The following charts show the National Champion and where it was picked in the Preseason Poll.
Six times since 1950 the National Champion was not ranked in the Preseason
(in 1958, 1960, 1962, 1981, 1983, and 1984)!
The charts are divided according to the number of teams picked in the Preseason Poll.
|
Year
|
National Champion
|
Preseason Rank
(Out of 20)
|
|
1950
|
Oklahoma
|
6
|
|
1951
|
Tennessee
|
1
|
|
1952
|
Michigan State
|
1
|
|
1953
|
Maryland
|
9
|
|
1954
|
Ohio State
|
20
|
|
1955
|
Oklahoma
|
2
|
|
1956
|
Oklahoma
|
1
|
|
1957
|
Auburn
|
15
|
|
1958
|
LSU
|
NR
|
|
1959
|
Syracuse
|
20
|
|
1960
|
Minnesota
|
NR
|
|
Year
|
National Champion
|
Preseason Rank
(Out of 10)
|
|
1961
|
Alabama
|
3
|
|
1962
|
USC
|
NR
|
|
1963
|
Texas
|
5
|
|
1964
|
Alabama
|
6
|
|
1965
|
Alabama
|
5
|
|
1966
|
Notre Dame
|
6
|
|
1967
|
USC
|
7
|
|
Year
|
National Champion
|
Preseason Rank
(Out of 20)
|
|
1968
|
Ohio State
|
11
|
|
1969
|
Texas
|
4
|
|
1970
|
Nebraska
|
9
|
|
1971
|
Nebraska
|
2
|
|
1972
|
USC
|
8
|
|
1973
|
Notre Dame
|
8
|
|
1974
|
Oklahoma
|
1
|
|
1975
|
Oklahoma
|
1
|
|
1976
|
Pittsburgh
|
9
|
|
1977
|
Notre Dame
|
3
|
|
1978
|
Alabama
|
1
|
|
1979
|
Alabama
|
2
|
|
1980
|
Georgia
|
16
|
|
1981
|
Clemson
|
NR
|
|
1982
|
Penn State
|
8
|
|
1983
|
Miami
|
NR
|
|
1984
|
BYU
|
NR
|
|
1985
|
Oklahoma
|
1
|
|
1986
|
Penn State
|
6
|
|
1987
|
Miami
|
10
|
|
1988
|
Notre Dame
|
13
|
|
Year
|
National Champion
|
Preseason Rank
(Out of 25)
|
|
1989
|
Miami
|
4
|
|
1990
|
Colorado
|
5
|
|
1991
|
Miami
|
3
|
|
1992
|
Alabama
|
9
|
|
1993
|
Florida State
|
1
|
|
1994
|
Nebraska
|
4
|
|
1995
|
Nebraska
|
2
|
|
1996
|
Florida
|
4
|
|
1997
|
Michigan
|
14
|
|
1998
|
Tennessee
|
10
|
|
1999
|
Florida State
|
1
|
|
2000
|
Oklahoma
|
19
|
|
2001
|
Miami
|
2
|
|
2002
|
Ohio State
|
13
|
|
2003
|
USC
|
8
|
|
2004
|
USC
|
1
|
|
2005
|
Texas
|
2
|
|
2006
|
Florida
|
7
|
|
2007
|
LSU
|
2
|
|
2008
|
Florida
|
5
|
|
2009
|
Alabama
|
5
|
|
2010
|
Auburn
|
22
|
|
2011
|
Alabama
|
2
|
|
2012
|
Alabama
|
2
|
|
2013
|
Florida State
|
10
|
|
2014
|
Ohio State
|
5
|
|
2015
|
Alabama
|
3
|
|
2016
|
Clemson
|
2
|
|
2017
|
Alabama
|
1
|
|
2018
|
Clemson
|
2
|
|
2019
|
LSU
|
6
|
|
2020
|
Alabama
|
3
|
|
2021
|
Georgia
|
4
|
|
2022
|
Georgia
|
3
|
|
2023
|
Michigan
|
2
|
|