1939 college football rankings

Last updated

Various selection methods comprised 1939 college football rankings, including the AP Poll. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, did not itself bestow a national championship.

Contents

Legend

 Increase in ranking
 Decrease in ranking
 Not ranked previous week
 National champion
(#–#)
 Win–loss record
(Italics)
 Number of first place votes
т
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

Champions (by ranking)

The AP Poll and most other rankings consider Texas A&M the season's champion. The Dickinson System considers USC the season's champion. Litkenhous Ratings and the Sagarin Ratings Predictor method consider Cornell to have been the season's chamnpion. [1]

Note: AP Poll, Boand System, Dickinson System, Dunkel System, Houlgate System, Litkenhous Ratings, Poling System, and Williamson System were given contemporarily. All other methods were given retroactively.

AP Poll

The final AP Poll was released on December 11, at the end of the 1939 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.

Week 1
Oct 16		Week 2
Oct 23		Week 3
Oct 30		Week 4
Nov 6		Week 5
Nov 13		Week 6
Nov 20		Week 7
Nov 27		Week 8
Dec 4		Week 9 (Final)
Dec 11
1. Pittsburgh (3–0) (25)Tennessee (4–0) (83)Tennessee (5–0) (67)Tennessee (6–0) (81)Tennessee (7–0) (66)Texas A&M (9–0) (38)Texas A&M (9–0) (27) тTexas A&M (10–0) (28)Texas A&M (10–0) (55)1.
2. Notre Dame (3–0) (16)Notre Dame (4–0) (12)Michigan (4–0) (20)Texas A&M (7–0) (6)Texas A&M (8–0)Tennessee (8–0) (33)USC (6–0–1) (25) тTennessee (9–0) (19)Tennessee (10–0) (26)2.
3. Oklahoma (2–0–1) (10)Michigan (3–0) (8)Cornell (4–0) (18)Notre Dame (6–0) (11)USC (5–0–1) (10)Cornell (7–0) (20)Cornell (8–0) (34)USC (7–0–1) (18)USC (7–0–2) (9)3.
4. Tulane (3–0) (14)Ohio State (3–0) (5)Notre Dame (5–0) (12)USC (4–0–1) (5)Cornell (6–0) (3)USC (5–0–1) (11)Tennessee (8–0) (18)Cornell (8–0) (15)Cornell (8–0) (16)4.
5. Tennessee (3–0) (26.5)Texas A&M (5–0) (6)Texas A&M (6–0) (6)Cornell (5–0) (1)Oklahoma (6–0–1) (2)Tulane (6–0–1) (3)Tulane (7–0–1) (4)Tulane (8–0–1) (5)Tulane (8–0–1)5.
6. Michigan (2–0) (10)Oklahoma (3–0–1) (2)Oklahoma (4–0–1) (2)Oklahoma (5–0–1) (3)Tulane (5–0–1) (2)Ohio State (6–1) (1)Duquesne (8–0)Duke (8–1) (1)Missouri (8–1)6.
7. USC (2–0–1)Cornell (3–0) (1)USC (3–0–1) (1)Tulane (4–0–1)North Carolina (7–0–1) (1)Notre Dame (7–1)Duke (8–1) (2)Missouri (8–1)UCLA (6–0–4)7.
8. Alabama (3–0) (2.5)USC (2–0–1)Tulane (4–0–1) (1)North Carolina (6–0–1) (1)Ohio State (5–1)Duke (7–1) (2)Missouri (8–1)Iowa (6–1–1)Duke (8–1) (2)8.
9. Texas A&M (4–0) (5)Tulane (3–0–1) (1)North Carolina (5–0–1) (1)Ohio State (4–1)Notre Dame (6–1)Iowa (6–1) (1)Iowa (6–1–1)UCLA (6–0–3)Iowa (6–1–1)9.
10. Ohio State (2–0) (11)Nebraska (3–0–1)Nebraska (4–0–1)Michigan (4–1)Duquesne (7–0)Missouri (7–1)Holy Cross (7–1)Duquesne (8–0–1)Duquesne (8–0–1)10.
11. Oregon (2–0–1) (2) Duquesne (4–0)Oregon State (5–0)UCLA (5–0–1)UCLA (5–0–1)Holy Cross (7–1)Notre Dame (7–2)Notre Dame (7–2)Boston College (9–1)11.
12. Cornell (2–0) (1)Duke (3–1)Duke (4–1)Duquesne (6–0) Missouri (6–1)Duquesne (7–0)Ohio State (6–2)Ohio State (6–2)Clemson (8–1)12.
13. Duke (2–1)North Carolina (4–0–1)Duquesne (5–0)SMU (3–1–1)Duke (6–1)UCLA (5–0–2)UCLA (5–0–3)Georgia Tech (7–2)Notre Dame (7–2)13.
14. North Carolina (4–0)Ole Miss (4–0)Ohio State (3–1) Dartmouth (5–0–1)Santa Clara (4–1–2)Oklahoma (6–1–1)Clemson (8–1) (1) Boston College (9–1)Santa Clara (5–1–3)14.
15. Carnegie Tech (3–0) Oregon State (4–0) Kentucky (5–0)Duke (5–1) Iowa (5–1)Clemson (7–1) (1)Michigan (6–2)Clemson (8–1) (1)Ohio State (6–2)15.
16. Nebraska (2–0–1) Penn (3–0)SMU (2–1–1) Santa Clara (3–1–2) Clemson (6–1) (1) Georgetown (7–0–1)North Carolina (7–1–1)Santa Clara (5–1–3)Georgia Tech (8–2)16.
17. Ole Miss (3–0)SMU (2–1–1)NYU (4–1)NYU (5–1)SMU (3–2–1)North Carolina (7–1–1) тGeorgetown (7–0–1)Nebraska (7–1–1)Fordham (6–2)17.
18. SMU (1–1–1)Pittsburgh (3–1) LSU (4–1)Kentucky (5–0–1) Holy Cross (6–1)Santa Clara (4–1–3) тNebraska (7–1–1) Fordham (6–2) тNebraska (7–1–1)18.
19. Baylor (3–0) NYU (3–1)Alabama (4–1) тOle Miss (5–1)Oregon State (6–1) Georgia Tech (5–2) т San Jose State (12–0)San Jose State (13–0) тOklahoma (6–2–1)19.
20. St. Mary's (2–0)Alabama (3–1) UCLA (4–0–1) тAlabama (4–1–1)
  • Dartmouth (5–1–1) т
  • Minnesota (2–3–1) т
 Princeton (6–1) тSanta Clara (5–1–3)Georgetown (7–0–1)Michigan (6–2)20.
Week 1
Oct 16		Week 2
Oct 23		Week 3
Oct 30		Week 4
Nov 6		Week 5
Nov 13		Week 6
Nov 20		Week 7
Nov 27		Week 8
Dec 4		Week 9 (Final)
Dec 11
Dropped:
  • Baylor
  • Carnegie Tech
  • Oregon
  • St. Mary's
Dropped:
  • Ole Miss
  • Penn
  • Pittsburgh
Dropped:
  • LSU
  • Nebraska
  • Oregon State
Dropped:
  • Alabama
  • Kentucky
  • Michigan
  • Ole Miss
  • NYU
Dropped:
  • Dartmouth
  • Minnesota
  • Oregon State
  • SMU
Dropped:
  • Georgia Tech
  • Oklahoma
  • Princeton
Dropped:
  • Holy Cross
  • Michigan
  • North Carolina
Dropped:
  • Georgetown
  • San Jose State

Boand System

The Boand System rankings (also known as "Azzi Ratem") were the only ratings released after the bowl games. Released in early January 1940, Boand's final rankings were as follows: [2]

1. Texas A&M
2. Cornell
3. USC
4. Tulane
5. Duke
6. Tennessee
7. Georgia Tech
8. Clemson
9. Notre Dame
10. UCLA

Dickinson System

The Dickinson System rankings released in December 1939 were as follows: [3] [4]

1. USC (25.73)
2. Texas A&M (25.43)
3. Cornell (25.26)
4. Tulane (23.61)
5. Tennessee (22.61)
6. Notre Dame (22.59)
7. Michigan (22.50)
8. Duke (22.34)
9. Missouri (22.29)
10. UCLA (21.91)
11. Iowa (21.02)
. Duquesne
. Georgia Tech
. Ohio State
. Princeton
. Santa Clara

Litkenhous Ratings

The final Litkenhous Ratings released in December 1939 provided numerical rankings to more than 600 college football programs. The top 100 ranked teams were: [5]

1. Cornell
2. Tennessee
3. Texas A&M
4. Tulane
5. Ohio State
6.Duke
7. North Carolina
8. Oklahoma
9. Minnesota
10. USC
11. Holy Cross
12. SMU
13. Fordham
14. Georgia Tech
15. Missouri
16. Michigan
17. Ole Miss
18. Boston College
19. Mississippi State
20. Clemson
21. Notre Dame
22. Alabama
23. Nebraska
24. Princeton
25. Santa Clara
26. Iowa
27. Kentucky
28. Wake Forest
29. Dartmouth
30. Northwestern
31. Duquesne
32. Villanova
33. Purdue
34. UCLA
35. Pittsburgh
36. Baylor
37. San Jose State
38. LSU
39. Auburn
40. Utah
41. Columbia
42. Georgetown
43. Texas
44. Detroit
45.
46. Arkansas
47. TCU
48. Penn
49. NYU
50. Oregon
51. Penn State
52. North Texas
53. Oregon State
54. Catholic Univ.
55. Carnegie Tech
56. Navy
57. Harvard
58. Colgate
59. Fresno State
60. Butler
61. Kansas State
62. Brown
63. Illinois
64. Marshall
65. Arizona State
66. Marquette
67. Saint Mary's (CA)
68. VMI
69. Georgia
70. Rice
71. Temple
72. Scranton
73. Yale
74. Michigan State
75. Syracuse
76. Richmond
77. Virginia
78. Wisconsin
79. George Washington
80. Gonzaga
81. Washington Univ.
82. Washington
83. Manhattan
84. Vanderbilt
85. Hardin–Simmons
86. Canisius
87. La Salle
88. Miami (FL)
89. Furman
90. Texas Tech
91. Army
92. San Francisco
93. Colorado Mines
94. Bucknell
95. Florida
96. San Diego Marines
97. Lafayette
98. Rollins
99. Oklahoma A&M
100. Tulsa

Williamson System

The Williamson System rankings released in December 1939 were as follows: [6]

1. Texas A&M
2. Tulane
3. Cornell
4. Tennessee
5. USC
6. Clemson
7. Duke
8. Missouri
9. Nebraska
10. Iowa
11. Boston College
12. Notre Dame
13. Georgia Tech
14. Princeton
15. UCLA
16. Oregon State
17. Alabama
18. Duquesne
19. Fordham
20. Penn
21. Oklahoma
22. SMU
23. Ohio State
24. Pittsburgh
25. Santa Clara
26. North Carolina
27. Purdue
28. Kentucky
29. Northwestern
30. Auburn
31. Mississippi State
32. Minnesota
33. Baylor
34. Villanova
35. Ole Miss
36. Michigan
37. St. Anselm
38. LSU
39. Catholic Univ.
40. Georgetown
41. Detroit
42. Holy Cross
43. San Jose State
44. Washington Univ.
45. Manhattan
46. Arkansas
47. Wake Forest
48. Texas
49. Oregon
50. Indiana

See also

=Notes

References

  1. ↑ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. 2017. p. 112. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Azzi Ratem Calls Aggies No. 1 Team". Lexington Herald-Leader. January 2, 1940. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Dickinson Rates Southern Cal Tops: Orange Fifth Behind Aggies, Cornell, Wave". The Nashville Tennessean. December 12, 1939. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "To Dickinson, Trojans Best: Strength of Rivals Decides Ratings". Evening World-Herald. December 12, 1939. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ E. E. Litkenhous (December 31, 1939). "Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth". Johnson City Sunday Press. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Paul Williamson (December 8, 1941). "Texas Aggies Ranked Nation's Top". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
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