# Talk:2024 College Football Playoff National Championship

Regarding this edit by Special:Contributions/174.27.77.115: A significant number of sources mention the CFP Championship in the context of the sign stealing scandal. Not having a mention would be a complete oversight and not following the sources. The IP editor's claim that "Just because it has sources, doesn’t make it relevant" is obviously nonsense. What is relevant is determined by following how WP:RS's discuss the game per WP:DUE. Cerebral726 (talk) 16:30, 9 January 2024 (UTC)

Seems like someone else added back in the information in a separate form. Taking that, and a lack of other responses, as consensus to include. Cerebral726 (talk) 13:45, 10 January 2024 (UTC)

PK-WIKI, per your latest edit on this article, is there a difference between an "consensus" and "outright". The infobox at 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team says "consensus". College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS lists no other champion besides Michigan for 1948. The term "outright" is most often used with conference championships to denote that the title was not shared by two or more teams. When "outright" is used to described national championships, I think it's meant to denote that the national title was not split between the two major polls, AP and Coaches. Of course, from 1936 to 1949, there was only one major poll, the AP. Jweiss11 (talk) 17:27, 7 February 2024 (UTC)

In my opinion "consensus" is mainly meant to indicate agreement between the AP Poll and Coaches Poll. This is backed up by a quick search on Newspapers.com, where the phrase is barely used prior to about 1965. It was a term meant as an antonym for "split" national championship.
The NCAA records book uses a related but slightly different definition. They have a list of "Consensus National Champions" that includes any/all teams that were selected since 1950 by any of the top tier selectors: AP Poll, Coaches Poll, MacArthur Bowl, Grantland Rice Award, Top 25. The 1950 date again indicates agreement between the polls. I think it would be more accurate to say those are the "consensus selectors", and than 1990 Georgia Tech would be a (not the) consensus national champion, but they did not win a/the consensus national championship.
There are probably modern sources that call 1936–1949 national championships "consensus" by virtue of winning the AP Poll, essentially retroactively applying the prestige of the 1960s+ AP poll back to its humble beginnings as a newspaper column. I don't think these national championships should be called "consensus" without contemporary sources cited using that word. Were the 1939 Texas A&M "consensus" national champions? I would argue definitely not, despite Wikipedia currently listing that. They didn't even win the trophy. 1939 USC topped the Dickinson System ranking and won the preeminent trophy of the day, the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy.
1997 Michigan won more national championships than 1948 Michigan. They both won the AP Poll. 1997 additionally won the Grantland Rice Award and MacArthur Bowl. Seems kind of silly to call 1948 "consensus" for winning the AP Poll, but 1997 non-consensus for winning the AP Poll and 2 additional major trophies. According to the meaning of the term, neither are "consensus".
PK-WIKI (talk) 19:02, 7 February 2024 (UTC)
Every relevant selector listed at College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS picked Michigan in 1948, hence "consensus". 1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team finished atop the AP poll, but 1946 Army Cadets football team was named national champ by 6 selectors and 1946 Georgia Bulldogs football team by 1 selector, thus there was no consensus champ in 1946. Jweiss11 (talk) 19:22, 7 February 2024 (UTC)
"Consensus" is a term or art used to indicate agreement between the two major wire service polls. Ipso facto, any team prior to the 1950 introduction of the UP Poll cannot be a "consensus" national champion.
"Consensus" indicates agreement between the AP/Coaches. The NCAA book additionally adds NFF/FWAA to the term. It indicates nothing about who other selectors chose, or if other schools claim that year.
"Lesser" selectors have no bearing on "consensus" championships post 1950, so I don't see why that would make a distinction between 1946 and 1948. If pre-1950 AP Poll wins would qualify as "consensus", both Note Dame and Michigan would be "consensus" for their respective AP Poll wins regardless of who the Williamson System chose each year.
PK-WIKI (talk) 20:50, 7 February 2024 (UTC)
The definition of "consensus" following "ipso facto" above is at odds with what is stated in various articles for national champs, e.g. 1936 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team, 1937 Pittsburgh Panthers football team, 1938 TCU Horned Frogs football team, 1939 Texas A&M Aggies football team, 1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team, 1943 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, 1944 Army Cadets football team, 1945 Army Cadets football team, 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team, 1949 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, 1909 Yale Bulldogs football team. Jweiss11 (talk) 20:58, 7 February 2024 (UTC)
Pre-1950 championships are definitely not considered "consensus" national championships by the NCAA records book.
There is a table for consensus national championships, and it's 1950-present. The 1936-1949 AP champions are not in the "consensus" table.
As a result we have not bolded any pre-1950 national champions at College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS. There is some discussion of this issue in the Talk page archive there.
PK-WIKI (talk) 21:05, 7 February 2024 (UTC)