Determining the lowest-ranked team to capture a national title involves looking at historical preseason polls and postseason outcomes, such as the 1984 BYU Cougars starting unranked or lower-tier preseason teams that climbed to the top. In the modern College Football Playoff era, teams are selected from the absolute elite tier of the top four or twelve programs in the country, meaning every modern champion begins the postseason tournament holding a high national ranking.