1)
Colorado 11-1-1
2) Georgia Tech 11-0-1
3) Miami-Florida 10-2
4) Florida State 10-2
5) Washington 10-2
6) Notre Dame 9-3
7) Michigan 9-3
8) Tennessee 9-2-2
9) Clemson 10-2
10) Houston 10-1
11) Penn State 9-3
12) Texas 10-2
13) Florida 9-2
14) Louisville 10-1-1
15) Texas A&M 9-3-1
16) Michigan State 8-3-1
17) Oklahoma 8-3
18) Iowa 8-4
19) Auburn 8-3-1
20) Southern Cal 8-4-1
21) Mississippi 9-3
22) Brigham Young 10-3
23) Virginia 8-4
24) Nebraska 9-3
25) Illinois 8-4
The AP and coaches' polls disagreed on their choices for #1 again, but this time the AP poll did not make the wrong choice. In fact, between Colorado and Georgia Tech, there was no wrong choice.
11-1-1 Colorado played a far tougher schedule (7 rated opponents to only 3 for Georgia Tech), but 11-0-1 Georgia Tech had the better record.
Georgia Tech's rated opponents were only ranked #9, #23, and #24, and they were tied by an unrated opponent, so on the surface they do not compare well to Colorado at all.
However, Colorado 1990 may have been the luckiest team in college football history. Their tie with Tennessee was secured because of a late Tennessee interception at the CU 16, taking a winning field goal attempt off the table. Their winning touchdown against 5-6 Stanford, scored with 12 seconds left, was controversial: Stanford players insisted that it was not a touchdown.
They were famously and accidentally given a 5th down against 4-7 Missouri, with which they pulled out the 33-31 win. Then referees saved their buffalo hides again in the Orange Bowl with a game-saving flag against Notre Dame for a block in the back (as depicted to the right).
While the bottom line is that they did not lose any of those games, it's hard to be impressed by Colorado 1990. So despite the big schedule gap, either Colorado or Georgia Tech is a valid choice for #1.
National champion Colorado was incredibly lucky in 1990, getting an infamous 5th down to beat Missouri, then getting a vital flag for clipping that negated Raghib Ismail's potentially game-winning punt return touchdown in the final minute of the Orange Bowl. The fateful clip, pictured above, rendered Ismail's spectacular return one of the greatest college football plays that never was. But you can watch it here and judge for yourself.