| 1947 college football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1947 |
| Bowl season | 1947–48 bowl games |
| End of season champions | Notre Dame |
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.
There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the Associated Press Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The United Press 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 official AP Poll was released on December 8, at the end of the 1947 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. [1] The AP did not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.
| Week 1 Oct 6 [2] | Week 2 Oct 13 [3] | Week 3 Oct 20 [4] | Week 4 Oct 27 [5] | Week 5 Nov 3 [6] | Week 6 Nov 10 [7] | Week 7 Nov 17 [8] | Week 8 Nov 24 [9] | Week 9 Dec 1 [10] | Week 10 (Final) Dec 8 [11] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Notre Dame (1–0) (52) | Michigan (3–0) (93) | Michigan (4–0) (147) | Notre Dame (4–0) (78) | Notre Dame (5–0) (106) | Notre Dame (6–0) (117) | Michigan (8–0) (140) | Notre Dame (8–0) (97) | Notre Dame (8–0) (58.5) | Notre Dame (9–0) (107) | 1. |
| 2. | Michigan (2–0) (29) | Notre Dame (2–0) (23) | Notre Dame (3–0) (21) | Michigan (5–0) (69) | Michigan (6–0) (56) | Michigan (7–0) (34) | Notre Dame (7–0) (87) | Michigan (9–0) (81) | Michigan (9–0) (54.5) | Michigan (9–0) (25) | 2. |
| 3. | Texas (3–0) (15) | Texas (4–0) (10) | Texas (5–0) (10) | Texas (6–0) (25) | SMU (6–0) (7) | Penn (6–0) (7) | SMU (8–0) (9) | SMU (9–0) (6) | USC (7–0–1) (2) | SMU (9–0–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Georgia Tech (2–0) (3) | California (4–0) | California (5–0) (1) | Penn (4–0) (11) | Penn (5–0) (8) | SMU (7–0) (2) | USC (6–0–1) (3) | USC (7–0–1) (3) | SMU (9–0–1) | Penn State (9–0) (1) | 4. |
| 5. | Army (2–0) (1) | Georgia Tech (3–0) (1) | Illinois (3–0–1) | USC (4–0–1) (6) | USC (5–0–1) (2) | USC (6–0–1) (5) | Penn State (8–0) (6) | Penn State (9–0) (1) | Penn State (9–0) | Texas (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Illinois (2–0) | Illinois (2–0–1) (1) | Army (3–0–1) (2) | Georgia Tech (5–0) (2) | Georgia Tech (6–0) (6) | Georgia Tech (7–0) (1) | Penn (6–0–1) | Alabama (7–2) | Texas (9–1) (2) | Alabama (8–2) (1) | 6. |
| 7. | Penn (1–0) | Army (2–0–1) | Georgia Tech (4–0) (2) | Penn State (5–0) (2) | Penn State (6–0) (2) | Texas (7–1) | Texas (8–1) | Texas (8–1) | Alabama (8–2) | Penn (7–0–1) | 7. |
| 8. | California (3–0) (1) | Penn (2–0) | Penn (3–0) | SMU (5–0) | Texas (6–1) | Penn State (7–0) (3) | Alabama (6–2) | Penn (6–0–1) | Penn (7–0–1) | USC (7–1–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Georgia (2–1) | Penn State (3–0) | Penn State (4–0) (1) | Duke (4–0–1) (2) | Army (4–1–1) | Wisconsin (5–1–1) | California (8–1) | Georgia Tech (8–1) | Georgia Tech (9–1) | North Carolina (8–2) (7) | 9. |
| 10. | Vanderbilt (2–0) | Vanderbilt (3–0) | USC (3–0–1) | Army (3–1–1) | Virginia (6–0) | California (7–1) | Georgia Tech (7–1) | North Carolina (7–2) (3) | North Carolina (8–2) (9) | Georgia Tech (9–1) | 10. |
| 11. | Columbia (2–0) | USC (2–0–1) | Wake Forest (4–0) | Illinois (3–1–1) | Illinois (3–2–1) | Illinois (4–2–1) | Army (4–2–2) | California (9–1) | Army (5–2–2) | Army (5–2–2) | 11. |
| 12. | Penn State (2–0) (1) | Yale (3–0) | SMU (4–0) | Virginia (5–0) | California (6–1) | William & Mary (6–1) | Illinois (5–2–1) | Army (4–2–2) | Ole Miss (8–2) | Kansas (8–0–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Duke (2–0) | Minnesota (3–0) (1) | Virginia (4–0) | Kentucky (5–1) | Duke (4–1–1) | Army (4–2–1) | North Carolina (6–2) (1) | Kansas (7–0–2) | Kansas (8–0–2) т | Ole Miss (8–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Yale (2–0) | Wake Forest (3–0) (2) | Kentucky (4–1) | California (5–1) | Purdue (4–2) | Alabama (5–2) | William & Mary (7–1) | William & Mary (8–1) | William & Mary (9–1) (3) т | William & Mary (9–1) | 14. |
| 15. | Oklahoma (2–0) | Rice (1–1–1) | Duke (3–0–1) | Wake Forest (4–1) | William & Mary (5–1) | Ole Miss (6–2) т | Ole Miss(7–2) | Ole Miss (7–2) | California (9–1) | California (9–1) | 15. |
| 16. | Rice (1–1–1) | Virginia (3–0) | UCLA (3–1) | Purdue (3–2) | Alabama (4–2) | Virginia (6–1) т | Virginia (7–1) | Columbia (7–2) (1) | NC State (5–3–1) | Oklahoma (7–2–1) (1) | 16. |
| 17. | Minnesota (2–0) (1) | Duke (2–0–1) | Baylor (4–0) | LSU (4–1) | Columbia (4–2) | Missouri (6–2) | Kansas (6–0–2) | UCLA (5–4) | Rice (6–3–1) | NC State (5–3–1) | 17. |
| 18. | Ole Miss (3–0) | NC State (2–1) | LSU (3–1) | Alabama (4–2) | North Carolina (4–2) | Utah (7–0) | UCLA (5–3) | Rice (5–3–1) | Oklahoma (7–2–1) | Rice (6–3–1) | 18. |
| 19. | North Carolina (1–1) | UCLA (2–1) | Vanderbilt (3–1) | UCLA (3–2) | Wisconsin (4–1–1) | North Carolina (5–2) | Columbia (6–2) | Minnesota (6–3) | UCLA (5–4) | Duke (4–3–2) | 19. |
| 20. | USC (1–0–1) | Kentucky (3–1) | San Francisco (4–1) | Columbia (3–2) | Yale (5–1) | Minnesota (5–2) | Rice (4–3–1) | Oklahoma (6–2–1) | Catawba (9–1) | Columbia (7–2) | 20. |
| Week 1 Oct 6 [12] | Week 2 Oct 13 [13] | Week 3 Oct 20 [14] | Week 4 Oct 27 [15] | Week 5 Nov 3 [16] | Week 6 Nov 10 [17] | Week 7 Nov 17 [18] | Week 8 Nov 24 [19] | Week 9 Dec 1 [20] | Week 10 (Final) Dec 8 [21] | ||
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The final regular season AP poll, taken in early December before the bowls, had Notre Dame No. 1 (107 first-place votes) and Michigan second, with 25 first-place votes. [1] Michigan won the Rose Bowl 49–0 over USC while Notre Dame did not play in a bowl game. Detroit Free Press sports editor Lyall Smith arranged a special post-bowl poll with only Michigan or Notre Dame as choices, which favored Michigan 226–119. [22] [23] However, it was stated that "The new ballot does not supersede the Associated Press' regular final season rating of college football teams, released last December 8, which named Notre Dame the mythical National champion with Michigan the runner-up." [22]
The final Litkenhous Ratings released in December 1947 provided numerical rankings to more than 500 college and military football programs. The top 100 ranked teams were:
1. Michigan (10–0) - 114.0
2. Notre Dame (9–0) - 109.4
3. Texas (10–1) - 103.6
4. USC (7–2–1) - 100.0
5. Penn (7–0–1) - 99.6
6. Army (5–2–2) - 98.2
7. Rice (6–3–1) - 98.1
8. Illinois (5–3–1) - 95.7
9. UCLA (5–4) - 95.0
10. SMU (9–0–2) - 93.9
11. California (9–1) - 93.4
12. Penn State (9–0–1) - 93.2
13. North Carolina (8–2) - 91.7
14. Minnesota (6–3) - 91.2
15. Ole Miss (9–2) - 91.1
16. Wisconsin (5–3–1) - 90.5
17. Indiana (5–3–1) - 89.0
18. Purdue (5–4) - 88.7
19. Georgia Tech (10–1) - 86.9
20. Alabama (8–3) - 86.7
21. Kansas (8–1–2) - 86.5
22. Northwestern (3–6) - 86.2
23. TCU (4–5–2) - 86.0
24. William & Mary (9–2) - 85.7
25. Iowa (3–5–1) - 85.3
26. Virginia (7–3) - 84.9
27. Arkansas (6–4–1) - 84.8
28. Missouri (6–4) - 84.5
29. Kentucky (8–3) - 84.4
30. Columbia (7–2) - 83.0
31. Vanderbilt (6–4) - 82.7
32. Navy (1–7–1) - 81.9
33. Washington (3–6) - 81.7
34. LSU (5–3–1) - 81.1
35. Ohio State (2–6–1) - 80.4
36. Oregon (7–3) - 80.2
37. San Francisco (7–3) - 80.2
38. Michigan State (7–2) - 80.1
39. Oklahoma (7–2–1) - 79.9
40. Georgia (7–4–1) - 79.5
41. Texas A&M (3–6–1) - 79.4
42. West Virginia (6–4) - 79.3
43. Baylor (5–5) -78.5
44. Mississippi State (7–3) - 78.0
45. Maryland (7–2–2) - 77.9
46. Tennessee (5–5) - 77.9
47. Villanova (6–3–1) - 77.9
48. Detroit (6–4) - 77.8
49. Princeton (5–3) - 77.1
50. NC State (5–3–1) - 77.0
51. Duke (4–3–2) - 76.6
52. Oregon State (5–5) - 76.6
53. Yale (6–3) - 75.3
54. Boston College (5–4) - 75.2
55. Nevada (9–2) - 75.2
56. Hardin–Simmons (8–3) - 74.8
57. Wake Forest (6–4) - 74.2
58. Rutgers (8–1) - 73.9
59. Tulane (2–5–2) - 73.2
60. Pacific (10–1) - 71.6
61. Holy Cross (4–4–2) - 71.5
62. Tulsa (5–5) - 71.4
63. Pepperdine (9–0) - 70.4
64. Washington State (3–7) - 70.4
65. Oklahoma A&M (3–7) - 70.3
66. Dartmouth (4–4–1) - 70.1
67. Marquette (4–5) - 70.1
68. Muhlenberg (9–1) - 70.1
69. Clemson (4–5) - 69.9
70. Stanford (0–9) - 69.4
71. Miami (OH) (9–0–1) - 68.9
72. South Carolina (6–2–1) - 68.8
73. Santa Clara (4–4) - 68.4
74. Florida (4–5–1) - 68.0
75. Cornell (4–5) - 67.7
76. Nebraska (2–7) - 67.7
77. Dayton (6–3) - 67.6
78. North Texas (10–2) - 67.5
79. Brown (4–4–1) - 67.3
80. Utah (8–1–1) - 66.9
81. Pittsburgh (1–8) - 66.4
82. San Jose State (9–3) - 66.4
83. Oklahoma City (7–3) - 66.2
84. Virginia Tech (4–5) - 66.1
85. Wichita (7–4) - 66.1
86. McNeese JC - 66.0
87. Miami (FL) (2–7–1) - 66.0
88. St. Bonaventure (6–3) - 64.8
89. Cincinnati (7–3) - 64.7
90. Iowa State (3–6) - 64.4
91. Georgetown (3–4–1) - 63.9
92. Arizona (5–4–1) - 63.7
93. Harvard (4–5) - 63.7
94. West Texas (7–4) - 63.6
95. Denver (5–4–1) - 63.1
96. Xavier (4–4–1) - 62.5
97. Marshall (9–3) - 62.2
98. V. M. I. - 62.1
99. Saint Louis (4–6) - 62.0
100. Temple (3–6) - 61.6
101. Saint Mary's (3–7) - 60.9
102. Utah State (6–5) - 60.8
103. Texas Mines (5–3–1) - 60.5
104. Washington and Lee (5–3) - 60.3
105. Canisius - 60.2
106. Youngstown (8–2) - 59.8
107. Toledo (9–2) - 59.5
108. East Texas (8–2) - 59.3
109. Colorado (4–5)- 56.7
116. Bowling Green (5–5) - 56.7
117. Catawba (11–1) - 56.6
118. Chattanooga (4–6) - 56.6
119. Idaho (4–4) - 56.6
120. Boston - 56.0
121. Davidson (6–3–1) - 55.8
122. Wayne (5–2) - 55.6
123. Syracuse (3–6) - 55.5
124. Lawrence - 55.4
125. New Hampshire (8–1) - 54.9
126. New Mexico (4–5–1) - 54.7
127. Buffalo (8–1) - 54.4
128. John Carroll - 54.3
129. Delaware (4–4) - 54.2
130. San Diego State (7–3–1) - 54.1
131. Abilene Christian - 53.8
132. BYU (3–7) - 53.7
133. Rollins - 53.4
134. George Washington (1–7–1) - 53.3
135. Wyoming (4–5) - 52.6
136. Missouri Valley (12–0) - 52.3
137. Western Michigan (5–4) - 52.0
138. Colorado A&M (5–4–1) - 51.8
139. Southwest Texas (5–4) - 51.7
140. Texas Tech (6–5) - 51.7
141. Hardin - 51.6
142. Denison - 51.5
143. Richmond (3–7) - 51.4
144. Loras - 50.7
145. Western Reserve (4–5) - 50.7
146. Louisville (7–0–1) - 50.6
147. Cameron State - 50.5
148. Drake (1–7–1) - 50.5
149. Kansas State (0–10) - 50.0
150. Compton - 49.8
The Pittsburgh Courier , a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1947 teams from historically black colleges and universities using the Dickinson System in an era when college football was largely segregated. The rankings were published on December 6. [24]
The Courier also ranked 7 what they called "smaller colleges" teams:
The Baltimore Afro-American also published post-season rankings on December 13: [25]
The 1970 NCAA University Division football season was marked by tragedy, due to two airplane crashes. On October 2, one of the planes carrying the Wichita State football team crashed on the way to a game against Utah State, killing 31 people on board, including 14 players. Then, on November 14, the charter for the Marshall Thundering Herd crashed on the way home from a game against East Carolina, killing all 75 persons.
The 1973 NCAA Division I football season was the first for the NCAA's current three-division structure. Effective with the 1973–74 academic year, schools formerly in the NCAA "University Division" were classified as Division I. Schools in the former "College Division" were classified into Division II, which allowed fewer athletic scholarships than Division I, and Division III, in which athletic scholarships were prohibited.
The 1954 college football season was the 86th season of intercollegiate football in the United States. It saw three major college teams finish unbeaten and untied:
The 1953 college football season was marked by the NCAA Rules Committee's revocation of the two-platoon system and unlimited substitution rules in favor of the historic one-platoon system with its highly restrictive substitution rules. This radical rules shift made the 1953 season "The Year of the Great Adjustment," in the words of sportswriter Tommy Devine of the Detroit Free Press, in which teams scrambled to tighten their rosters and alter their strategies in accord with the more traditional "iron man" game.
The 1952 college football season was the 84th season of intercollegiate football in the United States. It ended with Oklahoma halfback Billy Vessels winning the Heisman Trophy and Notre Dame halfback Johnny Lattner winning the Maxwell Award. Two teams claim the 1952 national championship:
The 1949 college football season was the 81st season of intercollegiate football in the United States. It concluded with the top four teams undefeated and untied at the end of the regular season:
The 1947 college football season finished with Notre Dame, Michigan, and Penn State all unbeaten and untied, but the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were the first place choice for 107 of the 142 voters in the final AP Poll in early December, and repeated as national champions. Michigan was selected for the top spot by six contemporary math systems.
The 1946 college football season was the 78th 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 saw the return of many programs which had suspended play during World War II, and also the enrollment of many veterans returning from the war.
The 1939 college football season concluded with the Aggies of The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas being named as the national champions by the voters in the Associated Press writers' poll. Led by consensus All-American fullback John Kimbrough, the Aggies went undefeated at 11–0 and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 212 to 31, with the defense allowing just 54 first downs and 763 yards all season, or 1.71 yards per play. On New Year's Day, Texas A&M defeated Tulane, 14–13 in the Sugar Bowl.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
The 1957 college football rankings were an effort to rank the American football teams participating in the 1957 college football season. College football's governing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), did not issue rankings or conduct a championship game or playoffs to determine a national champion. The most widely-reported rankings were published by two of the major news agencies based on weekly polling conducted during the season and at the end of the regular season.