1956 college football rankings

Last updated

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.

Contents

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.

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

AP poll

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]
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) тStanford (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) тPittsburgh (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) тVanderbilt (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) тIowa (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) тUSC (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) тTCU (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) тNotre 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) тSMU (2–1) Tulane (3–1)Miami (FL) (3–0–1)Syracuse (4–1) тUCLA (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)
  • Pittsburgh (4–2) т
  • Stanford (4–3) т
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]
Dropped:
  • Duke
  • Illinois
  • Maryland
  • Miami (FL)
  • Tennessee
  • UCLA
  • Yale
Dropped:
  • Florida
  • NC State
  • Oregon
  • South Carolina
  • Stanford
Dropped:
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Pittsburgh
  • Syracuse
Dropped:
  • Army
  • George Washington
  • Minnesota
  • Navy
  • Notre Dame
  • SMU
  • Vanderbilt
  • West Virginia
Dropped:
  • Purdue
  • South Carolina
Dropped:
  • Ole Miss
  • TCU
  • Tulane
Dropped:
  • Baylor
  • George Washington
  • Penn State
  • Virginia Tech
Dropped:
  • Colorado
  • Stanford
  • TCU
  • UCLA
Dropped:
  • Clemson
  • Ole Miss
  • Princeton
  • USC
Dropped:
  • Wyoming
Dropped:
  • Florida

UPI poll

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]

UP poll [27]
RankTeam1stPoints
1 Oklahoma 26337
2 Tennessee 5301
3 Iowa 3247
4 Georgia Tech 0211
5 Texas A&M 0202
6 Miami (FL) 1134
7 Michigan 0115
8 Syracuse 063
9 Minnesota 060
10 Michigan State 055
11 Baylor 046
12 Pittsburgh 036
13 Oregon State 021
14 TCU 018
15 USC 015
16 Wyoming 013
17 Yale 010
18 Colorado 09
19 Navy 08
20 Duke 06

Litkenhous Ratings

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

See also

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References

  1. "1956 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  2. "September 24, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  3. "October 1, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. "October 8, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. "October 15, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  6. "October 22, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  7. "October 29, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  8. "November 5, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  9. "November 12, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  10. "November 19, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  11. "November 26, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  12. "1956 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  13. "1956 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  14. "September 24, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  15. "October 1, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  16. "October 8, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  17. "October 15, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  18. "October 22, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  19. "October 29, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  20. "November 5, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  21. "November 12, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  22. "November 19, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  23. "November 26, 1956 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  24. "1956 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  25. "Final UP poll". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. December 4, 1956. p. 3B.
  26. Miller, Norman (December 4, 1956). "Oklahoma voted grid champion in final AP and UP polls". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). United Press. p. 23.
  27. "Aggies Rated 5th in Nation". The Austin Statesman. December 4, 1956. p. A16 via Newspapers.com.
  28. "UT Second In Final Litratings; Vanderbilt 34th". The Nashville Banner. December 13, 1956. p. 54 via Newspapers.com.