1963 college football season
Encyclopedia
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 Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The AP poll in 1963 consisted of the votes of 56 sportswriters, each of whom would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 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 10. 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 Classic (Dallas).
As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press
(AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International
(UPI). Both services issued their final polls at the close of the regular season, but before teams competed in bowl games. The Associated Press presented the "AP Trophy" to the winner. At the end of the 1963 season, the #1 and #2 teams (Texas and Navy) met in the Cotton Bowl Classic, with Texas winning 28 to 6.
In the preseason poll for 1963, the University of Southern California
Trojans (USC), who had been the 1962 national champions, were #1 with 484 points, followed by the University of Mississippi
(Ole Miss) at #2 with 389 points
(SEC) rivals, the Ole Miss Rebels
) and the Alabama Crimson Tide
at #2 and #3. The Oklahoma Sooners
were #4 and the Texas Longhorns
were #5.
On a Friday night game, #5 Texas
beat hapless Tulane 21-0 in New Orleans with the help of its "shoeless kicker", Tony Crosby and halfback Phil Harris. September 21, the next day #1 USC shut out Colorado on a muddy field at Boulder, 14-0, with the Trojans' Pete Beathard
running for two scores. #2 Ole Miss was held to a scoreless tie at Memphis State, and the 0-0 result was enough to take the Rebels out of the poll. #3 Alabama
defeated Georgia at Athens 32-7. After falling behind 14-0 at home, #4 Oklahoma
rallied to beat Clemson 31-14. In the poll that followed, the results were 1.USC
2.Alabama
3.Oklahoma
4.Texas
, with Navy
moving from 9th to 5th on the strength of a 51-7 win at West Virginia. The following weekend would see the #3 Sooners playing the #1 Trojans at Los Angeles.
On September 28, #1 USC was beaten at home at the Los Angeles Coliseum by #3 Oklahoma
, 17-12, in a game played in 105° heat. Tulane, which had been shut out by Texas the weak before, went scoreless again in a 28-0 loss to #2 Alabama
. #4 Texas
defeated Texas Tech at home, 49-7. #5 Navy
shut out William & Mary at Annapolis, 28-0. In the poll, Oklahoma took over first place, Alabama stayed at second, Texas moved up to third. Big Ten rivals Northwestern (winning 34-21 over Indiana) and Wisconsin
(which beat Notre Dame 14-9 at South Bend) moved into the 4th and 5th spots, respectively.
and #5 Wisconsin
were idle on October 5. #3 Texas
beat Oklahoma State at home, 34-7. #2 Alabama
beat Vanderbilt in Nashville, 21-6. #4 Northwestern lost at Illinois, 10-9, due to a missed extra point and a bad punt that went only five yards and set up the Illini's touchdown. Jim Plankenhorn connected on a point after and a field goal. When the poll was released the Sooners were #1 and the Longhorns #2 as the two teams prepared to meet in Dallas. Alabama fell to #3, Navy rose from 6th place to 4th and Wisconsin remained at #5.
Three of the top five teams played at the Cotton Bowl stadium
in Dallas the next weekend. In a Friday night game, #5 Navy
lost to Southern Methodist University (SMU) 32-28. After Navy had gone ahead 28-26 in the final three minutes, a pass interference call set up the Mustangs' touchdown. Roger Staubach
drove his team to the 7 yard line with :01 to play, but his pass attempt was batted down in the end zone by Tommy Caughren. Hours later on October 12, at the same venue, the #1 Oklahoma Sooners
played against the #2 Texas Longhorns
before a crowd of 75,504. Texas won the game 28-7 to take over the top ranking. Third-ranked Alabama
lost on its home field to unranked Florida, 10-6. Joe Namath scored for the Tide with 2:05 left, but tries for the 2-point conversion and an onside kick both failed. #5 Wisconsin
hosted Purdue, winning 38-20. A crowd of 101,450 watched Michigan and Michigan State play to a 7-7 tie in Ann Arbor. Texas and Wisconsin were ranked first and second in the next poll, followed by the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). Ohio State and Ole Miss, both with 2-0-1 records, were 4th and 5th.
In Week Five (October 19, the top three teams managed narrow wins. Halfback Tommy Ford ran for two scores to help the #1 Texas Longhorns
beat Arkansas at Little Rock, 17-13. #2 Wisconsin
won 10-7 at Iowa. Paul Krause
of the Hawkeyes' went for a win instead of a tie with 99 seconds left, and was stopped a foot short of a first down after a fake field goal attempt, and the #3 Pitt Panthers came from behind to beat West Virginia, 13-10. Previously unbeaten and #4 Ohio State was crushed by USC at before 63,883 fans in Los Angeles, 32-3. #5 Ole Miss became the third Top Five team to shut out Tulane, 21-0. Tulane would go scoreless in six games in 1963 and finish with a 1-8-1 record. Ohio State's Big Ten rival, Illinois (which had beaten Minnesota 16-6), replaced the Buckeyes at the #4 spot in the next poll, which was 1.Texas 2.Wisconsin 3.Pittsburgh 4.Illinois 5.Mississippi.
Week Six began with a Friday night 18-12 come-from-behind win by #4 Illinois over UCLA at Los Angeles. The next day, October 26 #1 Texas
beat Rice at home, 10-6, as Tommy Nobis
blocked an extra point, and shoeless Tony Crosby made a field goal. #2 Wisconsin
lost 13-10 to Ohio State at home, when Matt Snell
drove over for a score with 2:13 left. Roger Staubach
's passing and a defense that made four interceptions drove #10 Navy
to a 24-12 upset of #3 Pittsburgh at Annapolis. #5 Mississippi beat Vanderbilt 27-7. Texas remained at #1 in the next poll, followed by 2.Illinois 3.Mississippi 4.Navy and, at the fifth spot, the Auburn Tigers
.
stayed unbeaten by defeating SMU at Dallas, 17-12, as Crosby made his 21st consecutive point after. #2 Illinois rolled over Purdue at home, 41-21 as Jim Grabowski
scored three touchdowns and #3 Mississippi overwhelmed LSU 37-3 at Baton Rouge. #4 Navy
handed Notre Dame its second straight loss on Staubach's passing, 35-14 in South Bend and #5 Auburn
won at home over Florida, 19-0. The poll remained unchanged.
November 9, #1 Texas
won their eighth straight, 7-0, by shutting down Baylor's passing game. Longhorns QB Duke Carlisle, playing on defense, intercepted Don Trull's end zone pass with 0:22 to play, then ran out the clock. Previously unbeaten, #2 Illinois had an 8-7 lead with minutes left in a game at home against Michigan, when a fumble gave the Wolverines the ball 11 yards from goal, setting up Mel Anthony's winning score for a 14-8 upset. #3 Mississippi shut out visiting Tampa, 41-0, #4 Navy
mauled Maryland 42-7 at home, and #5 Auburn
fell 13-10 to Mississippi State at Jackson. Texas, the only major team to remain unbeaten, kept the #1 spot, while the Navy Midshipmen rose to second, and Mississippi stayed at #3. Michigan State
and Oklahoma
were fourth and fifth.
November 16, #1 Texas
went to 9-0-0, with a 17-0 home win over Texas Christian. #2 Navy
won 38-25 at Duke and #3 Mississippi shutout Tennessee, 20-0, at a game in Memphis. #4 Michigan State
was trailing Notre Dame 7-6 at home in the fourth quarter, but Sherm Lewis ran 85 yards from scrimmage to win the game, 12-7. Both of the Spartan's 2 point attempts failed. #5 Oklahoma
won at Missouri 13-3, but dropped out of the poll and were replaced by Pittsburgh (which had trounced Army, 28-0) at the fifth spot. Texas, Navy, Ole Miss and Michigan State stayed at the top four spots.
Most of the games that had been scheduled for November 23, 1963 were postponed after the assassination of John F. Kennedy
the day before.
North Carolina State had played a night game against Wake Forest, winning 42-0, on Friday the 22nd, and the Big Ten games were set to continue until Michigan Governor George Romney received a Saturday morning cancellation. The Pitt - Penn State game was postponed. The annual Oklahoma-Nebraska game, which would determine the Big Eight championship, was played as scheduled in Lincoln. Nebraska won 29-20, finishing 7-0 in Big 8 play ahead of the 6-1 Sooners. The same day, Auburn beat Florida State 21-15. The AP poll remained at 1.Texas 2.Navy 3.Mississippi 4.Michigan State and 5.Pitt.
On Thanksgiving Day, #1 Texas
traveled to College Station to face Texas A & M, and were down 13-9 with only minutes left in the game, when Tommy Wade's pass was picked off by A & M's John Bortheron. Bortheron fumbled, however, and Texas recovered on the 44 to continue the drive. Duke Carlisle scored the inning touchdown with 1:19 left, and the Longhorns won 15-13 to finish with a 10-0-0 record.
#4 Michigan State
lost 13-0 at home to #8 Illinois in a game that determined the Big Ten championship. The Illini, who had gone 0-9-0 two years earlier, finished 7-1-1 in 1963. With a 5-1-1 record, Illinois earned a trip to the Rose Bowl, while the Spartans' season ended with a 4-1-1 second place finish
November 30 saw unbeaten #3 Mississippi go for a field goal and a tie against Mississippi State, rather than to try for a touchdown from the 3 yard line on fourth down. Billy Carl Irwin's 20 yard field goal gave the Rebels a 10-10 result, sufficient to avoid embarrassment, an unbeaten 7-0-2 record, and the SEC championship. After the game, Ole Miss accepted an invitation to play against fellow SEC member Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
"Ole Miss. Ties Miss. State," The Post-Standard (Syracuse), Dec 1, 1963, p31
The #5 Pittsburgh Panthers beat the Miami Hurricanes in Florida, 31-20. In the subsequent poll Texas and Navy remained at #1 and #2, Illinois was third, Pitt rose to fourth. The #9 Auburn Tigers
, who had beaten #6 Alabama 10-8 at Birmingham, rose to fifth place. On December 7, Pitt beat Penn State 22-21. Also, #2 Navy
played in the annual Army–Navy Game in Philadelphia. American television viewers were introduced to instant replay
after Army's quarterback Rollie Stichweh scored on a two yard run for the game's first score. CBS commentator Lindsey Nelson had to explain to the home audience that they were not watching Army score again, saying "Ladies and gentlemen, what you are seeing is a tape of Army's touchdown. This is not live...". Staubach went on to lead Navy to a 21-15 win, after which the players then voted to accept an invitation to play #1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic. In the final AP Poll, the top five remained unchanged, confirming a showdown between the #1 and #2 teams in Dallas.
In the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Longhorns' Duke Carlisle guided Texas to a score six plays after kickoff and to a 21-0 lead by halftime. Navy's Roger Staubach saw a second defeat at Dallas (after an earlier loss to SMU), but would go on to a remarkable career there in the NFL. Staubach ran two yards for a touchdown late in the game in the 28-6 loss. Navy Coach Wayne Hardin said after the game that there was "no team more deserving of being No. 1 than Texas." Alabama won the Sugar Bowl 12-7 on four field goals by Tim Davis, including 46 and 48 yards,. Auburn drove down to the 11 yard line with 90 seconds left, but Nebraska batted down Jimmy Sidle's 4th down pass attempt to preserve a 13-7 win. And after taking a 7-3 lead at halftime, on a touchdown by Dave Kopay, Washington fell to a comeback attempt led by Jim Grabowski and Dick Butkus in the Rose Bowl.
Other bowls:
as #1. The N.I.U. Huskies of (Northern Illinois University
) were #2 in the UPI poll, and #1 for the AP panel. In the NAIA championship game, the Camellia Bowl
played in Sacramento on December 14, the St. John's College
(of Minnesota) Johnnies beat the Prairie View A&M University
Panthers, 33-27.
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 teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The AP poll in 1963 consisted of the votes of 56 sportswriters, each of whom would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 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 10. 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 Classic (Dallas).
As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press
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...
(AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International
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...
(UPI). Both services issued their final polls at the close of the regular season, but before teams competed in bowl games. The Associated Press presented the "AP Trophy" to the winner. At the end of the 1963 season, the #1 and #2 teams (Texas and Navy) met in the Cotton Bowl Classic, with Texas winning 28 to 6.
In the preseason poll for 1963, the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Trojans (USC), who had been the 1962 national champions, were #1 with 484 points, followed by the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
(Ole Miss) at #2 with 389 points
September
In the preseason poll released on September 16, 1963, the USC Trojans were #1, followed by Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) rivals, the Ole Miss 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...
) and the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
at #2 and #3. The Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
were #4 and the 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...
were #5.
On a Friday night game, #5 Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
beat hapless Tulane 21-0 in New Orleans with the help of its "shoeless kicker", Tony Crosby and halfback Phil Harris. September 21, the next day #1 USC shut out Colorado on a muddy field at Boulder, 14-0, with the Trojans' Pete Beathard
Pete Beathard
Peter Falconer Beathard is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who played professionally in the American Football League , the National Football League , and the World Football League ....
running for two scores. #2 Ole Miss was held to a scoreless tie at Memphis State, and the 0-0 result was enough to take the Rebels out of the poll. #3 Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
defeated Georgia at Athens 32-7. After falling behind 14-0 at home, #4 Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
rallied to beat Clemson 31-14. In the poll that followed, the results were 1.USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
2.Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
3.Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
4.Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, with Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
moving from 9th to 5th on the strength of a 51-7 win at West Virginia. The following weekend would see the #3 Sooners playing the #1 Trojans at Los Angeles.
On September 28, #1 USC was beaten at home at the Los Angeles Coliseum by #3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, 17-12, in a game played in 105° heat. Tulane, which had been shut out by Texas the weak before, went scoreless again in a 28-0 loss to #2 Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. #4 Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
defeated Texas Tech at home, 49-7. #5 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
shut out William & Mary at Annapolis, 28-0. In the poll, Oklahoma took over first place, Alabama stayed at second, Texas moved up to third. Big Ten rivals Northwestern (winning 34-21 over Indiana) and 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 Notre Dame 14-9 at South Bend) moved into the 4th and 5th spots, respectively.
October
Both #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...
and #5 Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
were idle on October 5. #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...
beat Oklahoma State at home, 34-7. #2 Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
beat Vanderbilt in Nashville, 21-6. #4 Northwestern lost at Illinois, 10-9, due to a missed extra point and a bad punt that went only five yards and set up the Illini's touchdown. Jim Plankenhorn connected on a point after and a field goal. When the poll was released the Sooners were #1 and the Longhorns #2 as the two teams prepared to meet in Dallas. Alabama fell to #3, Navy rose from 6th place to 4th and Wisconsin remained at #5.
Three of the top five teams played at the Cotton Bowl stadium
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
in Dallas the next weekend. In a Friday night game, #5 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
lost to Southern Methodist University (SMU) 32-28. After Navy had gone ahead 28-26 in the final three minutes, a pass interference call set up the Mustangs' touchdown. Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
drove his team to the 7 yard line with :01 to play, but his pass attempt was batted down in the end zone by Tommy Caughren. Hours later on October 12, at the same venue, the #1 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...
played against the #2 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...
before a crowd of 75,504. Texas won the game 28-7 to take over the top ranking. Third-ranked Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
lost on its home field to unranked Florida, 10-6. Joe Namath scored for the Tide with 2:05 left, but tries for the 2-point conversion and an onside kick both failed. #5 Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
hosted Purdue, winning 38-20. A crowd of 101,450 watched Michigan and Michigan State play to a 7-7 tie in Ann Arbor. Texas and Wisconsin were ranked first and second in the next poll, followed by the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). Ohio State and Ole Miss, both with 2-0-1 records, were 4th and 5th.
In Week Five (October 19, the top three teams managed narrow wins. Halfback Tommy Ford ran for two scores to help the #1 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...
beat Arkansas at Little Rock, 17-13. #2 Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
won 10-7 at Iowa. Paul Krause
Paul Krause
Paul James Krause is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League...
of the Hawkeyes' went for a win instead of a tie with 99 seconds left, and was stopped a foot short of a first down after a fake field goal attempt, and the #3 Pitt Panthers came from behind to beat West Virginia, 13-10. Previously unbeaten and #4 Ohio State was crushed by USC at before 63,883 fans in Los Angeles, 32-3. #5 Ole Miss became the third Top Five team to shut out Tulane, 21-0. Tulane would go scoreless in six games in 1963 and finish with a 1-8-1 record. Ohio State's Big Ten rival, Illinois (which had beaten Minnesota 16-6), replaced the Buckeyes at the #4 spot in the next poll, which was 1.Texas 2.Wisconsin 3.Pittsburgh 4.Illinois 5.Mississippi.
Week Six began with a Friday night 18-12 come-from-behind win by #4 Illinois over UCLA at Los Angeles. The next day, October 26 #1 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 Rice at home, 10-6, as Tommy Nobis
Tommy Nobis
Thomas Henry Nobis, Jr. is a former American football player. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School where he was an all-state offensive end and middle linebacker...
blocked an extra point, and shoeless Tony Crosby made a field goal. #2 Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
lost 13-10 to Ohio State at home, when Matt Snell
Matt Snell
Matt Snell was the American Football League's New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin's first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath...
drove over for a score with 2:13 left. Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
's passing and a defense that made four interceptions drove #10 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
to a 24-12 upset of #3 Pittsburgh at Annapolis. #5 Mississippi beat Vanderbilt 27-7. Texas remained at #1 in the next poll, followed by 2.Illinois 3.Mississippi 4.Navy and, at the fifth spot, the 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...
.
November
On November 2, all of the top five teams won. #1 TexasTexas 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...
stayed unbeaten by defeating SMU at Dallas, 17-12, as Crosby made his 21st consecutive point after. #2 Illinois rolled over Purdue at home, 41-21 as Jim Grabowski
Jim Grabowski
James S.Grabowski is a former American football player and broadcaster. Grabowski played collegiately at the University of Illinois and professionally for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, and served as an analyst on University of Illinois football radio broadcasts for nearly 30 years,...
scored three touchdowns and #3 Mississippi overwhelmed LSU 37-3 at Baton Rouge. #4 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
handed Notre Dame its second straight loss on Staubach's passing, 35-14 in South Bend and #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...
won at home over Florida, 19-0. The poll remained unchanged.
November 9, #1 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 their eighth straight, 7-0, by shutting down Baylor's passing game. Longhorns QB Duke Carlisle, playing on defense, intercepted Don Trull's end zone pass with 0:22 to play, then ran out the clock. Previously unbeaten, #2 Illinois had an 8-7 lead with minutes left in a game at home against Michigan, when a fumble gave the Wolverines the ball 11 yards from goal, setting up Mel Anthony's winning score for a 14-8 upset. #3 Mississippi shut out visiting Tampa, 41-0, #4 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
mauled Maryland 42-7 at home, and #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...
fell 13-10 to Mississippi State at Jackson. Texas, the only major team to remain unbeaten, kept the #1 spot, while the Navy Midshipmen rose to second, and Mississippi stayed at #3. Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
were fourth and fifth.
November 16, #1 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...
went to 9-0-0, with a 17-0 home win over Texas Christian. #2 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
won 38-25 at Duke and #3 Mississippi shutout Tennessee, 20-0, at a game in Memphis. #4 Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
was trailing Notre Dame 7-6 at home in the fourth quarter, but Sherm Lewis ran 85 yards from scrimmage to win the game, 12-7. Both of the Spartan's 2 point attempts failed. #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...
won at Missouri 13-3, but dropped out of the poll and were replaced by Pittsburgh (which had trounced Army, 28-0) at the fifth spot. Texas, Navy, Ole Miss and Michigan State stayed at the top four spots.
Most of the games that had been scheduled for November 23, 1963 were postponed after the assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
the day before.
North Carolina State had played a night game against Wake Forest, winning 42-0, on Friday the 22nd, and the Big Ten games were set to continue until Michigan Governor George Romney received a Saturday morning cancellation. The Pitt - Penn State game was postponed. The annual Oklahoma-Nebraska game, which would determine the Big Eight championship, was played as scheduled in Lincoln. Nebraska won 29-20, finishing 7-0 in Big 8 play ahead of the 6-1 Sooners. The same day, Auburn beat Florida State 21-15. The AP poll remained at 1.Texas 2.Navy 3.Mississippi 4.Michigan State and 5.Pitt.
On Thanksgiving Day, #1 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...
traveled to College Station to face Texas A & M, and were down 13-9 with only minutes left in the game, when Tommy Wade's pass was picked off by A & M's John Bortheron. Bortheron fumbled, however, and Texas recovered on the 44 to continue the drive. Duke Carlisle scored the inning touchdown with 1:19 left, and the Longhorns won 15-13 to finish with a 10-0-0 record.
#4 Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
lost 13-0 at home to #8 Illinois in a game that determined the Big Ten championship. The Illini, who had gone 0-9-0 two years earlier, finished 7-1-1 in 1963. With a 5-1-1 record, Illinois earned a trip to the Rose Bowl, while the Spartans' season ended with a 4-1-1 second place finish
November 30 saw unbeaten #3 Mississippi go for a field goal and a tie against Mississippi State, rather than to try for a touchdown from the 3 yard line on fourth down. Billy Carl Irwin's 20 yard field goal gave the Rebels a 10-10 result, sufficient to avoid embarrassment, an unbeaten 7-0-2 record, and the SEC championship. After the game, Ole Miss accepted an invitation to play against fellow SEC member Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
"Ole Miss. Ties Miss. State," The Post-Standard (Syracuse), Dec 1, 1963, p31
The #5 Pittsburgh Panthers beat the Miami Hurricanes in Florida, 31-20. In the subsequent poll Texas and Navy remained at #1 and #2, Illinois was third, Pitt rose to fourth. The #9 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 had beaten #6 Alabama 10-8 at Birmingham, rose to fifth place. On December 7, Pitt beat Penn State 22-21. Also, #2 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
played in the annual Army–Navy Game in Philadelphia. American television viewers were introduced to instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
after Army's quarterback Rollie Stichweh scored on a two yard run for the game's first score. CBS commentator Lindsey Nelson had to explain to the home audience that they were not watching Army score again, saying "Ladies and gentlemen, what you are seeing is a tape of Army's touchdown. This is not live...". Staubach went on to lead Navy to a 21-15 win, after which the players then voted to accept an invitation to play #1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic. In the final AP Poll, the top five remained unchanged, confirming a showdown between the #1 and #2 teams in Dallas.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Bowl games
Despite a 9-1-0 finish and a #4 ranking, the Pitt Panthers were not invited to a post-season bowl game. The bowls, who feared inviting Pitt before their season finale against Penn State, signed other teams, leaving Pitt without a bowl invitation. The 1963 Panthers were perhaps the best team of the modern football era not to appear in a bowl. When they did beat Penn State, it was too late. The Sugar Bowl selected a second SEC team, 3rd place finisher Alabama, to face SEC champ Ole Miss, while 2nd place Auburn was picked by the Orange Bowl to meet Big 8 champion Nebraska. The Rose Bowl pitted Big Ten titlist Illinois against unranked Washington, which was 6-5 overall but which had won the AAWU crown by going 4-1 in conference play.In the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Longhorns' Duke Carlisle guided Texas to a score six plays after kickoff and to a 21-0 lead by halftime. Navy's Roger Staubach saw a second defeat at Dallas (after an earlier loss to SMU), but would go on to a remarkable career there in the NFL. Staubach ran two yards for a touchdown late in the game in the 28-6 loss. Navy Coach Wayne Hardin said after the game that there was "no team more deserving of being No. 1 than Texas." Alabama won the Sugar Bowl 12-7 on four field goals by Tim Davis, including 46 and 48 yards,. Auburn drove down to the 11 yard line with 90 seconds left, but Nebraska batted down Jimmy Sidle's 4th down pass attempt to preserve a 13-7 win. And after taking a 7-3 lead at halftime, on a touchdown by Dave Kopay, Washington fell to a comeback attempt led by Jim Grabowski and Dick Butkus in the Rose Bowl.
| COTTON BOWL | #1 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... |
28 | #2 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... |
7 |
| ROSE BOWL | #3 Illinois Fighting Illini Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51... |
17 | 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... |
7 |
| ORANGE BOWL | #6 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... |
13 | #5 Auburn Tigers Auburn Tigers football Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the... |
7 |
| SUGAR BOWL | #8 Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama Crimson Tide football |TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team... |
12 | #7 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... |
7 |
Other bowls:
| BOWL | Location | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUN | El Paso | Oregon 21 | SMU 14 |
| GATOR | Jacksonville | North Carolina 35 | Air Force 0 |
| TANGERINE | Orlando | Western Kentucky 27 | Coast Guard United States Coast Guard Academy Founded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies... 0 |
| BLUEBONNET | Houston | Baylor 14 | LSU 7 |
| LIBERTY | Philadelphia | Mississippi State 16 | N.C. State 12 |
Other champions
Many schools that are now in the NCAA's "Division I-A" or "Division I-AA" were ranked in the "small college poll", taken by both the UPI (coaches) and AP (a panel of writers). In 1963, the UPI ranked the Blue Hens of the University of DelawareUniversity 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...
as #1. The N.I.U. Huskies of (Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
) were #2 in the UPI poll, and #1 for the AP panel. In 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 ....
played in Sacramento on December 14, the St. John's College
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
The College of Saint Benedict , for women, and Saint John's University , for men, are partnered liberal arts colleges respectively located in St. Joseph and Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. Students attend classes and activities together, and have access to the resources of both campuses...
(of Minnesota) Johnnies beat the Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools...
Panthers, 33-27.