1953 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1953 college football season finished with the Maryland Terrapins
capturing the AP, INS, and UPI national championship after Notre Dame held the top spot for the first nine weeks. The #4 Oklahoma Sooners
defeated Maryland in the Orange Bowl, but there was no further polling after the November 30 results were released. However, Notre Dame
was selected as the National Champions by 10 other polls and the Oklahoma Sooners
received first in 2 polls.http://collegefootball.about.com/od/nationalchampions/a/champions-list_3.htm However, despite the team receiving National Championship rings, the University of Notre Dame
does not recognize this title due to their policy of only recognizing AP titles. Maryland was also the first champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference
, which had been formed earlier in 1953 by seven colleges formerly with the Southern Conference
. The year 1953 also saw the Michigan State Spartans, previously an independent, join the Big Nine Conference
, which then became the Big Ten; MSU won the conference title in that first year and was the conference representative to the Rose Bowl, which it won 28-20 over UCLA.
During the 20th century, the NCAA
had no playoff for the college football
teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions. The AP poll in 1954 consisted of the votes of as many as 378 sportswriters .
Though not all writers voted in every poll, each would give their opinion of the twenty best teams. Under a point system of 20 points for first place, 19 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. Although the rankings were based on the collective opinion of the representative sportswriters, the teams that remained "unbeaten and untied" were generally ranked higher than those that had not. A defeat, even against a strong opponent, tended to cause a team to drop in the rankings, and a team with two or more defeats was unlikely to remain in the Top 20. Generally, the top teams played on New Year's Day in the four major postseason bowl games: the Rose Bowl (near Los Angeles at Pasadena), the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans
), the Orange Bowl (Miami
), and the Cotton Bowl (Dallas
).
, and Alabama. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
In a Friday night game at Los Angeles, #4 UCLA
beat Oregon State 41-0. Meanwhile, at Montgomery, AL, #5 Alabama was shocked by Southern Mississippi, 25-19. The next day, September 19 #3 Georgia Tech beat Davidson, 53-0. Notre Dame and Michigan State began their seasons the following week.
On September 26 #1 Notre Dame won 28-21 at #6 Oklahoma. #2 Michigan State won at Iowa, 21-7. #3 Georgia Tech went to #15 Florida and was held to a 0-0 tie. #4 UCLA
beat Kansas 19-7. Still at #5, Alabama, trying to salvage some respect against a second unranked opponent, went to 0-1-1 after a 7-7 tie against LSU in Mobile; in the poll that followed, the Crimson Tide fell completely out of the Top 20. #9 Maryland, which had won 52-0 at Washington and Lee, rose to third, and previously unranked Michigan (a 50-0 victor over Wisconsin, entered the poll at fourth.
The poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Michigan State 3.Maryland 4.Michigan 5.UCLA
, which beat Tulane 26-7 at home, the other top teams won on the road, with #1 Notre Dame at Purdue, 37-7, #2 Michigan State at Minnesota 21-0, #3 Maryland
at Clemson, 20-0, and #5 UCLA
defeated Oregon 12-0 in an away game. #6 Ohio State, which won 33-19 at California, rose to third in the next poll, knocking UCLA out. The Big Ten had three of the spots in the top five: 1.Notre Dame 2.Michigan State 3.Ohio State 4.Maryland 5.Michigan
October 10 #1 Notre Dame was idle, but stayed at #1 after #2 Michigan State's 26-19 win over TCU. #4 Maryland
won 40-13 over Georgia and #5 Michigan
edged Iowa 14-13. The night before, #3 Ohio State
had lost 40-21 to Illinois, while #6 UCLA returned to the top bracket with a 13-0 win over visiting Wisconsin. The poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Michigan State 3.Maryland 4.UCLA 5.Michigan
October 17 #1 Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh 23-14. #2 Michigan State defeated Indiana 47-18. #3 Maryland
won 26-0 at North Carolina. #4 UCLA
lost at Stanford, 21-20.
#5 Michigan
beat Northwestern 20-12. #6 Georgia Tech, which beat Auburn 36-6, took UCLA's place in the next poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Michigan State 3.Maryland 4.Georgia Tech 5.Michigan.
October 24 #1 Notre Dame stayed unbeaten with a 27-14 win over #4 Georgia Tech.
#2 Michigan State lost 6-0 at Purdue and #5 Michigan
lost at Minnesota 22-0.
#3 Maryland
won a Friday game at Miami, 30-0. Coming in to the Top Five were #6 Baylor (14-13 over Texas A&M), 7 Illinois (20-13 over Syracuse), and #8 West Virginia (52-20 over VMI). The poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Maryland 3.Baylor 4.Illinois 5.West Virginia
October 31 #1 Notre Dame beat Navy 38-7. #2 Maryland
beat South Carolina 24-6.
#3 Baylor
beat TCU 25-7. #4 Illinois defeated Purdue 21-0. beat Oregon State 34-6. #5 West Virginia
won at Penn State 20-19. #6 Michigan State, which beat Oregon State 34-6, rose to fifth. The poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Maryland 3.Baylor 4.Illinois 5.Michigan State
beat George Washington University 27-6 at a game in Washington, DC. #3 Baylor
lost at Texas, 21-20. #4 Illinois beat Michigan 9-3. #5 Michigan State won 28-13 at Ohio State, but still dropped in the poll. #6 Georgia Tech, which beat Clemson 20-7, rose to fifth.
November 14 #1 Notre Dame won at North Carolina, 34-14, and #2 Maryland
beat Mississippi 38-0 as both stayed unbeaten and untied. #4 Michigan State beat Michigan 14-6. On the other hand, #3 Illinois lost to Wisconsin, 34-7 and #5 Georgia Tech fell 13-6 to Alabama in a game at Birmingham. Returning to the Top Five to take their place were #6 Oklahoma and #7 UCLA, which had defeated Iowa (47-0) and Washington (22-6), respectively.
November 21 Number one since the season began, #1 Notre Dame played to a 14-14 tie with Iowa. #2 Maryland
closed its season with a 21-0 win over Alabama to finish the season unbeaten and untied, at 10-0-0, to take the top rung on the AP poll. #3 Michigan State closed with a 21-15 win over Michigan. #4 Oklahoma
beat Nebraska 30-7, and #5 UCLA
beat USC, 13-0.
November 28 The new #1, Maryland
, had already finished its season. #2 Notre Dame, with a 48-14 win at USC, and #4 Oklahoma
(42-7 over Oklahoma State) were the only Top Five members who hadn't closed their seasons. The following Saturday, December 5, Notre Dame beat visiting SMU 40-14.
In the Final AP poll, released November 30, #1 Maryland
, the only unbeaten and untied team, received 187 first place votes, and unbeaten, but once-tied #2 Notre Dame had 141 votes. ACC member Maryland accepted a bid to the Orange Bowl to meet once-beaten (8-1-1), Big 7 champ, and #4 Oklahoma
, while #3 Michigan State and #5 UCLA
would meet in the Rose Bowl. Notre Dame declined to participate in a postseason game.
lost in the Orange Bowl, there was a lot of controversy since the AP Poll had been finalized beforehand and could not be changed to take this result into account. This Maryland
loss resulted in Notre Dame being ranked #1 by 10 polls, including Billingsleyhttp://www.cfrc.com/Archives/NC_Year_2010.htm, Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, National Championship Foundation, Williamson, and several others. As a reward for beating the Terrapins
, the Sooners
received #1 from Berryman and Football Research.http://collegefootball.about.com/od/nationalchampions/a/champions-list_3.htm
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
capturing the AP, INS, and UPI national championship after Notre Dame held the top spot for the first nine weeks. The #4 Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
defeated Maryland in the Orange Bowl, but there was no further polling after the November 30 results were released. However, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
was selected as the National Champions by 10 other polls and the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
received first in 2 polls.http://collegefootball.about.com/od/nationalchampions/a/champions-list_3.htm However, despite the team receiving National Championship rings, the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
does not recognize this title due to their policy of only recognizing AP titles. Maryland was also the first champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
, which had been formed earlier in 1953 by seven colleges formerly with the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
. The year 1953 also saw the Michigan State Spartans, previously an independent, join the Big Nine Conference
Big Nine Conference
The Big Nine Conference, formerly the Big Eight Conference, is a high school sports conference in Genesee County, Michigan currently with four high schools.-History:...
, which then became the Big Ten; MSU won the conference title in that first year and was the conference representative to the Rose Bowl, which it won 28-20 over UCLA.
During the 20th century, the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
had no playoff for the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions. The AP poll in 1954 consisted of the votes of as many as 378 sportswriters .
Though not all writers voted in every poll, each would give their opinion of the twenty best teams. Under a point system of 20 points for first place, 19 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. Although the rankings were based on the collective opinion of the representative sportswriters, the teams that remained "unbeaten and untied" were generally ranked higher than those that had not. A defeat, even against a strong opponent, tended to cause a team to drop in the rankings, and a team with two or more defeats was unlikely to remain in the Top 20. Generally, the top teams played on New Year's Day in the four major postseason bowl games: the Rose Bowl (near Los Angeles at Pasadena), the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
), the Orange Bowl (Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
), and the Cotton Bowl (Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
).
September
In the preseason poll released on September 14, 1953, Notre Dame was rated first, followed by the defending champion, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, UCLAUCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, and Alabama. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
In a Friday night game at Los Angeles, #4 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Oregon State 41-0. Meanwhile, at Montgomery, AL, #5 Alabama was shocked by Southern Mississippi, 25-19. The next day, September 19 #3 Georgia Tech beat Davidson, 53-0. Notre Dame and Michigan State began their seasons the following week.
On September 26 #1 Notre Dame won 28-21 at #6 Oklahoma. #2 Michigan State won at Iowa, 21-7. #3 Georgia Tech went to #15 Florida and was held to a 0-0 tie. #4 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Kansas 19-7. Still at #5, Alabama, trying to salvage some respect against a second unranked opponent, went to 0-1-1 after a 7-7 tie against LSU in Mobile; in the poll that followed, the Crimson Tide fell completely out of the Top 20. #9 Maryland, which had won 52-0 at Washington and Lee, rose to third, and previously unranked Michigan (a 50-0 victor over Wisconsin, entered the poll at fourth.
The poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Michigan State 3.Maryland 4.Michigan 5.UCLA
October
October 3 With the exception of #4 MichiganMichigan 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...
, which beat Tulane 26-7 at home, the other top teams won on the road, with #1 Notre Dame at Purdue, 37-7, #2 Michigan State at Minnesota 21-0, #3 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
at Clemson, 20-0, and #5 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
defeated Oregon 12-0 in an away game. #6 Ohio State, which won 33-19 at California, rose to third in the next poll, knocking UCLA out. The Big Ten had three of the spots in the top five: 1.Notre Dame 2.Michigan State 3.Ohio State 4.Maryland 5.Michigan
October 10 #1 Notre Dame was idle, but stayed at #1 after #2 Michigan State's 26-19 win over TCU. #4 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
won 40-13 over Georgia and #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...
edged Iowa 14-13. The night before, #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 lost 40-21 to Illinois, while #6 UCLA returned to the top bracket with a 13-0 win over visiting Wisconsin. The poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Michigan State 3.Maryland 4.UCLA 5.Michigan
October 17 #1 Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh 23-14. #2 Michigan State defeated Indiana 47-18. #3 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
won 26-0 at North Carolina. #4 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
lost at Stanford, 21-20.
#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...
beat Northwestern 20-12. #6 Georgia Tech, which beat Auburn 36-6, took UCLA's place in the next poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Michigan State 3.Maryland 4.Georgia Tech 5.Michigan.
October 24 #1 Notre Dame stayed unbeaten with a 27-14 win over #4 Georgia Tech.
#2 Michigan State lost 6-0 at Purdue and #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...
lost at Minnesota 22-0.
#3 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
won a Friday game at Miami, 30-0. Coming in to the Top Five were #6 Baylor (14-13 over Texas A&M), 7 Illinois (20-13 over Syracuse), and #8 West Virginia (52-20 over VMI). The poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Maryland 3.Baylor 4.Illinois 5.West Virginia
October 31 #1 Notre Dame beat Navy 38-7. #2 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
beat South Carolina 24-6.
#3 Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
beat TCU 25-7. #4 Illinois defeated Purdue 21-0. beat Oregon State 34-6. #5 West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
won at Penn State 20-19. #6 Michigan State, which beat Oregon State 34-6, rose to fifth. The poll: 1.Notre Dame 2.Maryland 3.Baylor 4.Illinois 5.Michigan State
November
November 7 #1 Notre Dame won 28-20 at Penn. #2 MarylandMaryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
beat George Washington University 27-6 at a game in Washington, DC. #3 Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
lost at Texas, 21-20. #4 Illinois beat Michigan 9-3. #5 Michigan State won 28-13 at Ohio State, but still dropped in the poll. #6 Georgia Tech, which beat Clemson 20-7, rose to fifth.
November 14 #1 Notre Dame won at North Carolina, 34-14, and #2 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
beat Mississippi 38-0 as both stayed unbeaten and untied. #4 Michigan State beat Michigan 14-6. On the other hand, #3 Illinois lost to Wisconsin, 34-7 and #5 Georgia Tech fell 13-6 to Alabama in a game at Birmingham. Returning to the Top Five to take their place were #6 Oklahoma and #7 UCLA, which had defeated Iowa (47-0) and Washington (22-6), respectively.
November 21 Number one since the season began, #1 Notre Dame played to a 14-14 tie with Iowa. #2 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
closed its season with a 21-0 win over Alabama to finish the season unbeaten and untied, at 10-0-0, to take the top rung on the AP poll. #3 Michigan State closed with a 21-15 win over Michigan. #4 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat Nebraska 30-7, and #5 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat USC, 13-0.
November 28 The new #1, Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, had already finished its season. #2 Notre Dame, with a 48-14 win at USC, and #4 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
(42-7 over Oklahoma State) were the only Top Five members who hadn't closed their seasons. The following Saturday, December 5, Notre Dame beat visiting SMU 40-14.
In the Final AP poll, released November 30, #1 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, the only unbeaten and untied team, received 187 first place votes, and unbeaten, but once-tied #2 Notre Dame had 141 votes. ACC member Maryland accepted a bid to the Orange Bowl to meet once-beaten (8-1-1), Big 7 champ, and #4 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, while #3 Michigan State and #5 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
would meet in the Rose Bowl. Notre Dame declined to participate in a postseason game.
Postseason
After the AP National Champion MarylandMaryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
lost in the Orange Bowl, there was a lot of controversy since the AP Poll had been finalized beforehand and could not be changed to take this result into account. This Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
loss resulted in Notre Dame being ranked #1 by 10 polls, including Billingsleyhttp://www.cfrc.com/Archives/NC_Year_2010.htm, Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, National Championship Foundation, Williamson, and several others. As a reward for beating the Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, the Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
received #1 from Berryman and Football Research.http://collegefootball.about.com/od/nationalchampions/a/champions-list_3.htm
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Final AP Poll
The final rankings were made on November 29, after the regular season and without consideration of the postseason bowl games:| 1. Maryland Terrapins Maryland Terrapins football The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
(10-0-0) | ACC |
| 2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish | (8-0-1) | Indep. |
| 3. Michigan State Spartans Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level... |
(8-1-0) | Big 10 |
| 4. Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
(8-1-1) | Big 7 |
| 5. UCLA Bruins UCLA Bruins Football The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll... |
(8-1-0) | PCC |
| 6. Rice Owls Rice Owls football The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:... |
(8-2-0) | SWC |
| 7. 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... |
(7-1-1) | Big 10 |
| 8. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | (7-2-1) | SEC |
| 9. Iowa Hawkeyes Iowa Hawkeyes football The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
(5-3-1) | Big 10 |
| 10. West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia Mountaineers football The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their... |
(8-1-0) | Southern |
| 11. Texas Longhorns Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
(7-3-0) | SWC |
| 12. Texas Tech Red Raiders Texas Tech Red Raiders football Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
(8-1-0) | SWC |
| 13. 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... |
(6-2-3) | SEC |
| 14. 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.... |
(7-1-1) | Indep. |
| 15. Wisconsin Badgers Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football... |
(6-2-1) | Big 10 |
| 16. Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats football The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era... |
(7-2-1) | SEC |
| 17. Auburn Tigers Auburn Tigers football Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the... |
(7-2-1) | SEC |
| 18. 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) | ACC |
| 19. Stanford Indians Stanford Cardinal football The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The... |
(6-3-1) | PCC |
| 20. 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... |
(6-3-0) | Big 10 |
Final Coaches Poll
| Ranking | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland |
| 2 | Notre Dame |
| 3 | Michigan State |
| 4 | UCLA |
| 5 | Oklahoma |
| 6 | Rice |
| 7 | Illinois |
| 8 | Texas |
| 9 | Georgia Tech |
| 10 | Iowa |
| 11 | Alabama |
| 12 | Texas Tech |
| 13 | West Virginia |
| 14 | Wisconsin |
| 15 | Kentucky |
| 16 | Army |
| 17 | Stanford |
| 18 | Duke |
| 19 | Michigan |
| 20 | Ohio State |
Bowl games
| ORANGE BOWL | #4 Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
7 | #1 Maryland Terrapins Maryland Terrapins football The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
0 |
| ROSE BOWL | #3 Michigan State Spartans | 28 | #5 UCLA Bruins UCLA Bruins Football The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll... |
20 |
| COTTON BOWL | #6 Rice Owls Rice Owls football The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:... |
28 | #13 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... |
6 |
| SUGAR BOWL | #8 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 42 | #10 West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia Mountaineers football The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their... |
19 |