Since, 1980, six programs have won only one CFB National Championship.

Total Seasons

Of the underdogs, Indiana is both the most recent champion and oldest program (in terms of CFB season data to analyze).

Overall Winning Context

The Tennessee Volunteers have 869 total wins, averaging 7.18 wins per season.
Georgia Tech has the second highest total of wins. The Yellow Jackets have logged 766 total wins across a 124 season span, for an average of 6.17 wins per season.
The Washington Huskies have 684 total wins, averaging 6.27 wins per season.
Colorado is not far off from Washington. They’ve logged 692 wins across a 124 season span, for an average of 5.50 wins per season.
The BYU Cougars have 639 total wins, averaging 6.32 wins per season.
The Indiana Hoosiers have the fewest total wins among the underdog champions. As of 2025, they have 509 wins, averaging 4.00 wins per season.

BYU has been the most winningest underdog champion since 1980. The Cougars have logged 403 wins, with an average of 8.76 wins per season.
The Tennessee Volunteers have 369 wins, averaging 8.02 wins per season.
Washington has logged 347 wins, with an average of 7.54 wins per season since 1980.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have 290 wins, averaging 6.30 wins per season.
Colorado has logged 264 wins, averaging 5.73 wins per season.
Indiana has the fewest wins among the group. They’ve recorded a total of 225 wins since 1980, averaging 4.69 wins per season.