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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

James Morgan

Every undefeated college football national champion since 1980

USA TODAY Sports BCS Football Nebraska Bowl Game Miami USC Alabama Crimson Tide CFP Christian Petersen

It is not every year you see an undefeated national champion in college football. Part of why we love college football is because every game matters. One loss in October could ruin a team’s championship hopes and dreams.

There have been 28 undefeated national champions in college football since 1980. This list includes USC’s vacated national title.

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Nebraska, Miami and Alabama have each had three undefeated national championship teams since 1980. The Georgia Bulldogs are joined by several other schools with two undefeated national championship teams over the past 40-plus years.

Can you remember every undefeated college football national champion since 1980?

1980: Georgia Bulldogs

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Georgia 17, Notre Dame 10 (Sugar Bowl)

1981: Clemson Tigers

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Clemson 22, Nebraska 15 (Orange Bowl)

Clemson Wire

1984: BYU Cougars

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: BYU 24, Michigan 17 (Holiday Bowl)

1986: Penn State Nittany Lions

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Penn State 14, Miami 10 (Fiesta Bowl)

Nittany Lions Wire

1987: Miami Hurricanes

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Miami 20, Oklahoma 14 (Orange Bowl)

1988: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Notre Dame 34, West Virginia 21 (Fiesta Bowl)

Fighting Irish Wire

1990: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Record: 11-0-1

Bowl game: Georgia Tech 45, Nebraska 21 (Citrus Bowl)

1991: Washington Huskies

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Washington 34, Michigan 14 (Rose Bowl)

1991: Miami Hurricanes

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Miami 22, Nebraska 0 (Orange Bowl)

1992: Alabama Crimson Tide

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: Alabama 34, Miami 13 (Sugar Bowl)

Roll Tide Wire

1994: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: Nebraska 24, Miami 17 (Orange Bowl)

Cornhuskers Wire

1995: Nebraksa Cornhuskers

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Nebraska 64, Florida 24 (Fiesta Bowl)

1997: Michigan Wolverines

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Michigan 21, Washington State 16 (Rose Bowl)

Wolverines Wire

1997: Nebraksa Cornhuskers

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: Nebraska 42, Tennessee 17 (Orange Bowl)

1998: Tennssee Volunteers

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: Tennessee 23, Florida State 16 (BCS national championship)

Vols Wire

1999: Florida State Seminoles

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Florida State 46, Virginia Tech 29 (BCS national championship)

2000: Oklahoma Sooners

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: Oklahoma 13, Florida State 2 (BCS national championship)

Sooners Wire

2001: Miami Hurricanes

Record: 12-0

Bowl game: Miami 37, Nebraska 14 (BCS national championship)

2002: Ohio State Buckeyes

Record: 14-0

Bowl game: Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (BCS national championship)

Buckeyes Wire

2004: USC Trojans (vacated)

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: USC 55, Oklahoma 19 (BCS national championship)

Trojans Wire

2005: Texas Longhorns

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: Texas 41, USC 38 (BCS national championship)

Longhorns Wire

2009: Alabama Crimson Tide

Record: 14-0

Bowl game: Alabama 37, Texas 21 (BCS national championship)

2010: Auburn Tigers

Record: 14-0

Bowl game: Auburn 22, Oregon 19 (BCS national championship)

Auburn Wire

2013: Florida State Seminoles

Record: 14-0

Bowl game: Florida State 34, Auburn 31 (BCS national championship)

2018: Clemson Tigers

Record: 15-0

Bowl game: Clemson 44, Alabama 16 (College Football Playoff national championship)

2019: LSU Tigers

Record: 15-0

Bowl game: LSU 42, Clemson 25 (CFP national championship)

LSU Wire

2020: Alabama Crimson Tide

Record: 13-0

Bowl game: Alabama 52, Ohio State 24 (CFP national championship)

2022: Georgia Bulldogs

Record: 15-0

Bowl game: Georgia 65, TCU 7 (CFP national championship)

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