College Football National Championship Champions List: History, Past Winners by Year Since 1999.

— Notre Dame became the latest team to find out what the rest of Ohio State’s opponents learned during this newly expanded College Football Playoff: It’s amazing what one can sometimes accomplish when angry, isn’t it?

In the first year of the College Football Playoff expanding from four to 12 teams, the ultimate winner is Ohio State. The Buckeyes, seeded No. 8 after a late-season stunning loss at home to Michigan, dominated during the playoffs, winning the national championship game against No. 7 seed Notre Dame 34-23 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Notre Dame loss means college football still has never had a Black coach win the national title. Freeman was trying to become the first.

Instead, another kind of history. This marked the first time the Big Ten has taken back-to-back titles since 1942. Last year’s champion was Michigan, which was sitting home watching this one, but still played a special role in a Buckeyes redemption story hardly anyone saw coming.

List of College Football Championship Winners by Year, 1999-2025

College Football Championship

This year in 2025 will be the 11th edition of the CFP title game — and the last of the four-team era before expansion to 12 teams. Alabama had three titles, Ohio State and Georgia has won the two titles each.

Jan. 20, 2025 — College Football Championship: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23

Mon, Jan. 8, 2024 — CFP National Championship — Michigan 34, Washington, 14

Jan. 9, 2023 — College Football Championship: Georgia 65, TCU 7

Jan. 10, 2022 — College Football Championship: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Jan. 11, 2021 — College Football Championship: Alabama 52, Ohio St. 24

Jan. 13, 2020 — College Football Championship: LSU 42, Clemson 25

Jan. 7, 2019 — College Football Championship: Clemson 44, Alabama 16

Jan. 8, 2018 — College Football Championship: Alabama 26, Georgia 23, OT

Jan. 9, 2017 — College Football Championship: Clemson 35, Alabama 31

Jan. 11, 2016 — College Football Championship: Alabama 45, Clemson 40

Jan. 12, 2015 — College Football Championship: Ohio St. 42, Oregon 20

BCS National Championship

Jan. 6, 2014 — BCS National Championship: Florida St. 34, Auburn 31

Jan. 7, 2013 — BCS National Championship: Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14

Jan. 9, 2012 — BCS National Championship: Alabama 21, LSU 0

Jan. 10, 2011 — BCS National Championship: Auburn 22, Oregon 19

Jan. 7, 2010 — BCS National Championship: Alabama 37, Texas 21

Jan. 8, 2009 — BCS National Championship: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

Jan. 7, 2008 — BCS National Championship: LSU 38, Ohio State 24

Jan. 8, 2007 — BCS National Championship: Florida 41, Ohio State 14

BCS Championship

Jan. 4, 2006 BCS Championship: Rose Bowl — Texas 41, Southern Cal-x 38

Jan. 1, 2005 BCS Championship: Orange Bowl — Southern Cal-x 55, Oklahoma 19

Jan. 4, 2004 BCS Championship: Sugar Bowl — LSU 21, Oklahoma 14

Jan. 3, 2003 BCS Championship: Fiesta Bowl — Ohio St. 31, Miami 24, 2OT

Jan. 3, 2002 BCS Championship: Rose Bowl — Miami 37, Nebraska 14

Jan. 3, 2001 BCS Championship: Orange Bowl — Oklahoma 13, Florida St. 2

Jan. 4, 2000 BCS Championship: Sugar Bowl — Florida St. 46, Virginia Tech 29

Jan. 4, 1999 BCS Championship: Fiesta Bowl — Tennessee 23, Florida St. 16

x-participation vacated

Who has won the most College National Championships?

Going all the way back to the first recorded champions in 1869 shows just how closely contested this fixture has been over the past 154 years.

Yale lead the way with 18 titles, while Alabama have closed the gap - with five victories in 12 years - to bring their tally up to 16. Princeton, the very first champions of U.S college football, are third with 15.

Michigan have the most victories in college football but are some way behind when it comes to titles, with nine pieces of silverware in their trophy cabinet - many of which predated the Second World War.

With CFP only, it is easy to see where Georgia, Clemson and Alabama have dominated. At the very least this year, there will be a new name carved into the trophy as neither Michigan nor Washington have won it in the CFP era.