In my writings about Texas Longhorns football, I often report on the national championships which opponents have been awarded. To say that naming the college football national champion has a colorful history does not do such history justice. There have been dozens of championships recognized or awarded over the decades, from the most recognized and respected polls, like, the Associated Press and United Press International and the USA Today Coaches Poll, to the Math (now computer) selectors. My thanks to the contributors to Wikipedia.
Math
The mathematical system is the oldest systematic selector of college football national champions. Many of the math selectors were created during the “championship rush” of the 1920s and 1930s, beginning with Frank Dickinson’s system, or during the dawn of the computer age in the 1990s. Selectors are listed below with years selected retroactively in italics.
| Selector | Name | Seasons |
| A&H | Anderson & Hester | 1997–present |
| AS | Alderson System | 1994–1998 |
| B(QPRS) | Berryman (QPRS) | 1920–1989, 1990–2011 |
| BR | Billingsley Report | 1869–1870, 1872–1969, 1970–present |
| BS | Boand System | 1919–1929, 1930–1960 |
| CCR | Congrove Computer Rankings | 1993–present |
| CM | Colley Matrix | 2001–present |
| CW | Caspar Whitney | 1905–1907 |
| DeS | DeVold System | 1939–1944, 1945–2006 |
| DiS | Dickinson System | 1924–1925, 1926–1940 |
| DuS | Dunkel System | 1929–present |
| ERS | Eck Ratings System | 1987–2005 |
| HS | Houlgate System | 1885, 1887–1905, 1907–1926, 1927–1949 |
| L | Litkenhous | 1934–1972, 1974, 1978, 1981–1984 |
| MCFR | Massey College Football Ratings | 1995–present |
| MGR | Matthews Grid Ratings | 1966–1972, 1974–2006 |
| NYT | New York Times | 1979–2004 |
| PS | Poling System | 1924–1934, 1935–1955, 1957–1984 |
| R(FACT) | Rothman (FACT) | 1968–2006 |
| SR | Sagarin Ratings | 1919–1977, 1978–present |
| W | Wolfe | 2001–present |
| WS | Williamson System | 1931, 1932–1963 |
Polls
The poll has been the dominant national champion selector since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936. It is notable that the NFF merged its poll with UPI from 1991 to 1992, with USA Today from 1993 to 1996, and with the FWAA from 2014 forward. Selectors are listed below with years selected retroactively in italics.
For many years, the national champion of various polls were selected prior to the bowl games. The national champion was selected before bowl games as follows: AP (1936–1964 and 1966–1967), Coaches’ Poll (1950–1973), FWAA (1954), and NFF (1959–1970). In all other latter-day polls, champions were selected after bowl games.[6]:107–119
During the BCS era, the winner of the BCS Championship Game was automatically awarded the national championship of the Coaches’ Poll and the National Football Foundation.
| Selector | Name | Seasons |
| AP | Associated Press | 1936–present |
| Coaches’ BRC UP UPI USAT/CNN USAT/ESPN USAT USAT/AMWAY |
American Football Coaches Association AFCA Blue Ribbon Commission United Press United Press International USA Today/CNN USA Today/ESPN USA Today USA Today/Amway |
1922–present 1922–1949a 1950–1957 1958–1990 1991–1996 1997–2004 2005–2013 2014–present |
| CFRA | College Football Researchers Association | 1919–1935, 1936–1981, 1982–1992, 2010–present |
| FN | Football News | 1958–2002 |
| FWAA | Football Writers Association of America | 1954–2013 |
| FWAA/NFF | FWAA-NFF Grantland Rice Super 16 | 2014–present |
| HAF | Helms Athletic Foundation | 1883–1935, 1936–1940, 1941–1982 |
| INS | International News Service | 1952–1957 |
| NCF | National Championship Foundation | 1869–1870, 1872–1935, 1936–1979, 1980–2000 |
| NFF | National Football Foundation | 1959–1990, 1997–2013 |
| SN | Sporting News | 1975–2006 |
| UPI | United Press International | 1993–1995 |
| UPI/NFF | United Press International/National Football Foundation | 1991–1992 |
| USAT | USA Today | 1982 |
| USAT/CNN | USA Today/CNN | 1983–1990 |
| USAT/NFF | USA Today/National Football Foundation | 1993–1996 |
I have taken this from Wikipedia, and duly cite here:
Wikipedia contributors, “College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=College_football_national_championships_in_NCAA_Division_I_FBS&oldid=857266150 (accessed August 30, 2018).