Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), did not bestow a National Championship title for Division I-A football.
That title was primarily bestowed by different polling agencies.
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings made their debut in 1998, and began being released about halfway through the season.
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) determined the two teams that competed in the BCS National Championship Game, the 1999 Fiesta Bowl.
Each week, the BCS standings ranked the top 15 teams, or down to the lowest-ranked Automatic Qualifying conference leader.