1959 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1959 college football season saw Syracuse University
crowned as the national champion by both the AP
and the UPI
wire services. Mississippi (Ole Miss)
, which had outscored its opponents 350-21, finished #2 in both polls, and its only loss during the regular season had been to LSU, which ultimately finished #3. Ole Miss would defeat LSU 21-0 four weeks later in the Sugar Bowl. As such, Ole Miss was ranked #1 by Berryman, Billingsley, Dunkel and Sagarin
, although the AP and UPI were the accepted polls at the time.
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 1959 consisted of the votes of as many as 201 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
).
(Louisiana State University) Tigers were ranked #1, followed by Oklahoma
, Auburn
, SMU
(Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas), and Army (the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York). With more than 100 sportswriters weighing in, eighteen different schools received first place votes. Syracuse was ranked #20 overall . As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
On September 19, #1 LSU
beat Rice
at home, 26-3. Oklahoma, Auburn, SMU and Army had not yet opened their seasons; SMU and Army fell to #6 and #7. #8 Mississippi
, which won at Houston
, 16-0, rose to 4th in the poll. #18 Clemson
moved up 5th after its 20-18 win at North Carolina. Three of the Top Five schools were from the SEC: 1.LSU 2.Oklahoma 3.Auburn 4.Mississippi 5.Clemson
September 26
#1 LSU
beat TCU
(Texas Christian University) at home, 10-0. #2 Oklahoma
lost its opener, falling 45-13 at #10 Northwestern
, and dropped out of the Top 20 entirely, while Northwestern took its place. #3 Auburn
lost at Tennessee, 3-0 and fell to 17th place in the next poll. #4 Mississippi
recorded another 16-0 win, this time at Kentucky, and rose to third. #5 Clemson
won at Virginia, 47-0, but fell to 6th. #7 Army returned to the Top 5 after its 44-8 win over Boston College. #13 Iowa
, which had won at California 42-12, rose to fifth. The poll was 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Mississippi 4.Army 5.Iowa
and Baylor met at a game in Shreveport, with LSU winning 22-0. #2 Northwestern
won at #5 Iowa
, 14-10. #3 Mississippi
registered a third shutout, beating Memphis State 43-0, but fell to fifth. #4 Army lost at Illinois, 20-14, and fell out of the Top 20 completely. #7 Georgia Tech which went to 3-0 after a 16-6 win over #6 Clemson, rose to 3rd in the poll. #10 Texas
rose to 4th after its third shutout in a row, a 33-0 walloping of California. The poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Georgia Tech 4.Texas 5.Mississippi
October 10 #1 LSU
beat the visiting Miami Hurricanes 27-3. #2 Northwestern
beat Minnesota 6-0. #3 Georgia Tech won at Tennessee, 14-7. In Dallas, #4 Texas
defeated Oklahoma 19-12. #5 Mississippi
won at Vanderbilt, 33-0. In four games, Ole Miss was 4-0-0 and had outscored its opponents 108-0. The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Texas 4.Georgia Tech 5.Mississippi
On October 17, #1 LSU
won at Kentucky, 9-0. #2 Northwestern
won at Michigan 20-7. #3 Texas
narrowly beat Arkansas 13-12 in Little Rock. #4 Georgia Tech lost to Auburn, 7-6. #5 Mississippi
yielded some points for the first time in the season, but beat Tulane 53-7. The #7 USC Trojans rose to 5th after beating Washington in Seattle, 22-15. The poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Texas 4.Mississippi 5.USC
October 24 #1 LSU
recorded its fourth shutout, winning 9-0 in Florida. #2 Northwestern
killed another giant on the road, beating Notre Dame 30-24. #3 Texas
defeated Rice 28-6. #4 Mississippi
shut out Arkansas 28-0 at Memphis. #5 USC Trojans got past Stanford 30-28 and fell to 6th. Taking USC's place was #6 Syracuse, which had beaten West Virginia 44-0 to reach the 5-0-0 mark. The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Mississippi 4.Texas 5.Syracuse
October 31 LSU
and #3 Mississippi
, both 6-0-0, met in Baton Rouge. Both schools had great defenses. LSU had outscored its opposition 103-6, while Ole Miss had a 189-7 point differential over all comers. Someone had to lose, and Ole Miss fell to LSU 7-3. Billy Cannon
returned a Jake Gibbs
punt 89 yards for the game's only touchdown, but the Rebels had a chance to win the game when it drove to the LSU 1-yard line in the closing seconds, only to see third-string quarterback Doug Elmore stopped cold on fourth and goal by Cannon. #2 Northwestern
beat visiting Indiana 30-13. #4 Texas
beat SMU in Dallas, 21-0. #5 Syracuse won at Pittsburgh, 35-0, and rose to fourth. The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Texas 4.Syracuse 5.Mississippi
traveled to Knoxville to face the University of Tennessee, and gave up a touchdown for the first time in the season. The Vols made it to the end zone twice, winning 14-13 over the Tigers. Losing also was #2 Northwestern
, which fell to the visiting Wisconsin
, 24-19, and dropped to 6th. #3 Texas
won a close one over Baylor, 13-12, and rose to 2nd.
#4 Syracuse, which had won at Penn State 20-18, was catapulted to the #1 spot. #5 Mississippi
crushed UT-Chattanooga 58-0. #6 USC returned to the Top Five after a 36-0 win over West Virginia. The next poll was 1.Syracuse 2.Texas 3.LSU 4.USC 5.Mississippi
November 14 #1 Syracuse exercised its top status, brushing off Colgate 71-0. #2 Texas
lost to Texas Christian, 14-9. #3 LSU
returned to its winning ways, beating Mississippi State at home, 27-0. #4 USC beat Baylor 17-8. #5 Mississippi
beat Tennessee in Memphis, 37-7. The poll changed slightly: 1.Syracuse 2.Mississippi 3.LSU 4.USC 5.Texas
November 21
#1 Syracuse won at Boston University, 46-0, for its fifth shutout as it reached the 9-0-0 mark. #3 LSU
beat Tulane 14-6, then accepted an invitation to play in the Sugar Bowl. #4 USC lost to UCLA, 10-3 and fell to 7th. #9 Wisconsin
, which closed its season with an 11-7 win at Minnesota, rose to 5th. #2 Mississippi
and #5 Texas
were idle, but stayed at the same place in the polls: 1.Syracuse 2.Mississippi 3.LSU 4.Texas 5.Wisconsin
On Thanksgiving Day, #4 Texas
won at Texas A & M, 20-17. #1 Syracuse was idle as it prepared for its December 5 trip to Los Angeles to play UCLA. On November 28, #2 Mississippi
played its season ender against Mississippi State, in Starkville, and won 42-0. Both LSU and Ole Miss were invited to a rematch in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl. A third SEC team, the #6 Georgia Bulldogs
, beat Georgia Tech 21-14 in Atlanta and accepted a spot in the Orange Bowl. Because Oklahoma had played in the Orange Bowl the year before, a "no repeat" rule gave the Big 7 (Oklahoma State would join later) berth to 6-4-0 Missouri. The Rose Bowl matched #6 Wisconsin against #8 Washington. The penultimate poll was 1.Syracuse 2.Mississippi 3.LSU 4.Texas 5.Georgia. On December 5, #1 Syracuse closed its season with trip to the Los Angeles Coliseum to face the upset-minded (but 5-3-1) UCLA Bruins In a nationally televised game, the Orangemen took a 14-0 lead and went on to win 36-8 to finish the season with a perfect 10-0-0 record . As the only unbeaten team among universities, the Syracuse Orangemen were voted #1 in the AP poll (with 134 of 201 first place votes) and in the UPI poll, and 31 of the 35 first place votes on the UPI's "Board of Coaches"
Behind future Heisman Trophy
winner Ernie Davis
, the Orangemen proved the voters' decision to name them national champions in the final polls was a wise one. It was the first Cotton Bowl for the Longhorns under coach Darrell Royal
, who guided Texas to national championships in 1963, 1969 and 1970 and compiled a career record of 167-47-5 in Austin from 1957 through 1976.
Ole Miss systematically demolished LSU in the Sugar Bowl. The Rebels outgained the Bayou Bengals and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon 373-74 in front of a largely pro-LSU crowd of over 83,000 at Tulane Stadium
. Immediately following the game, Cannon signed a contract with the Houston Oilers
of the fledgling American Football League
, spurning the Los Angeles Rams
and general manager Pete Rozelle
.
Other bowls:
(9-0-0) were voted #1, followed by Mississippi Southern, Middle Tennessee State, Delaware
and East Texas State
. Middle Tennessee was the only team to play postseason, winning 21-12 over Presbyterian University in the Tangerine Bowl
. The NAIA championship game (the Camellia Bowl
saw the Texas A&I Javelinas
beat the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, 20-7.
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
crowned as the national champion by both the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the UPI
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
wire services. Mississippi (Ole Miss)
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...
, which had outscored its opponents 350-21, finished #2 in both polls, and its only loss during the regular season had been to LSU, which ultimately finished #3. Ole Miss would defeat LSU 21-0 four weeks later in the Sugar Bowl. As such, Ole Miss was ranked #1 by Berryman, Billingsley, Dunkel and Sagarin
Jeff Sagarin
Jeff Sagarin is an American sports statistician well-known for his development of a methodology for ranking and rating sports teams in a variety of sports...
, although the AP and UPI were the accepted polls at the time.
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 1959 consisted of the votes of as many as 201 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 14, 1959, the defending champion LSULSU 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...
(Louisiana State University) Tigers were ranked #1, 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...
, 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...
, SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
(Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas), and Army (the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York). With more than 100 sportswriters weighing in, eighteen different schools received first place votes. Syracuse was ranked #20 overall . As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
On September 19, #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 Rice
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:...
at home, 26-3. Oklahoma, Auburn, SMU and Army had not yet opened their seasons; SMU and Army fell to #6 and #7. #8 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
, which won at Houston
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
, 16-0, rose to 4th in the poll. #18 Clemson
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...
moved up 5th after its 20-18 win at North Carolina. Three of the Top Five schools were from the SEC: 1.LSU 2.Oklahoma 3.Auburn 4.Mississippi 5.Clemson
September 26
#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 TCU
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...
(Texas Christian University) at home, 10-0. #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...
lost its opener, falling 45-13 at #10 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...
, and dropped out of the Top 20 entirely, while Northwestern took its 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...
lost at Tennessee, 3-0 and fell to 17th place in the next poll. #4 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
recorded another 16-0 win, this time at Kentucky, and rose to third. #5 Clemson
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...
won at Virginia, 47-0, but fell to 6th. #7 Army returned to the Top 5 after its 44-8 win over Boston College. #13 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 had won at California 42-12, rose to fifth. The poll was 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Mississippi 4.Army 5.Iowa
October
October 3 #1 LSULSU 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...
and Baylor met at a game in Shreveport, with LSU winning 22-0. #2 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...
won at #5 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...
, 14-10. #3 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
registered a third shutout, beating Memphis State 43-0, but fell to fifth. #4 Army lost at Illinois, 20-14, and fell out of the Top 20 completely. #7 Georgia Tech which went to 3-0 after a 16-6 win over #6 Clemson, rose to 3rd in the poll. #10 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...
rose to 4th after its third shutout in a row, a 33-0 walloping of California. The poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Georgia Tech 4.Texas 5.Mississippi
October 10 #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 the visiting Miami Hurricanes 27-3. #2 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...
beat Minnesota 6-0. #3 Georgia Tech won at Tennessee, 14-7. In Dallas, #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...
defeated Oklahoma 19-12. #5 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
won at Vanderbilt, 33-0. In four games, Ole Miss was 4-0-0 and had outscored its opponents 108-0. The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Texas 4.Georgia Tech 5.Mississippi
On October 17, #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...
won at Kentucky, 9-0. #2 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...
won at Michigan 20-7. #3 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...
narrowly beat Arkansas 13-12 in Little Rock. #4 Georgia Tech lost to Auburn, 7-6. #5 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
yielded some points for the first time in the season, but beat Tulane 53-7. The #7 USC Trojans rose to 5th after beating Washington in Seattle, 22-15. The poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Texas 4.Mississippi 5.USC
October 24 #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...
recorded its fourth shutout, winning 9-0 in Florida. #2 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...
killed another giant on the road, beating Notre Dame 30-24. #3 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...
defeated Rice 28-6. #4 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
shut out Arkansas 28-0 at Memphis. #5 USC Trojans got past Stanford 30-28 and fell to 6th. Taking USC's place was #6 Syracuse, which had beaten West Virginia 44-0 to reach the 5-0-0 mark. The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Mississippi 4.Texas 5.Syracuse
October 31 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...
and #3 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
, both 6-0-0, met in Baton Rouge. Both schools had great defenses. LSU had outscored its opposition 103-6, while Ole Miss had a 189-7 point differential over all comers. Someone had to lose, and Ole Miss fell to LSU 7-3. Billy Cannon
Billy Cannon
William Abb "Billy" Cannon is an All-American, 1959 Heisman Trophy winner and 2008 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and one of the American Football League's most celebrated players.He was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and moved...
returned a Jake Gibbs
Jake Gibbs
Jerry Dean "Jake" Gibbs is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the New York Yankees as a platoon catcher from 1962 to 1971. His strong hit record in 1968 earned him the nickname "Dead-Eye" Gibbs...
punt 89 yards for the game's only touchdown, but the Rebels had a chance to win the game when it drove to the LSU 1-yard line in the closing seconds, only to see third-string quarterback Doug Elmore stopped cold on fourth and goal by Cannon. #2 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...
beat visiting Indiana 30-13. #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...
beat SMU in Dallas, 21-0. #5 Syracuse won at Pittsburgh, 35-0, and rose to fourth. The next poll was: 1.LSU 2.Northwestern 3.Texas 4.Syracuse 5.Mississippi
November
November 7 #1 LSULSU 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...
traveled to Knoxville to face the University of Tennessee, and gave up a touchdown for the first time in the season. The Vols made it to the end zone twice, winning 14-13 over the Tigers. Losing also was #2 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...
, which fell to the visiting Wisconsin
1959 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 1959 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1959 college football season, and in the 1960 Rose Bowl as the champions of the Big Ten Conference.-Schedule and results:...
, 24-19, and dropped to 6th. #3 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...
won a close one over Baylor, 13-12, and rose to 2nd.
#4 Syracuse, which had won at Penn State 20-18, was catapulted to the #1 spot. #5 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
crushed UT-Chattanooga 58-0. #6 USC returned to the Top Five after a 36-0 win over West Virginia. The next poll was 1.Syracuse 2.Texas 3.LSU 4.USC 5.Mississippi
November 14 #1 Syracuse exercised its top status, brushing off Colgate 71-0. #2 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 Texas Christian, 14-9. #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...
returned to its winning ways, beating Mississippi State at home, 27-0. #4 USC beat Baylor 17-8. #5 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
beat Tennessee in Memphis, 37-7. The poll changed slightly: 1.Syracuse 2.Mississippi 3.LSU 4.USC 5.Texas
November 21
#1 Syracuse won at Boston University, 46-0, for its fifth shutout as it reached the 9-0-0 mark. #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 Tulane 14-6, then accepted an invitation to play in the Sugar Bowl. #4 USC lost to UCLA, 10-3 and fell to 7th. #9 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 closed its season with an 11-7 win at Minnesota, rose to 5th. #2 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
and #5 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...
were idle, but stayed at the same place in the polls: 1.Syracuse 2.Mississippi 3.LSU 4.Texas 5.Wisconsin
On Thanksgiving Day, #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...
won at Texas A & M, 20-17. #1 Syracuse was idle as it prepared for its December 5 trip to Los Angeles to play UCLA. On November 28, #2 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
played its season ender against Mississippi State, in Starkville, and won 42-0. Both LSU and Ole Miss were invited to a rematch in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl. A third SEC team, the #6 Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, beat Georgia Tech 21-14 in Atlanta and accepted a spot in the Orange Bowl. Because Oklahoma had played in the Orange Bowl the year before, a "no repeat" rule gave the Big 7 (Oklahoma State would join later) berth to 6-4-0 Missouri. The Rose Bowl matched #6 Wisconsin against #8 Washington. The penultimate poll was 1.Syracuse 2.Mississippi 3.LSU 4.Texas 5.Georgia. On December 5, #1 Syracuse closed its season with trip to the Los Angeles Coliseum to face the upset-minded (but 5-3-1) UCLA Bruins In a nationally televised game, the Orangemen took a 14-0 lead and went on to win 36-8 to finish the season with a perfect 10-0-0 record . As the only unbeaten team among universities, the Syracuse Orangemen were voted #1 in the AP poll (with 134 of 201 first place votes) and in the UPI poll, and 31 of the 35 first place votes on the UPI's "Board of Coaches"
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Bowl games
| COTTON BOWL | #1 Syracuse Orangemen | 23 | #4 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... |
14 |
| SUGAR BOWL | #2 Mississippi Rebels Ole Miss Rebels University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school... |
21 | #3 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... |
0 |
| ROSE BOWL | #8 Washington Huskies Washington Huskies football College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by... |
44 | #6 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... |
8 |
| ORANGE BOWL | #5 Georgia Bulldogs Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54... |
14 | #18 Missouri Tigers Missouri Tigers football The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996... |
0 |
Behind future Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Ernie Davis
Ernie Davis
Ernest "Ernie" Davis was an American football running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins, then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland...
, the Orangemen proved the voters' decision to name them national champions in the final polls was a wise one. It was the first Cotton Bowl for the Longhorns under coach Darrell Royal
Darrell Royal
Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...
, who guided Texas to national championships in 1963, 1969 and 1970 and compiled a career record of 167-47-5 in Austin from 1957 through 1976.
Ole Miss systematically demolished LSU in the Sugar Bowl. The Rebels outgained the Bayou Bengals and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon 373-74 in front of a largely pro-LSU crowd of over 83,000 at Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located...
. Immediately following the game, Cannon signed a contract with the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
of the fledgling American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, spurning the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
and general manager Pete Rozelle
Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world....
.
Other bowls:
| BOWL | Location | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUN | El Paso | New Mexico State 28 | North Texas State 8 |
| GATOR | Jacksonville | Arkansas 14 | Georgia Tech 7 |
| TANGERINE | Orlando | Middle Tennessee 21 | Presbyterian 12 |
| BLUEBONNET | Houston | Clemson 23 | TCU 7 |
| LIBERTY | Philadelphia | Penn State 7 | Alabama 0 |
Final AP Poll
| Ranking | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse |
| 2 | Mississippi |
| 3 | Louisiana State |
| 4 | Texas |
| 5 | Georgia |
| 6 | Wisconsin |
| 7 | Texas Christian |
| 8 | Washington |
| 9 | Arkansas |
| 10 | Alabama |
| 11 | Clemson |
| 12 | Penn State |
| 13 | Illinois |
| 14 | USC |
| 15 | Oklahoma |
| 16 | Wyoming |
| 17 | Notre Dame |
| 18 | Missouri |
| 19 | Florida |
| 20 | Pittsburgh |
Final Coaches Poll
| Ranking | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse |
| 2 | Mississippi |
| 3 | Louisiana State |
| 4 | Texas |
| 5 | Georgia |
| 6 | Wisconsin |
| 7 | Washington |
| 8 | Texas Christian |
| 9 | Arkansas |
| 10 | Penn State |
| 11 | Illinois |
| 12 | USC |
| 13 | Alabama |
| 14 | Penn State |
| 15 | Oklahoma |
| 16 (t) | Northwestern |
| 16 (t) | Michigan State |
| 18 | Wyoming |
| 19 (t) | Auburn |
| 19 (t) | Missouri |
Other Champions
The NCAA did not divide its "university division" teams into Division I-A and I-AA until 1978. In the final UPI poll of "small colleges", the Bowling Green FalconsBowling Green Falcons
The Bowling Green Falcons are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Bowling Green State University, located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Falcons participate in NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. BGSU is one of only 13 universities in the...
(9-0-0) were voted #1, followed by Mississippi Southern, Middle Tennessee State, Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
and East Texas State
Texas A&M University–Commerce
Texas A&M University–Commerce is a state university located in Commerce, Texas and a member of the Texas A&M University System, the second largest university within the system behind Texas A&M University in College Station....
. Middle Tennessee was the only team to play postseason, winning 21-12 over Presbyterian University in the Tangerine Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
. The NAIA championship game (the Camellia Bowl
Camellia Bowl
- 1948, Lafayette, Louisiana :The Camellia Bowl was a post-season major college football bowl game played at McNaspy Stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana, on December 30, 1948 between Hardin-Simmons University and the University of Wichita ....
saw the Texas A&I Javelinas
Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries...
beat the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, 20-7.