1956 college football rankings | |
---|---|
Season | 1956 |
Bowl season | 1956–57 bowl games |
Preseason No. 1 | |
End of season champions | Oklahoma |
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.
At the end of the regular season, Oklahoma was ranked No. 1 in both the AP and UPI polls. Oklahoma did not participate in a bowl game. Neither agency conducted polling after the bowl games.
Though not as widely reported as the AP and UPI polls, some newspapers also reported on a mathematical ranking system developed by Vanderbilt University professor Edward Litkenhous. These were known as the Litkenhous Ratings. Oklahoma was also ranked No. 1 in the Litkenhouse Ratings. Whereas the AP and UPI polls ranked the top 20 teams, Litkenhouse ranked every college football team, and his rankings from 1 to 100 are included below.
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 December 3, at the end of the regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP did not release poll after the bowl season regularly until 1968.
Preseason Aug [1] | Week 1 Sep 24 [2] | Week 2 Oct 1 [3] | Week 3 Oct 8 [4] | Week 4 Oct 15 [5] | Week 5 Oct 22 [6] | Week 6 Oct 29 [7] | Week 7 Nov 5 [8] | Week 8 Nov 12 [9] | Week 9 Nov 19 [10] | Week 10 Nov 26 [11] | Week 11 (Final) Dec 3 [12] | ||
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1. | Oklahoma (111) | Oklahoma (0–0) (91) | Oklahoma (1–0) (60) | Oklahoma (2–0) (76) | Oklahoma (3–0) (67) | Michigan State (4–0) (96) | Oklahoma (5–0) (143) | Oklahoma (6–0) (116) | Tennessee (7–0) (58) | Oklahoma (8–0) (111) | Oklahoma (9–0) (81) | Oklahoma (10–0) (104) | 1. |
2. | Michigan State (20) | Georgia Tech (1–0) (12) | Michigan State (1–0) (17) | Michigan State (2–0) (32) | Michigan State (3–0) (45) | Oklahoma (4–0) (44) | Georgia Tech (5–0) (31) | Georgia Tech (6–0) (30) | Oklahoma (7–0) (92) | Tennessee (8–0) (69) | Tennessee (9–0) (49) | Tennessee (10–0) (48) | 2. |
3. | Notre Dame (5) | Michigan State (0–0) (9) | Georgia Tech (1–0) (5) | Georgia Tech (2–0) (4) | Georgia Tech (3–0) (5) | Georgia Tech (4–0) (9) | Tennessee (5–0) (8) | Tennessee (6–0) (1) | Michigan State (6–1) (3) | Iowa (7–1) (6) | Iowa (8–1) (12) | Iowa (8–1) (15) | 3. |
4. | Georgia Tech (3) | TCU (1–0) (4) | Ohio State (1–0) | TCU (2–0) (7) | TCU (3–0) (2) | Tennessee (4–0) (4) | Michigan State (4–1) | Michigan State (5–1) (7) | Georgia Tech (6–1) | Texas A&M (8–0–1) | Georgia Tech (8–1) (2) | Georgia Tech (9–1) (4) | 4. |
5. | Ohio State | SMU (1–0) (10) | Michigan (1–0) (2) | Ohio State (2–0) (1) | Ohio State (3–0) | Michigan (3–1) | Texas A&M (5–0–1) | Texas A&M (6–0–1) (1) | Texas A&M (7–0–1) (1) | Georgia Tech (7–1) (1) | Texas A&M (8–0–1) (1) | Texas A&M (9–0–1) (2) | 5. |
6. | Maryland | USC (1–0) (12) | Ole Miss (2–0) (5) | Tennessee (2–0) (5) | Ole Miss (4–0) (7) | USC (4–0) (2) | Ohio State (4–1) (1) | Minnesota (5–0–1) | Ohio State (6–1) (1) | Miami (FL) (6–0–1) (5) | Miami (FL) (7–0–1) (8) | Miami (FL) (8–0–1) (12) | 6. |
7. | TCU (2) | Syracuse (1–0) (4) | Pittsburgh (2–0) (1) | Ole Miss (3–0) (2) | Tennessee (3–0) (3) | Texas A&M (4–0–1) (1) | Iowa (5–0) | Ohio State (5–1) (1) | Iowa (6–1) | Minnesota (6–1–1) | Michigan (7–2) (2) | Michigan (7–2) (1) | 7. |
8. | Michigan (2) | Ohio State (0–0) | TCU (1–0) (1) | USC (3–0) | Michigan (2–1) | Baylor (4–0) | Minnesota (4–0–1) | Miami (FL) (5–0–1) (1) | Miami (FL) (5–0–1) (1) | Syracuse (7–1) (2) | Syracuse (7–1) (1) | Syracuse (7–1) | 8. |
9. | Texas A&M | Ole Miss (1–0) | Tennessee (1–0) (3) | Texas A&M (3–0) | USC (3–0) | Ohio State (3–1) | Miami (FL) (4–0–1) (1) | Syracuse (5–1) (1) | Syracuse (6–1) | Michigan (6–2) | Michigan State (7–2) | Michigan State (7–2) | 9. |
10. | Pittsburgh (2) | Pittsburgh (1–0) (2) | USC (2–0) (1) | Baylor (3–0) | Baylor (4–0) | Ole Miss (4–1) т | Stanford (4–2) | Michigan (4–2) | Michigan (5–2) | Michigan State (6–2) | Minnesota (6–1–2) | Oregon State (7–2–1) (3) | 10. |
11. | Army | Texas A&M (1–0) | Texas A&M (2–0) | Miami (FL) (2–0) (1) | Miami (FL) (3–0) (1) | TCU (3–1) т | Pittsburgh (4–1) | Clemson (5–0–1) | Oregon State (6–2) (1) | Oregon State (7–2) (1) | Oregon State (7–2–1) (1) | Baylor (8–2) (1) | 11. |
12. | Tennessee (2) | Stanford (1–0) (4) | SMU (1–1) | Michigan (1–1) | Iowa (3–0) | Iowa (4–0) | Penn State (4–1) | Navy (5–1) (3) | Florida (6–1–1) (2) | Ohio State (6–2) | Pittsburgh (6–2–1) | Minnesota (6–1–2) | 12. |
13. | Ole Miss | Michigan (0–0) | Illinois (1–0) т | Vanderbilt (3–0) | Syracuse (2–1) | Pittsburgh (3–1) | Clemson (4–0–1) | Florida (5–1–1) | Clemson (5–0–2) | Florida (6–1–1) (2) | Navy (6–1–1) | Pittsburgh (6–2–1) | 13. |
14. | Stanford | Notre Dame (0–1) | Miami (FL) (1–0) т | Navy (2–0) | Texas A&M (3–0–1) | Syracuse (3–1) | George Washington (5–0–1) | Oregon State (5–2) | USC (6–1) | Pittsburgh (6–2) | TCU (6–3) | TCU (7–3) | 14. |
15. | USC (2) | Vanderbilt (1–0) | Army (1–0) | Army (2–0) | Clemson (3–0–1) | Tulane (4–1) | Baylor (4–1) т | Iowa (5–1) | Navy (5–1–1) | Navy (6–1–1) (1) | Baylor (7–2) | Ohio State (6–3) | 15. |
16. | Duke | Army (0–0) | Baylor (2–0) | George Washington (3–0) (1) | Pittsburgh (2–1) | Virginia Tech (5–1) | Virginia Tech (6–1) т | USC (5–1) | Pittsburgh (5–2) | Baylor (6–2) | George Washington (7–1–1) | Navy (6–1–2) | 16. |
17. | UCLA | South Carolina (2–0) | Notre Dame (0–1) | Minnesota (2–0) | Purdue (2–1) | George Washington (4–0–1) | Michigan (3–2) т | TCU (4–2) | Minnesota (5–1–1) | George Washington (7–1–1) | USC (7–2) | George Washington (7–1–1) | 17. |
18. | Miami (FL) | Oregon (1–0) | Syracuse (1–0) т | Notre Dame (1–1) | Virginia Tech (4–1) | Penn State (3–1) | Oregon State (4–2) т | Colorado (5–2) | George Washington (6–1–1) | TCU (5–3) | Florida (6–2–1) | USC (8–2) | 18. |
19. | Yale | Florida (1–0) (2) | Vanderbilt (2–0) т | SMU (2–1) | Tulane (3–1) | Miami (FL) (3–0–1) | Syracuse (4–1) т | UCLA (5–2) (1) | Ole Miss (6–2) | Wyoming (10–0) | Colorado (7–2–1) | Clemson (7–1–2) | 19. |
20. | Illinois | NC State (1–0) | Iowa (1–0) |
| South Carolina (4–1) | Clemson (3–0–1) | USC (4–1) |
| Princeton (7–0) | Colorado (6–2–1) | Ohio State (6–3) | Colorado (7–2–1) | 20. |
Preseason Aug [13] | Week 1 Sep 24 [14] | Week 2 Oct 1 [15] | Week 3 Oct 8 [16] | Week 4 Oct 15 [17] | Week 5 Oct 22 [18] | Week 6 Oct 29 [19] | Week 7 Nov 5 [20] | Week 8 Nov 12 [21] | Week 9 Nov 19 [22] | Week 10 Nov 26 [23] | Week 11 (Final) Dec 3 [24] | ||
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The final UPI poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 4. [25]
Oklahoma received 26 of the 35 first-place votes; Tennessee received five, Iowa three, and Miami one. [26]
Rank | Team | 1st | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Oklahoma | 26 | 337 |
2 | Tennessee | 5 | 301 |
3 | Iowa | 3 | 247 |
4 | Georgia Tech | 0 | 211 |
5 | Texas A&M | 0 | 202 |
6 | Miami (FL) | 1 | 134 |
7 | Michigan | 0 | 115 |
8 | Syracuse | 0 | 63 |
9 | Minnesota | 0 | 60 |
10 | Michigan State | 0 | 55 |
11 | Baylor | 0 | 46 |
12 | Pittsburgh | 0 | 36 |
13 | Oregon State | 0 | 21 |
14 | TCU | 0 | 18 |
15 | USC | 0 | 15 |
16 | Wyoming | 0 | 13 |
17 | Yale | 0 | 10 |
18 | Colorado | 0 | 9 |
19 | Navy | 0 | 8 |
20 | Duke | 0 | 6 |
The final Litkenhous Ratings, released in December 1956, ranked over 600 teams. The top 100 teams as ranked by Litkenhous were: [28]
1. Oklahoma
2. Tennessee
3. Georgia Tech
4. Michigan State
5. Michigan
6. Iowa
7. Texas A&M
8. TCU
9. Ohio State
10. Minnesota
11. Ole Miss
12. Baylor
13. Florida
14. Miami (FL)
15. Duke
16. Texas Western
17. Auburn
18. USC
19. Pittsburgh
20. Oregon State
21. Kentucky
22. Syracuse
23. Penn State
24. Washington University
25. Arizona State
26. Houston
27. Illinois
28. Purdue
29. UCLA
30. Oregon
31. Colorado
32. Stanford
33. Mississippi Southern
34. Vanderbilt
35. Tulane
36. Northwestern
37. Arkansas
38. Rice
39. Wisconsin
40. California
41. Navy
42. Virginia Tech
43. Clemson
44. Florida State
45. Army
46. South Carolina
47. Mississippi State
48. LSU
49. SMU
50. Southeastern Louisiana
51. Georgia
52. Missouri
53. West Texas
54. Alabama
55. Villanova
56. Pacific
57. Texas
58. Wake Forest
59. Maryland
60. Tulsa
61. North Carolina
62.
63.
64. Kansas
65. West Virginia
66. Washington State
67. Oklahoma A&M
68. Yale
69. Texas Tech
70. Notre Dame
71. Xavier
72. NC State
73. Wyoming
74.
75. Utah
76.
77.
78. Virginia
79.
80. Hardin Simmons
81. Arizona
82. George Washington
83. Boston College
84. Miami (OH)
85. Nebraska
86. Indiana
87.
88. Bowling Green
89.
90.
91.
92. Memphis State
93. Holy Cross
94. Cincinnati
95.
96. Princeton
97. Chattanooga
The 1962 NCAA University Division football season was played by American football teams representing 140 colleges and universities recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as major programs. The remaining 370 colleges and universities that were NCAA members and fielded football teams competed as part of the 1962 NCAA College Division football season.
The 1967 NCAA University Division football season was the last one in which college football's champion was crowned before the bowl games. During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the major college football teams in the University Division, later known as Division I-A and now as the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
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 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.
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 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 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.
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 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.
Two human polls comprised the 1963 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.
Two human polls comprised the 1964 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.