1974 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1974 college football season finished with two national champions. The Associated Press (AP) writers' poll ranked the University of Oklahoma
, which was on probation and barred by the NCAA from postseason play, #1 at season's end. The United Press International (UPI) coaches' poll, on the other hand, did not rank Oklahoma at all, by unanimous agreement of the 25 member coaches' board . The UPI trophy went to the University of Southern California
(USC). During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA 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). Starting in 1974, the UPI joined AP in issuing its final poll after the bowl games were completed. Both polls operated under a point system of 20 points for first place, 19 for second, etc., whereby the overall ranking was determined. The AP poll consisted of the votes of 60 writers, though not all voted in each poll, and the UPI poll was taken of a 25 member board.
#1, followed by #2 Ohio State, #3 Notre Dame, #4 Alabama and #5 USC.
September 7 #3 Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Arizona State, UCLA and Houston
were among the few schools playing that week. The poll was: 1.Oklahoma 2.Notre Dame 3.Alabama 4.Ohio State 5.USC
September 14 #1 Oklahoma
beat Baylor, 28-11. #2 Notre Dame was idle. #3 Alabama won at #14 Maryland, 21-16. #4 Ohio State won at Minnesota, 34-19. #5 USC lost to Arkansas in Little Rock, 22-7. #7 Nebraska
, which beat Oregon in its opener, 61-7, rose to fourth.
The poll was 1.Notre Dame 2.Ohio State 3.Oklahoma 4.Nebraska 5.Alabama
September 21 #1 Notre Dame won at Northwestern, 49-3. #2 Ohio State beat Oregon State 51-10. #3 Oklahoma
was idle. #4 Nebraska
lost at Wisconsin, 21-20. #5 Alabama beat Southern Mississippi at Alabama, 52-0. #6 Michigan, which beat Colorado, 31-0, rose to fifth.
The poll was 1.Notre Dame 2.Ohio State 3.Oklahoma 4.Alabama 5.Michigan Norte Dame. 25
September 28 #1 Notre Dame lost to Purdue, 31-20. #2 Ohio State defeated SMU, 28-9. #3 Oklahoma
rolled over visiting Utah State, 72-3.#4 Alabama beat Vanderbilt 23-10.
#5 Michigan
beat Navy, 52-0 #9 Texas A&M
, which won at Washington 28-15, rose to fifth. The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Alabama 4.Michigan 5.Texas A & M
shut out Wake Forest 63-0. #3 Alabama beat Mississippi at Jackson, 35-21. #4 Michigan
won at Stanford, 27-16. #5 Texas A&M
lost at Kansas, 28-10. #6 Nebraska
, which beat Minnesota 54-0, rose to fifth. The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Alabama 4.Michigan 5.Nebraska
October 12
#1 Ohio State beat visiting #13 Wisconsin 52-7.
#2 Oklahoma
barely defeated #17 Texas in Dallas, 16-13.
#3 Alabama survived a game against winless (0-4-0)Florida State, winning 8-7
#4 Michigan
beat Michigan State, 21-7.
#5 Nebraska
lost to Missouri, 21-10.
#10 Auburn, which beat Kentucky 31-13, rose to fifth.
The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Michigan 4.Alabama 5.Auburn
October 19 #1 Ohio State beat Indiana, 49-9
#2 Oklahoma
won at Colorado, 49-14.
#3 Michigan
won at Wisconsin, 24-20. #4 Alabama won at Tennessee, 28-6. #10 Auburn beat Georgia Tech 31-22. The poll was unchanged: 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Michigan 4.Alabama 5.Auburn
October 26 #1 Ohio State won at Northwestern, 55-7. #2 Oklahoma
beat Kansas State, 63-0. #3 Michigan
beat Minnesota, 49-0. #4 Alabama beat TCU 41-3 at Birmingham. #5 Auburn beat Florida State 38-6.
The poll was unchanged 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Michigan 4.Alabama 5.Auburn
won at Iowa State, 28-10.
#3 Michigan
won at Indiana, 21-7. #4 Alabama beat #17 Mississippi State 35-0. #5 Auburn lost at #11 Florida, 25-14.
#8 Texas A&M
, which beat Arkansas 20-10, returned to the Top Five. The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Alabama 4.Michigan 5.Texas A & M
November 9 In East Lansing, Michigan, #1 Ohio State was upset by unranked (and 4-3-1) Michigan State, 16-13. #2 Oklahoma
, which had beaten Missouri 37-0, took the first spot. #3 Alabama beat LSU in Birmingham, 30-0. #4 Michigan
won at Illinois, 14-6. #5 Texas A&M
lost at SMU, 18-14. #8 Notre Dame was idle, but rose to fifth place.
The AP poll was 1.Oklahoma 2.Alabama 3.Michigan 4.Ohio State 5.Notre Dame while the UPI poll was 1.Alabama 2.Michigan 3.Ohio State 4.Notre Dame 5.USC
November 16 #1 Oklahoma
won at Kansas, 45-14. #2 Alabama won in Florida over Miami, 28-7. The other Miami, Miami University, was ranked 12th with a record of 8-0-1. #3 Michigan
beat Purdue, 51-0, to extend its record to 10-0-0. #4 Ohio State won at Iowa, 35-10. #5 Notre Dame beat #17 Pittsburgh, 14-10. The AP poll was unchanged: 1.Oklahoma 2.Alabama 3.Michigan 4.Ohio State 5.Notre Dame, while the UPI poll was 1.Alabama 2.Michigan 3.Ohio State 4.Notre Dame 5.USC
November 23 #1 Oklahoma
beat #6 Nebraska, 28-14. #2 Alabama was idle as it prepared for its season ender with Auburn.
The game that determined the Big Ten championship took place in Columbus, Ohio, as #3 Michigan
(10-0-0) met #4 Ohio State (10-1-0). OSU won, 12-10. #5 Notre Dame beat Air Force, 38-0. USC topped UCLA 34-9 for the Pac-8 title and Rose Bowl berth. The AP poll was 1.Oklahoma 2.Alabama 3.Ohio State 4.Notre Dame 5.USC and the UPI poll was 1.Alabama 2.Ohio State 3.Notre Dame 4.USC 5.Michigan
The annual Alabama-Auburn game took place on a Friday night, played in Birmingham on November 29, with #2 Alabama winning 17-13 over #7 Auburn to close its season at 11-0-0. On November 30 #1 Oklahoma
won its annual season ender against OK State, 44-13, to also close its season 11-0-0. Alabama would go to the Sugar Bowl, while Oklahoma would stay home due to NCAA probation. #4 Notre Dame met #5 USC in Los Angeles. USC won, 55-24 after trailing 24-0, and reached the Top four. The AP poll was 1.Oklahoma 2.Alabama 3.Ohio State 4.USC 5.Michigan and the UPI poll was 1.Alabama 2.Ohio State 3.USC 4.Michigan 5.Auburn.
Oklahoma and Alabama, both 11-0-0, were the only undefeated and untied teams at season's end. AP ranked Oklahoma first, and UPI ranked Alabama #1.
) and #4 USC (coached by John McKay
) played in the Rose Bowl
before a crowd of 106,721 in Pasadena. Ohio State led 7-3 after three quarters, and 17-10 in the closing minutes. With 2:03 left, Pat Haden
fired a 38-yard pass to John McKay, Jr. (son of USC's coach) to make the score 17-16. Coach McKay then passed up a chance for a tie over the favored Buckeyes, and ordered the Trojans to go for two. Shelton Diggs dived to catch Haden's low pass in the end zone to give USC an 18-17 lead. Ohio State could only get close enough for a desperation 62-yard field goal attempt that fell about 8 yards short as time expired.
Alabama, coached by Bear Bryant
was ranked #1 in the UPI poll, and #2 (behind on-probation Oklahoma) in the AP, as it went to the Orange Bowl, where it faced 9th ranked Notre Dame, playing its final game under Ara Parseghian
. The Irish went out to a 13-0 lead early in the game, but Bama battled back with a field goal, a touchdown and a two point run to close the score to 13-11 with three minutes left. After ruling out an onside kick attempt, the Tide force a Notre Dame punt and got the ball back with 1:37 left. Quarterback Richard Todd attempted to drive the team to field goal range, but he threw his 3rd interception of the game, and Notre Dame ran out the clock to preserve the upset win.
In the final UPI poll, USC was ranked first, with Alabama 2nd, Ohio State 3rd, Michigan 4th and Notre Dame 5th. The Trojans were #2 in the AP poll, where the Oklahoma Sooners were the first place choice for 51 of the 60 writers. The NCAA recognized both the Sooners and the Trojans as champions in its football guide.
Other bowls:
was #1 in the AP poll. CMU beat Tech 35-14 in the semi-finals of the Division II playoffs.
The playoff winners:
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, which was on probation and barred by the NCAA from postseason play, #1 at season's end. The United Press International (UPI) coaches' poll, on the other hand, did not rank Oklahoma at all, by unanimous agreement of the 25 member coaches' board . The UPI trophy went to 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...
(USC). During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA 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
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). Starting in 1974, the UPI joined AP in issuing its final poll after the bowl games were completed. Both polls operated under a point system of 20 points for first place, 19 for second, etc., whereby the overall ranking was determined. The AP poll consisted of the votes of 60 writers, though not all voted in each poll, and the UPI poll was taken of a 25 member board.
September
In the preseason poll released on September 2, 1974, the AP ranked 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...
#1, followed by #2 Ohio State, #3 Notre Dame, #4 Alabama and #5 USC.
September 7 #3 Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Arizona State, UCLA and 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...
were among the few schools playing that week. The poll was: 1.Oklahoma 2.Notre Dame 3.Alabama 4.Ohio State 5.USC
September 14 #1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat Baylor, 28-11. #2 Notre Dame was idle. #3 Alabama won at #14 Maryland, 21-16. #4 Ohio State won at Minnesota, 34-19. #5 USC lost to Arkansas in Little Rock, 22-7. #7 Nebraska
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...
, which beat Oregon in its opener, 61-7, rose to fourth.
The poll was 1.Notre Dame 2.Ohio State 3.Oklahoma 4.Nebraska 5.Alabama
September 21 #1 Notre Dame won at Northwestern, 49-3. #2 Ohio State beat Oregon State 51-10. #3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
was idle. #4 Nebraska
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...
lost at Wisconsin, 21-20. #5 Alabama beat Southern Mississippi at Alabama, 52-0. #6 Michigan, which beat Colorado, 31-0, rose to fifth.
The poll was 1.Notre Dame 2.Ohio State 3.Oklahoma 4.Alabama 5.Michigan Norte Dame. 25
September 28 #1 Notre Dame lost to Purdue, 31-20. #2 Ohio State defeated SMU, 28-9. #3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
rolled over visiting Utah State, 72-3.#4 Alabama beat Vanderbilt 23-10.
#5 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 Navy, 52-0 #9 Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
, which won at Washington 28-15, rose to fifth. The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Alabama 4.Michigan 5.Texas A & M
October
October 5 #1 Ohio State beat Washington State 42-7 in Seattle. #2 OklahomaOklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
shut out Wake Forest 63-0. #3 Alabama beat Mississippi at Jackson, 35-21. #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...
won at Stanford, 27-16. #5 Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
lost at Kansas, 28-10. #6 Nebraska
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...
, which beat Minnesota 54-0, rose to fifth. The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Alabama 4.Michigan 5.Nebraska
October 12
#1 Ohio State beat visiting #13 Wisconsin 52-7.
#2 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
barely defeated #17 Texas in Dallas, 16-13.
#3 Alabama survived a game against winless (0-4-0)Florida State, winning 8-7
#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 Michigan State, 21-7.
#5 Nebraska
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...
lost to Missouri, 21-10.
#10 Auburn, which beat Kentucky 31-13, rose to fifth.
The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Michigan 4.Alabama 5.Auburn
October 19 #1 Ohio State beat Indiana, 49-9
#2 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at Colorado, 49-14.
#3 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...
won at Wisconsin, 24-20. #4 Alabama won at Tennessee, 28-6. #10 Auburn beat Georgia Tech 31-22. The poll was unchanged: 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Michigan 4.Alabama 5.Auburn
October 26 #1 Ohio State won at Northwestern, 55-7. #2 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat Kansas State, 63-0. #3 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 Minnesota, 49-0. #4 Alabama beat TCU 41-3 at Birmingham. #5 Auburn beat Florida State 38-6.
The poll was unchanged 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Michigan 4.Alabama 5.Auburn
November
November 2 #1 Ohio State defeated Illinois at home, 49-7. With a record of 8-0-0, the Buckeyes had outscored their opposition 360 to 75. #2 OklahomaOklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at Iowa State, 28-10.
#3 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...
won at Indiana, 21-7. #4 Alabama beat #17 Mississippi State 35-0. #5 Auburn lost at #11 Florida, 25-14.
#8 Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
, which beat Arkansas 20-10, returned to the Top Five. The poll was 1.Ohio State 2.Oklahoma 3.Alabama 4.Michigan 5.Texas A & M
November 9 In East Lansing, Michigan, #1 Ohio State was upset by unranked (and 4-3-1) Michigan State, 16-13. #2 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, which had beaten Missouri 37-0, took the first spot. #3 Alabama beat LSU in Birmingham, 30-0. #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...
won at Illinois, 14-6. #5 Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
lost at SMU, 18-14. #8 Notre Dame was idle, but rose to fifth place.
The AP poll was 1.Oklahoma 2.Alabama 3.Michigan 4.Ohio State 5.Notre Dame while the UPI poll was 1.Alabama 2.Michigan 3.Ohio State 4.Notre Dame 5.USC
November 16 #1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at Kansas, 45-14. #2 Alabama won in Florida over Miami, 28-7. The other Miami, Miami University, was ranked 12th with a record of 8-0-1. #3 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 Purdue, 51-0, to extend its record to 10-0-0. #4 Ohio State won at Iowa, 35-10. #5 Notre Dame beat #17 Pittsburgh, 14-10. The AP poll was unchanged: 1.Oklahoma 2.Alabama 3.Michigan 4.Ohio State 5.Notre Dame, while the UPI poll was 1.Alabama 2.Michigan 3.Ohio State 4.Notre Dame 5.USC
November 23 #1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat #6 Nebraska, 28-14. #2 Alabama was idle as it prepared for its season ender with Auburn.
The game that determined the Big Ten championship took place in Columbus, Ohio, as #3 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...
(10-0-0) met #4 Ohio State (10-1-0). OSU won, 12-10. #5 Notre Dame beat Air Force, 38-0. USC topped UCLA 34-9 for the Pac-8 title and Rose Bowl berth. The AP poll was 1.Oklahoma 2.Alabama 3.Ohio State 4.Notre Dame 5.USC and the UPI poll was 1.Alabama 2.Ohio State 3.Notre Dame 4.USC 5.Michigan
The annual Alabama-Auburn game took place on a Friday night, played in Birmingham on November 29, with #2 Alabama winning 17-13 over #7 Auburn to close its season at 11-0-0. On November 30 #1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won its annual season ender against OK State, 44-13, to also close its season 11-0-0. Alabama would go to the Sugar Bowl, while Oklahoma would stay home due to NCAA probation. #4 Notre Dame met #5 USC in Los Angeles. USC won, 55-24 after trailing 24-0, and reached the Top four. The AP poll was 1.Oklahoma 2.Alabama 3.Ohio State 4.USC 5.Michigan and the UPI poll was 1.Alabama 2.Ohio State 3.USC 4.Michigan 5.Auburn.
Oklahoma and Alabama, both 11-0-0, were the only undefeated and untied teams at season's end. AP ranked Oklahoma first, and UPI ranked Alabama #1.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Bowl games
Nebraska defeated Florida in the Sugar Bowl played on New Years Eve. On New Years Day, Penn State defeated the surprise SWC champion Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. Then things got really interesting. 3rd ranked Ohio State (led by Woody HayesWoody 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...
) and #4 USC (coached by John McKay
John McKay (football coach)
John Harvey McKay was an American football player and coach. He was served as the head coach at the University of Southern California from 1960 to 1975 and of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1984. In 16 seasons with the USC Trojans, McKay compiled a record of 127–40–8 and...
) played in the Rose Bowl
1975 Rose Bowl
The 1975 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1975. It was the 61st Rose Bowl Game. Fifth ranked USC Trojans defeated third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 18-17 in one of the most exciting games in the history of the Rose Bowl...
before a crowd of 106,721 in Pasadena. Ohio State led 7-3 after three quarters, and 17-10 in the closing minutes. With 2:03 left, Pat Haden
Pat Haden
Patrick Capper "Pat" Haden is the athletic director at the University of Southern California. He played quarterback for the USC Trojans before playing professionally in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams from 1976 to 1981...
fired a 38-yard pass to John McKay, Jr. (son of USC's coach) to make the score 17-16. Coach McKay then passed up a chance for a tie over the favored Buckeyes, and ordered the Trojans to go for two. Shelton Diggs dived to catch Haden's low pass in the end zone to give USC an 18-17 lead. Ohio State could only get close enough for a desperation 62-yard field goal attempt that fell about 8 yards short as time expired.
Alabama, coached by Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
was ranked #1 in the UPI poll, and #2 (behind on-probation Oklahoma) in the AP, as it went to the Orange Bowl, where it faced 9th ranked Notre Dame, playing its final game under Ara Parseghian
Ara Parseghian
Ara Raoul Parseghian is a former American football player and coach of Armenian descent. He served as the head football coach at Miami University , Northwestern University , and the University of Notre Dame , compiling a career college football record of 170–58–6...
. The Irish went out to a 13-0 lead early in the game, but Bama battled back with a field goal, a touchdown and a two point run to close the score to 13-11 with three minutes left. After ruling out an onside kick attempt, the Tide force a Notre Dame punt and got the ball back with 1:37 left. Quarterback Richard Todd attempted to drive the team to field goal range, but he threw his 3rd interception of the game, and Notre Dame ran out the clock to preserve the upset win.
In the final UPI poll, USC was ranked first, with Alabama 2nd, Ohio State 3rd, Michigan 4th and Notre Dame 5th. The Trojans were #2 in the AP poll, where the Oklahoma Sooners were the first place choice for 51 of the 60 writers. The NCAA recognized both the Sooners and the Trojans as champions in its football guide.
| BOWL | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORANGE 1975 Orange Bowl The 1975 Orange Bowl, part of the 1974 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1975, at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, competing as a football independent... |
#9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 13 | #2 Alabama Crimson Tide | 11 |
| ROSE 1975 Rose Bowl The 1975 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1975. It was the 61st Rose Bowl Game. Fifth ranked USC Trojans defeated third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 18-17 in one of the most exciting games in the history of the Rose Bowl... |
#5 USC Trojans | 18 | #3 Ohio State Buckeyes | 17 |
| SUGAR | #8 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 | #18 Florida Gators | 10 |
| COTTON | #7 Penn State Nittany Lions | 41 | #12 Baylor Bears Baylor Bears Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference... |
20 |
Other bowls:
| BOWL | Location | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUN | El Paso | Mississippi State 26 | North Carolina 24 |
| GATOR | Jacksonville | Auburn 27 | Texas 3 |
| TANGERINE | Orlando | Miami (Ohio) 21 | Georgia 10 |
| ASTRO-BLUEBONNET | Houston | Houston 31 | N.C. State 31 |
| LIBERTY | Memphis | Tennessee 7 | Maryland 3 |
| PEACH | Atlanta | Texas Tech 6 | Vanderbilt 6 |
Other champions
Many of the schools that are now in the NCAA's "Division I-AA" participated in the Division II playoffs, and were also ranked in the "small college poll", taken by both the UPI (coaches) and AP (a panel of writers). Louisiana Tech was ranked #1 by UPI while Central MichiganCentral Michigan
Central Michigan, often called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan can be considered as a subregion of Central Michigan. As its name implies, it is the central area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and...
was #1 in the AP poll. CMU beat Tech 35-14 in the semi-finals of the Division II playoffs.
The playoff winners:
| NCAA Division II | Central Michigan Chippewas Central Michigan Central Michigan, often called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan can be considered as a subregion of Central Michigan. As its name implies, it is the central area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and... |
54 | Delaware Blue Hens 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... |
14 |
| NCAA Division III | Central (Iowa) Dutch | 10 | Ithaca Bombers Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is... |
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| NAIA Division I | 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... |
34 | Henderson State Reddies Henderson State University Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges... |
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| NAIA Division II | Texas Lutheran Bulldogs Texas Lutheran University Texas Lutheran University is an undergraduate, private, coeducational university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The University was founded in 1891, and currently serves approximately 1,400 students each semester.... |
42 | Missouri Valley Vikings Missouri Valley College Missouri Valley College is a private, four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . The campus is in Marshall, Missouri.The college was founded in 1889 and supports 27 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,800 students... |
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