1968 college football season
Encyclopedia
In the 1968 college football season, the system of "polls and bowls" changed. The Associated Press returned to its pre-1961 system of ranking the Top 20 rather than the Top 10, and voted on the national champion after the bowl games, rather than before. 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 "writers' poll" by Associated Press
(AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International
) (UPI). In 1968, the UPI issued its final poll before the bowls, but the AP Trophy was withheld until the postseason was completed.
The AP poll in 1968 consisted of the votes of as many as 49 sportswriters, though not all of them voted in every poll. With a Top 20 for the first time since the 1960 season, there were more matchups between ranked teams. Those who cast votes would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 20 points for first place, 19 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. In 1969, there were four regular season games that matched "Top Five" teams.
of West Lafayette, Indiana, were picked #1, followed by the defending champion USC Trojans of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Third was the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of South Bend, Indiana, followed by the Oklahoma Sooners
of Norman, OK and the #5 Texas Longhorns
of Austin. A second poll was taken on September 16 (with Texas and Oklahoma trading places at 4 and 5), although most teams would not begin play until the 21st.
September 21 #1 Purdue
beat Virginia 44-6.
#2 USC won at #15 Minnesota 29-20. #3 Notre Dame beat #5 Oklahoma
45-21 at South Bend.
#4 Texas
was tied by #11 Houston
, 20-20, at home.
In a proud moment for football in Indiana, Purdue remained at first, and Notre Dame rose to second, days before the annual meeting between the two schools. #10 Penn State, which had beaten Navy 31-6, took Oklahoma's place at fourth in the poll. #6 Florida
, which had beaten Air Force 23-20 at a game in Tampa, took fifth.
The poll was 1.Purdue 2.Notre Dame 3.USC 4.Penn State 5.Florida
September 28 #1 Purdue
met #2 Notre Dame on the Irish's home grounds in South Bend, Indiana. The Boilermakers won, 37-22. #3 USC won at Northwestern 24-7.
#4 Penn State beat Kansas State 25-9. #5 Florida
won at Florida State 9-3.
The poll was 1.Purdue 2.USC 3.Penn State 4.Florida 5.Notre Dame
won at Northwestern, 43-6. #2 USC beat visiting Miami, 28-3. #3 Penn State won at West Virginia, 31-20.#4 Florida
beat Mississippi State 31-14, but fell from the Top Five. #5 Notre Dame won at Iowa 51-28. With a 21-6 win over Oregon, Ohio State reached fourth place.
The poll was 1.Purdue 2.USC 3.Penn State 4.Ohio State 5.Notre Dame
October 12 #1 Purdue
lost to #4 Ohio State in Columbus, 13-0.
#2 USC won at #18 Stanford 27-24. #3 Penn State won at UCLA 21-6.
#5 Notre Dame beat Northwestern 27-7. The #6 Kansas Jayhawks
, who won 23-13 at #9 Nebraska, were fourth.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Penn State 4.Kansas 5.Purdue
October 19 #1 USC beat Washington 14-7. #2 Ohio State beat Northwestern 45-21. #5 Notre Dame beat Illinois 58-8. #3 Penn State was idle.
#4 Kansas
beat Oklahoma State 49-14. #5 Purdue
edged Wake Forest 28-27 and dropped to seventh. The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Kansas 4.Penn State 5.Notre Dame
October 26 #1 USC was idle.
#2 Ohio State won at Illinois 31-24.
#3 Kansas
won at Iowa State, 46-25.
#4 Penn State won at Boston College 29-0
#5 Notre Dame were upset in East Lansing, MI by unranked Michigan State 21-17. Tennessee
, which had reached 4-0-1 the week before with a 10-9 win over Alabama, was fifth.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Kansas 4.Penn State 5.Tennessee
posted its 7th win, over visiting Colorado, 27-14. #4 Penn State slipped past Army, 28-24 and #5 Tennessee
beat visiting UCLA 42-18 in Knoxville.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Kansas 4.Penn State 5.Tennessee
November 9 #1 USC turned back #11 California 35-17. #2 Ohio State stayed unbeaten as well, beating Wisconsin 43-8. #3 Kansas
, however, lost to unranked Oklahoma, 27-23.
#4 Penn State beat visiting Miami 22-7. #5 Tennessee
lost to #18 Auburn in Birmingham, 28-14. #7 Michigan
, with a 36-0 win over Illinois, rose to fourth. #9 Georgia
, which was unbeaten (6-0-2) after a 51-0 win over Florida in Jacksonville, reached fifth.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Penn State 4.Michigan 5.Georgia
November 16 #1 USC beat #13 Oregon State 17-13 in a game that would decide the Pac 8 title; Oregon State was 5-1, USC 6-0 in the conference that had been called the AAUW. #2 Ohio State won at unranked Iowa 33-27. #3 Penn State won its 8th straight, at Maryland, 57-13. #4 Michigan
beat Wisconsin 34-9. #5 Georgia
won at #12 Auburn, 17-3.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Penn State 4.Michigan 5.Georgia
November 23 #1 USC beat UCLA 28-16 to stay unbeaten, as did #2 Ohio State, which met #4 Michigan
in Columbus. Both teams were unbeaten in Big Ten conference play, and the game would determine who would go to Pasadena and who would stay home. Woody Hayes
' Buckeyes triumphed over the Michigan Wolverines, 50-14. After seven weeks at second place, the Buckeyes took the lead from USC. #3 Penn State crushed the Pitt Panthers at Pittsburgh, 65-9. #5 Georgia
was idle. Kansas
, which had clinched the Big 8 title and the Orange Bowl bid with a 21-19 win at #13 Missouri, finished 9-1-0 and placed fifth. Though USC had more first place votes than Ohio State (24½ vs 21½), the Buckeyes were 10 points ahead overall (935-925). The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.USC 3.Penn State 4.Georgia 5.Kansas
November 30 #2 USC was tied by visiting #9 Notre Dame 21-21. #4 Georgia
closed its season, with a record that, if not perfect, was unbeaten after a 47-8 win at home against Georgia Tech. At 8-0-2, the Bulldogs were SEC champs at went to the Sugar Bowl.
After a 0-1-1 start, the #6 Texas Longhorns
had won their last eight, finishing with a 35-14 victory over Texas A & M on Thanksgiving Day. The Longhorns returned to the Top 5 after closing their season 8-1-1, including a 39-29 win over Arkansas that tied them for the SWC title and got them the Cotton Bowl bid. Ohio State had 34 of the 39 first place votes cast. The final regular season poll was 1.Ohio State 2.USC 3.Penn State 4.Georgia 5.Texas
#3 Penn State beat Syracuse 30-12.
When the sportswriters voted for the Top 20 after the bowl games, Rose Bowl winner Ohio State
won the AP Trophy and the unofficial national championship, taking all but five of the 49 first place votes. Penn State, which had narrowly won the Orange Bowl, was second. The final poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Penn State 3.Texas 4.USC 5.Notre Dame 6.Arkansas 7.Kansas 8.Georgia 9.Missouri 10.Purdue 11.Oklahoma 12.Michigan 13.Tennessee 14.SMU 15.Oregon State 16.Auburn 17.Alabama 18.Houston 19.LSU and 20.Ohio University.
Other bowls:
, running back for Purdue, with 1,103 points, followed by Terry Hanratty
(QB-Notre Dame), Ted Kwalick
(TE-Penn State) and Ted Hendricks
(DE-Miami).
(now a Division I FBS team) #1, while the AP panel chose the North Dakota State Bison
(now a Division I FCS team) as #1. In the NAIA championship game, the Troy State Trojans
(now also an FBS team) defeated Texas A&I Javelinas
(now Division II) 43-35.
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). In 1968, the UPI issued its final poll before the bowls, but the AP Trophy was withheld until the postseason was completed.
The AP poll in 1968 consisted of the votes of as many as 49 sportswriters, though not all of them voted in every poll. With a Top 20 for the first time since the 1960 season, there were more matchups between ranked teams. Those who cast votes would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 20 points for first place, 19 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. In 1969, there were four regular season games that matched "Top Five" teams.
September
In the preseason poll released on September 9, 1968, the Purdue BoilermakersPurdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
of West Lafayette, Indiana, were picked #1, followed by the defending champion USC Trojans of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Third was the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of South Bend, Indiana, followed by 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...
of Norman, OK and the #5 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...
of Austin. A second poll was taken on September 16 (with Texas and Oklahoma trading places at 4 and 5), although most teams would not begin play until the 21st.
September 21 #1 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Virginia 44-6.
#2 USC won at #15 Minnesota 29-20. #3 Notre Dame beat #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...
45-21 at South Bend.
#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...
was tied by #11 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...
, 20-20, at home.
In a proud moment for football in Indiana, Purdue remained at first, and Notre Dame rose to second, days before the annual meeting between the two schools. #10 Penn State, which had beaten Navy 31-6, took Oklahoma's place at fourth in the poll. #6 Florida
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
, which had beaten Air Force 23-20 at a game in Tampa, took fifth.
The poll was 1.Purdue 2.Notre Dame 3.USC 4.Penn State 5.Florida
September 28 #1 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
met #2 Notre Dame on the Irish's home grounds in South Bend, Indiana. The Boilermakers won, 37-22. #3 USC won at Northwestern 24-7.
#4 Penn State beat Kansas State 25-9. #5 Florida
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
won at Florida State 9-3.
The poll was 1.Purdue 2.USC 3.Penn State 4.Florida 5.Notre Dame
October
October 5 #1 PurduePurdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
won at Northwestern, 43-6. #2 USC beat visiting Miami, 28-3. #3 Penn State won at West Virginia, 31-20.#4 Florida
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
beat Mississippi State 31-14, but fell from the Top Five. #5 Notre Dame won at Iowa 51-28. With a 21-6 win over Oregon, Ohio State reached fourth place.
The poll was 1.Purdue 2.USC 3.Penn State 4.Ohio State 5.Notre Dame
October 12 #1 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
lost to #4 Ohio State in Columbus, 13-0.
#2 USC won at #18 Stanford 27-24. #3 Penn State won at UCLA 21-6.
#5 Notre Dame beat Northwestern 27-7. The #6 Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
, who won 23-13 at #9 Nebraska, were fourth.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Penn State 4.Kansas 5.Purdue
October 19 #1 USC beat Washington 14-7. #2 Ohio State beat Northwestern 45-21. #5 Notre Dame beat Illinois 58-8. #3 Penn State was idle.
#4 Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
beat Oklahoma State 49-14. #5 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
edged Wake Forest 28-27 and dropped to seventh. The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Kansas 4.Penn State 5.Notre Dame
October 26 #1 USC was idle.
#2 Ohio State won at Illinois 31-24.
#3 Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
won at Iowa State, 46-25.
#4 Penn State won at Boston College 29-0
#5 Notre Dame were upset in East Lansing, MI by unranked Michigan State 21-17. Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, which had reached 4-0-1 the week before with a 10-9 win over Alabama, was fifth.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Kansas 4.Penn State 5.Tennessee
November
November 2 #1 USC won at Oregon, 20-13 #2 Ohio State beat #16 Michigan State 25-20. #3 KansasKansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
posted its 7th win, over visiting Colorado, 27-14. #4 Penn State slipped past Army, 28-24 and #5 Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
beat visiting UCLA 42-18 in Knoxville.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Kansas 4.Penn State 5.Tennessee
November 9 #1 USC turned back #11 California 35-17. #2 Ohio State stayed unbeaten as well, beating Wisconsin 43-8. #3 Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
, however, lost to unranked Oklahoma, 27-23.
#4 Penn State beat visiting Miami 22-7. #5 Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
lost to #18 Auburn in Birmingham, 28-14. #7 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, with a 36-0 win over Illinois, rose to fourth. #9 Georgia
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...
, which was unbeaten (6-0-2) after a 51-0 win over Florida in Jacksonville, reached fifth.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Penn State 4.Michigan 5.Georgia
November 16 #1 USC beat #13 Oregon State 17-13 in a game that would decide the Pac 8 title; Oregon State was 5-1, USC 6-0 in the conference that had been called the AAUW. #2 Ohio State won at unranked Iowa 33-27. #3 Penn State won its 8th straight, at Maryland, 57-13. #4 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
beat Wisconsin 34-9. #5 Georgia
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...
won at #12 Auburn, 17-3.
The poll was 1.USC 2.Ohio State 3.Penn State 4.Michigan 5.Georgia
November 23 #1 USC beat UCLA 28-16 to stay unbeaten, as did #2 Ohio State, which met #4 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
in Columbus. Both teams were unbeaten in Big Ten conference play, and the game would determine who would go to Pasadena and who would stay home. Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
' Buckeyes triumphed over the Michigan Wolverines, 50-14. After seven weeks at second place, the Buckeyes took the lead from USC. #3 Penn State crushed the Pitt Panthers at Pittsburgh, 65-9. #5 Georgia
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...
was idle. Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
, which had clinched the Big 8 title and the Orange Bowl bid with a 21-19 win at #13 Missouri, finished 9-1-0 and placed fifth. Though USC had more first place votes than Ohio State (24½ vs 21½), the Buckeyes were 10 points ahead overall (935-925). The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.USC 3.Penn State 4.Georgia 5.Kansas
November 30 #2 USC was tied by visiting #9 Notre Dame 21-21. #4 Georgia
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...
closed its season, with a record that, if not perfect, was unbeaten after a 47-8 win at home against Georgia Tech. At 8-0-2, the Bulldogs were SEC champs at went to the Sugar Bowl.
After a 0-1-1 start, the #6 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...
had won their last eight, finishing with a 35-14 victory over Texas A & M on Thanksgiving Day. The Longhorns returned to the Top 5 after closing their season 8-1-1, including a 39-29 win over Arkansas that tied them for the SWC title and got them the Cotton Bowl bid. Ohio State had 34 of the 39 first place votes cast. The final regular season poll was 1.Ohio State 2.USC 3.Penn State 4.Georgia 5.Texas
#3 Penn State beat Syracuse 30-12.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Bowl Games
Because #1 Ohio State and #2 USC were the champions of the Big Ten and Pac 8 conferences, respectively, they were automatically set to meet in the Rose Bowl. #3 Penn State accepted an invite to the Orange Bowl. Kansas, which shared the Big 8 crown with Oklahoma (even after losing to the Sooners) got the other bid. The Sugar Bowl featured the #1 SEC team against the #2 SWC team (Georgia vs. Arkansas) while the Cotton Bowl pitted the #1 SWC against the #2 SEC (Texas vs. Tennessee)| BOWL | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROSE | #1 Ohio State Buckeyes 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team is considered one of the strongest in OSU history, fielding 11 All-Americans and six first-round NFL draft picks... |
27 | #2 USC Trojans | 16 |
| ORANGE | #3 Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State Nittany Lions football The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the... |
15 | #6 Kansas Jayhawks Kansas Jayhawks football The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference.... |
14 |
| SUGAR | #9 Arkansas Razorbacks Arkansas Razorbacks football The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
16 | #4 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... |
2 |
| COTTON | #5 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... |
36 | #8 Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
13 |
| LIBERTY 1968 Liberty Bowl The 1968 Liberty Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Ole Miss Rebels from the University of Mississippi at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee on December 14, 1968... |
#Ole Miss Rebels Ole Miss Rebels football The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs... |
34 | Virginia Tech Hokies Virginia Tech Hokies football The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over... |
17 |
When the sportswriters voted for the Top 20 after the bowl games, Rose Bowl winner Ohio State
1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team is considered one of the strongest in OSU history, fielding 11 All-Americans and six first-round NFL draft picks...
won the AP Trophy and the unofficial national championship, taking all but five of the 49 first place votes. Penn State, which had narrowly won the Orange Bowl, was second. The final poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Penn State 3.Texas 4.USC 5.Notre Dame 6.Arkansas 7.Kansas 8.Georgia 9.Missouri 10.Purdue 11.Oklahoma 12.Michigan 13.Tennessee 14.SMU 15.Oregon State 16.Auburn 17.Alabama 18.Houston 19.LSU and 20.Ohio University.
Other bowls:
| BOWL | Location | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUN | El Paso | Auburn 34 | Arizona 10 |
| GATOR 1968 Gator Bowl The 1968 Gator Bowl, part of the 1968 bowl game season, took place on December 28, 1968, at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Big Eight Conference.The game... |
Jacksonville | Missouri 35 | Alabama 10 |
| TANGERINE | Orlando | Richmond 49 | Ohio 42 |
| ASTRO-BLUEBONNET | Houston | SMU 28 | Oklahoma 27 |
| PEACH | Memphis | LSU 31 | Florida State 27 |
Heisman Trophy
O.J. Simpson, running back for the USC Trojans, was the overwhelming choice for the Heisman, with 2,853 points. Second was Leroy KeyesLeroy Keyes
Marvin Leroy Keyes is a former American football running back and safety who played five seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was drafted by the Eagles in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue...
, running back for Purdue, with 1,103 points, followed by Terry Hanratty
Terry Hanratty
Terrence Hugh "Terry" Hanratty was a former professional American football quarterback in the NFL during the 1960s and 1970s, he earned two Super Bowl rings as the backup quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, his hometown team....
(QB-Notre Dame), Ted Kwalick
Ted Kwalick
Thaddeus John Kwalick is a former American football tight end in the National Football League and World Football League. He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1969-1974 and the Oakland Raiders from 1975-1977. In 1975 he also played with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League...
(TE-Penn State) and Ted Hendricks
Ted Hendricks
Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League...
(DE-Miami).
Other champions
The schools that were in what would later be considered the NCAA's Divisions II and III were ranked in the "small college poll", taken by both the UPI (coaches) and AP (a panel of writers). In 1968, the wire services disagreed as to the champion. UPI picked the San Diego State AztecsSan Diego State Aztecs football
The San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
(now a Division I FBS team) #1, while the AP panel chose the North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State Bison football
The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. From 2004 to 2007, the Bison were members of the Great West Football...
(now a Division I FCS team) as #1. In the NAIA championship game, the Troy State Trojans
Troy Trojans football
The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University, Alabama, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, of which it has been a member since 2001...
(now also an FBS team) defeated 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...
(now Division II) 43-35.