1944 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1944 college football season was played during the Second World War. The football team of the United States Military Academy
, more popularly known as Army
, was crowned as the nation’s #1 team by 95 of the 121 writers who participated in the AP poll. As in 1943, the AP poll included service teams, drawn from flight schools and training centers which were preparing men for fighting in World War II, and the teams played against the colleges as part of their schedules. Half of the final Top 20 teams were composed of service teams, in addition to the two service academies at West Point and Annapolis. Most colleges that had suspended their programs in 1943 were back in 1944, including the entire Southeastern Conference
.
In the AP poll, each participating writer listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the top twenty results.
September 23 Great Lakes won at Purdue, 27-18. In Milwaukee, Michigan beat Marquette 14-0. At San Antonio, Randolph Field defeated Abilene Field, 67-0.
September 30 Notre Dame won at Pittsburgh 58-0. Great Lakes and Illinois played to a 26-26 tie. Michigan lost to Indiana, 20-0. In Houston, Randolph Field beat Rice 59-0. Army beat North Carolina, 46-0. North Carolina Pre-Flight, quarterbacked by Otto Graham
(formerly of Northwestern, and a future Cleveland Browns star) upset Navy, 21-14.
October 14 In Boston, #1 Notre Dame beat Dartmouth, 64-0. #2 North Carolina Pre-Flight
was tied by Virginia, 13-13. #3 Army
beat Pittsburgh, 69-7. #4 Randolph Field, quarterbacked by “Bullet Bill” Dudley, beat SMU at home in San Antonio, 41-0.. #5 Great Lakes beat Western Michigan 38-0. #8 Ohio State won at Wisconsin, 20-7 and #11 Iowa Pre-Flight won at Purdue, 13-6. N.C. Pre-Flight and Great Lakes fell out of the top five: 1.Notre Dame 2.Army 3.Randolph Field 4.Ohio State 5.Iowa Pre-Flight.
October 21 #1 Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 28-13. #2 Army
beat the Coast Guard Academy, 76-0. #3 Randolph Field and Camp Polk played a Sunday game at Fort Worth, Texas, with Randolph's Ramblers winning 67-0. #4 Ohio State
beat Great Lakes, 26-6. #5 Iowa Pre-Flight
defeated Fort Warren, 30-0. In Atlanta, #8 Georgia Tech defeated Navy 17-15.
October 28 #1 Notre Dame won at Illinois, 13-7. At a war bonds fundraiser at the Polo Grounds in New York, #2 Army
beat Duke 27-7. #3 Randolph Field defeated Morris Field 19-0. #4 Ohio State
beat Minnesota 34-14. #5 Georgia Tech reached 5-0-0 after a 13-7 over the flight training school located on the U.Ga. campus, Georgia Pre-Flight.
rolled over Villanova, 83-0. In six games, the Cadets had outscored their opponents by an average of 60 to 3. In Baltimore, #2 Notre Dame lost to #6 Navy, 32-13. #3 Ohio State
beat Indiana 21-7. #4 Randolph Field beat North Texas Agricultural (later called the University of Texas-Arlington) 68-0. #5 Georgia Tech lost at Duke, 19-13, and fell out of the top five, as Navy moved up.
November 11 At Yankee Stadium in New York, #1 Army
crushed #5 Notre Dame, 59-0. #2 Ohio State
beat Pittsburgh 54-19. #3 Navy
beat Cornell, 48-0. #4 Randolph Field defeated Maxwell Field, 25-0. #8 Michigan, which beat Illinois, 14-0, took Notre Dame's place in the Top Five.
November 18 In Philadelphia, #1 Army
beat Pennsylvania, 62-7. In Georgetown, Texas, #2 Randolph Field beat Southwestern University, 54-0. #3 Navy
defeated Purdue in Baltimore, 32-0. In Cleveland, before a crowd of 83,627 fans, #4 Ohio State
beat Illinois 26-12. #5 Michigan
defeated Wisconsin, 14-0. In a Sunday game between service teams, #6 Bainbridge NTC of Maryland defeated Camp Lejeune, 33-6.
November 25 #1 Army
(8-0-0) and #2 Navy
(6-2-0) were both idle as they prepared for the annual Army–Navy Game. #3 Ohio State
beat Michigan 18-14. The next day, #4 Randolph Field beat Amarillo Field, 33-0, and #5 Bainbridge Naval
beat Camp Perry, 21-13.
December 2 #1 Army
and #2 Navy
met in Baltimore. Army's offense was held to its lowest score of the season, but won 23-7 to cap a perfect season. Army had scored 59 points or more in seven of its nine games, with a 504 to 35 aggregate over its opponents. #3 Ohio State
had finished its season, while #4 Randolph Field and #5 Bainbridge Naval
were idle. After the release of the final poll, Randolph Filed participated in two more games for the sale of bonds. In Los Angeles, the "Ramblers" beat the Fourth Air Force team (March Field), 20-7, on December 10. Six days later, Randolph Field met the Second Air Force Superbombers at the Polo Grounds in New York for the “Treasury Bond Bowl”, and won 13-6 to complete their season at 11-0-0.
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, more popularly known as Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
, was crowned as the nation’s #1 team by 95 of the 121 writers who participated in the AP poll. As in 1943, the AP poll included service teams, drawn from flight schools and training centers which were preparing men for fighting in World War II, and the teams played against the colleges as part of their schedules. Half of the final Top 20 teams were composed of service teams, in addition to the two service academies at West Point and Annapolis. Most colleges that had suspended their programs in 1943 were back in 1944, including the entire Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
.
In the AP poll, each participating writer listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the top twenty results.
September
On September 16 the Great Lakes Naval Training Center team defeated Fort Sheridan, 62-0, before a crowd of 25,000 at its base north of Chicago. Michigan beat Iowa Pre-Flight, 12-7 before a crowd of 22,000 in Ann Arbor.September 23 Great Lakes won at Purdue, 27-18. In Milwaukee, Michigan beat Marquette 14-0. At San Antonio, Randolph Field defeated Abilene Field, 67-0.
September 30 Notre Dame won at Pittsburgh 58-0. Great Lakes and Illinois played to a 26-26 tie. Michigan lost to Indiana, 20-0. In Houston, Randolph Field beat Rice 59-0. Army beat North Carolina, 46-0. North Carolina Pre-Flight, quarterbacked by Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
(formerly of Northwestern, and a future Cleveland Browns star) upset Navy, 21-14.
October
October 7 Notre Dame beat Tulane 26-0 and Army defeated Brown 59-7. In games between service teams and colleges, the servicemen triumphed, as N.C. Pre-Flight won at Duke, 13-6, Great Lakes won at Northwestern 25-0, and Randolph Field won at Texas 42-6. In the poll that followed, Notre Dame was first, and Army third, with the service teams occupying the other spots.October 14 In Boston, #1 Notre Dame beat Dartmouth, 64-0. #2 North Carolina Pre-Flight
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
was tied by Virginia, 13-13. #3 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat Pittsburgh, 69-7. #4 Randolph Field, quarterbacked by “Bullet Bill” Dudley, beat SMU at home in San Antonio, 41-0.. #5 Great Lakes beat Western Michigan 38-0. #8 Ohio State won at Wisconsin, 20-7 and #11 Iowa Pre-Flight won at Purdue, 13-6. N.C. Pre-Flight and Great Lakes fell out of the top five: 1.Notre Dame 2.Army 3.Randolph Field 4.Ohio State 5.Iowa Pre-Flight.
October 21 #1 Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 28-13. #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat the Coast Guard Academy, 76-0. #3 Randolph Field and Camp Polk played a Sunday game at Fort Worth, Texas, with Randolph's Ramblers winning 67-0. #4 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
beat Great Lakes, 26-6. #5 Iowa Pre-Flight
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
defeated Fort Warren, 30-0. In Atlanta, #8 Georgia Tech defeated Navy 17-15.
October 28 #1 Notre Dame won at Illinois, 13-7. At a war bonds fundraiser at the Polo Grounds in New York, #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat Duke 27-7. #3 Randolph Field defeated Morris Field 19-0. #4 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
beat Minnesota 34-14. #5 Georgia Tech reached 5-0-0 after a 13-7 over the flight training school located on the U.Ga. campus, Georgia Pre-Flight.
November
November 4 #1 ArmyArmy Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
rolled over Villanova, 83-0. In six games, the Cadets had outscored their opponents by an average of 60 to 3. In Baltimore, #2 Notre Dame lost to #6 Navy, 32-13. #3 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
beat Indiana 21-7. #4 Randolph Field beat North Texas Agricultural (later called the University of Texas-Arlington) 68-0. #5 Georgia Tech lost at Duke, 19-13, and fell out of the top five, as Navy moved up.
November 11 At Yankee Stadium in New York, #1 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
crushed #5 Notre Dame, 59-0. #2 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
beat Pittsburgh 54-19. #3 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
beat Cornell, 48-0. #4 Randolph Field defeated Maxwell Field, 25-0. #8 Michigan, which beat Illinois, 14-0, took Notre Dame's place in the Top Five.
November 18 In Philadelphia, #1 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat Pennsylvania, 62-7. In Georgetown, Texas, #2 Randolph Field beat Southwestern University, 54-0. #3 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
defeated Purdue in Baltimore, 32-0. In Cleveland, before a crowd of 83,627 fans, #4 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
beat Illinois 26-12. #5 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
defeated Wisconsin, 14-0. In a Sunday game between service teams, #6 Bainbridge NTC of Maryland defeated Camp Lejeune, 33-6.
November 25 #1 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
(8-0-0) and #2 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
(6-2-0) were both idle as they prepared for the annual Army–Navy Game. #3 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
beat Michigan 18-14. The next day, #4 Randolph Field beat Amarillo Field, 33-0, and #5 Bainbridge Naval
United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland
United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge was the US Navy Training Center located at Port Deposit, Maryland, on the bluffs of the northeast bank of the Susquehanna River. It was active from 1942 to 1976....
beat Camp Perry, 21-13.
December 2 #1 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
and #2 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
met in Baltimore. Army's offense was held to its lowest score of the season, but won 23-7 to cap a perfect season. Army had scored 59 points or more in seven of its nine games, with a 504 to 35 aggregate over its opponents. #3 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
had finished its season, while #4 Randolph Field and #5 Bainbridge Naval
United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland
United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge was the US Navy Training Center located at Port Deposit, Maryland, on the bluffs of the northeast bank of the Susquehanna River. It was active from 1942 to 1976....
were idle. After the release of the final poll, Randolph Filed participated in two more games for the sale of bonds. In Los Angeles, the "Ramblers" beat the Fourth Air Force team (March Field), 20-7, on December 10. Six days later, Randolph Field met the Second Air Force Superbombers at the Polo Grounds in New York for the “Treasury Bond Bowl”, and won 13-6 to complete their season at 11-0-0.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Final Associated Press Poll
Prior to 1968 the final AP Poll was released before the bowl games were played.| Ranking | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army Cadets Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946.... |
9-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State Buckeyes football The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state... |
9-0 |
| 3 | Randolph Field Ramblers | 9-0 |
| 4 | Navy Midshipmen Navy Midshipmen football The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007... |
6-3 |
| 5 | Bainbridge NTC Commodores United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge was the US Navy Training Center located at Port Deposit, Maryland, on the bluffs of the northeast bank of the Susquehanna River. It was active from 1942 to 1976.... |
10-0 |
| 6 | Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :... |
10-1 |
| 7 | USC Trojans | 7-0-2 |
| 8 | Michigan Wolverines Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
8-2 |
| 9 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 8-2 |
| 10 | 4th Air Force March Field Flyers Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.... |
7-0-2 |
| 11 | Duke Blue Devils Duke Blue Devils football The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal... |
7-2-1 |
| 12 | Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
7-0-1 |
| 13 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 8-2 |
| 14 | Norman Pre-Flight | 6-0 |
| 15 | Illinois Fighting Illini Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51... |
5-4-1 |
| 16 | El Toro Marines | 7-1 |
| 17 | Great Lakes Bluejackets | 8-2 |
| 18 | Fort Pierce NATB | 8-0 |
| 19 | St. Mary’s Pre-Flight Saint Mary's College of California Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States, a small suburban community about east of Oakland and 20 miles east of San Francisco. It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church... |
5-3 |
| 20 | 2nd Air Force Superbombers Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... |
8-2-1 |
Bowl Games
| Sun Bowl Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl... |
Southwestern Southwestern University Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian... |
35 | UNAM Pumas Dorados de la UNAM Also known as "Pumas CU", "Pumas", or "Universidad" is the varsity American football team representing the National Autonomous University of Mexico . Is one of the most important and oldest teams in Mexico... |
0 |
| Rose Bowl Rose Bowl Game The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2... |
#12 Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
0 | #7 USC Trojans | 25 |
| Sugar Bowl 1945 Sugar Bowl The 1945 Sugar Bowl, part of the 1944 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1945, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference and the , representing the Southern Conference... |
#11 Duke Blue Devils Duke Blue Devils football The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal... |
29 | Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama Crimson Tide football |TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team... |
26 |
| Cotton Bowl | Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys football The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as... |
34 | TCU Horned Frogs TCU Horned Frogs football The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football... |
0 |
| Orange Bowl | Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa Golden Hurricane football The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh.... |
26 | #13 Georgia Tech | 12 |