1986 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

1986 Penn State Nittany Lions football
1986 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Consensus national champion; Fiesta Bowl champion; Eastern champion
Fiesta Bowl, W 14–10 vs. Miami (FL)
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 1
AP	No. 1
Record	12–0
Head coach	Joe Paterno (21st season);
Offensive coordinator	Fran Ganter (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Jerry Sandusky (10th season)
Base defense	4–3
Captains	Shane Conlan; John Shaffer; Steve Smith; Bob White;
Home stadium	Beaver Stadium
	Seasons ← 1985 1987 →

1986 Major eastern college football independents records
v t e	Conf.					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 1 Penn State $	6	–	0	–	0	12	–	0	–	0
No. 19 Boston College	3	–	2	–	0	9	–	3	–	0
Syracuse	3	–	3	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Temple	2	–	3	–	0	6	–	5	–	0
Pittsburgh	2	–	3	–	0	5	–	5	–	1
Rutgers	2	–	4	–	0	5	–	5	–	1
West Virginia	1	–	4	–	0	4	–	7	–	0

$ – Lambert Trophy Winner Rankings from AP Poll

1986 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
v t e	Conf.					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 1 Penn State		–		–		12	–	0	–	0
No. 2 Miami (FL)		–		–		11	–	1	–	0
No. 20 Virginia Tech		–		–		9	–	2	–	1
No. 19 Boston College		–		–		9	–	3	–	0
Tulsa		–		–		7	–	4	–	0
Florida State		–		–		7	–	4	–	1
Army		–		–		6	–	5	–	0
Southwestern Louisiana		–		–		6	–	5	–	0
Southern Miss		–		–		6	–	5	–	0
Temple		–		–		6	–	5	–	0
Pittsburgh		–		–		5	–	5	–	1
Rutgers		–		–		5	–	5	–	1
Cincinnati		–		–		5	–	6	–	0
Notre Dame		–		–		5	–	6	–	0
Syracuse		–		–		5	–	6	–	0
South Carolina		–		–		3	–	6	–	2
Tulane		–		–		4	–	7	–	0
West Virginia		–		–		4	–	7	–	0
Louisville		–		–		3	–	8	–	0
Navy		–		–		3	–	8	–	0
Wichita State		–		–		3	–	8	–	0
East Carolina		–		–		2	–	9	–	0
Northern Illinois		–		–		2	–	9	–	0
Memphis State		–		–		1	–	10	–	0

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University as an independent during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 21st-year head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions compiled a record of 12–0. Penn State defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 14–10, in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl to win Paterno's second consensus national championship. The team was named national champion by AP, Billingsley, FB News, FW, Matthews, NCF, NFF, Sporting News, UPI, and USA/CNN, while named co-champion by FACT, Sagarin (ELO-Chess).^[1]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	7:00 p.m.	Temple	No. 6	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	TCS	W 45–15	85,732	^[2]
September 20	7:00 p.m.	at Boston College	No. 5	Sullivan Stadium Foxborough, MA	ESPN	W 26–14	42,329	^[3]
September 27	1:30 p.m.	East Carolina	No. 7	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	TCS	W 42–17	84,774	^[4]
October 4	12:20 p.m.	Rutgers	No. 5	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	TCS	W 31–6	84,000	^[5]
October 11	12:20 p.m.	Cincinnati	No. 5	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	TCS	W 23–17	84,812	^[6]
October 18	1:30 p.m.	Syracuse	No. 6	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	TCS	W 42–3	85,512	^[7]
October 25	3:30 p.m.	at No. 2 Alabama	No. 6	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)	ABC	W 23–3	60,210	^[8]
November 1	7:30 p.m.	at West Virginia	No. 2	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (rivalry)	ESPN	W 19–0	59,184	^[9]
November 8	1:00 p.m.	Maryland	No. 2	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	TCS	W 17–15	85,561	^[10]
November 15	3:30 p.m.	at Notre Dame	No. 3	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	ABC	W 24–19	59,075	^[11]
November 22	12:20 p.m.	Pittsburgh	No. 2	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	TCS	W 34–14	55,338	^[12]
January 2, 1987	8:00 p.m.	vs. No. 1 Miami (FL)	No. 2	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ (Fiesta Bowl)	NBC	W 14–10	73,098	^[13]
Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Rankings

AP poll

Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Final
6	5	5	7	5	5	6	6	2	2	3	2	2	2	1

UPI Poll

Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Final
5	5	6	6	5	4	5	5	3	2	3	2	2	2	1

Game summaries

Temple

Temple vs. Penn State – Game summary (first night game in Beaver Stadium History)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Temple	0	6	0	9	15
#6 Penn State	21	3	14	7	45

at Beaver Stadium

Date: September 6
Game time: 7:00 PM EDT
Game attendance: 85,732
TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno

Game information

First Quarter

PSU –
PSU –
PSU –

Second Quarter

PSU –
TU –
TU –

Third Quarter

PSU –
PSU –

Fourth Quarter

TU –
PSU –
TU –

Top passers

TU –
PSU –

Top rushers

TU –
PSU –

Top receivers

TU –
PSU –

Top defenders

TU –
PSU –

Boston College

Penn State vs. Boston College – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
#5 Penn State	9	3	7	7	26
Boston College	0	0	7	7	14

at Sullivan Stadium

Date: September 20
Game time: 7:00 PM EDT
Game attendance: 42,329
TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Kevin Kiley, Tim Brando

Game information

First Quarter

PSU –
PSU –

Second Quarter

PSU –

Third Quarter

BC –
PSU –

Fourth Quarter

PSU –
BC –

Top passers

PSU –
BC –

Top rushers

PSU –
BC –

Top receivers

PSU –
BC –

Top defenders

PSU –
BC –

East Carolina

East Carolina vs. Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
East Carolina	0	0	3	14	17
#7 Penn State	14	21	0	7	42

at Beaver Stadium

Date: September 27
Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
Game attendance: 84,774
TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno

Game information

First Quarter

PSU –
PSU –

Second Quarter

PSU –
PSU –
PSU –

Third Quarter

ECU –

Fourth Quarter

PSU –
ECU –
ECU –

Top passers

ECU –
PSU –

Top rushers

ECU –
PSU –

Top receivers

ECU –
PSU –

Top defenders

ECU –
PSU –

Rutgers

Rutgers vs. Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rutgers	0	0	0	6	6
#5 Penn State	14	3	7	7	31

at Beaver Stadium

Date: October 4
Game time: 12:20 PM EDT
Game attendance: 84,000
TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno

Game information

First Quarter

PSU –
PSU –

Second Quarter

PSU –

Third Quarter

PSU –

Fourth Quarter

RUT –
PSU –

Top passers

RUT –
PSU –

Top rushers

RUT –
PSU –

Top receivers

RUT –
PSU –

Top defenders

RUT –
PSU –

Cincinnati

Cincinnati vs. Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cincinnati	0	7	7	3	17
#5 Penn State	0	14	0	9	23

at Beaver Stadium

Date: October 11
Game time: 12:20 PM EDT
Game attendance: 84,812
TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno

Game information

First Quarter

No scoring

Second Quarter

UC –
PSU –
PSU –

Third Quarter

UC –

Fourth Quarter

UC –
PSU –
PSU –

Top passers

UC –
PSU –

Top rushers

UC –
PSU –

Top receivers

UC –
PSU –

Top defenders

UC –
PSU –

Syracuse

Syracuse vs. Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Syracuse	0	0	0	3	3
#6 Penn State	17	9	21	7	54

at Beaver Stadium

Date: October 18
Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
Game attendance: 85,512
TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno

Game information

First Quarter

PSU –

Second Quarter

PSU –

Third Quarter

PSU –
PSU –

Fourth Quarter

SU –
PSU –
PSU –

Top passers

SU –
PSU –

Top rushers

SU –
PSU –

Top receivers

SU –
PSU –

Top defenders

SU –
PSU –

No. 2 Alabama

Penn State vs. Alabama – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
#6 Penn State	0	14	3	6	23
#2 Alabama	3	0	0	0	3

at Bryant–Denny Stadium

Date: October 25
Game time: 3:30 PM EDT
Game attendance: 60,210
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Tim Brant, Al Trautwig

Game information

First Quarter

ALA – Tiffin, 40-yard field goal, (ALA 3–0)

Second Quarter

PSU – Dozier, 19-yard TD run, Manca kick good, (PSU 7–3)
PSU – Thomas, 3-yard TD run, Manca kick good, (PSU 14–3)

Third Quarter

PSU – Manca, 37-yard field goal, (PSU 17–3)

Fourth Quarter

PSU – Manca, 29-yard field goal, (PSU 20–3)
PSU – Manca, 42-yard field goal, (PSU 23–3)

Top passers

PSU –
ALA –

Top rushers

PSU –
ALA –

Top receivers

PSU –
ALA –

Top defenders

PSU –
ALA –

West Virginia

Penn State vs. West Virginia – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
#2 Penn State	7	6	6	0	19
West Virginia	0	0	0	0	0

at Mountaineer Field

Date: November 1
Game time: 7:30 PM EST
Game attendance: 59,184
TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Kevin Kiley, Tim Brando

Game information

First Quarter

PSU – Dozier, 23-yard TD pass from Shaffer, Manca kick good, 10:55 (PSU 7–0)

Second Quarter

PSU – Manca, 42-yard field goal, 12:08 (PSU 10–0)
PSU – Manca, 37-yard field goal, 7:59 (PSU 13–0)

Third Quarter

PSU – Manca, 22-yard field goal, 6:04 (PSU 16–0)
PSU – Manca, 27-yard field goal, 3:13 (PSU 19–0)

Fourth Quarter

No scoring

Top passers

PSU –
WVU –

Top rushers

PSU –
WVU –

Top receivers

PSU –
WVU –

Top defenders

PSU –
WVU –

Maryland

Maryland vs. Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Maryland	0	0	3	12	15
#2 Penn State	0	7	0	10	17

at Beaver Stadium

Date: November 8
Game time: 1:00 PM EST
Game attendance: 85,651
TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno

Game information

First Quarter

No scoring

Second Quarter

PSU – Dozier, 1-yard TD run, Manca kick good, (PSU 7–0)

Third Quarter

MD – Plocki, 18-yard field goal, (PSU 7–3)

Fourth Quarter

PSU – Dozier, 9-yard TD run, Manca kick good, (PSU 14–3)
MD – Joines, 16-yard TD pass from Henning, 2-point pass failed, (PSU 14–9)
PSU – Manca, 37-yard field goal, (PSU 17–9)
MD – Bonato, 27-yard TD pass from Henning, 2-point pass failed, (PSU 17–15)

Top passers

MD –
PSU –

Top rushers

MD –
PSU –

Top receivers

MD –
PSU –

Top defenders

MD –
PSU –

Notre Dame

Penn State vs. Notre Dame – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
#3 Penn State	7	3	7	7	24
Notre Dame	0	6	7	6	19

at Notre Dame Stadium

Date: November 15
Game time: 3:30 PM EST
Game attendance: 59,075
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Tim Brant, Al Trautwig

Game information

First Quarter

PSU –

Second Quarter

ND –
ND –
PSU –

Third Quarter

ND –
PSU –

Fourth Quarter

PSU –
ND –

Top passers

PSU –
ND –

Top rushers

PSU –
ND –

Top receivers

PSU –
ND –

Top defenders

PSU –
ND –

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh vs. Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Pittsburgh	7	0	0	7	14
#2 Penn State	10	7	10	7	34

at Beaver Stadium

Date: November 22
Game time: 12:20 PM EST
Game attendance: 85,722
TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno

Game information

First Quarter

PSU –
PITT –
PSU –

Second Quarter

PSU –

Third Quarter

PSU –
PSU –

Fourth Quarter

PSU –
PITT –

Top passers

PITT –
PSU –

Top rushers

PITT –
PSU –

Top receivers

PITT –
PSU –

Top defenders

PITT –
PSU –

No. 1 Miami (FL)—Fiesta Bowl

Miami (FL) vs. Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
#1 Miami (FL)	0	7	0	3	10
#2 Penn State	0	7	0	7	14

at Sun Devil Stadium

Date: January 2, 1987
Game time: 8:00 PM EST
Game attendance: 73,098
Referee: Jimmy Harper
TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones, Bob Griese, Jimmy Cefalo, Ahmad Rashad

Game information

First Quarter

No scoring

Second Quarter

MIA – Bratton, 1-yard TD run, Seelig kick good, 6:38 (MIA 7–0)
PSU – Shaffer, 4-yard TD run, Manca kick good, 1:14 (TIE 7–7)

Third Quarter

No scoring

Fourth Quarter

MIA – Seelig, 38-yard field goal, 11:49 (MIA 10–7)
PSU – Dozier, 6-yard TD run, Manca kick good, 8:13 (PSU 14–10)

Top passers

MIA –
PSU –

Top rushers

MIA –
PSU –

Top receivers

MIA –
PSU –

Top defenders

MIA –
PSU –

Roster

1986 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`9`	Mike Alexander	Jr
FB	`29`	Sean Barowski	Fr
OT	`74`	Stan Clayton	Jr
G	`57`	Chris Conlin	Sr
RB	`42`	D. J. Dozier	Jr
C	`78`	Roger Duffy	Fr
G	`54`	Mitch Frerotte	Sr
FB	`27`	John Hornyak	Sr
FB	`44`	Tim Manoa	Sr
G	`59`	Dan Morgan	Sr
TE	`89`	Bob Mrosko	So
TE	`88`	Paul Pomfret	Jr
C	`56`	Keith Radecic	Sr
WR	`6`	Ray Roundtree	Jr
QB	`14`	John Shaffer	Sr
TE	`91`	Brian Siverling	Sr
RB	`35`	Steve Smith	Sr
G	`79`	Dave Szott	Fr
RB	`32`	Blair Thomas	So
WR	`5`	Michael Timpson	So
G	`66`	Steve Wisniewski	So
C	`72`	Mike Wolf	Jr

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
LB	`35`	Trey Bauer	Jr
NT	`70`	Darryl Bullock	So
CB	`16`	Duffy Cobbs	Sr
CB/S	`43`	Andre Collins	Fr
LB	`31`	Shane Conlan	Sr
LB	`90`	Pete Giftopoulos	Jr
LB	`53`	Don Graham	Sr
S	`2`	Stu Helgeson	Jr
H	`3`	Marques Henderson	Jr
S	`22`	Ray Isom	Sr
LB	`55`	Tim Johnson	Sr
LB	`52`	Gregg Johns	Jr
LB	`84`	Keith Karpinski	Jr
DB	`21`	Sid Lewis	Sr
LB	`92`	Quintus McDonald	So
LB	`33`	John Sweenely	So
CB	`19`	Gary Wilkerson	So

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
P	`11`	John Bruno	Sr
PK	`10`	Massimo Manca	Sr
K	`2`	Ray Tarasi	Fr
SN	`68`	Greg Truitt	Jr

Head coach

Joe Paterno

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Tom Bradley
Jim Caldwell
Ron Dickerson
Chet Fuhrman
Fran Ganter
Nick Gasparato
Bob Phillips
Joe Sarra
Jerry Sandusky
Paul Shaffner (GA)
Jim Williams

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster
Last update: 2015-12-20

^[14]^[15]

Awards

Joe Paterno

Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award

NFL draft

Thirteen Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1987 NFL draft.

Round	Pick	Overall	Name	Position	Team
1st	8	8	Shane Conlan	Linebacker	Buffalo Bills
1st	14	14	D.J. Dozier	Running back	Minnesota Vikings
3rd	24	80	Tim Manoa	Running back	Cleveland Browns
3rd	25	81	Steve Smith	Running back	Los Angeles Raiders
4th	1	84	Don Graham	Linebacker	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5th	14	126	John Bruno	Punter	St. Louis Cardinals
5th	20	132	Chris Conlin	Offensive guard	Miami Dolphins
6th	1	141	Tim Johnson	Defensive end	Pittsburgh Steelers
6th	22	162	Bob White	Defensive line	San Francisco 49ers
8th	27	222	Dan Morgan	Offensive guard	Denver Broncos
9th	24	247	Bob Ontko	Linebacker	Indianapolis Colts
10th	17	268	Sid Lewis	Defensive back	New York Jets
11th	7	286	Brian Siverling	Tight End	Detroit Lions

Media

Radio

Flagship station	Play-by-play	Color commentator	Sideline reporter	Studio host
WMAJ AM 1450	Gil Santos Lanny Frattare

References

^ 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. p. 114. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
^ "Owls are a tasty feast for Nittany Lions". The Daily News. September 7, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Dozier leads Nittany Lions past BC, 26–14". The Scrantonian. September 21, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Paterno frets about easy win". The Times-Tribune. September 28, 1986. Retrieved March 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Lions' 'best effort' too much for Scarlet Knights". The Daily Register. October 5, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Penn St. beats Bearcats, but it's anythng but easy". The Daily News. October 12, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "No. 6 Penn State throttles Syracuse". The State. October 19, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Move over Miami: State bombs Bama". Sunday News. October 27, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Lions' defense stifles W. Virginia". The Daily News. November 2, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Terps wage battle but lose to Penn St". Florence Morning News. November 9, 1986. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Not enough luck for Irish". Detroit Free Press. November 16, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "No. 1 Miami romps past Pitt, 37–10". The Baltimore Sun. November 9, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Penn State's Fiesta". The Arizona Republic. January 3, 1987. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Home".
^ "ArchivesSpace Public Interface | Archival Collections".

[2018ncaabook-1] 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. p. 114. Retrieved December 10, 2018.

[2] "Owls are a tasty feast for Nittany Lions". The Daily News. September 7, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] "Dozier leads Nittany Lions past BC, 26–14". The Scrantonian. September 21, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] "Paterno frets about easy win". The Times-Tribune. September 28, 1986. Retrieved March 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] "Lions' 'best effort' too much for Scarlet Knights". The Daily Register. October 5, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[6] "Penn St. beats Bearcats, but it's anythng but easy". The Daily News. October 12, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[7] "No. 6 Penn State throttles Syracuse". The State. October 19, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[8] "Move over Miami: State bombs Bama". Sunday News. October 27, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[9] "Lions' defense stifles W. Virginia". The Daily News. November 2, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[10] "Terps wage battle but lose to Penn St". Florence Morning News. November 9, 1986. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[11] "Not enough luck for Irish". Detroit Free Press. November 16, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[12] "No. 1 Miami romps past Pitt, 37–10". The Baltimore Sun. November 9, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[13] "Penn State's Fiesta". The Arizona Republic. January 3, 1987. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[14] "Home".

[15] "ArchivesSpace Public Interface | Archival Collections".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

v t e Penn State Nittany Lions football
Venues	Old Main lawn (until 1891) Beaver Field (1892–1908) New Beaver Field (1909–1959) Beaver Stadium (1960–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Alabama Maryland Michigan Michigan State Minnesota: Governor's Victory Bell Ohio State Old Ironsides Pittsburgh Syracuse West Virginia
Culture & lore	Nittany Lion "Fight On, State" Penn State Blue Band Uplifting Athletes Joe Paterno statue Something for Joey 1982 Nebraska game Child sex abuse scandal 2016 Ohio State game Paterno White Out 2021 Illinois game
People	Head coaches All-Americans NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1881 1882–1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
National championship seasons in bold

v t e College football national champions (poll era)
1936–1949	1936: Minnesota (AP) 1937: Pittsburgh 1938: TCU 1939: Texas A&M 1940: Minnesota 1941: Minnesota 1942: Ohio State 1943: Notre Dame 1944: Army 1945: Army (AP) / Oklahoma A&M (AFCA) 1946: Notre Dame 1947: Notre Dame 1948: Michigan 1949: Notre Dame
1950s	1950: Oklahoma (AP, Coaches) 1951: Tennessee 1952: Michigan State 1953: Maryland 1954: Ohio State (AP) / UCLA (FWAA, Coaches) 1955: Oklahoma 1956: Oklahoma 1957: Auburn (AP) / Ohio State (Coaches, FWAA) 1958: LSU (AP, Coaches) / Iowa (FWAA) 1959: Syracuse (AP, Coaches, FWAA, NFF)
1960s	1960: Minnesota (AP, Coaches, NFF) / Ole Miss (FWAA) 1961: Alabama (AP, Coaches, NFF) / Ohio State (FWAA) 1962: USC 1963: Texas 1964: Alabama (AP, Coaches) / Arkansas (FWAA) / Notre Dame (NFF) 1965: Alabama (AP, FWAA) / Michigan State (Coaches, FWAA, NFF) 1966: Notre Dame (AP, Coaches, FWAA, NFF) / Michigan State (NFF) 1967: USC 1968: Ohio State 1969: Texas
1970s	1970: Nebraska (AP, FWAA) / Texas (NFF, Coaches) / Ohio State (NFF) 1971: Nebraska 1972: USC 1973: Notre Dame (AP, FWAA, NFF) / Alabama (Coaches) 1974: Oklahoma (AP) / USC (FWAA, NFF, Coaches) 1975: Oklahoma 1976: Pittsburgh 1977: Notre Dame 1978: Alabama (AP, FWAA, NFF) / USC (Coaches) 1979: Alabama
1980–1991	1980: Georgia 1981: Clemson 1982: Penn State 1983: Miami (FL) 1984: BYU 1985: Oklahoma 1986: Penn State 1987: Miami (FL) 1988: Notre Dame 1989: Miami (FL) 1990: Colorado (AP, FWAA, NFF, USAT/CNN) / Georgia Tech (Coaches) 1991: Miami (FL) (AP) / Washington (Coaches, FWAA, UPI/NFF)