🏈 The 1942 college football season
The champion and its path, the poll race week by week, the honours, the best games and every conference table.
Jump to any season1869–2026
1942 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Ohio State9-1
- Sep 26vsFort KnoxW59-0
- Oct 3vsIndianaW32-21
- Oct 10vsUSCW28-12
- Oct 17vsPurdueW26-0
- Oct 24atNorthwesternW20-6
- Oct 31at#6WisconsinL7-17
- Nov 7vsPittsburghW59-19
- Nov 14vs#13IllinoisW44-20
- Nov 21vs#4MichiganW21-7
- Nov 28vsIowa Pre-FlightW41-12
The 1942 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 1#11Texas14#5Georgia Tech7
- Orange BowlJan 1#10Alabama37#8Boston College21
- Rose BowlJan 1#2Georgia9#12UCLA0
- Sugar BowlJan 1#7Tennessee14#4Tulsa7
The 1942 poll race
Rank by poll week, 1 at the top, or Elo by week. A poll line breaks where a team was unranked.
How this is measured
Tap or drag on the chart to read a team's rank in any week.
AP rank, team by week
| Team | Oct12 | 19 | 26 | Nov2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | Nov30final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Georgia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Tulsa | 15 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 4 | ||
| Georgia Tech | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Notre Dame | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 6 | |
| Tennessee | 15 | 17 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 |
| Boston College | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Michigan | 3 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 9 |
| Alabama | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 10 |
| Texas | 20 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 18 | 11 |
| UCLA | 14 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 12 | |
| Stanford | 12 | 12 | ||||||
| William & Mary | 18 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 19 | 14 | ||
| Santa Clara | 15 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | ||
| Auburn | 15 | 15 | ||||||
| Washington State | 10 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 17 | |||
| Mississippi State | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||||
| Minnesota | 14 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 19 |
| Holy Cross | 19 | |||||||
| Penn State | 19 | |||||||
| USC | 16 | 14 | ||||||
| Hardin-Simmons | 19 | 17 | ||||||
| TCU | 17 | 12 | 9 | 18 | ||||
| Indiana | 18 | |||||||
| Iowa | 19 | 12 | ||||||
| Illinois | 5 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 13 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 8 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 17 | |||
| Williams | 20 | |||||||
| Baylor | 16 | |||||||
| Fresno State | 18 | |||||||
| Army | 18 | 11 | 8 | 19 | ||||
| Syracuse | 20 | 15 | ||||||
| LSU | 19 | |||||||
| North Carolina | 19 | |||||||
| Colgate | 9 | |||||||
| Vanderbilt | 12 | |||||||
| Duquesne | 13 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
1942 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1942 final pollsAP, Elo
Final AP poll, Nov 30.
Show all 21 teams
Elo top 25
rating, z
The 1942 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1942 honoursHeisman: Frank Sinkwich
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Joe DomnanovichAlabama
- Mike HolovakBoston College
- Paul GovernaliColumbia
- Frank Sinkwich★ unanimousGeorgia
- Billy HillenbrandIndiana
- Bob DoveNotre Dame
- Dave Schreiner★ unanimousWisconsin
Show all 5 positions
- Harvey HardyGeorgia Tech
- Julie FranksMichigan
- Chuck TaylorStanford
- Joe DomnanovichAlabama
- Mike HolovakBoston College
- Paul GovernaliColumbia
- Frank Sinkwich★ unanimousGeorgia
- Billy HillenbrandIndiana
- Bob DoveNotre Dame
- Dave Schreiner★ unanimousWisconsin
- Harvey HardyGeorgia Tech
- Julie FranksMichigan
- Chuck TaylorStanford
The best games of 1942
The ten best games of the season by Game Score. Switch to the Elo score for a second opinion.
How this is measured
The best games of 194210 games
Upsets of 1942
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 194210 upsets
1942 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1942 standings by conference10 groups
Big Nine
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State★ conference champion | 5-1 | 9-1 | #1 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 4-1 | 8-1-1 | #3 |
| 3 | Michigan | 3-2 | 7-3 | #9 |
| 4 | Illinois | 3-2 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Indiana | 2-2 | 7-3 | |
| 6 | Iowa | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 7 | Minnesota | 3-3 | 5-4 | #19 |
| 8 | Purdue | 1-4 | 1-8 | |
| 9 | Northwestern | 0-6 | 1-9 |
Big Six
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri★ conference champion | 4-0-1 | 8-3-1 | |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 3-1-1 | 3-5-2 | |
| 3 | Nebraska | 3-2 | 3-7 | |
| 4 | Kansas State | 2-3 | 3-8 | |
| 5 | Iowa State | 1-4 | 3-6 | |
| 6 | Kansas | 1-4 | 2-8 |
Border
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hardin-Simmons★ conference champion | 4-0-1 | 9-1-1 | |
| 2 | Texas Tech★ conference champion | 3-0-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 3 | West Texas State | 5-2 | 7-2 | |
| 4 | Arizona | 4-2 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Texas Western | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | New Mexico | 3-4 | 4-5-2 | |
| 7 | Arizona State | 2-5 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Northern Arizona | 1-4 | 1-5 | |
| 9 | New Mexico State | 0-6 | 1-8 |
Missouri Valley
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa★ conference champion | 5-0 | 10-1 | #4 |
| 2 | Oklahoma A&M | 4-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | Washington University | 2-3 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | Saint Louis | 2-3 | 4-5 | |
| 5 | Creighton | 1-4 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Drake | 1-4 | 3-7 |
Mountain States
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado★ conference champion | 5-1 | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Utah★ conference champion | 5-1 | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Denver | 3-2-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 | Utah State | 2-3-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 | Colorado A&M | 2-3 | 4-3 | |
| 6 | BYU | 1-4 | 2-5 | |
| 7 | Wyoming | 1-5 | 3-5 |
Pacific Coast
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA★ conference champion | 6-1 | 7-4 | #13 |
| 2 | Washington State | 5-1-1 | 6-2-2 | #17 |
| 3 | Stanford | 5-2 | 6-4 | #12 |
| 4 | USC | 4-2-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 5 | Washington | 3-3-2 | 4-3-3 | |
| 6 | Oregon State | 4-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 7 | California | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 8 | Oregon | 2-5 | 2-6 | |
| 9 | Idaho | 1-5 | 3-7 | |
| 10 | Montana | 0-6 | 0-8 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia★ conference champion | 6-1 | 11-1 | #2 |
| 2 | Tennessee | 4-1 | 9-1-1 | #7 |
| 3 | Georgia Tech | 4-1 | 9-2 | #5 |
| 4 | Mississippi State | 5-2 | 8-2 | #18 |
| 5 | Alabama | 4-2 | 8-3 | #10 |
| 6 | LSU | 3-2 | 7-3 | |
| 7 | Auburn | 3-3 | 6-4-1 | #16 |
| 8 | Vanderbilt | 2-4 | 6-4 | |
| 9 | Florida | 1-3 | 3-7 | |
| 10 | Tulane | 1-4 | 4-5 | |
| 11 | Kentucky | 0-5 | 3-6-1 | |
| 12 | Mississippi | 0-5 | 2-7 |
Southern
16 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William & Mary★ conference champion | 4-0 | 9-1-1 | #14 |
| 2 | Virginia Tech | 5-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 3 | Wake Forest | 6-1-1 | 6-2-1 | |
| 4 | North Carolina | 3-1-1 | 5-2-2 | |
| 5 | Duke | 3-1-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | North Carolina State | 3-1-2 | 4-4-2 | |
| 7 | Citadel | 2-2 | 5-2 | |
| 8 | Furman | 3-3 | 3-6 | |
| 9 | Clemson | 2-3-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 10 | VMI | 2-4-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 11 | Davidson | 2-4-1 | 2-6-1 | |
| 12 | Maryland | 1-2 | 7-2 | |
| 13 | George Washington | 2-4 | 3-6 | |
| 14 | South Carolina | 1-4 | 1-7-1 | |
| 15 | Richmond | 1-5 | 3-6-1 | |
| 16 | Washington & Lee | 0-4 | 1-8 |
Southwest
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas★ conference champion | 5-1 | 9-2 | #11 |
| 2 | Rice | 4-1-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 3 | TCU | 4-2 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Baylor | 3-2-1 | 6-4-1 | |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 2-3-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 6 | SMU | 1-4-1 | 3-6-2 | |
| 7 | Arkansas | 0-6 | 3-7 |
Independent
39 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Pre-Flight | - | 7-1-1 | |
| 2 | Penn State | - | 6-1-1 | |
| 3 | Boston College | - | 8-2 | #8 |
| 4 | Marquette | - | 7-2 | |
| 5 | Miami (FL) | - | 7-2 | |
| 6 | Santa Clara | - | 7-2 | #15 |
| 7 | North Carolina Pre-Flight | - | 8-2-1 | |
| 8 | Jacksonville NAS | - | 9-3 | |
| 9 | Notre Dame | - | 7-2-2 | #6 |
| 10 | Colgate | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 11 | Great Lakes Navy | - | 8-3-1 | |
| 12 | Iowa Pre-Flight | - | 7-3 | |
| 13 | Army | - | 6-3 | |
| 14 | Syracuse | - | 6-3 | |
| 15 | Duquesne | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 16 | St. Mary's | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 17 | St. Mary's Pre-Flight | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 18 | Yale | - | 5-3 | |
| 19 | Fordham | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 20 | Georgetown | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 22 | San Francisco | - | 6-4 | |
| 23 | Dartmouth | - | 5-4 | |
| 24 | Detroit | - | 5-4 | |
| 25 | Michigan State | - | 4-3-2 | |
| 26 | Navy | - | 5-4 | |
| 27 | West Virginia | - | 5-4 | |
| 28 | Holy Cross | - | 5-4-1 | #19 |
| 29 | Loyola Marymount | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 30 | Brown | - | 4-4 | |
| 31 | Villanova | - | 4-4 | |
| 32 | Cornell | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 33 | Princeton | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 34 | Temple | - | 2-5-3 | |
| 35 | Columbia | - | 3-6 | |
| 36 | Pittsburgh | - | 3-6 | |
| 37 | Harvard | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 38 | Virginia | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 39 | Manhattan | - | 2-6 |
1942 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1942 bowls5 bowls
Where these numbers come from
Enough to disbelieve this page on purpose rather than by accident.
Champions, polls, standings, bowls, honours and games are read from the Citizen of Nowhere college football database, built from its own workbook one season at a time. Team colours and crests are the current programs’, so a school is drawn the way it looks today even where it played under another name.
The AP poll begins in 1936, so earlier seasons have no poll race and no final poll, but they do have an Elo race, and their champions are those the selectors named. Before 1992 there was no title game, so those seasons list the major bowls instead; from 1992 the title game is shown with the other major bowls, and from 2014 the playoff bracket. Where the database has no entry for a section, the section is left out rather than shown empty.
Elo ratings, the upsets and the best games come from the site’s college football Elo, which rates every game since 1869 and counts games against lower-level opponents. Each season’s ratings are shown on a scale where the average major team ends the season at 1500; z is the distance from that average in standard deviations.