1958 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1958 college football season was the first to feature the two point conversion. On January 13, 1958, the 11-man NCAA Rules Committee unanimously approved a resolution to allow teams to choose between kicking an extra point after a touchdown, or running or passing from the 3 yard line for 2 points. University of Michigan
athletic director Fritz Crisler
said at the meeting in Fort Lauderdale, "It's a progressive step which will make football more interesting for the spectators," adding that the rule "will add drama to what has been the dullest, most stupid play in the game," . Louisiana State University
(LSU), with a record of 10-0-0, was crowned the national champion at the end of the regular season by both major polls. The Iowa Hawkeyes
were crowned national champions by the Football Writers' Association of America after the bowl games were played.
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 1958 consisted of the votes of as many as 203 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. 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
).
were the first place choice for 46 of 99 writers casting votes, followed by Oklahoma
, Notre Dame, Michigan State and 1957's champion, Auburn
. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
Most teams did not begin play until September 27. On September 13, Kentucky
beat Hawaii
51-0 in a game in Louisville, and attempted the 2-point conversion, but without success One of the first successful 2-point conversions in an NCAA game happened when Iowa State Teachers College
hosted Bradley University
at Cedar Falls, Iowa
on September 13. Max Huffman carried the ball over twice on conversion attempts to give the Panthers of Iowa Teachers a 29-12 win over the Braves . On September 20, #6 Mississippi and #8 Texas Christian were among the winners, beating Memphis State (17-0) and Kansas (42-0) respectively, but the Top Five schools had not yet started play.
The poll for the five 0-0 teams was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Auburn 4.Michigan State and 5.Notre Dame.
September 27
#1 Ohio State narrowly beat SMU at home, 23-20, and fell to third in the next poll. #2 Oklahoma
, on the other hand, rolled over visiting West Virginia 47-14, and rose to first place. #3 Auburn
beat Tennessee in Birmingham, 13-0, and #4 Michigan State beat California 32-12. #5 Notre Dame beat Indiana 18-0, but fell to 7th, while
#8 Army
, which beat South Carolina 45-8, took the place of the Irish.
The poll: 1. Oklahoma 2.Auburn 3.Ohio State 4.Michigan State 5.Army
got past visiting Oregon, 6-0, and dropped to second. #2 Auburn
, which beat UT-Chattanooga 30-8 at home, moved up to the top spot. #3 Ohio State beat Washington at home, 12-7. #4 Michigan State played Michigan to a 12-12 tie, and fell to 9th. #5 Army
beat Penn State 26-0. #7 Notre Dame, which beat SMU in Dallas, 14-6, returned to the Top Five.
Poll: 1.Auburn 2.Oklahoma 3.Army 4.Notre Dame 5.Ohio State
October 11
#5 Ohio State won at Illinois, 19-13
#1 Auburn
won at Kentucky, 8-0. #2 Oklahoma
sustained a 15-14 loss at Dallas in their annual meeting with the Texas Longhorns.
In South Bend, Indiana, the visiting #3 Army Cadets
(or Black Knights) beat #4 Notre Dame, 14-2, and were voted #1 in the next poll.
#6 Wisconsin
, which beat Purdue 31-6, and
#9 Michigan State, which beat Pittsburgh 22-8, rose in the polls, to put Big Ten schools at #3, #4 and #5. The poll:
Poll: 1.Army 2.Auburn 3.Ohio State 4.Wisconsin 5. Michigan State
On October 18 at West Point, New York, #1 Army
beat Virginia 35-6. #2 Auburn
tied with Georgia Tech 7-7 in Atlanta and fell in the polls. #3 Ohio State beat Indiana 49-8. #4 Wisconsin
lost to Iowa at home, 20-9, and #5 Michigan State began a five game losing streak with a 14-6 defeat at Purdue. The Spartans would finish the season with a 3-5-1 record after starting 2-0-1. #7 Texas
(24-6 over Arkansas) and #9 LSU
(32-7 over Kentucky) rose in the polls.
Poll: 1.Army 2.Ohio State 3.LSU 4.Texas 5.Auburn
October 25 For the top-ranked teams, a tie was only slightly better than a loss. #1 Army
played to a 14-14 tie against the Panthers at Pittsburgh, and #2 Ohio State tied with Wisconsin at home 7-7. #3 LSU
beat Florida 10-7, and the win was enough to propel it to first place. #4 Texas
lost to the Rice Owls in Houston, 34-7. #5 Auburn
beat Maryland at home, 20-7. #7 Iowa
, which beat Northwestern 26-20, rose to 2nd in the next poll.
Poll: 1.LSU 2.Iowa 3.Army 4.Auburn 5.Ohio State
#1 LSU
beat Ole Miss 14-0
#2 Iowa
won at Michigan, 37-14. #3 Army
crushed Colgate, 68-6. #4 Auburn
won 6-5 at Florida. In Columbus, #5 Ohio State was upset by visiting#11 Northwestern
, 21-0.
The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Iowa 3.Army 4.Northwestern 5.Auburn
November 8
#1 LSU
beat Duke 50-18.
#2 Iowa
won at Minnesota 28-6. #3 Army
beat the Rice Owls in Houston, 14-7.
#4 Northwestern
lost at Madison to #7 Wisconsin
, 17-13.
#5 Auburn
beat Mississippi State 33-14 at home.
The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Iowa 3.Army 4.Auburn 5.Wisconsin
November 15
#1 LSU
beat Mississippi State at Jackson 7-6. #2 Iowa
lost at home to Ohio State 38-28. #3 Army
beat Villanova 26-0. #4 Auburn
met the Georgia Bulldogs halfway in Columbus, Georgia
, and won 21-6. #5 Wisconsin
. #6 Oklahoma
, which beat Missouri 39-0, rose to 4th.
The poll was: 1.LSU 2.Auburn 3.Army 4.Oklahoma 5.Wisconsin
November 22
In New Orleans, the #1 LSU Tigers
crushed Tulane 62-0, to close their season with a 10-0-0 record. They would face the Clemson Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. Behind them, were the #2 Auburn Tigers
, who beat Wake Forest at home 21-7. #3 Army
was idle as it prepared for the annual Army-Navy game. #4 Oklahoma
crushed Nebraska 40-7. #5 Wisconsin
beat Minnesota to close its season at 6-1-1. #6 Iowa
, which beat Notre Dame 31-21, returned to the Top 5.
1.LSU 2.Auburn 3.Oklahoma 4.Iowa 5.Army
On November 29 #2 Auburn
defeated Alabama 14-8 in Birmingham to finish its season at 9-0-1. #3 Oklahoma
won at Oklahoma State 7-0.
In Philadelphia, #5 Army
beat Navy, 22-6, to finish its season 8-0-1.
The final AP Poll was released on December 1, and
the #1 LSU Tigers
, at 10-0-0, won the AP Trophy with 130 of the first place votes. The other 73 votes were spread among 12 schools, including Rose Bowl bound #2 Iowa
(17), #3 Army
(13), #4 Auburn
(9), #5 Oklahoma
(10), #6 Air Force
(2), #7 Wisconsin
(13), #8 Ohio State (3), and #9 Syracuse Orangemen. The United States Air Force Academy football team, nicknamed the Falcons, had a 9-0-1 record in only their second year of playing college football, and accepted a bid to face Texas Christian University in the Cotton Bowl.
Other bowls:
Notably, the Tangerine Bowl initially extended a bid to Buffalo
. However, when the bowl organizers told the school that its two black
players would not be allowed to play, the team unanimously voted to turn down the bid. The Bulls would not appear in a bowl game until the 2008 season
.
(Oxford, Ohio), #3 Arizona State College (Flagstaff), #4 Northeastern (Oklahoma), and #5 East Texas State.
. The third annual NAIA championship game, held in St. Petersburg, Florida, and called the "Holiday Bowl", pitted the #4 Northeastern State
Redmen against the Lumberjacks of #3 Arizona State College (Flagstaff)
(now Northern Arizona University). Northeastern won, 19-13.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
athletic director Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
said at the meeting in Fort Lauderdale, "It's a progressive step which will make football more interesting for the spectators," adding that the rule "will add drama to what has been the dullest, most stupid play in the game," . Louisiana State University
1958 LSU Tigers football team
The 1958 LSU Tigers segregated football team represented Louisiana State University during the 1958 college football season. Under head coach Paul Dietzel, the Tigers cruised to an undefeated season capped by a win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl...
(LSU), with a record of 10-0-0, was crowned the national champion at the end of the regular season by both major polls. The Iowa Hawkeyes
1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1958 college football season. The team was coached by Forest Evashevski and captained by fullback John Nocera...
were crowned national champions by the Football Writers' Association of America after the bowl games were played.
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 1958 consisted of the votes of as many as 203 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. 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 15, 1958, the Buckeyes of Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
were the first place choice for 46 of 99 writers casting votes, followed by 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...
, Notre Dame, Michigan State and 1957's champion, Auburn
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...
. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
Most teams did not begin play until September 27. On September 13, Kentucky
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...
beat Hawaii
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
The University of Hawaii Warriors, University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, or University of Hawaii Rainbows are the team names of the men's sports programs at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa....
51-0 in a game in Louisville, and attempted the 2-point conversion, but without success One of the first successful 2-point conversions in an NCAA game happened when Iowa State Teachers College
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
hosted Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
at Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States, and it is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. The population was 39,260 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 36,145 population in the 2000 census...
on September 13. Max Huffman carried the ball over twice on conversion attempts to give the Panthers of Iowa Teachers a 29-12 win over the Braves . On September 20, #6 Mississippi and #8 Texas Christian were among the winners, beating Memphis State (17-0) and Kansas (42-0) respectively, but the Top Five schools had not yet started play.
The poll for the five 0-0 teams was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Auburn 4.Michigan State and 5.Notre Dame.
September 27
#1 Ohio State narrowly beat SMU at home, 23-20, and fell to third in the next poll. #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...
, on the other hand, rolled over visiting West Virginia 47-14, and rose to first place. #3 Auburn
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...
beat Tennessee in Birmingham, 13-0, and #4 Michigan State beat California 32-12. #5 Notre Dame beat Indiana 18-0, but fell to 7th, while
#8 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 beat South Carolina 45-8, took the place of the Irish.
The poll: 1. Oklahoma 2.Auburn 3.Ohio State 4.Michigan State 5.Army
October
October 4 #1 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...
got past visiting Oregon, 6-0, and dropped to second. #2 Auburn
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...
, which beat UT-Chattanooga 30-8 at home, moved up to the top spot. #3 Ohio State beat Washington at home, 12-7. #4 Michigan State played Michigan to a 12-12 tie, and fell to 9th. #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....
beat Penn State 26-0. #7 Notre Dame, which beat SMU in Dallas, 14-6, returned to the Top Five.
Poll: 1.Auburn 2.Oklahoma 3.Army 4.Notre Dame 5.Ohio State
October 11
#5 Ohio State won at Illinois, 19-13
#1 Auburn
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...
won at Kentucky, 8-0. #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...
sustained a 15-14 loss at Dallas in their annual meeting with the Texas Longhorns.
In South Bend, Indiana, the visiting #3 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....
(or Black Knights) beat #4 Notre Dame, 14-2, and were voted #1 in the next poll.
#6 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...
, which beat Purdue 31-6, and
#9 Michigan State, which beat Pittsburgh 22-8, rose in the polls, to put Big Ten schools at #3, #4 and #5. The poll:
Poll: 1.Army 2.Auburn 3.Ohio State 4.Wisconsin 5. Michigan State
On October 18 at West Point, 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....
beat Virginia 35-6. #2 Auburn
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...
tied with Georgia Tech 7-7 in Atlanta and fell in the polls. #3 Ohio State beat Indiana 49-8. #4 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...
lost to Iowa at home, 20-9, and #5 Michigan State began a five game losing streak with a 14-6 defeat at Purdue. The Spartans would finish the season with a 3-5-1 record after starting 2-0-1. #7 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...
(24-6 over Arkansas) and #9 LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
(32-7 over Kentucky) rose in the polls.
Poll: 1.Army 2.Ohio State 3.LSU 4.Texas 5.Auburn
October 25 For the top-ranked teams, a tie was only slightly better than a loss. #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....
played to a 14-14 tie against the Panthers at Pittsburgh, and #2 Ohio State tied with Wisconsin at home 7-7. #3 LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
beat Florida 10-7, and the win was enough to propel it to first place. #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...
lost to the Rice Owls in Houston, 34-7. #5 Auburn
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...
beat Maryland at home, 20-7. #7 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...
, which beat Northwestern 26-20, rose to 2nd in the next poll.
Poll: 1.LSU 2.Iowa 3.Army 4.Auburn 5.Ohio State
November
November 1#1 LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
beat Ole Miss 14-0
#2 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...
won at Michigan, 37-14. #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....
crushed Colgate, 68-6. #4 Auburn
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...
won 6-5 at Florida. In Columbus, #5 Ohio State was upset by visiting#11 Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
, 21-0.
The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Iowa 3.Army 4.Northwestern 5.Auburn
November 8
#1 LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
beat Duke 50-18.
#2 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...
won at Minnesota 28-6. #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 the Rice Owls in Houston, 14-7.
#4 Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
lost at Madison to #7 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...
, 17-13.
#5 Auburn
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...
beat Mississippi State 33-14 at home.
The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Iowa 3.Army 4.Auburn 5.Wisconsin
November 15
#1 LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
beat Mississippi State at Jackson 7-6. #2 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 at home to Ohio State 38-28. #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 Villanova 26-0. #4 Auburn
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...
met the Georgia Bulldogs halfway in Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, and won 21-6. #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...
. #6 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 beat Missouri 39-0, rose to 4th.
The poll was: 1.LSU 2.Auburn 3.Army 4.Oklahoma 5.Wisconsin
November 22
In New Orleans, the #1 LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
crushed Tulane 62-0, to close their season with a 10-0-0 record. They would face the Clemson Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. Behind them, were the #2 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...
, who beat Wake Forest at home 21-7. #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....
was idle as it prepared for the annual Army-Navy game. #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...
crushed Nebraska 40-7. #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 Minnesota to close its season at 6-1-1. #6 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...
, which beat Notre Dame 31-21, returned to the Top 5.
1.LSU 2.Auburn 3.Oklahoma 4.Iowa 5.Army
On November 29 #2 Auburn
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...
defeated Alabama 14-8 in Birmingham to finish its season at 9-0-1. #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 Oklahoma State 7-0.
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....
beat Navy, 22-6, to finish its season 8-0-1.
The final AP Poll was released on December 1, and
the #1 LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
, at 10-0-0, won the AP Trophy with 130 of the first place votes. The other 73 votes were spread among 12 schools, including Rose Bowl bound #2 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...
(17), #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....
(13), #4 Auburn
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...
(9), #5 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...
(10), #6 Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
(2), #7 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...
(13), #8 Ohio State (3), and #9 Syracuse Orangemen. The United States Air Force Academy football team, nicknamed the Falcons, had a 9-0-1 record in only their second year of playing college football, and accepted a bid to face Texas Christian University in the Cotton Bowl.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Bowl games
| SUGAR BOWL | #1 LSU Tigers LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
7 | #12 Clemson Tigers Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
0 |
| ROSE BOWL | #2 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... |
38 | #16 California Golden Bears California Golden Bears football The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to... |
12 |
| ORANGE BOWL | #5 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... |
21 | #9 Syracuse Orangemen | 6 |
| COTTON BOWL | #10 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 | #6 Air Force Falcons Air Force Falcons football The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:... |
0 |
Other bowls:
| BOWL | Location | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUN | El Paso | Wyoming 14 | Hardin-Simmons 6 |
| GATOR | Jacksonville | Mississippi 7 | Florida 3 |
| TANGERINE | Orlando | East Texas State 26 | Missouri Valley 7 |
| BLUEGRASS | Louisville | Oklahoma State 15 | Florida State 6 |
Notably, the Tangerine Bowl initially extended a bid to Buffalo
Buffalo Bulls football
The Buffalo Bulls football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University at Buffalo located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo's first...
. However, when the bowl organizers told the school that its two black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
players would not be allowed to play, the team unanimously voted to turn down the bid. The Bulls would not appear in a bowl game until the 2008 season
2008 Buffalo Bulls football team
The 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. 2008 was a season of firsts for the Bulls. With a 40-34 double overtime win over Bowling Green on November 21, the Bulls won the MAC East division and gained a berth...
.
Final AP Poll
Final Poll Released on 12/2/58- Louisiana State
- Iowa
- Army (NY)
- Auburn (AL)
- Oklahoma
- Air Force (CO)
- Wisconsin
- Ohio State
- Syracuse (NY)
- Texas Christian
- Mississippi
- Clemson (SC)
- Purdue (IN)
- Florida
- South Carolina
- California
- Notre Dame (IN)
- Southern Methodist (TX)
- Oklahoma State
- Rutgers (NJ)
Final Coaches Poll
Final Poll Released on 12/2/58- Louisiana State
- Iowa
- Army
- Auburn
- Oklahoma
- Wisconsin
- Ohio State
- Air Force
- Texas Christian
- Syracuse
- Purdue
- Mississippi
- Clemson
- Notre Dame
- Florida
- California
- Northwestern
- Southern Methodist
Other Champions
The UPI conducted a "small college" coaches' poll. In 1958, the first year for the poll, Mississippi Southern (now USM), which had beaten N.C. State and Virginia Tech en route to a 9-0-0 record, was #1 from start to finish, followed by #2 Miami UniversityMiami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
(Oxford, Ohio), #3 Arizona State College (Flagstaff), #4 Northeastern (Oklahoma), and #5 East Texas State.
. The third annual NAIA championship game, held in St. Petersburg, Florida, and called the "Holiday Bowl", pitted the #4 Northeastern State
Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma...
Redmen against the Lumberjacks of #3 Arizona State College (Flagstaff)
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
(now Northern Arizona University). Northeastern won, 19-13.