As a reference, I’m posting the closest to final rankings I have for the early years. When the GCR began, I only ranked the FBS teams and only through rivalry week (usually). Here are the rankings from top to bottom in 2016.
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| Rank | Team | W | L | SOS Rank | Perf Rank |
| 1 | Alabama | 13 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio St | 11 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Clemson | 12 | 1 | 11 | 5 |
| 4 | Washington | 12 | 1 | 73 | 3 |
| 5 | Michigan | 10 | 2 | 36 | 4 |
| 6 | Penn St | 11 | 2 | 31 | 6 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 10 | 2 | 44 | 8 |
| 8 | Southern Cal | 9 | 3 | 15 | 11 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 10 | 2 | 70 | 9 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 10 | 3 | 27 | 12 |
| 11 | Louisville | 9 | 3 | 67 | 10 |
| 12 | Stanford | 9 | 3 | 46 | 13 |
| 13 | W Michigan | 13 | 0 | 118 | 7 |
| 14 | Florida St | 9 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| 15 | Colorado | 10 | 3 | 26 | 16 |
| 16 | Nebraska | 9 | 3 | 38 | 14 |
| 17 | Florida | 8 | 4 | 12 | 22 |
| 18 | Oklahoma St | 9 | 3 | 56 | 18 |
| 19 | Boise St | 10 | 2 | 80 | 15 |
| 20 | Washington St | 8 | 4 | 35 | 23 |
| 21 | Miami FL | 8 | 4 | 49 | 20 |
| 22 | Iowa | 8 | 4 | 52 | 19 |
| 23 | Auburn | 8 | 4 | 22 | 28 |
| 24 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 4 | 10 | 33 |
| 25 | LSU | 7 | 4 | 18 | 31 |
| 26 | Virginia Tech | 9 | 4 | 61 | 24 |
| 27 | Kansas St | 8 | 4 | 41 | 27 |
| 28 | Tennessee | 8 | 4 | 8 | 41 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 8 | 4 | 50 | 30 |
| 30 | W Kentucky | 9 | 3 | 78 | 25 |
| 31 | Texas A&M | 8 | 4 | 43 | 35 |
| 32 | App St | 9 | 3 | 97 | 21 |
| 33 | Utah | 8 | 4 | 71 | 34 |
| 34 | Georgia Tech | 8 | 4 | 34 | 43 |
| 35 | South Florida | 10 | 2 | 111 | 26 |
| 36 | Temple | 10 | 3 | 106 | 29 |
| 37 | Houston | 9 | 3 | 98 | 32 |
| 38 | UNC | 8 | 4 | 63 | 44 |
| 39 | Vanderbilt | 6 | 6 | 5 | 54 |
| 40 | Tulsa | 9 | 3 | 94 | 38 |
| 41 | Toledo | 9 | 3 | 100 | 37 |
| 42 | Northwestern | 6 | 6 | 28 | 50 |
| 43 | Kentucky | 7 | 5 | 29 | 52 |
| 44 | BYU | 8 | 4 | 109 | 39 |
| 45 | Troy | 9 | 3 | 110 | 40 |
| 46 | Navy | 9 | 3 | 86 | 47 |
| 47 | Georgia | 7 | 5 | 51 | 49 |
| 48 | San Diego St | 9 | 3 | 127 | 36 |
| 49 | LA Tech | 8 | 4 | 116 | 42 |
| 50 | NC St | 6 | 6 | 25 | 63 |
| 51 | Indiana | 6 | 6 | 45 | 60 |
| 52 | Arkansas | 7 | 5 | 53 | 59 |
| 53 | Wyoming | 8 | 4 | 77 | 53 |
| 54 | Air Force | 9 | 3 | 120 | 45 |
| 55 | Memphis | 8 | 4 | 107 | 48 |
| 56 | TCU | 6 | 6 | 59 | 61 |
| 57 | Colorado St | 7 | 5 | 66 | 62 |
| 58 | Idaho | 8 | 4 | 82 | 55 |
| 59 | Mississippi | 5 | 7 | 2 | 75 |
| 60 | Old Dominion | 9 | 3 | 126 | 46 |
| 61 | Maryland | 6 | 6 | 30 | 66 |
| 62 | Baylor | 6 | 6 | 74 | 64 |
| 63 | Texas | 5 | 7 | 55 | 65 |
| 64 | California | 5 | 7 | 20 | 76 |
| 65 | Mississippi St | 5 | 7 | 23 | 78 |
| 66 | Ohio | 8 | 5 | 115 | 57 |
| 67 | Wake Forest | 6 | 6 | 68 | 68 |
| 68 | Boston College | 6 | 6 | 54 | 69 |
| 69 | South Carolina | 6 | 6 | 48 | 71 |
| 70 | Middle Tennessee | 8 | 4 | 123 | 51 |
| 71 | UCF | 6 | 6 | 79 | 67 |
| 72 | Arkansas St | 7 | 5 | 121 | 58 |
| 73 | New Mexico | 8 | 4 | 122 | 56 |
| 74 | UCLA | 4 | 8 | 13 | 83 |
| 75 | Texas Tech | 5 | 7 | 47 | 79 |
| 76 | Arizona St | 5 | 7 | 24 | 85 |
| 77 | Notre Dame | 4 | 8 | 62 | 80 |
| 78 | Oregon | 4 | 8 | 3 | 90 |
| 79 | UTSA | 6 | 6 | 92 | 73 |
| 80 | E Michigan | 7 | 5 | 96 | 72 |
| 81 | Oregon St | 4 | 8 | 6 | 91 |
| 82 | Southern Miss | 6 | 6 | 103 | 77 |
| 83 | Miami OH | 6 | 6 | 117 | 70 |
| 84 | Missouri | 4 | 8 | 17 | 93 |
| 85 | Duke | 4 | 8 | 21 | 92 |
| 86 | C Michigan | 6 | 6 | 91 | 82 |
| 87 | N Illinois | 5 | 7 | 89 | 84 |
| 88 | Louisiana | 6 | 6 | 114 | 81 |
| 89 | Army | 6 | 5 | 125 | 74 |
| 90 | Ga Southern | 5 | 7 | 76 | 88 |
| 91 | Iowa St | 3 | 9 | 42 | 96 |
| 92 | Syracuse | 4 | 8 | 9 | 102 |
| 93 | Hawaii | 6 | 7 | 102 | 87 |
| 94 | SMU | 5 | 7 | 72 | 95 |
| 95 | Michigan St | 3 | 9 | 33 | 101 |
| 96 | South Alabama | 6 | 6 | 119 | 86 |
| 97 | Akron | 5 | 7 | 95 | 94 |
| 98 | Arizona | 3 | 9 | 19 | 112 |
| 99 | Utah St | 3 | 9 | 39 | 110 |
| 100 | Bowling Green | 4 | 8 | 75 | 103 |
| 101 | Illinois | 3 | 9 | 16 | 117 |
| 102 | ULM | 4 | 8 | 60 | 105 |
| 103 | North Texas | 5 | 7 | 105 | 97 |
| 104 | Charlotte | 4 | 8 | 81 | 100 |
| 105 | nevada | 5 | 7 | 128 | 89 |
| 106 | Tulane | 4 | 8 | 85 | 99 |
| 107 | Virginia | 2 | 10 | 40 | 113 |
| 108 | Ball St | 4 | 8 | 112 | 98 |
| 109 | Kent St | 3 | 9 | 64 | 111 |
| 110 | Purdue | 3 | 9 | 37 | 118 |
| 111 | New Mexico St | 3 | 9 | 58 | 115 |
| 112 | San Jose St | 4 | 8 | 84 | 107 |
| 113 | Rutgers | 2 | 10 | 1 | 126 |
| 114 | Georgia St | 3 | 9 | 69 | 114 |
| 115 | Cincinnati | 4 | 8 | 88 | 108 |
| 116 | UNLV | 4 | 8 | 101 | 106 |
| 117 | Kansas | 2 | 10 | 14 | 124 |
| 118 | East Carolina | 3 | 9 | 57 | 121 |
| 119 | FIU | 4 | 8 | 113 | 104 |
| 120 | FAU | 3 | 9 | 108 | 116 |
| 121 | Rice | 3 | 9 | 90 | 119 |
| 122 | UTEP | 4 | 8 | 124 | 109 |
| 123 | UCONN | 3 | 9 | 99 | 120 |
| 124 | Marshall | 3 | 9 | 93 | 122 |
| 125 | UMASS | 2 | 10 | 65 | 125 |
| 126 | Buffalo | 2 | 10 | 104 | 123 |
| 127 | Fresno St | 1 | 11 | 83 | 127 |
| 128 | Texas St | 2 | 10 | 87 | 128 |
