was intended as a surrogate for a playoff system since the NCAA does not formally determine a champion in this category. It began during the 1998 season, but a number of controversial selections spurred changes to the format over the years. Prior to the 2006 season, eight teams competed in four BCS Bowls (the Orange, Sugar, Rose, and Fiesta). The BCS replaced the Bowl Alliance (in place from 1995–1997), which itself followed the Bowl Coalition (in place from 1992–1994). One of the main differences was that the Rose Bowl participated in the BCS; previously, the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions automatically played in the Rose Bowl regardless of their poll rankings. However, after the change, those teams played in the BCS National Championship Game if they finished #1 or #2 in the BCS standings.

text: The BCS formula varied over the years, with the final version relying on a combination of the Coaches' and Harris polls and an average of various computer rankings to determine relative team rankings, and to narrow the field to two teams to play in the BCS National Championship Game held after the other college bowl games. The winner of this game was crowned Coaches' Poll national champion winning the AFCA National Championship Trophy and was also awarded the MacArthur Bowl by the National Football Foundation.[13]

text: BCS National Championships by school (1998–2013)[edit]

text:
School
Championships
Seasons

Alabama
3
2009, 2011, 2012

Florida
2
2006, 2008

Florida State
2
1999, 2013

LSU
2
2003, 2007

Auburn
1
2010

Miami (FL)
1
2001

Ohio State
1
2002

Oklahoma
1
2000

Tennessee
1
1998

Texas
1
2005

USC
0*
2004*

text: *USC's victory in the 2005 Orange Bowl and subsequent 2004–05 BCS National Championship was vacated by the BCS.[97][105]

text: College Football Playoff championships[edit]

text: The College Football Playoff (CFP) was designed as a replacement for the BCS. While the NCAA still does not officially sanction the event, organizers sought to bring a playoff system similar to all other levels of NCAA football to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

text: The College Football Playoff relies on a 13-member selection committee to choose the top four teams to play in a two-round single-elimination playoff bracket. The winner of the final game is awarded the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy.

text: CFP National Championships by school (2014–present)[edit]

text:
School
Championships
Seasons

Alabama
2
2015, 2017

Clemson
1
2016

Ohio State
1
2014


document_title: Saving Mr. Banks

question_text: who is colin farrell in saving mr banks

question_tokens: who is colin farrell in saving mr banks

root

text: Saving Mr. Banks

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1961, the financially strapped author Pamela "P. L." Travers reluctantly travels from her home in London to Los Angeles to work with Walt Disney at the urging of her agent, Diarmuid Russell. Disney has pursued the film rights to her Mary Poppins stories for twenty years, having promised his daughters that he would produce a film based on them. Travers has steadfastly resisted Disney's efforts because she fears what he would do to her character. However, she has not written anything in a while and her book royalties have dwindled to nothing, so she risks losing her house. Still, Russell has to remind her that Disney has agreed to two major stipulations—no animation and unprecedented script approval—before she agrees to go.

tag: p

text: Travers' difficult childhood in Allora, Queensland, Australia, is depicted through flashbacks, and is the inspiration for much of Mary Poppins. Travers idolized her loving, imaginative father, Travers Robert Goff, but his chronic alcoholism resulted in his repeated firings, strained her parents' marriage, and caused her distressed mother to attempt suicide. Goff died at an early age from tuberculosis when Travers was seven years old.

text: In Los Angeles, Travers is irritated by what she perceives as the city's unreality and the inhabitants' intrusive friendliness, personified by her limousine driver, Ralph. At the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Travers meets the creative team that are developing Mary Poppins for the screen: screenwriter Don DaGradi, and music composers Richard and Robert Sherman. She finds their presumptions and casual manners highly improper, a view she also holds of the jocular Disney.

text: Travers' working relationship with Disney and his team is difficult from the outset, with her insistence that Mary Poppins is the enemy of sentiment and whimsy. Disney and his people are puzzled by Travers' disdain for fantasy, given the nature of the Mary Poppins story, as well as Travers' own rich imagination. She particularly objects to how the character George Banks, the estranged father of the children in Mary Poppins' charge, is depicted, insisting that he is neither cold nor cruel. Gradually, they grasp how deeply personal the Mary Poppins stories are to her and how many of the characters were inspired by her past.

text: The team realize Travers has valid criticisms and make changes, though she becomes increasingly disengaged as painful childhood memories resurface. Seeking to understand what troubles her, Disney invites Travers to Disneyland, which, along with her developing friendship with Ralph, the creative team's revisions to the George Banks character, and the addition of a new song and a different ending, help dissolve Travers' opposition. Her creativity reawakens, and she begins working with the team; however, when Travers discovers that there is to be an animation sequence, she confronts Disney over his broken promise and returns home.

text: Disney learns that Travers is actually her pen name, taken from her father's given name. Her real name is Helen Goff, and she's actually Australian, not British. This gives Disney new insight into Travers, and he follows her to London. Arriving unexpectedly at her door, Disney tells her that he also had a less-than-ideal childhood, but stresses the healing value of his art. He urges Travers to not let deeply-rooted past disappointments dictate the present. Travers relents and grants Disney the film rights.

text: Three years later, in 1964, Mary Poppins is to have its world premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Disney has not invited Travers, fearing how she might react with the press watching. Prompted by Russell, Travers shows up unannounced at Disney's office; he reluctantly issues her an invitation. Initially, she watches Mary Poppins with a lack of enthusiasm, particularly during the animated sequences. She gradually warms to the rest of the film, however, becoming deeply moved by the depiction of George Banks' personal crisis and redemption.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Emma Thompson as Pamela "P. L." Travers, birth name Helen Goff.

Annie Rose Buckley as seven-year-old Helen, also referred to as "Ginty"

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney
Colin Farrell as Travers Robert Goff, Helen's father
Ruth Wilson as Margaret Goff, Helen's mother
Paul Giamatti as Ralph, Travers' chauffeur
Bradley Whitford as Don DaGradi, co-writer of the screenplay for Mary Poppins
Jason Schwartzman as Richard M. Sherman, composer and lyricist
B. J. Novak as Robert B. Sherman, composer and lyricist who co-wrote the film's songs with his brother Richard
Kathy Baker as Tommie, Disney's executive assistant
Melanie Paxson as Dolly, Disney's secretary
Rachel Griffiths as Ellie, Helen's aunt, who serves as the model for Mary Poppins
Ronan Vibert as Diarmuid Russell
Kristopher Kyer as Dick Van Dyke
Victoria Summer as Julie Andrews

tag: ul

text: Credits adapted from The New York Times.[8]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: In 2002, Australian producer Ian Collie produced a documentary film on P. L. Travers titled The Shadow of "Mary Poppins". During the documentary's production, Collie noticed that there was "an obvious biopic there" and convinced Essential Media and Entertainment to develop a feature film with Sue Smith writing the screenplay.[9] The project attracted the attention of BBC Films, which decided to finance the project, and Ruby Films' Alison Owen, who subsequently hired Kelly Marcel to co-write the screenplay with Smith.[10] Marcel's drafts removed a subplot involving Travers and her son, and divided the story into a two-part narrative: the creative conflict between Travers and Walt Disney, and her dealings with her childhood issues, describing it as "a story about the pain of a little girl who suffered, and the grown woman who allowed herself to let go".[11] Marcel's version, however, featured certain intellectual property rights of music and imagery which would be impossible to use without permission from The Walt Disney Company. "There was always that elephant in the room, which is Disney," Collie recalled. "We knew Walt Disney was a key character in the film and we wanted to use quite a bit of the music. We knew we'd eventually have to show Disney." In early 2010, Robert B. Sherman provided producer Alison Owen with an advance copy of a salient chapter from his then upcoming book release, Moose: Chapters From My Life. The chapter entitled, "'Tween Pavement and Stars" contained characterizations and anecdotes which proved seminal to Marcel's script rewrite, in particular, the anecdote about there not being the color red in London.[12][13] In July 2011, while attending the Ischia Film Festival, Owen met with Corky Hale, who offered to present the screenplay to Richard M. Sherman.[14] Sherman read the screenplay and gave the producers his support.[14] Later that year, Marcel and Smith's screenplay was listed in Franklin Leonard's The Black List, voted by producers as one of the best screenplays that were not in production.[15]

text: In November 2011, Walt Disney Pictures' president of production, Sean Bailey, was informed by executive Tendo Nagenda of Marcel's existing script.[2][16] Realizing that the screenplay included a depiction of the studio's namesake, Bailey conferred with Disney CEO Bob Iger[17] and Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn, the latter of whom referred to the film as a "brand deposit,"[18] a term adopted from Steve Jobs.[19] Together, the executives discussed the studio's potential choices; purchase the script and shut the project down, put the film in turnaround, or co-produce the film themselves. With executive approval, the studio acquired the screenplay in February 2012 and joined the production with Owen, Collie and Philip Steuer as producers, and Christine Langan, Troy Lum, Andrew Mason, and Paul Trijbits serving as executive producers.[5] John Lee Hancock was hired to direct the film later that same month.[20]

text: Iger subsequently contacted Tom Hanks to consider playing the role of Walt Disney, which would become the first-ever depiction of Disney in a mainstream film.[2] Hanks accepted the role, viewing it as "an opportunity to play somebody as world-shifting as Picasso or Chaplin".[21] Hanks made several visits to the Walt Disney Family Museum and interviewed some of Disney's former employees and family relatives, including his daughter Diane Disney Miller.[22][23] The film was subsequently dedicated to Disney Miller, who died shortly before it was released.[24] In April 2012, Emma Thompson entered final negotiations to star as P. L. Travers, after the studio was unable to secure Meryl Streep for the part.[25] Thompson said that the role was the most difficult one that she has played, describing Travers as "a woman of quite eye-watering complexity and contradiction."[26] "She wrote a very good essay on sadness, because she was, in fact, a very sad woman. She'd had a very rough childhood, the alcoholism of her father being part of it and the attempted suicide of her mother being another part of it. I think that she spent her whole life in a state of fundamental inconsolability and hence got a lot done."[27] Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, B. J. Novak, and Ruth Wilson were cast in July 2012.[28][29][30][31]

text:
"I thought the script was a fair portrayal of Walt as a mogul but also as an artist and a human being. But I still had concerns that it could be whittled away. I don't think this script could have been developed within the walls of Disney—it had to be developed outside...I'm not going to say there weren't discussions, but the movie we ended up with is the one that was on the page."

— John Lee Hancock on his initial thoughts of Disney's involvement[14]

tag: div

text: With Disney's backing, the production team was given access to 36 hours of Travers' audio recordings of herself, the Shermans, and co-writer Don DaGradi that were produced during the development of Mary Poppins,[32] in addition to letters written between Disney and Travers from the 1940s through the 1960s.[9][14] Richard M. Sherman also worked on the film as a music supervisor and shared his side of his experiences working with Travers on Mary Poppins.[32] Initially, Hancock had reservations about Disney's involvement with the film, believing that the studio would edit the screenplay in their co-founder's favor.[33] However, Marcel admitted that the studio "specifically didn't want to come in and sanitize it or change Walt in any way."[9] Hancock elaborated, "I was still worried that they might want to chip away at Walt a little bit...I thought the portrayal of Walt was fair and human so I came in and they said, ‘No, we like it.’ But still, every step of the way, I had my fist balled up behind my back ready to fight in case it happened, but it didn’t."[34] Although the filmmakers did not receive any creative interference from Disney regarding Walt Disney's depiction, the studio did request that they omit any onscreen inhalation of cigarettes[35] due to the company's policy of not directly depicting smoking in films released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner, and to avoid receiving an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.[36][37] Instead, Disney is shown extinguishing a lit cigarette in one scene, and his notorious smoker's cough is heard off-screen several times throughout the film.[36]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Principal photography began in September 2012 in Los Angeles.[38] Although some scenes were originally planned to be shot in Queensland, Australia,[39] all filming, except for two establishing shots in London, took place in the Southern California area, including the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights, Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino, Courthouse Square at Universal Studios, and the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.[38][40] The largest set built for the film was the interior of the Walt Disney Studios' Animation Building, which production designer Michael Corenblith referred to as "a character in the story".[41] The exterior of the Beverly Hills Hotel and Disney's personal office were also recreated, with the Langham Huntington in Pasadena acting as an interior double for the Beverly Hills Hotel.[38] To ensure authenticity, Corenblith used photographs and a furniture display from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as references for Disney's office; the set was also adorned with Disney's personal Academy Awards loaned from a Walt Disney World Resort exhibit.[14][40][42] For the Disneyland sequences, scenes were shot during the early morning with certain areas cordoned off during the park's operation, including the park's entrance courtyard, Main Street U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle, Fantasyland, and the King Arthur Carrousel attraction.[43] Extra roles were filled by Disneyland Resort cast members.[44] In order for the park to be portrayed accurately in the story's time period, Corenblith had the Main Street storefronts redressed to reflect their 1961 appearance; post-1961 attractions were kept obstructed so they would not show up on camera.[38][45] To recreate the original film's premiere at the Chinese Theatre, set designers closed Hollywood Boulevard and recreated the street and theater to resemble their 1964 appearances.[42] After scheduled filming in Australia had been scrapped, cinematographer John Schwartzman compared the landscape of Queensland with that of rural Southern California, and realized that both had similar traits in natural lighting.[41]

text:
"I was immediately dry-mouthed by the prospect. It’s just the hardest work that is to be done. There’s a billion hours of video, of Walt performing as Walt Disney, being a great guy. But I found enough actual footage of him in interviews when he'd really like to be done with the subject...When I could find him showing any legitimate kind of consternation, that was worth its weight in gold."

— Tom Hanks in regards to portraying Disney.[46]

text: Emma Thompson prepared for her role by studying Travers' own recordings conducted during the development of Mary Poppins, and also styled her natural hair after Travers', due to the actress's disdain for wigs.[47] To accurately convey Walt Disney's midwestern dialect, Tom Hanks listened to archival recordings of Disney and practiced the voice while reading newspapers.[48] Hanks also grew his own mustache for the role, which underwent heavy scrutiny, with the filmmakers going so far as to match the dimensions of Hanks' mustache to that of Disney's.[49] Jason Schwartzman and B. J. Novak worked closely with Richard M. Sherman during pre-production and filming. Sherman described the actors as "perfect talents" for their roles as himself and his brother, Robert.[50] Costume designer Daniel Orlandi had Thompson wear authentic jewelry borrowed from the Walt Disney Family Museum,[51] and ensured that Hanks' wardrobe included the Smoke Tree Ranch emblem from the Palm Springs property embroidered on his neckties, which Disney always wore.[52] The design department also had to recreate several of the costumed Disney characters as they appeared in the 1960s.[53] Filming lasted nine weeks and was completed on November 22, 2012.[38][54] Walt Disney Animation Studios reproduced an animation of Tinker Bell for the scene that recreates an opening segment from an episode of Walt Disney Presents.[38]

text: Music[edit]

text: Thomas Newman composed the film's original score.[55] In regards to incorporating his own musical style to the film's period setting, Newman stated that "there was room for a real tune-based score here that could reflect the basic joy in that kind of writing that the Sherman Brothers brought to Mary Poppins.[56] Newman, however, refrained from creating an "adaptation score" of the Shermans' music from the original film.[56][57] Newman's process of scoring the film included playing themes to filmed scenes, so that he could "listen to what the music does to an image",[58] and not wanting to "clutter the proceedings with music."[59] The flashback sequences to Travers' childhood provided the most work for Newman.[60] He explains that, "You had to turn on a dime to make the transition back to the 'present,' when Travers and the Sherman brothers are working on the script for Mary Poppins. And that was fun, but also musically challenging.” For the score's instrumentation, Newman primarily employed a string orchestra with some woodwinds and brass, as well as including piano and hammered instruments that were "appropriate to the time period", such as dulcimers.[60] The film's score was recorded at the Newman Scoring Stage in Los Angeles, while the cast recorded several of the Shermans' songs at Capitol Studios for use as playback during the film's diegetic music scenes, including "Chim Chim Cher-ee", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", "A Spoonful of Sugar", "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank", "Feed the Birds", and "Let's Go Fly a Kite".[40] Walt Disney Records released two editions of the soundtrack on December 10, 2013: a single-disc and a two-disc digipak deluxe edition, containing original demo recordings by the Shermans and selected songs from Mary Poppins.[61]

text: Historical accuracy[edit]

text: Saving Mr. Banks depicts several events that differ from recorded accounts.[62] The premise of the script—that Walt Disney had to convince P.L. Travers to hand over the film rights, including the scene when he finally persuades her—is fictionalized, as Disney had already secured the film rights (subject to Travers' approval of the script) when Travers arrived to consult with the Disney staff.[62][63][64] Disney, in fact, left Burbank to vacation in Palm Springs a few days into Travers' visit and was not present at the studio when several of the film's scenes depicting him to be present actually took place.[32] Therefore, many of the dialogue scenes between Travers and Disney are adapted from letters, telegrams, and telephone correspondence between the two.[32] Although Travers was assigned a limousine driver,[32] the character of Ralph is fictionalized and intended to be an amalgamation of the studio's drivers.[65] In real life, Disney story editor Bill Dover was assigned as Travers' guide and companion during her time in Los Angeles.[32]

text: The film also depicts Travers coming to amicable terms with Disney, implying her approval of his changes to the story.[66] In reality, she never approved of softening the harsher aspects of Mary Poppins' character, remained ambivalent about the music, and never came around to the use of animation.[67][68] Disney overruled her objections to portions of the final film, citing contract stipulations that he had final cut privilege. Travers had initially not been invited to the film's premiere, until she "embarrassed" a Disney executive into extending her an invitation; this is depicted in the film as coaxing Disney himself. After the premiere, she reportedly approached Disney and told him that the animated sequences had to be removed. Disney dismissed her request, saying, "Pamela, the ship has sailed."[69]

text: Although the film portrays Travers as being emotionally moved during the premiere of Mary Poppins[69]—overlaid with images of her childhood, which is implied to be attributed to her feelings about her father—co-screenwriter Kelly Marcel and several critics note that in real life, Travers' show of emotion was actually a result of anger and frustration over the final product.[32][69][70] Reportedly, Travers felt that in the end, the film betrayed the artistic integrity of her work and story's characters.[71] Resentful over what she considered poor treatment at the hands of Walt Disney, Travers vowed to never permit Disney to adapt her other novels for any purpose.[72] Travers' last will bans all American adaptation of her works to any form of media.[32] According to the Chicago Tribune, Disney was "indulging in a little revisionist history with an upbeat spin", adding, "the truth was always complicated" and that Travers subsequently viewed the film multiple times.[73]

text: English writer Brian Sibley found Travers still gun-shy from her experiences with Disney when he was hired in the 1980s to write a possible Mary Poppins sequel. Sibley reported that Travers told him, "I could only agree if I could do it on my own terms. I'd have to work with someone I trust." Regardless, while watching the original film together—the first time Travers had seen it since the premiere—she became excited at times and thought certain aspects were excellent, while others were unappealing.[74] The sequel never went to production, and when approached to do a stage adaptation in the 1990s, she only acquiesced on the condition that English-born writers and no one from the film production were to be directly involved with the musical's development.[75]

text: The film also depicts Travers' Aunt Ellie (her mother's sister), who comes to help the family when her father becomes terminally ill, as Travers' model for Mary Poppins, with her even using several of Poppins' catchphrases from the film. In fact, Travers identified her great aunt Helen Morehead (her mother's aunt), as the model for Poppins.[76][77]

text: Release[edit]

text: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures released a trailer for the film on July 10, 2013.[78] Saving Mr. Banks held its world premiere at the London Film Festival on October 20, 2013.[79][80][81] On November 7, 2013, Walt Disney Pictures held the film's U.S. premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre during the opening night of the 2013 AFI Film Festival,[82][83] the same location where Mary Poppins premiered.[84] The original film was also screened for its 50th anniversary.[85]

text: Saving Mr. Banks also served as the Gala Presentation at the 2013 Napa Valley Film Festival on November 13,[86] and was screened at the AARP Film Festival in Los Angeles on November 17,[17] as Disney heavily campaigned Saving Mr. Banks for Academy Awards consideration.[17] On December 9, 2013, the film was given an exclusive corporate premiere in the Main Theater of the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank.[87] The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 13, 2013, and in general theatrical release on December 20.[88]

text: Saving Mr. Banks grossed $83.3 million in North America and $34.6 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $117.9 million, against a budget of $35 million.[3] The film grossed $9.3 million in its opening weekend in the United States, finishing 5th at the box office behind The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ($31.5 million), Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues ($26.2 million), Frozen ($19.6 million), and American Hustle ($19.1 million).[89]

text: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Saving Mr. Banks on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on March 18, 2014.[90] The film debuted at No. 2 in Blu-ray and DVD sales in the United States according to Nielsen's sales chart.[91] The home media release included three deleted scenes that were cut from the film.[92]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Saving Mr. Banks received positive reviews from film critics, with major praise directed to the acting; particularly Thompson, Hanks, and Farrell's performances.[17] On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 78% based on 241 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Aggressively likable and sentimental to a fault, Saving Mr. Banks pays tribute to the Disney legacy with excellent performances and sweet, high-spirited charm."[93] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[94]

text: Leslie Felprin of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as an "affecting if somewhat soft-soaped comedy drama, elevated by excellent performances." The Reporter wrote that "Emma Thompson takes charge of the central role of P. L. Travers with an authority that makes you wonder how anybody else could ever have been considered."[95] Scott Foundas of Variety wrote that the film "has all the makings of an irresistible backstage tale, and it's been brought to the screen with a surplus of old-fashioned Disney showmanship...", and that Tom Hanks's portrayal captured Walt Disney's "folksy charisma and canny powers of persuasion — at once father, confessor and the shrewdest of businessmen." Overall, he praised the film as "very rich in its sense of creative people and their spirit of self-reinvention."[96]

text: The Washington Post's Ann Hornaday rated the film three out of four stars, writing: "Saving Mr. Banks doesn't always straddle its stories and time periods with the utmost grace. But the film — which John Lee Hancock directed from a script by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith — more than makes up for its occasionally unwieldy structure in telling a fascinating and ultimately deeply affecting story, along the way giving viewers tantalizing glimpses of the beloved 1964 movie musical, in both its creation and final form."[97] The New York Times' A. O. Scott gave a positive review, declaring the film as "an embellished, tidied-up but nonetheless reasonably authentic glimpse of the Disney entertainment machine at work."[98]

text: Mark Kermode writing for The Observer awarded the film four out of five stars, lauding Thompson's performance as "impeccable", elaborating that "Thompson dances her way through Travers' conflicting emotions, giving us a fully rounded portrait of a person who is hard to like but impossible not to love."[99] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune felt similarly, writing: "Thompson's the show. Each withering put-down, every jaundiced utterance, lands with a little ping." In regard to the screenplay, he wrote that "screenwriters Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith treat everyone gently and with the utmost respect."[100] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also gave the film three out of four stars and equally commended the performances of the cast.[101]

text: Alonso Duralde of TheWrap described the film as a "whimsical, moving and occasionally insightful tale ... director John Lee Hancock luxuriates in the period detail of early-’60s Disney-ana".[102] Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B+" grade, explaining that "the trick here is how perfectly Thompson and Hanks portray the gradual thaw in their characters' frosty alliance, empathizing with each other's equally miserable upbringings in a beautiful three-hankie scene late in the film."[103] Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times wrote that the film "does not strictly hew to the historical record where the eventual resolution of this conflict is concerned," but admitted that it "is easy to accept this fictionalizing as part of the price to be paid for Thompson's engaging performance."[104]

text: David Gritten of The Daily Telegraph described the confrontational interaction between Thompson and Hanks as "terrific", singling out Thompson's "bravura performance", and calling the film itself "smart, witty entertainment".[105] Kate Muir of The Times spoke highly of Thompson and Hanks's performances.[106] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal, however, considered Colin Farrell to be the film's "standout performance".[107] IndieWire's Ashley Clark wrote that the film "is witty, well-crafted and well-performed mainstream entertainment which, perhaps unavoidably, cleaves to a well-worn Disney template stating that all problems—however psychologically deep-rooted—can be overcome."[108] Another staff writer labeled Thompson's performance as her best since Sense and Sensibility, and stated that "she makes the Australian-born British transplant a curmudgeonly delight."[109] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian enjoyed Hanks' role as Disney, suggesting that, despite its brevity, the film would have been largely "bland" without it.[110]

text: The film did receive some criticism. Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent gave the film a mixed review, writing: "On the one hand, Saving Mr. Banks (which was developed by BBC Films and has a British producer) is a probing, insightful character study with a very dark undertow. On the other, it is a cheery, upbeat marketing exercise in which the Disney organization is re-promoting one of its most popular film characters."[111] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle concluded that if the film ""were 100 percent false and yet felt true, that would be fine. But this has the self-conscious whiff, if not of mendacity, then of public relations."[112] Lou Lumenick of The New York Post criticized the accuracy of the film's events, concluding that "Saving Mr. Banks is ultimately much less about magic than making the sale, in more ways than one."[113] American history lecturer John Wills praised the film's attention to detail, such as the inclusion of Travers' original recordings, but doubted that the interpersonal relations between Travers and Disney were as amicable as portrayed in the film.[114] Landon Palmer of Film School Rejects also described several moments where the film had a "shrewd consumption of [the company's] own criticisms", only to later negate them and Disney-fy Travers as a character.[71]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: Saving Mr. Banks was nominated for several awards and earned accolades from various organizations, critics' groups and circles, particularly in recognition of Emma Thompson. The film received five nominations at the 67th British Academy Film Awards, including Best British Film, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, Best Film Music, and Best Costume Design.[115]

text: The film received a Best Original Score nomination at the 86th Academy Awards, where—despite not earning a nomination—the film was widely considered by pundits to be a front-runner for Best Picture and Best Actress.[116][117][118][119][120] The film also received single nominations at the 71st Golden Globe Awards and 20th Screen Actors Guild Awards, where Thompson was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, respectively.[121][122] Additionally, Thompson won both the Empire Award for Best Actress and the National Board of Review Award for Best Actress for her performance, while the film itself was selected by the National Board of Review as one of the year's top 10 films.[123][124] Saving Mr. Banks was named by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2013.[125]