1950 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1950 college football season finished with the unbeaten and untied Oklahoma Sooners
being the overwhelming choice for national champion. On New Year’s Day, the 9-0-0 Sooners were upset by the 10-1-0 Kentucky Wildcats in the Sugar Bowl. The #2 team, the United States Military Academy (Army
) had been defeated in its final regular season game by 2-6-0 Navy, 14-2. However, the final poll had been issued on November 27, and the bowl games had no effect on Oklahoma’s status as the #1 team.
During the 20th century, the NCAA
had no playoff for the college football
teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions. The AP poll in 1950 consisted of the votes of as many as 317 sportswriters . Though not all writers voted in every poll, each would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined, and the top twenty colleges were ranked based on their overall points.
Starting in 1950, the United Press (later UPI) began the "coaches' poll". "Thirty-five of the nation's foremost football coaches will rate the country's top collegiate football teams each week for the United Press this coming season," an announcement stated, with "five coaches from each section of the country-- the east, midlands, midwest, Pacific coast, the Rockies, south and southwest". The UP added, referring to the AP writers' poll, "The nature of the board giving each section of the country equal representation avoids the sectional bias and ballot box stuffing for which other football polls have been criticized." . The coaches named Notre Dame as the #1 team in the first UP poll, with 25 of the 35 first place votes..
Generally, the top teams played on New Year's Day in the four major postseason bowl games: the Rose Bowl (near Los Angeles at Pasadena), the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans
), the Orange Bowl (Miami
), and the Cotton Bowl (Dallas
).
, #3 Michigan
, #4 Tennessee
and #5 Texas
(which had won at Texas Tech 28-14). As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
On September 30
#1 Notre Dame beat #20 North Carolina 14-7. #2 Army
beat Colgate 28-0, #3 Michigan
lost to #10 Michigan State 14-7. #4 Tennessee
lost at Mississippi State, 7-0. #5 Texas
beat Purdue, 34-26, but fell to 7th. #6 Oklahoma beat Boston College 28-0. #10 SMU, which had beaten Georgia Tech 33-13, and Ohio State 32-27, rose to 3rd.
#1 Notre Dame lost to Purdue, 28-14, and eventually finished with a 4-4-1 record. #2 Michigan State
lost to Maryland, 34-7. #3 SMU
won at Missouri 21-0. #4 Army
beat Penn State 41-7. #5 Oklahoma
beat Texas A&M 34-28. #6 Kentucky registered a fourth shutout and a 4-0 record, with a 40-0 win against Dayton. #7 Texas, which was idle, rose to 4th place.
October 14
#1 Army
beat #18 Michigan 27-6 at Yankee Stadium. #2 SMU
beat Oklahoma State 56-0. #3 Oklahoma
and #4 Texas
met in Dallas, with Oklahoma winning narrowly, 14-13. #5 Kentucky
beat Cincinnati 41-7. #7 California, which had beaten USC 13-7, rose to 5th in the next poll.
October 21
#1 Army
won at Harvard 49-0. #2 Oklahoma
beat Kansas State 58-0.
In Houston, #3 SMU
beat #15 Rice 42-21. In Philadelphia, #4 Kentucky
beat Villanova 34-7. #5 California
beat Oregon State in Portland 27-0
October 28
#1 SMU
was idle. #2 Army
won at Columbia 34-0. #3 Oklahoma
won at Iowa State 20-7. In Atlanta, #4 Kentucky
beat Georgia Tech 28-14.
#5 California
beat St. Mary’s 40-25 and dropped in the polls. #6 Ohio State beat Iowa 83-21
lost at #7 Texas, 23-20. #2 Army
won at #15 Pennsylvania 28-13. #3 Oklahoma
won at Colorado 27-18. #4 Ohio State
won at Northwestern 32-0. #5 Kentucky
beat #17 Florida 40-6. #7 Texas beat SMU 23-20, and returned to the top five.
November 11 #1 Army
beat New Mexico 51-0. #2 Ohio State
beat #15 Wisconsin 19-14. #3 Oklahoma
won at #19 Kansas, 33-13. #4 Kentucky
won at Mississippi State, 48-21. #5 Texas
beat Baylor 27-20. #6 California, which was 7-0-0 after a 35-0 win against #19 UCLA, rose to 4th.
November 18 #1 Ohio State
lost at #8 Illinois, 14-7. #2 Oklahoma
beat Missouri 41-7. #3 Army
won at Stanford 7-0. #4 California
defeated San Francisco 13-7. #5 Kentucky
handed visiting North Dakota an 83-0 defeat to extend its record to 9-0-0, but still faced a final game was against 8-1-0 Tennessee. #6 Texas won at TCU 21-7.
November 25 #1 Oklahoma
beat #16 Nebraska 49-35. #2 Army
was idle as it prepared for the Army–Navy Game. #3 Kentucky
lost at #9 Tennessee, 7-0. #4 California
and unranked Stanford played to a 7-7 tie in Berkeley. #5 Texas
beat Texas A&M 21-6. Michigan beat Ohio State in the famous Snow Bowl 9-3.
The final poll was released on November 27, although some colleges had not completed their schedules. On December 2, with its champion status assured, #1 Oklahoma
beat Oklahoma State 41-14. #2 Army
(9-0-0) was heavily favored to beat unranked, and 2-6-0, Navy. Instead, the Philadelphia game turned into a 14-2 win for the Midshipmen. #3 Texas
played a game on December 9, beating LSU 21-6.
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
being the overwhelming choice for national champion. On New Year’s Day, the 9-0-0 Sooners were upset by the 10-1-0 Kentucky Wildcats in the Sugar Bowl. The #2 team, the United States Military Academy (Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
) had been defeated in its final regular season game by 2-6-0 Navy, 14-2. However, the final poll had been issued on November 27, and the bowl games had no effect on Oklahoma’s status as the #1 team.
During the 20th century, the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
had no playoff for the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions. The AP poll in 1950 consisted of the votes of as many as 317 sportswriters . Though not all writers voted in every poll, each would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined, and the top twenty colleges were ranked based on their overall points.
Starting in 1950, the United Press (later UPI) began the "coaches' poll". "Thirty-five of the nation's foremost football coaches will rate the country's top collegiate football teams each week for the United Press this coming season," an announcement stated, with "five coaches from each section of the country-- the east, midlands, midwest, Pacific coast, the Rockies, south and southwest". The UP added, referring to the AP writers' poll, "The nature of the board giving each section of the country equal representation avoids the sectional bias and ballot box stuffing for which other football polls have been criticized." . The coaches named Notre Dame as the #1 team in the first UP poll, with 25 of the 35 first place votes..
Generally, the top teams played on New Year's Day in the four major postseason bowl games: the Rose Bowl (near Los Angeles at Pasadena), the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
), the Orange Bowl (Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
), and the Cotton Bowl (Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
).
September
For the first time, the Associated Press issued a "preseason poll", before most teams played their first games . In the poll released on September 25, 1950, the defending champion Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were the overwhelming choice for first, with 101 of 123 first place votes. Far behind were #2 ArmyArmy Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
, #3 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, #4 Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
and #5 Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
(which had won at Texas Tech 28-14). As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
On September 30
#1 Notre Dame beat #20 North Carolina 14-7. #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat Colgate 28-0, #3 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
lost to #10 Michigan State 14-7. #4 Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
lost at Mississippi State, 7-0. #5 Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
beat Purdue, 34-26, but fell to 7th. #6 Oklahoma beat Boston College 28-0. #10 SMU, which had beaten Georgia Tech 33-13, and Ohio State 32-27, rose to 3rd.
October
October 7#1 Notre Dame lost to Purdue, 28-14, and eventually finished with a 4-4-1 record. #2 Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
lost to Maryland, 34-7. #3 SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
won at Missouri 21-0. #4 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat Penn State 41-7. #5 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat Texas A&M 34-28. #6 Kentucky registered a fourth shutout and a 4-0 record, with a 40-0 win against Dayton. #7 Texas, which was idle, rose to 4th place.
October 14
#1 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat #18 Michigan 27-6 at Yankee Stadium. #2 SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat Oklahoma State 56-0. #3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and #4 Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
met in Dallas, with Oklahoma winning narrowly, 14-13. #5 Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
beat Cincinnati 41-7. #7 California, which had beaten USC 13-7, rose to 5th in the next poll.
October 21
#1 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
won at Harvard 49-0. #2 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat Kansas State 58-0.
In Houston, #3 SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat #15 Rice 42-21. In Philadelphia, #4 Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
beat Villanova 34-7. #5 California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat Oregon State in Portland 27-0
October 28
#1 SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
was idle. #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
won at Columbia 34-0. #3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at Iowa State 20-7. In Atlanta, #4 Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
beat Georgia Tech 28-14.
#5 California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat St. Mary’s 40-25 and dropped in the polls. #6 Ohio State beat Iowa 83-21
November
November 4 #1 SMUSMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
lost at #7 Texas, 23-20. #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
won at #15 Pennsylvania 28-13. #3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at Colorado 27-18. #4 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
won at Northwestern 32-0. #5 Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
beat #17 Florida 40-6. #7 Texas beat SMU 23-20, and returned to the top five.
November 11 #1 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
beat New Mexico 51-0. #2 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
beat #15 Wisconsin 19-14. #3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at #19 Kansas, 33-13. #4 Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
won at Mississippi State, 48-21. #5 Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
beat Baylor 27-20. #6 California, which was 7-0-0 after a 35-0 win against #19 UCLA, rose to 4th.
November 18 #1 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
lost at #8 Illinois, 14-7. #2 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat Missouri 41-7. #3 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
won at Stanford 7-0. #4 California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
defeated San Francisco 13-7. #5 Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
handed visiting North Dakota an 83-0 defeat to extend its record to 9-0-0, but still faced a final game was against 8-1-0 Tennessee. #6 Texas won at TCU 21-7.
November 25 #1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat #16 Nebraska 49-35. #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
was idle as it prepared for the Army–Navy Game. #3 Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
lost at #9 Tennessee, 7-0. #4 California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
and unranked Stanford played to a 7-7 tie in Berkeley. #5 Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
beat Texas A&M 21-6. Michigan beat Ohio State in the famous Snow Bowl 9-3.
The final poll was released on November 27, although some colleges had not completed their schedules. On December 2, with its champion status assured, #1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat Oklahoma State 41-14. #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
(9-0-0) was heavily favored to beat unranked, and 2-6-0, Navy. Instead, the Philadelphia game turned into a 14-2 win for the Midshipmen. #3 Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
played a game on December 9, beating LSU 21-6.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Final AP Poll
The final rankings were released November 27 even before the regular season had concluded, and without consideration of the postseason bowl games:| Team | Record | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
(9-0-0) | Big Seven |
| 2. Army Cadets Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946.... |
(8-0-0) | Indep. |
| 3. Texas Longhorns Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
(8-1-0) | SWC |
| 4. Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
(9-1-0) | SEC |
| 5. California Golden Bears California Golden Bears football The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to... |
(9-0-1) | Pacific |
| 6. Princeton Tigers Princeton Tigers The Princeton Tigers are the athletic teams of Princeton University. The school sponsors 31 varsity sports. The school has won several NCAA national championships, including one in men's fencing, six in men's lacrosse, three in women's lacrosse, and eight in men's golf... |
(9-0-0) | Indep. |
| 7. Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats football The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era... |
(10-1-0) | SEC |
| 8. Michigan State Spartans Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level... |
(8-1-0) | Indep. |
| 9. Michigan Wolverines Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
(5-3-1) | Big Ten |
| 10. Clemson Tigers Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
(8-0-1) | Southern |
| 11. Washington Huskies Washington Huskies football College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by... |
(8-2-0) | Pacific |
| 12. Wyoming Cowboys Wyoming Cowboys football The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles... |
(9-0-0) | Mountain States |
| 13. Illinois Fighting Illini Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51... |
(7-2-0) | Big Ten |
| 14. Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State Buckeyes football The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state... |
(6-3-0) | Big Ten |
| 15. Miami Hurricanes Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
(8-0-1) | Indep. |
| 16. Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama Crimson Tide football |TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team... |
(8-2-0) | SEC |
| 17. Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
(6-2-1) | Big Seven |
| 18. Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa Golden Hurricane football The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh.... |
(8-1-1) | MVC Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States... |
| 18. Washington & Lee Generals | (8-2-0) | |
| 20. Tulane Green Wave Tulane Green Wave football The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned... |
(6-2-0) | SEC |
Final Coaches Poll
The final rankings were released November 27 even before the regular season had concluded, and without consideration of the postseason bowl games:| Team | Record | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
(9-0-0) | Big Seven |
| 2. Texas Longhorns Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
(8-1-0) | SWC |
| 3. Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
(9-1-0) | SEC |
| 4. California Golden Bears California Golden Bears football The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to... |
(9-0-1) | Pacific |
| 5. Army Cadets Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946.... |
(8-0-0) | Indep. |
| 6. Michigan Wolverines Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
(5-3-1) | Big Ten |
| 7. Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats football The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era... |
(10-1-0) | SEC |
| 8. Princeton Tigers Princeton Tigers The Princeton Tigers are the athletic teams of Princeton University. The school sponsors 31 varsity sports. The school has won several NCAA national championships, including one in men's fencing, six in men's lacrosse, three in women's lacrosse, and eight in men's golf... |
(9-0-0) | Ivy |
| 9. Michigan State Spartans Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level... |
(8-1-0) | Indep. |
| 10. Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State Buckeyes football The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state... |
(6-3-0) | Big Ten |
| 11. Illinois Illini | (7-2-0) | Big Ten |
| 12. Clemson Tigers Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
(8-0-1) | Southern |
| 13. Miami Hurricanes Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
(8-0-1) | Indep. |
| 14. Wyoming Cowboys Wyoming Cowboys football The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles... |
(9-0-0) | |
| 15. Washington Huskies Washington Huskies football College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by... |
(8-2-0) | Pacific |
| 15. Baylor Bears Baylor Bears football The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:... |
(7-3-0) | Southwest |
| 17. Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama Crimson Tide football |TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team... |
(8-2-0) | SEC |
| 18. Washington & Lee Generals | (8-2-0) | |
| 19. Navy Midshipmen Navy Midshipmen football The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007... |
(3-6-0) | |
| 20. Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
(6-2-1) | Big Seven |
| 20. Cornell Big Red Cornell Big Red football The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation... |
(7-2-0) | Ivy League |
| 20. Wisconsin Badgers Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football... |
(6-3-0) | Big Ten |
Bowl games
| SUGAR BOWL | #7 Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats football The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era... |
13 | #1 Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
7 |
| COTTON BOWL | #4 Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
20 | #3 Texas Longhorns Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
14 |
| ROSE BOWL | #9 Michigan Wolverines Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
14 | #5 California Golden Bears California Golden Bears football The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to... |
6 |
| ORANGE BOWL | #10 Clemson Tigers Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
15 | #15 Miami Hurricanes Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
14 |