1954 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1954 college football season saw three teams finish unbeaten and untied, with Ohio State Buckeyes
and the UCLA Bruins
sharing the national championship as the #1 picks of the AP Poll and the UPI Poll, respectively. Although the winners of the Big Ten and the Pacific conferences normally met in the Rose Bowl, a "no repeat" prevented the two champions from meeting. UCLA, which had been in the Rose Bowl earlier in the year, was replaced by conference runner-up USC.
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 419 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
).
had more first place votes (74 vs. 52). Rounding out the Top Five were defending champion #3 Maryland
, #4 Texas
and #5 Illinois. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
September 18, #2 Oklahoma
won at #12 California 27-13, and #3 Maryland
won at Kentucky, 20-0. Notre Dame and Texas, #1 and #4, were preparing to meet at South Bend to open their seasons. Oklahoma replaced Notre Dame as #1 in the first regular poll. #7 Georgia Tech, which beat Tulane 28-0 in Atlanta, replaced Illinois in the Top Five. Defying high expectations, the Illini would lose their opener to Penn State, 14-12, and finish the season with a 1-8-0 record. The poll: 1.Oklahoma 2.Notre Dame 3.Maryland 4.Texas 5.Georgia Tech.
September 25 #2 Notre Dame hosted #4 Texas
and won 21-0. #1 Oklahoma
beat #20 Texas Christian (TCU) 21-16. #3 Maryland
was idle, and #5 Georgia Tech lost to Florida, 13-12. Notre Dame took back over the top spot from O.U., and Texas, Maryland and Georgia Tech were replaced by #8 UCLA (32-7 over Kansas), #10 Wisconsin (52-14 over Marquette) and #11 Iowa (14-10 over #7 Michigan State). The poll: 1.Georgia Tech 2.Oklahoma 3.Iowa 4.UCLA 5.Wisconsin
beat #6 Maryland 12-7. The next day, October 2, #1 Notre Dame was upset by #19 Purdue, 27-14. #2 Oklahoma
which was idle, moved to the top as Notre Dame dropped out. #3 Iowa
defeated visiting Montana, 48-6, and #5 Wisconsin
beat #13 Michigan State 6-0. In Columbia, the #15 South Carolina Gamecocks
fell 26-6 against unranked West Virginia
. The poll: 1.Oklahoma 2.UCLA 3.Wisconsin 4.Iowa 5.Purdue
October 9 #1 Oklahoma
won its annual game in Dallas against #15 Texas, 14-7. #2 UCLA
edged Washington 21-20. #3 Wisconsin
beat #11 Rice 13-7. #4 Iowa
lost to unranked Michigan, 14-13, and #5 Purdue
was tied by #6 Duke, 13-13 (in the next poll, they stayed at #5 and #6). #10 Ohio State, which had won at Illinois 40-7, entered the Top Five: 1.Oklahoma 2.Wisconsin 3.UCLA 4.Ohio State 5.Purdue.
October 16 #2 Wisconsin
hosted #5 Purdue
and won 20-6. #1 Oklahoma
visited Kansas and annihilated it, 65-0, while #3 UCLA
went one better in beating Stanford 72-0. #4 Ohio State
beat #13 Iowa 20-14. #14 West Virginia Mountaineers knocked off the #9 Penn State Nittany Lions
19-14 at Beaver Stadium. #7 Ole Miss, which had beaten Tulane 34-7, entered the Top Five: 1.Oklahoma 2.Wisconsin 3.UCLA 4.Ohio State 5.Mississippi.
October 23 #2 Wisconsin
faced its second top-ranked opponent in a week, visiting Big Ten rival and #4 Ohio State
. OSU won, 31-14, to take the #1 spot. #1 Oklahoma
beat Kansas State 21-0, and #3 UCLA
beat Oregon State 61-0. #5 Mississippi
lost to #7 Arkansas at Little Rock, 6-0. #9 Army, which had won 67-12 at Columbia, moved up. The poll: 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.UCLA 4.Arkansas 5.Army
October 30 #1 Ohio State
won at Northwestern, 14-7. #2 Oklahoma
won 13-6 at Colorado.
#3 UCLA
won at California 27-6 and was given top billing in the next poll. #4 Arkansas
won 14-7 at Texas A & M. #5 Army
, which got to stay home, edged Virginia 21-20. #6 Notre Dame, which beat #15 Navy 6-0 in Baltimore, moved up. The poll: 1.UCLA 2.Ohio State 3.Oklahoma 4.Arkansas 5.Notre Dame.
won at Oregon 41-0. #2 Ohio State
beat visiting #20 Pittsburgh, 26-0. #3 Oklahoma
won at #12 Iowa 40-0. #4 Arkansas
, playing at Little Rock, beat #15 Rice 28-15, and #5 Notre Dame won at Penn, 42-7.
November 13 #1 UCLA
had the week off, while #2 Ohio State
won at Purdue 28-6 and got back the top rung. #3 Oklahoma
beat Missouri 34-13. #4 Arkansas
lost to #19 SMU, 21-14. #5 Notre Dame beat North Carolina, 42-13. #6 Army, which at won at Penn 35-0, came back to the Top Five: 1.Ohio State 2.UCLA 3.Oklahoma 4.Notre Dame 5.Army.
November 20 #1 Ohio State
beat #12 Michigan 21-7. In Los Angeles, #2 UCLA
beat its crosstown rival, #8 USC, 34-0. #3 Oklahoma
beat Nebraska 55-7. #4 Notre Dame won at Iowa 34-18. #5 Army
had the day, preparing for the Army-Navy game.
November 27 #1 Ohio State
and #2 UCLA
had finished their seasons. #3 Oklahoma
won its annual season-closer at Oklahoma State, 14-0. #4 Notre Dame beat #17 USC 23-17. In Philadelphia, #5 Army
was beaten by #6 Navy, 27-20, with the Midshipmen taking Army's spot in the poll.
The United Press International poll, taken from a panel of 35 coaches, had UCLA as the number one team beginning with the poll released on October 26. A rival to the AP poll, the UPI prefaced its release with the statement, "The men who know the game the best, the coaches themselves, voted UCLA to the top spot by the slender margin of seven points over Ohio State, the perfect record champions of the Big 10 Conference," The UPI poll was a Top Ten, with a first place vote by a coach being worth 10 points, second worth 9 points, etc. With 350 being the maximum number of points, and 315 being the total for 35 second place votes, the panel was split on whether UCLA or Ohio State was the best team in the nation. The UPI Top Ten
UCLA averaged higher points per game during the season but Ohio State was judged to have a more difficult schedule, hence, averaging fewer points. UCLA defeated the defending national champs, Maryland, when the Terrapins were ranked #2. They played two common opponents, California and USC. Ohio State beat Cal 21-13 in Columbus while UCLA beat Cal 27-6 in Berkeley. Ohio State beat USC 20-7 in the Rose Bowl while UCLA shutout USC 34-0.
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...
and the 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...
sharing the national championship as the #1 picks of the AP Poll and the UPI Poll, respectively. Although the winners of the Big Ten and the Pacific conferences normally met in the Rose Bowl, a "no repeat" prevented the two champions from meeting. UCLA, which had been in the Rose Bowl earlier in the year, was replaced by conference runner-up USC.
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 419 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 13, 1954, #1 Notre Dame had the most points, although #2 OklahomaOklahoma 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...
had more first place votes (74 vs. 52). Rounding out the Top Five were defending champion #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...
, #4 Texas
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...
and #5 Illinois. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
September 18, #2 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...
won at #12 California 27-13, and #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 at Kentucky, 20-0. Notre Dame and Texas, #1 and #4, were preparing to meet at South Bend to open their seasons. Oklahoma replaced Notre Dame as #1 in the first regular poll. #7 Georgia Tech, which beat Tulane 28-0 in Atlanta, replaced Illinois in the Top Five. Defying high expectations, the Illini would lose their opener to Penn State, 14-12, and finish the season with a 1-8-0 record. The poll: 1.Oklahoma 2.Notre Dame 3.Maryland 4.Texas 5.Georgia Tech.
September 25 #2 Notre Dame hosted #4 Texas
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...
and won 21-0. #1 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 #20 Texas Christian (TCU) 21-16. #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...
was idle, and #5 Georgia Tech lost to Florida, 13-12. Notre Dame took back over the top spot from O.U., and Texas, Maryland and Georgia Tech were replaced by #8 UCLA (32-7 over Kansas), #10 Wisconsin (52-14 over Marquette) and #11 Iowa (14-10 over #7 Michigan State). The poll: 1.Georgia Tech 2.Oklahoma 3.Iowa 4.UCLA 5.Wisconsin
October
In a Friday game, #4 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...
beat #6 Maryland 12-7. The next day, October 2, #1 Notre Dame was upset by #19 Purdue, 27-14. #2 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...
which was idle, moved to the top as Notre Dame dropped out. #3 Iowa
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...
defeated visiting Montana, 48-6, and #5 Wisconsin
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...
beat #13 Michigan State 6-0. In Columbia, the #15 South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
fell 26-6 against unranked 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...
. The poll: 1.Oklahoma 2.UCLA 3.Wisconsin 4.Iowa 5.Purdue
October 9 #1 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...
won its annual game in Dallas against #15 Texas, 14-7. #2 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...
edged Washington 21-20. #3 Wisconsin
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...
beat #11 Rice 13-7. #4 Iowa
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...
lost to unranked Michigan, 14-13, and #5 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
was tied by #6 Duke, 13-13 (in the next poll, they stayed at #5 and #6). #10 Ohio State, which had won at Illinois 40-7, entered the Top Five: 1.Oklahoma 2.Wisconsin 3.UCLA 4.Ohio State 5.Purdue.
October 16 #2 Wisconsin
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...
hosted #5 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
and won 20-6. #1 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...
visited Kansas and annihilated it, 65-0, while #3 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...
went one better in beating Stanford 72-0. #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 #13 Iowa 20-14. #14 West Virginia Mountaineers knocked off the #9 Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
19-14 at Beaver Stadium. #7 Ole Miss, which had beaten Tulane 34-7, entered the Top Five: 1.Oklahoma 2.Wisconsin 3.UCLA 4.Ohio State 5.Mississippi.
October 23 #2 Wisconsin
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...
faced its second top-ranked opponent in a week, visiting Big Ten rival and #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...
. OSU won, 31-14, to take the #1 spot. #1 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 Kansas State 21-0, and #3 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 61-0. #5 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
lost to #7 Arkansas at Little Rock, 6-0. #9 Army, which had won 67-12 at Columbia, moved up. The poll: 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.UCLA 4.Arkansas 5.Army
October 30 #1 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...
won at Northwestern, 14-7. #2 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...
won 13-6 at Colorado.
#3 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...
won at California 27-6 and was given top billing in the next poll. #4 Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won 14-7 at Texas A & M. #5 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....
, which got to stay home, edged Virginia 21-20. #6 Notre Dame, which beat #15 Navy 6-0 in Baltimore, moved up. The poll: 1.UCLA 2.Ohio State 3.Oklahoma 4.Arkansas 5.Notre Dame.
November
November 6 #1 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...
won at Oregon 41-0. #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 visiting #20 Pittsburgh, 26-0. #3 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...
won at #12 Iowa 40-0. #4 Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, playing at Little Rock, beat #15 Rice 28-15, and #5 Notre Dame won at Penn, 42-7.
November 13 #1 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...
had the week off, while #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...
won at Purdue 28-6 and got back the top rung. #3 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 Missouri 34-13. #4 Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
lost to #19 SMU, 21-14. #5 Notre Dame beat North Carolina, 42-13. #6 Army, which at won at Penn 35-0, came back to the Top Five: 1.Ohio State 2.UCLA 3.Oklahoma 4.Notre Dame 5.Army.
November 20 #1 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 #12 Michigan 21-7. In Los Angeles, #2 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 its crosstown rival, #8 USC, 34-0. #3 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 55-7. #4 Notre Dame won at Iowa 34-18. #5 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....
had the day, preparing for the Army-Navy game.
November 27 #1 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...
and #2 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...
had finished their seasons. #3 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...
won its annual season-closer at Oklahoma State, 14-0. #4 Notre Dame beat #17 USC 23-17. In Philadelphia, #5 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 beaten by #6 Navy, 27-20, with the Midshipmen taking Army's spot in the poll.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Final AP and Coaches Poll
AP ranked Ohio State as #1, while the UPI coaches' poll gave the top spot to UCLA. Both wire services' rankings were made at the end of the regular season, and were unaffected by the postseason bowl games. The AP rankings:| 1. Ohio State | (9-0-0) | Big 10 |
| 2. UCLA | (9-0-0) | PCC |
| 3. Oklahoma | (10-0-0) | Big 7 |
| 4. Notre Dame | (8-1-0) | Indep. |
| 5. Navy | (7-2-0) | Indep. |
| 6. Mississippi | (9-1-0) | SEC |
| 7. Army | (7-2-0) | Indep. |
| 8. Maryland | (7-2-1) | ACC |
| 9. Wisconsin | (7-2-0) | Big 10 |
| 10. Arkansas | (8-2-0) | SWC |
| 11. Miami (Florida) | (8-1-0) | Indep. |
| 12. West Virginia | (8-1-0) | Southern |
| 13. Auburn | (7-3-0) | SEC |
| 14. Duke | (7-2-1) | SEC |
| 15. Michigan | (6-3-0) | Big 10 |
| 16. Virginia Tech | (8-0-1) | ACC |
| 17. USC | (8-3-0) | PCC |
| 18. Baylor | (7-3-0) | SWC |
| 19. Rice | (7-3-0) | SWC |
| 20. Penn State | (7-2-0) | Indep. |
The United Press International poll, taken from a panel of 35 coaches, had UCLA as the number one team beginning with the poll released on October 26. A rival to the AP poll, the UPI prefaced its release with the statement, "The men who know the game the best, the coaches themselves, voted UCLA to the top spot by the slender margin of seven points over Ohio State, the perfect record champions of the Big 10 Conference," The UPI poll was a Top Ten, with a first place vote by a coach being worth 10 points, second worth 9 points, etc. With 350 being the maximum number of points, and 315 being the total for 35 second place votes, the panel was split on whether UCLA or Ohio State was the best team in the nation. The UPI Top Ten
| Ranking | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA |
| 2 | Ohio State |
| 3 | Oklahoma |
| 4 | Notre Dame |
| 5 | Navy |
| 6 | Mississippi |
| 7 | Army |
| 8 | Arkansas |
| 9 | Miami (Fla.) |
| 10 | Wisconsin |
| 11 (t) | USC |
| 11 (t) | Maryland |
| 11 (t) | Georgia Tech |
| 14 | Duke |
| 15 | Michigan |
| 16 | Penn State |
| 17 | SMU |
| 18 | Denver |
| 19 | Rice |
| 20 | Minnesota |
UCLA averaged higher points per game during the season but Ohio State was judged to have a more difficult schedule, hence, averaging fewer points. UCLA defeated the defending national champs, Maryland, when the Terrapins were ranked #2. They played two common opponents, California and USC. Ohio State beat Cal 21-13 in Columbus while UCLA beat Cal 27-6 in Berkeley. Ohio State beat USC 20-7 in the Rose Bowl while UCLA shutout USC 34-0.
Bowl games
| ROSE BOWL | #1 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... |
20 | #17 USC Trojans | 7 |
| SUGAR BOWL | #5 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... |
21 | #6 Mississippi Rebels Ole Miss Rebels football The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs... |
0 |
| COTTON BOWL | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 14 | #10 Arkansas Razorbacks Arkansas Razorbacks football The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
6 |
| ORANGE BOWL | #14 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... |
34 | Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
7 |