| 1953 college football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1953 |
| Bowl season | 1953–54 bowl games |
| Preseason No. 1 | |
| End of season champions | Maryland |
Two human polls comprised the 1953 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.
| 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 1953 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.
| Preseason Aug [1] | Week 1 Sep 28 [2] | Week 2 Oct 5 [3] | Week 3 Oct 12 [4] | Week 4 Oct 19 [5] | Week 5 Oct 26 [6] | Week 6 Nov 2 [7] | Week 7 Nov 9 [8] | Week 8 Nov 16 [9] | Week 9 Nov 23 [10] | Week 10 (Final) Nov 30 [11] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Notre Dame (84) | Notre Dame (1–0) (71) | Notre Dame (2–0) (84) | Notre Dame (2–0) (74) | Notre Dame (3–0) (51) | Notre Dame (4–0) (82) | Notre Dame (5–0) (90) | Notre Dame (6–0) (79) | Notre Dame (7–0) (93) | Maryland (10–0) (154) | Maryland (10–0) (187) | 1. |
| 2. | Michigan State (24) | Michigan State (1–0) (6) | Michigan State (2–0) (15) | Michigan State (3–0) (14) | Michigan State (4–0) (31) | Maryland (6–0) (18) | Maryland (7–0) (21) | Maryland (8–0) (24) | Maryland (9–0) (42) | Notre Dame (7–0–1) (47) | Notre Dame (8–0–1) (141) | 2. |
| 3. | Georgia Tech (24) | Maryland (2–0) (5) | Ohio State (2–0) (11) | Maryland (4–0) (21) | Maryland (5–0) (27) | Baylor (5–0) (2) | Baylor (6–0) (7) | Illinois (6–0–1) (4) | Michigan State (7–1) (3) | Michigan State (8–1) (8) | Michigan State (8–1) (8) | 3. |
| 4. | UCLA (12) | Michigan (1–0) (3) | Maryland (3–0) (8) | UCLA (4–0) (8) | Georgia Tech (4–0–1) (3) | Illinois (4–0–1) | Illinois (5–0–1) | Michigan State (6–1) (1) | Oklahoma (6–1–1) (3) | Oklahoma (7–1–1) (9) | Oklahoma (8–1–1) (10) | 4. |
| 5. | Alabama (18) | UCLA (2–0) (3) | Michigan (2–0) (4) | Michigan (3–0) | Michigan (4–0) | West Virginia (5–0) (15) | Michigan State (5–1) | Georgia Tech (6–1–1) | UCLA (7–1) | UCLA (8–1) (4) | UCLA (8–1) (1) | 5. |
| 6. | Oklahoma (3) | Ohio State (1–0) (2) | UCLA (3–0) (2) | Georgia Tech (3–0–1) | Baylor (4–0) (1) | Michigan State (4–1) | Georgia Tech (5–1–1) | Oklahoma (5–1–1) (1) | Texas (6–3) | Illinois (7–1–1) | Rice (8–2) (2) | 6. |
| 7. | Ohio State (3) | USC (2–0) (1) | USC (3–0) (2) | Duke (4–0) (3) | Illinois (3–0–1) (1) | USC (5–0–1) | West Virginia (6–0) (10) | UCLA (6–1) | Illinois (6–1–1) | Texas (6–3) | Illinois (7–1–1) | 7. |
| 8. | USC | Oklahoma (0–1) | Duke (3–0) (4) | Baylor (3–0) | West Virginia (4–0) (12) | Georgia Tech (4–1–1) | Oklahoma (4–1–1) (1) | West Virginia (7–0) (11) | Wisconsin (6–2) (2) | Rice (7–2) | Georgia Tech (7–2–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Maryland (1) | Georgia Tech (1–0–1) | Baylor (2–0) | Illinois (2–0–1) | Oklahoma (2–1–1) | Oklahoma (3–1–1) (1) | UCLA (6–1) (1) | Baylor (6–1) | USC (6–1–1) | Iowa (5–3–1) (6) | Iowa (5–3–1) (10) | 9. |
| 10. | Duke (2) | Baylor (1–0) | Georgia Tech (2–0–1) | West Virginia (3–0) (9) | Navy (3–0–1) | UCLA (5–1) (1) | Duke (6–1) | Texas (5–3) | Rice (6–2) | Georgia Tech (7–2–1) | West Virginia (8–1) (14) | 10. |
| 11. | Texas | Mississippi State (2–0) (1) | Rice (2–0) | Rice (3–0) | USC (4–0–1) | SMU (3–1) | Stanford (5–2) (1) | Ole Miss (7–1) (2) | Alabama (5–1–3) (1) | West Virginia (8–1) (17) | Texas (7–3) | 11. |
| 12. | Rice | Duke (2–0) (1) | West Virginia (2–0) (5) | Oklahoma (1–1–1) (1) | UCLA (4–1) | Rice (4–1) | Ole Miss (6–1) (1) | USC (6–1–1) | Georgia Tech (6–2–1) | Wisconsin (6–2–1) | Texas Tech (10–1) | 12. |
| 13. | Navy | West Virginia (1–0) (4) | Mississippi State (3–0) (3) | USC (3–0–1) | SMU (2–1) | Duke (5–1) | Minnesota (3–3) | Kentucky (5–2–1) (1) | Kentucky (6–2–1) (3) | Kentucky (7–2–1) (5) | Alabama (6–2–3) (1) | 13. |
| 14. | California | Rice (1–0) | LSU (2–0–1) | Navy (2–0–1) | LSU (3–0–2) | Minnesota (2–3) | Kentucky (4–2–1) | Duke (6–1–1) | Auburn (6–1–1) (1) | Texas Tech (9–1) | Army (7–1–1) | 14. |
| 15. | Florida | Ole Miss (2–0) | Texas (2–1) | Pittsburgh (1–1–1) | Texas A&M (4–0–1) (1) | Army (4–1) | Auburn (4–1–1) | Minnesota (4–3) | Duke (6–1–1) | South Carolina (7–2) | Wisconsin (6–2–1) | 15. |
| 16. | West Virginia | Wisconsin (1–0) | Oklahoma (0–1–1) | California (3–1) | Duke (4–1) т | Michigan (4–1) (1) | Ohio State (5–1) | Rice (5–2) т | Stanford (6–3) | Auburn (7–1–1) (1) | Kentucky (7–2–1) (3) | 16. |
| 17. | Pittsburgh т | Texas (1–1) | Pittsburgh (0–1–1) | Ohio State (2–1) т | Kentucky (2–2–1) т | Stanford (4–2) | Michigan (5–1) т | Stanford (5–3) т | Texas Tech (8–1) | Baylor (7–2) | Auburn (7–2–1) | 17. |
| 18. | Tennessee т | Georgia (2–0) | Northwestern (2–0) | Mississippi Southern (4–0) (1) т | Pittsburgh (1–2–1) | Ole Miss (5–1) | USC (5–1–1) т | Tennessee (4–2–1) | South Carolina (6–2) | Army (6–1–1) | Duke (7–2–1) | 18. |
| 19. | Princeton | LSU (1–0–1) | Holy Cross (2–0) | Auburn (2–0–1) | Mississippi Southern (5–0) | Kentucky (3–2–1) | Texas (4–3) | Texas Tech (7–1) | West Virginia (7–1) (1) | Stanford (6–3–1) | Stanford (6–3–1) | 19. |
| 20. | Baylor | Holy Cross (1–0) |
| Mississippi State (3–0–1) | Stanford (3–2) | Navy (3–1–1) | Alabama (3–1–3) | Auburn (5–1–1) | Iowa (5–3) (1) | USC (6–2–1) | Michigan (6–3) (1) | 20. |
| Preseason Aug [12] | Week 1 Sep 28 [13] | Week 2 Oct 5 [14] | Week 3 Oct 12 [15] | Week 4 Oct 19 [16] | Week 5 Oct 26 [17] | Week 6 Nov 2 [18] | Week 7 Nov 9 [19] | Week 8 Nov 16 [20] | Week 9 Nov 23 [21] | Week 10 (Final) Nov 30 [22] | ||
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The final UP Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on November 30. [23]
Maryland received 20 of the 35 first-place votes; Notre Dame received thirteen, and one each went to Michigan State and UCLA. [23]
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | ACC | Lost Orange, 0–7 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | Independent | none |
| 3 | Michigan State | Big Ten | Won Rose, 28–20 |
| 4 | UCLA | Pacific Coast | Lost Rose, 20–28 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | Big Seven | Won Orange, 7–0 |
| 6 | Rice | Southwest | Won Cotton, 28–6 |
| 7 | Illinois | Big Ten | none |
| 8 | Texas | Southwest | |
| 9 | Georgia Tech | SEC | Won Sugar, 42–19 |
| 10 | Iowa | Big Ten | none |
| 11 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Cotton, 6–26 |
| 12 | Texas Tech | Border | Won Gator, 35–13 |
| 13 | West Virginia | Southern | Lost Sugar, 19–42 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | none |
| 15 | Kentucky | SEC | |
| 16 | Army | Independent | |
| 17 | Stanford | Pacific Coast | |
| 18 | Duke | ACC | |
| 19 | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 20 | Ohio State | Big Ten |
The Litkenhous Ratings released in mid-December 1953 provided numerical rankings to over 683 college football programs. The top 50 ranked teams were: [24]
1. Notre Dame
2. Maryland
3. Oklahoma
4. Rice
5. Michigan State
6. Wisconsin
7. Iowa
8. UCLA
9. Illinois
10. Texas Tech
11. Ole Miss
12. Michigan
13. Texas
14. Georgia Tech
15. Kentucky
16. Auburn
17. Mississippi State
18. Baylor
19. Ohio State
20. West Virginia
21. SMU
22. Minnesota
23. LSU
24. Marquette
25. Florida
26. Stanford
27. Penn State
28. Duke
29. California
30. Cincinnati
31. Alabama
32. Miami (FL)
33. Army
34. USC
35. Syracuse
36. Tennessee
37. Missouri
38. Navy
39. Purdue
40. TCU
41. Arkansas
42. Texas A&M
43. Oklahoma A&M
44. Houston
45. Northwestern
46. Kansas State
47. Miami (OH)
48. Pittsburgh
49. Detroit
50. Penn
The Pittsburgh Courier , a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1953 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was largely segregated. The rankings were published on December 19: [25]
The Associated Negro Press also published rankings on December 25: [26]
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 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 1938 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 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 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 1954 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 1955 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 1956 college football rankings were an effort to rank the American football teams participating in the 1956 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 polling conducted on a weekly basis during the season.
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.
Two human polls comprised the 1958 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.