| 1974 NCAA Division I football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1974 |
| Bowl season | 1974–75 bowl games |
| Preseason #1 | |
| End of season champions | Oklahoma (AP) USC (Coaches) |
Two human polls comprised the 1974 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I 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 |
| Preseason Aug [1] | Week 1 Sep 9 [2] | Week 2 Sep 16 [3] | Week 3 Sep 23 [4] | Week 4 Sep 30 [5] | Week 5 Oct 7 [6] | Week 6 Oct 14 [7] | Week 7 Oct 21 [8] | Week 8 Oct 28 [9] | Week 9 Nov 4 [10] | Week 10 Nov 11 [11] | Week 11 Nov 18 [12] | Week 12 Nov 25 [13] | Week 13 Dec 2 [14] | Week 14 (Final) Jan [15] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Oklahoma (23) | Oklahoma (0–0) (22) | Notre Dame (1–0) (19) | Ohio State (2–0) (23) | Ohio State (3–0) (25 1⁄5) | Ohio State (4–0) (33) | Ohio State (5–0) (51) | Ohio State (6–0) (50) | Ohio State (7–0) (45) | Ohio State (8–0) (49) | Oklahoma (8–0) (48) | Oklahoma (9–0) (45) | Oklahoma (10–0) (49) | Oklahoma (11–0) (49) | Oklahoma (11–0) (51) | 1. |
| 2. | Ohio State (14) | Notre Dame (1–0) (17) | Ohio State (1–0) (17) | Notre Dame (2–0) (26) | Oklahoma (2–0) (24 1⁄5) | Oklahoma (3–0) (24) | Oklahoma (4–0) (5) | Oklahoma (5–0) (8) | Oklahoma (6–0) (14) | Oklahoma (7–0) (10) | Alabama (9–0) (10) | Alabama (10–0) (9) | Alabama (10–0) (10) | Alabama (11–0) (12) | USC (10–1–1) (6) | 2. |
| 3. | Notre Dame (13) | Alabama (0–0) (5) | Oklahoma (1–0) (18) | Oklahoma (1–0) (8) | Alabama (3–0) (3 1⁄5) | Alabama (4–0) (1) | Michigan (5–0) (1) | Michigan (6–0) (1) | Michigan (7–0) (2) | Alabama (8–0) (2) | Michigan (9–0) (4) | Michigan (10–0) (8) | Ohio State (10–1) | Ohio State (10–1) | Michigan (10–1) (2) | 3. |
| 4. | Alabama (6) | Ohio State (0–0) (9) | Nebraska (1–0) (10) | Alabama (2–0) (4) | Michigan (3–0) (4 1⁄5) | Michigan (4–0) (2) | Alabama (5–0) (1) | Alabama (6–0) (1) | Alabama (7–0) (1) | Michigan (8–0) (1) | Ohio State (8–1) | Ohio State (9–1) | Michigan (10–1) | Michigan (10–1) | Ohio State (10–2) | 4. |
| 5. | USC (1) | USC (0–0) (1) | Alabama (1–0) (4) | Michigan (2–0) | Texas A&M (3–0) (1 1⁄5) | Nebraska (3–1) | Auburn (5–0) (1) | Auburn (6–0) (1) | Auburn (7–0) (1) | Texas A&M (7–1) | Notre Dame (7–1) | Notre Dame (8–1) | Notre Dame (9–1) | USC (9–1–1) | Alabama (11–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Michigan (1) | Michigan (0–0) | Michigan (1–0) | Texas (2–0) | Nebraska (2–1) | Notre Dame (3–1) | USC (3–1) | USC (4–1) | USC (5–1) | Florida (7–1) | Nebraska (7–2) | Nebraska (8–2) | USC (8–1–1) | Auburn (9–2) | Notre Dame (10–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Nebraska | Nebraska (0–0) | LSU (1–0) | Arizona State (2–0) | Notre Dame (2–1) | USC (2–1) | Notre Dame (4–1) | Notre Dame (5–1) | Notre Dame (6–1) | Penn State (7–1) | Auburn (8–1) | Auburn (9–1) | Auburn (9–1) | Penn State (9–2) | Penn State (10–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Penn State | Penn State (0–0) | Penn State (1–0) | Pittsburgh (2–0) | NC State (3–0) | Florida (4–0) | Texas A&M (4–1) | Texas A&M (5–1) | Texas A&M (6–1) | Notre Dame (7–1) | USC (6–1–1) | USC (7–1–1) | Texas A&M (8–2) | Nebraska (8–3) | Auburn (10–2) (1) | 8. |
| 9. | LSU | LSU (0–0) | Texas (1–0) | Texas A&M (2–0) | USC (1–1) | Texas Tech (3–0–1) | Arizona (5–0) | Nebraska (4–2) | Nebraska (5–2) | Nebraska (6–2) | Florida (7–2) | Texas A&M (8–2) | Nebraska (8–3) | Notre Dame (9–2) | Nebraska (9–3) | 9. |
| 10. | Texas | Texas (0–0) | Arkansas (1–0) | Nebraska (1–1) | Texas Tech (2–0–1) | Auburn (4–0) (1) | NC State (5–0) | Penn State (5–1) | Penn State (6–1) | Auburn (7–1) | Texas A&M (7–2) | Penn State (8–2) | Penn State (8–2) | Maryland (8–3) | Miami (OH) (10–0–1) | 10. |
| 11. | Houston | Arizona State (1–0) | Arizona State (1–0) | Wisconsin (2–0) | Auburn (3–0) | NC State (4–0) | Penn State (4–1) | Texas Tech (4–1–1) | Florida (6–1) | USC (5–1–1) | Penn State (7–2) | Maryland (7–3) | Maryland (8–3) | Texas (8–3) | NC State (9–2–1) | 11. |
| 12. | UCLA | UCLA (0–0–1) | UCLA (0–0–1) | Oklahoma State (2–0) | Arizona (3–0) | Arizona (4–0) | Nebraska (3–2) | Florida (5–1) | Texas (5–2) | Texas (6–2) | Miami (OH) (8–0–1) | Miami (OH) (9–0–1) | Miami (OH) (9–0–1) | Baylor (8–3) | Michigan State (7–3–1) | 12. |
| 13. | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh (0–0) | USC (0–1) | NC State (2–0) | Florida (3–0) | Wisconsin (3–1) | Kansas (4–1) | Texas (4–2) | Texas Tech (5–1–1) | Miami (OH) (7–0–1) | Maryland (6–3) | NC State (8–2) | NC State (9–2) | NC State (9–2) | Maryland (8–4) | 13. |
| 14. | Maryland | Maryland (0–0) | Maryland (0–1) | Tennessee (1–0–1) | Illinois (3–0) | Arkansas (3–1) | Florida (4–1) | Arizona State (4–1) | Arizona State (5–1) | Maryland (5–3) | Houston (6–2) | Michigan State (6–3–1) | Michigan State (7–3–1) | Michigan State (7–3–1) | Baylor (8–4) | 14. |
| 15. | Arizona State | Tennessee (0–0) | NC State (1–0) т | Arizona (2–0) | Penn State (2–1) | Penn State (3–1) | Arizona State (3–1) | Maryland (4–2) | Maryland (5–2) | Houston (6–2) | Michigan State (5–3–1) | Houston (7–2) | Houston (8–2) | Miami (OH) (9–0–1) | Florida (8–4) | 15. |
| 16. | Tennessee | NC State (0–0) | Pittsburgh (1–0) т | Illinois (2–0) | Miami (FL) (2–0) | Texas A&M (3–1) | Texas (3–2) | Arizona (5–1) | Miami (OH) (6–0–1) | Arizona State (5–2) | NC State (7–2) | Baylor (6–3) | Baylor (7–3) | Texas A&M (8–3) | Texas A&M (8–3) | 16. |
| 17. | Arizona | Arizona (0–0) | Arizona (1–0) т | LSU (1–1) | Pittsburgh (2–1) | Texas (3–1) | Texas Tech (3–1–1) | NC State (5–1) | Mississippi State (6–1) | Oklahoma State (4–3) | Pittsburgh (7–2) | Texas (7–3) | Texas (7–3) | BYU (7–3–1) | Mississippi State (9–3) т | 17. |
| 18. | NC State | Missouri (0–0) | Tennessee (0–0–1) т | USC (0–1) | Arizona State (2–1) | Arizona State (3–1) | Maryland (3–2) | Tulane (5–0) | UCLA (4–1–2) | California (5–2–1) | Oklahoma State (5–3) | Pittsburgh (7–3) | Pittsburgh (7–3) | Florida (8–3) | Texas (8–4) т | 18. |
| 19. | Arkansas | Houston (0–1) | Houston (1–1) т | Penn State (1–1) | Texas (2–1) | Kansas (3–1) | Miami (OH) (4–0–1) | Miami (OH) (5–0–1) | Temple (6–0) | Pittsburgh (6–2) т | California (6–2–1) | California (7–2–1) | Wisconsin (7–4) | Arizona (9–2) | Houston (8–3–1) | 19. |
| 20. | Texas A&M |
| Stanford (0–1) т | Miami (FL) (1–0) | Arkansas (2–1) | Miami (OH) (3–0–1) | Tulane (4–0) | California (5–1) |
| Texas Tech (5–2–1) т | Texas Tech (6–2–1) | Florida (7–3) | BYU (7–3–1) |
| Tennessee (7–3–2) | 20. |
| Preseason Aug [16] | Week 1 Sep 9 [17] | Week 2 Sep 16 [18] | Week 3 Sep 23 [19] | Week 4 Sep 30 [20] | Week 5 Oct 7 [21] | Week 6 Oct 14 [22] | Week 7 Oct 21 [23] | Week 8 Oct 28 [24] | Week 9 Nov 4 [25] | Week 10 Nov 11 [26] | Week 11 Nov 18 [27] | Week 12 Nov 25 [28] | Week 13 Dec 2 [29] | Week 14 (Final) Jan [30] | ||
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For the first time, the final UPI Coaches Poll was released after the bowl games, on January 2, 1975. [31] [32]
USC received 27 of the 34 first-place votes; Michigan received four and Alabama three.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC | Pac-8 | Won Rose, 18–17 |
| 2 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Orange, 11–13 |
| 3 | Ohio State | Big Ten | Lost Rose, 17–18 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | Independent | Won Orange, 13–11 |
| 5 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| 6 | Auburn | SEC | Won Gator, 27–3 |
| 7 | Penn State | Independent | Won Cotton, 41–20 |
| 8 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Won Sugar, 13–10 |
| 9 | NC State | ACC | Tied Bluebonnet, 31–31 |
| 10 | Miami (OH) | Mid-American | Won Tangerine, 21–10 |
| 11 | Houston | Independent | Tied Bluebonnet, 31–31 |
| 12 | Florida | SEC | Lost Sugar, 10–13 |
| 13 | Maryland | ACC | Lost Liberty, 3–7 |
| 14 | Baylor | Southwest | Lost Cotton, 21–40 |
| 15 | Texas A&M | Southwest | none |
| Tennessee | SEC | Won Liberty, 7–3 | |
| 17 | Mississippi State | SEC | Won Sun, 26–24 |
| 18 | Michigan State | Big Ten | none |
| 19 | Tulsa | MVC | |
In the preceding poll in early December, Alabama was first, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and Auburn; Notre Dame was eighth. [33] [34]
The NCAA was without a playoff for the major college football teams in the University Division, later known as Division I-A, during the 20th century. The NCAA recognizes Division I-A national champions based on the final results of polls including the "wire service", FWAA and NFF. The 1964 AP poll continued to rank only ten teams, compiling the votes of 55 sportswriters, each of whom would give their opinion of the ten best. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined.
The 1966 University Division football season was marked by some controversy as the year of "The Tie", a famous 10–10 game between the two top-ranked teams, Michigan State and Notre Dame on November 19. Both teams were crowned national champions by various organizations after the regular season concluded, and neither participated in a bowl game. Alabama finished the regular season undefeated and was third in the AP poll, while Georgia was fourth. Alabama went on to win the Sugar Bowl in dominant fashion. 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.
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 1974 NCAA Division I football season finished with two national champions. The Associated Press (AP) writers' poll ranked the University of Oklahoma, which was on probation and barred by the NCAA from postseason play, No. 1 at season's end. The United Press International (UPI) coaches' poll did not rank teams on probation, by unanimous agreement of the 25 member coaches' board. The UPI trophy went to the USC.
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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.
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Two human polls comprised the 1962 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.
Two human polls comprised the 1965 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 1966 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 1967 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 1968 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 1969 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.
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Two human polls comprised the 1972 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 1973 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I 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 1975 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I 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.