Click the Season link to see all games played by the #1 team that year.
| Season | Team | as #1 | vs #1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Texas | Multiple | W 24-23 H Ohio State |
| 2025 | Indiana | Multiple | W 13-10 N Ohio State |
| 2025 | Ohio State | Multiple | W 14-7 H Texas |
| 2024 | Georgia | Multiple | W 30-15 A Texas |
| 2021 | Alabama | Multiple | W 41-24 N Georgia |
| 2021 | Georgia | Multiple | W 33-18 N Alabama |
| 2019 | Alabama | Multiple | L 46-41 H LSU |
| 2019 | Clemson | Multiple | L 42-25 N LSU |
| 2017 | Alabama | Multiple | W 24-6 N Clemson |
| 2014 | Alabama | Multiple | W 25-20 H Mississippi State |
| 2012 | Alabama | Multiple | W 42-14 N Notre Dame |
| 2012 | USC | W 49-10 H Hawaii | L 22-13 H Notre Dame |
| 2010 | Oregon | Multiple | L 22-19 N Auburn |
| 2009 | Alabama | Multiple | W 32-13 N Florida |
| 2008 | Florida | W 24-14 N #2 Oklahoma | W 31-20 N Alabama |
| 2008 | Oklahoma | Multiple | L 24-14 N Florida |
| 2008 | Texas | Multiple | W 45-35 N Oklahoma |
| 2007 | LSU | Multiple | W 38-24 N Ohio State |
| 2000 | Florida State | L 27-24 A #7 Miami (FL) | L 13-2 N Oklahoma |
| 2000 | Oklahoma | Multiple | W 31-14 H Nebraska |
| 1996 | Florida | Multiple | W 52-20 N Florida State |
| 1996 | Florida State | L 52-20 N #3 Florida | W 24-21 H Florida |
| 1993 | Notre Dame | L 41-39 H #17 Boston College | W 31-24 H Florida State |
| 1991 | Miami (FL) | Multiple | W 17-16 A Florida State |
| 1990 | Michigan | L 28-27 H Michigan State | L 28-24 A Notre Dame |
| 1990 | Notre Dame | Multiple | L 10-9 N Colorado |
| 1989 | Notre Dame | Multiple | W 21-6 N Colorado |
| 1988 | Miami (FL) | Multiple | W 31-0 H Florida State |
| 1988 | Notre Dame | Multiple | W 31-30 H Miami (FL) |
| 1987 | Oklahoma | Multiple | W 17-7 A Nebraska |
| 1986 | Miami (FL) | Multiple | W 28-16 H Oklahoma |
| 1984 | Miami (FL) | L 22-14 A #14 Michigan | W 20-18 N Auburn |
| 1981 | Michigan | L 21-14 A Wisconsin | W 25-7 H Notre Dame |
| 1981 | Penn State | Multiple | W 48-14 A Pittsburgh |
| 1980 | Notre Dame | T 3-3 A Georgia Tech | L 17-10 N Georgia |
| 1979 | USC | Multiple | W 17-16 N Ohio State |
| 1978 | Alabama | Multiple | W 14-7 N Penn State |
| 1970 | Notre Dame | W 10-7 H Georgia Tech | W 24-11 N Texas |
| 1968 | Ohio State | W 27-16 N #2 USC | W 13-0 H Purdue |
| 1968 | USC | Multiple | L 27-16 N Ohio State |
| 1967 | Notre Dame | Multiple | L 24-7 H USC |
| 1967 | USC | Multiple | W 21-20 N UCLA |
| 1966 | Michigan State | Multiple | T 10-10 H Notre Dame |
| 1965 | Arkansas | W 55-20 H North Texas | W 27-24 H Texas |
| 1965 | Notre Dame | L 25-21 A #6 Purdue | L 12-3 H Michigan State |
| 1964 | Texas | Multiple | W 21-17 N Alabama |
| 1963 | Oklahoma | L 28-7 N #2 Texas | W 17-12 A USC |
| 1963 | Texas | Multiple | W 28-7 N Oklahoma |
| 1960 | Minnesota | Multiple | W 27-10 H Iowa |
| 1955 | Maryland | Multiple | L 20-6 N Oklahoma W 7-0 H UCLA |
| 1944 | Notre Dame | Multiple | L 59-0 N Army |
| 1936 | Northwestern | Multiple | W 6-0 H Minnesota |