| 1942 NCAA football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1942 |
| Bowl season | 1942–43 bowl games |
| End of season champions | Ohio State |
One human poll comprised the 1942 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
| 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 |
The final AP Poll was released on November 30, at the end of the 1942 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.
| Week 1 Oct 12 [1] | Week 2 Oct 19 [2] | Week 3 Oct 26 [3] | Week 4 Nov 2 [4] | Week 5 Nov 9 [5] | Week 6 Nov 16 [6] | Week 7 Nov 23 [7] | Week 8 (Final) Nov 30 [8] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Georgia (3–0) (25) | Ohio State (4–0) (58) | Ohio State (5–0) (80) | Georgia (7–0) (84.31) | Georgia (8–0) (85) | Georgia (9–0) (69) | Boston College (8–0) (47) | Ohio State (9–1) (84) | 1. |
| 2. | Ohio State (4–0) (12) | Georgia (5–0) (38) | Georgia (6–0) (25) | Wisconsin (6–0–1) (20.33) | Georgia Tech (7–0) (14) | Georgia Tech (8–0) (13) | Georgia Tech (9–0) (50) | Georgia (10–1) (62) | 2. |
| 3. | Michigan (2–1) (12) | Alabama (4–0) (8) | Alabama (5–0) (6) | Georgia Tech (6–0) (3.83) | Boston College (6–0) (10) | Boston College (7–0) (37) | Ohio State (8–1) (16) | Wisconsin (8–1–1) (4) | 3. |
| 4. | Alabama (3–0) (10) | Michigan (3–1) (2) | Notre Dame (3–1–1) (3) | Notre Dame (4–1–1) (1) | Notre Dame (5–1–1) (1) | Michigan (6–2) (3) | Wisconsin (8–1–1) (2) | Tulsa (10–0) (4) | 4. |
| 5. | Illinois (3–0) (18) | Illinois (4–0) (1) | Georgia Tech (5–0) (3) | Boston College (5–0) (13) | Alabama (6–1) | Ohio State (7–1) (1) | Georgia (9–1) (1) | Georgia Tech (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Georgia Tech (3–0) (5) | Georgia Tech (4–0) (1) | Wisconsin (5–0–1) (1) | Ohio State (5–1) | Michigan (5–2) | Tulsa (8–0) (2) | Tulsa (9–0) (1) | Notre Dame (7–2–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Wisconsin (3–0–1) | Wisconsin (4–0–1) (2) | Boston College (4–0) (4) | Minnesota (4–2) (1) | Wisconsin (6–1–1) | Wisconsin (7–1–1) | Alabama (7–2) | Tennessee (8–1–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Penn (2–1) (5) | Notre Dame (2–1–1) (3) | Army (4–0) (1) | Alabama (5–1) | Texas (7–1) | Notre Dame (5–2–1) | Notre Dame (6–2–1) | Boston College (8–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Colgate (3–0) (2) | Santa Clara (4–0) (2) | TCU (5–0) | Penn (4–1–1) (1) | Tulsa (7–0) (1) | Alabama (6–2) | Michigan (6–3) | Michigan (7–3) | 9. |
| 10. | Washington State (3–0) (3) | Boston College (3–0) (4) | Minnesota (3–2) | UCLA (4–2) (1) | Ohio State (6–1) (1) | Minnesota (5–3) | Tennessee (7–1–1) | Alabama (7–3) | 10. |
| 11. | Boston College (2–0) (1) | Army (3–0) | UCLA (3–2) | Michigan (4–2) | Tennessee (5–1–1) | Tennessee (6–1–1) | UCLA (5–3) | Texas (8–2) | 11. |
| 12. | Vanderbilt (3–0) | TCU (4–0) | Illinois (4–1) | Tulsa (6–0) | Iowa (6–2) | Washington State (6–1) (1) | Santa Clara (7–2) т | Stanford (6–4) | 12. |
| 13. | Duquesne (3–0) (2) | Minnesota (2–2) | Michigan (4–1) | Tennessee (4–1–1) | Illinois (5–2) | William & Mary (7–0–1) | Stanford (5–4) т | UCLA (5–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Minnesota (1–2) (1) | UCLA (2–2) | Penn (3–1–1) | Texas (6–1) | Washington State (5–1) | Santa Clara (7–1) т | USC (3–3–1) | William & Mary (8–1–1) (1) | 14. |
| 15. | Santa Clara (3–0) (1) т | Texas (4–1) | Syracuse (5–0) т | Santa Clara (5–1) | William & Mary (6–0–1) | Texas (7–2) т | Washington State (6–1–1) (1) | Santa Clara (7–2) | 15. |
| 16. | Tennessee (2–0–1) (1) т | Mississippi State (2–2) | Tulsa (5–0) т | Baylor (6–1) | Minnesota (4–3) | USC (3–3–1) | Auburn (5–4–1) т | Auburn (6–4–1) | 16. |
| 17. | TCU (3–0) | Penn (2–1–1) т | Texas (5–1) | William & Mary (5–0–1) | Penn (4–2–1) | Hardin-Simmons (7–0) | Mississippi State (7–2) т | Washington State (6–1–2) | 17. |
| 18. | Army (2–0) | Tennessee (2–1–1) т | William & Mary (4–0–1) | Fresno State (7–0) (1) | UCLA (4–3) | Indiana (5–3) т | Texas (7–2) | Mississippi State (7–2) | 18. |
| 19. | Iowa (3–1) | North Carolina (3–0–1) | LSU (5–1) | Army (4–1) | Hardin-Simmons (6–0) | TCU (6–2) т | William & Mary (7–1–1) | Holy Cross (5–4–1) (1) т | 19. |
| 20. | Texas (3–1) | Syracuse (4–0) | Tennessee (3–1–1) | Illinois (4–2) | Williams (7–0) | UCLA (4–3) т | Minnesota (5–4) |
| 20. |
| Week 1 Oct 12 [9] | Week 2 Oct 19 [10] | Week 3 Oct 26 [11] | Week 4 Nov 2 [12] | Week 5 Nov 9 [13] | Week 6 Nov 16 [14] | Week 7 Nov 23 [15] | Week 8 (Final) Nov 30 [16] | ||
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On December 2, a special panel of 91 sportswriters for the Associated Press released a ranking of the US service academy football teams, as they had not been permitted in the regular 1942 AP poll (this practice would be reversed in 1943). The Great Lakes Naval Training Station football team was awarded service champion, garnering the most overall (812) and 1st place votes (50) in the special poll. [17] The ranking system was ten points to the first place team, nine for 2nd place, and so on, with the sportswriters ranking their top ten. Teams that did not finish in the overall top ten but still received individual votes were also added to the final standings.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Lakes Navy | 8–3–1 | 812 (50) |
| 2 | Iowa Pre-Flight | 7–3 | 773 (12) |
| 3 | Georgia Pre-Flight | 7–1–1 | 743 (28) |
| 4 | North Carolina Pre-Flight | 8–2–1 | 591 |
| 5 | Saint Mary's Pre-Flight | 6–3–1 | 527 (1) |
| 6 | Jacksonville NAS | 9–3 | 386 |
| 7 | Camp Grant | 4–5 | 151 |
| 8 | Pensacola NAS | 3–5–1 | 115 |
| 9 | Manhattan Beach | 6–0–1 | 89 |
| 10 | Corpus Christi NAS | 4–3–1 | 88 |
| 11 | Second Air Force | 11–0–1 | 80 |
| 12 | Fort Knox | 2–6 | 66 |
| 13 | Lakehurst NAS | 4–4–1 | 43 |
| 14 | Fort Monmouth | 5–2–2 | 35 |
| 15 | Fort Riley | 6–3 | 13 |
| 16 | Camp Davis | 4–3–2 | 6 |
| 17 | March Field | 5–2 | 5 |
| 18 т | Fort Totten | 3–5–1 | 2 |
| 18 т | Spence Field | 0–4 | 2 |
| 20 т | Camp Shelby | 0–0? | 1 |
| 20 т | Fort Douglas | 5–3 | 1 |
| 20 т | Daniel Field | 0–6 | 1 |
The final Litkenhous Ratings were released in January 1943, after the bowl games had been played. The top 30 ranked teams were: [18]
1. Ohio State (112.0)
2. Georgia (111.2)
3. Michigan (107.7)
4. Great Lakes Navy (106.4)
5. Alabama (105.7)
6. Notre Dame (105.6)
7. Wisconsin (104.9)
8. Tennessee (104.9)
9. Georgia Tech (104.6)
10. Minnesota (104.6)
11. Georgia Pre-Flight (101.7)
12. Illinois (101.3)
13. Iowa Pre-Flight (100.9)
14. Texas (100.8)
15. Tulsa (100.7)
16. Mississippi State (99.5)
17. Indiana (99.3)
18. Boston College (98.8)
19. LSU (97.5)
20. Duke (97.2)
21. Rice (96.1)
22. Penn (95.8)
23. Stanford (95.1)
24. Auburn (94.9)
25. North Carolina Pre-Flight (94.7)
26. Iowa (93.5)
27. Vanderbilt (93.4)
28. UCLA (93.2)
29. Army (93.2)
30. Missouri (93.1)
The final Williamson System rankings for 1942 were issued in January 1943, after the bowl games. [19]
1. Georgia (98.1)
2. Wisconsin (97.1)
3. Ohio State (96.8)
4. Texas (96.0)
5. Georgia Tech (95.7)
6. Michigan (95.5)
7. Alabama (95.3)
8. Tennessee (95.0)
9. Notre Dame (94.7)
10. Tulsa (94.4)
11. Mississippi State (94.2)
12. Rice (93.8)
13. Boston College (93.5)
14. Marquette (93.3)
15. Auburn (93.1)
16. Penn State (93.0)
17. LSU (92.9)
18. Fordham (92.8)
19. William & Mary (92.4)
20. Missouri (92.3)
21. Illinois (92.1)
22. Navy (91.8)
23. Indiana (91.4)
24. Hardin–Simmons (91.2)
25. Duke (91.1)
26. Baylor (91.0)
27. Penn (90.7)
28. TCU (90.6)
29. UCLA (90.4)
30. Army (90.3)
31. Texas A&M (90.2)
32. Minnesota (90.1)
33. Colgate (90.0)
34. Washington State (89.8)
35. Santa Clara (89.6)
36. Tulane (89.5)
37. Stanford (89.3)
38. Vanderbilt (89.2)
39. North Carolina (89.1)
40. Oklahoma A&M (89.0)
41. Wake Forest (88.8)
42. USC (88.7)
43. Iowa (88.6)
44. Texas Tech (88.6)
45. California (88.5)
46. VPI (88.5)
47. Saint Mary's (88.3)
48. Detroit (88.1)
49. Duquesne (87.9)
50. Syracuse (87.8)
51. Villanova (87.6)
52. Michigan State (87.5)
53. Cornell (87.4)
54. Georgetown (87.1)
55. Amherst (87.0)
Williamson also separately ranked the top service teams as follows:
1. Georgia Pre-Flight (96.4)
2. Great Lakes Navy (94.7)
3. North Carolina Pre-Flight (92.6)
4. Second Air Force (92.3)
5. Iowa Pre-Flight (91.7)
6. Jacksonville NAS (91.5)
7. Manhattan Beach Coast Guard (88.0)
8. Corpus Christi NAS (85.6)
9. Saint Mary's Pre-Flight (85.4)
10. Pensacola NAS (83.4)
11. Camp Grant (83.1)
12. Lakehurst NAS (82.5)
13. Fort Riley (82.0)
14. Fort Monmouth (81.4)
15. March Field (79.2)
16. Fort Knox (78.5)
17. Santa Ana Air Force (77.9)
18. Camp Davis (77.6)
The 1942 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1942 Big Ten Conference football season. In their first year under head coach George Hauser, the Golden Gophers compiled a 5–4 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 152 to 91. Minnesota was ranked No. 19 in the final AP poll and No. 10 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System rankings.
The 1942 college football season was the 74th season of intercollegiate football in the United States. Competition included schools from the Big Ten Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Six Conference, the Southern Conference, the Southwestern Conference, and numerous smaller conferences and independent programs. The season was the first after the entry of the United States into World War II.
The college football rankings for the 1936 college football season included the first AP Poll, the Toledo Cup rankings based on input from a judge's committee of 250 sports editors, and the Litkenhous Ratings. The 1936 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team was ranked as the national champion in all three rankings.
One human poll comprised the 1939 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
One human poll comprised the 1940 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
One human poll comprised the 1941 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
One human poll comprised the 1943 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
One human poll comprised the 1944 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
One human poll comprised the 1945 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
One human poll comprised the 1946 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
One human poll comprised the 1947 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies.
One human poll comprised the 1948 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
One human poll comprised the 1949 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
Two human polls and several math systems comprised the 1950 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
Two human polls comprised the 1951 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
Two human polls comprised the 1952 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
Two human polls comprised the 1956 college football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
Two human polls comprised the 1957 NCAA University Division football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
The 1944 Second Air Force Superbombers football team represented the Second Air Force during the 1944 college football season. The team, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, compiled a 10–4–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 513 to 76, and was ranked No. 20 in the final AP Poll.