| The 2000s |
| 2009: Alabama RB Mark Ingram |
| Won 37-21 over Texas in the BCS National Championship Game. Ingram rushed 22 times for 116 yards and scored two touchdowns. |
| 2008: Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford |
| Lost 24-14 to Florida in the BCS National Championship Game. Bradford was 26-of-41 for 257 yards and two touchdowns in the game, but two interceptions proved impossible to overcome. |
| 2007: Florida QB Tim Tebow |
| Lost 41-35 to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl. Tebow was 17-of-33 for a season-low 154 yards and three touchdowns; he also ran for 57 yards and a score. His 211 total yards were a season low. |
| 2006: Ohio State QB Troy Smith |
| Lost 41-14 to Florida in the BCS National Championship Game. Smith was 4-of-14 for 35 yards with one interception. He also ran 10 times for minus-29 yards. |
| 2005: USC RB Reggie Bush |
| Lost 41-38 to Texas in the Rose Bowl. Bush had 279 all-purpose yards. He ran for 82 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, caught six passes for 95 yards and had 102 yards on five kickoff returns. |
| 2004: USC QB Matt Leinart |
| Won 55-19 over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Leinart was 18-of-35 for 332 yards and five touchdowns. |
| 2003: Oklahoma QB Jason White |
| Lost 21-14 to LSU in the Sugar Bowl. White was 13-of-37 for 102 yards and two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. |
| 2002: USC QB Carson Palmer |
| Won 38-17 over Iowa in the Orange Bowl. Palmer was 21-of-31 for 303 yards and one touchdown. |
| 2001: Nebraska QB Eric Crouch |
| Lost 37-14 to Miami in the Rose Bowl. Crouch ran for 114 yards on 22 carries and completed 5 of 15 passes for 62 yards and an interception that was returned for a touchdown. |
| 2000: Florida State QB Chris Weinke |
| Lost 13-2 to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Weinke was 25-of-51 for 274 yards and two interceptions. |
| The 1990s |
| 1999: Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne |
| Won 17-9 over Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Dayne ran 34 times for 200 yards and a touchdown. |
| 1998: Texas RB Ricky Williams |
| Won 38-11 over Mississippi State in the Cotton Bowl. Williams ran 30 times for 203 yards and two touchdowns. |
| 1997: Michigan CB Charles Woodson |
| Won 21-16 over Washington State in the Rose Bowl. Woodson had an interception and had two carries for 6 yards and one catch for 7 yards. |
| 1996: Florida QB Danny Wuerffel |
| Won 52-20 over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. Wuerffel was 18-of-34 for 306 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a 16-yard score. He finished with six carries for minus-10 yards. |
| 1995: Ohio State RB Eddie George |
| Lost 20-14 to Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl. George rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. |
| 1994: Colorado RB Rashaan Salaam |
| Won 41-24 over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Salaam ran 27 times for 83 yards and three touchdowns – on runs of 1, 1 and 5 yards. |
| 1993: Florida State QB Charlie Ward |
| Won 18-16 over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Ward was 24-of-43 for 286 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, and he also ran eight times for minus-3 yards. |
| 1992: Miami QB Gino Torretta |
| Lost 34-13 to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Torretta was 24-of-56 for 278 yards, with no touchdowns and three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. |
| 1991: Michigan WR Desmond Howard |
| Lost 34-14 to Washington in the Rose Bowl. Howard had one catch for 35 yards and one carry for 15 yards. |
| 1990: BYU QB Ty Detmer |
| Lost 65-14 to Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl. Detmer was 11-of-23 for 120 yards, with one touchdown and one interception before leaving with a shoulder injury in the third quarter. |
| The 1980s |
| 1989: Houston QB Andre Ware |
| No bowl. |
| 1988: Oklahoma State RB Barry Sanders |
| Won 62-14 over Wyoming in the Holiday Bowl. Sanders carried 29 times for 222 yards and five touchdowns, and he also had two receptions for 36 yards. |
| 1987: Notre Dame WR Tim Brown |
| Lost 35-10 to Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Brown had six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. |
| 1986: Miami QB Vinny Testaverde |
| Lost 14-10 to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. Testaverde was 26-of-50 for 285 yards with no touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran nine times for minus-10 yards. |
| 1985: Auburn RB Bo Jackson |
| Lost 36-16 to Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Jackson ran for 129 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries. |
| 1984: Boston College QB Doug Flutie |
| Won 45-28 over Houston in the Cotton Bowl. Flutie was 13-of-37 for 180 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. |
| 1983: Nebraska RB Mike Rozier |
| Lost 31-30 to Miami in the Orange Bowl. Rozier ran for 147 yards on 25 carries. |
| 1982: Georgia RB Herschel Walker |
| Lost 27-23 to Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. Walker ran 28 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. |
| 1981: USC RB Marcus Allen |
| Lost 26-10 to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. Allen ran for 85 yards on 30 carries, and he fumbled once. |
| 1980: South Carolina RB George Rogers |
| Lost 37-9 to Pitt in the Gator Bowl. Rogers had 27 carries for 113 yards. |
| The 1970s |
| 1979: USC RB Charles White |
| Won 17-16 over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. White ran for 247 yards and the winning touchdown on 39 carries. On the winning drive, White carried six times for 71 yards; his 1-yard touchdown run came with 1:32 left. |
| 1978: Oklahoma RB Billy Sims |
| Won 31-24 over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Sims ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. |
| 1977: Texas RB Earl Campbell |
| Lost 38-10 to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Campbell ran 29 times for 116 yards. |
| 1976: Pitt RB Tony Dorsett |
| Won 27-3 over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Dorsett ran for 202 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries as the Panthers clinched the national title. |
| 1975: Ohio State RB Archie Griffin |
| Lost 23-10 to UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Griffin, who played with a broken wrist for much of the day, finished with 93 yards on 17 carries. |
| 1974: Ohio State RB Archie Griffin |
| Lost 18-17 to USC in the Rose Bowl. Griffin was held to 75 yards on 20 carries – snapping his streak of 100-yard games at 23 in a row – and didn’t score. |
| 1973: Penn State RB John Capelletti |
| Won 16-9 over LSU in the Orange Bowl. Capelletti rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. |
| 1972: Nebraska WR Johnny Rodgers |
| Won 40-6 over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Rodgers played mostly tailback against the Irish and ran for 81 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, passed 52 yards for a touchdown and had three receptions for 71 yards and another score. |
| 1971: Auburn QB Pat Sullivan |
| Lost 40-22 to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Sullivan was 20-of-44 for 250 yards with a touchdown and an interception. |
| 1970: Stanford QB Jim Plunkett |
| Won 27-17 over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Plunkett was 20-of-30 for 265 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran nine times for 26 yards as Stanford upset unbeaten Ohio State. |
| The 1960s |
| 1969: Oklahoma FB Steve Owens |
| No bowl. |
| 1968: USC RB O.J. Simpson |
| Lost 27-16 to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Simpson rushed for 171 yards on 28 carries and scored on an 80-yard run. |
| 1967: UCLA QB Gary Beban |
| No bowl. |
| 1966: Florida QB Steve Spurrier |
| Won 27-12 over Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Spurrier was 14-of-30 for 160 yards, and he also ran four times for 14 yards. |
| 1965: USC RB Mike Garrett |
| No bowl. |
| 1964: Notre Dame QB John Huarte |
| No bowl. |
| 1963: Navy QB Roger Staubach |
| Lost 28-6 to Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Staubach was 21-of-31 for 228 yards and an interception, and he ran 2 yards for a score. In all, Staubach rushed 12 times for minus-47 yards as the Middies finished with minus-14 rushing yards. |
| 1962: Oregon State QB Terry Baker |
| Won 6-0 over Villanova in the Liberty Bowl. Baker scored the only touchdown on a 99-yard run early in the first quarter. He ran 13 times for 137 yards and also was 9-of-21 passing for 123 yards. |
| 1961: Syracuse RB Ernie Davis |
| Won 15-14 over Miami in the Liberty Bowl. Davis ran 30 times for 140 yards and a touchdown. |
| 1960: Navy RB Joe Bellino |
| Lost 21-14 to Missouri in the Orange Bowl. Bellino was held to 4 yards on eight carries – the Middies rushed 24 times for minus-8 yards – but he caught a 28-yard touchdown pass. |
| The 1950s |
| 1959: LSU RB Billy Cannon |
| Lost 21-0 to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. Cannon rushed for 8 yards on six carries as the Tigers were held to one first down and minus-15 rushing yards. Cannon also had three receptions for 39 yards. |
| 1958: Army RB Pete Dawkins |
| No bowl. |
| 1957: Texas A&M RB John David Crow |
| Lost 3-0 to Tennessee in the Gator Bowl. Crow ran for 46 yards on 14 carries. |
| 1956: Notre Dame QB Paul Hornung |
| No bowl. |
| 1955: Ohio State RB Howard Cassady |
| No bowl. |
| 1954: Wisconsin FB Alan Ameche |
| No bowl. |
| 1953: Notre Dame RB John Lattner |
| No bowl. |
| 1952: Oklahoma RB Billy Vessels |
| No bowl. |
| 1951: Princeton RB Dick Kazmaier |
| No bowl. |
| 1950: Ohio State RB Vic Janowicz |
| No bowl. |
| The 1940s |
| 1949: Notre Dame E Leon Hart |
| No bowl. |
| 1948: SMU RB Doak Walker |
| Won 21-13 over Oregon in the Cotton Bowl. Walker ran for 66 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries, completed 6 of 10 passes for 79 yards and also kicked two extra points. |
| 1947: Notre Dame QB John Lujack |
| No bowl. |
| 1946: Army RB Glenn Davis |
| No bowl. |
| 1945: Army FB Doc Blanchard |
| No bowl. |
| 1944: Ohio State QB Les Horvath |
| No bowl. |
| 1943: Notre Dame QB Angelo Bertelli |
| No bowl. |
| 1942: Georgia RB Frank Sinkwich |
| No bowl. |
| 1941: Minnesota RB Bruce Smith |
| No bowl. |
| 1940: Michigan RB Tom Harmon |
| No bowl. |
| The 1930s |
| 1939: Iowa RB Nile Kinnick |
| No bowl. |
| 1938: TCU QB Davey O’Brien |
| Won 15-7 over Carnegie Tech in the Sugar Bowl. O’Brien was 17-of-27 for 225 yards, and he also kicked a field goal. |
| 1937: Yale RB Clint Frank |
| No bowl. |
| 1936: Yale E Larry Kelley |
| No bowl. |
| 1935: Chicago RB Jay Berwanger |
| No bowl. |
