🏈 The 1947 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
1947 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Notre Dame9-0
- Oct 4atPittsburghW40-6
- Oct 11atPurdueW22-7
- Oct 18vsNebraskaW31-0
- Oct 25vsIowaW21-0
- Nov 1vsNavyW27-0
- Nov 8vs#9ArmyW27-7
- Nov 15atNorthwesternW26-19
- Nov 22vsTulaneW59-6
- Dec 6at#3USCW38-7
The 1947 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 1#4Penn State13#3SMU13
- Orange BowlJan 1#10Georgia Tech20#12Kansas14
- Rose BowlJan 1#2Michigan49#8USC0
- Sugar BowlJan 1#5Texas27#6Alabama7
The 1947 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 | Oct6 | 13 | 20 | 27 | Nov3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | Dec1 | Dec8final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| SMU | 12 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | ||
| Penn State | 12 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Texas | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| Alabama | 18 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| USC | 20 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| North Carolina | 19 | 18 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | |||
| Georgia Tech | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Army | 5 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Kansas | 17 | 13 | 13 | 12 | ||||||
| Mississippi | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | ||||
| William & Mary | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | ||||
| California | 8 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 15 |
| Oklahoma | 15 | 20 | 18 | 16 | ||||||
| North Carolina State | 18 | 16 | 17 | |||||||
| Rice | 16 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 18 | ||||
| Duke | 13 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 13 | 19 | ||||
| Columbia | 11 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 20 | ||||
| UCLA | 19 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | ||||
| Catawba | 20 | |||||||||
| Minnesota | 17 | 13 | 20 | 19 | ||||||
| Illinois | 6 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | |||
| Virginia | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 16 | ||||
| Wisconsin | 19 | 9 | ||||||||
| Missouri | 17 | |||||||||
| Utah | 18 | |||||||||
| Purdue | 16 | 14 | ||||||||
| Yale | 14 | 12 | 20 | |||||||
| Kentucky | 20 | 14 | 13 | |||||||
| Wake Forest | 14 | 11 | 15 | |||||||
| LSU | 18 | 17 | ||||||||
| Baylor | 17 | |||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 10 | 10 | 19 | |||||||
| San Francisco | 20 | |||||||||
| Georgia | 9 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
1947 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1947 final pollsAP, Elo
Final AP poll, Dec 8.
Show all 20 teams
Elo top 25
rating, z
The 1947 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1947 honoursHeisman: Johnny Lujack
Heisman Trophy voting
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Chuck BednarikPennsylvania
- Bob Chappuis★ unanimousMichigan
- Charley ConerlyMississippi
- John Lujack★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Doak WalkerSMU
- Bobby LayneTexas
Show all 5 positions
- Joe SteffyArmy
- Bill FischerNotre Dame
- Bob DavisGeorgia Tech
- George ConnorNotre Dame
- Chuck BednarikPennsylvania
- Bob Chappuis★ unanimousMichigan
- Charley ConerlyMississippi
- John Lujack★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Doak WalkerSMU
- Bobby LayneTexas
- Joe SteffyArmy
- Bill FischerNotre Dame
- Bob DavisGeorgia Tech
- George ConnorNotre Dame
The best games of 1947
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 194710 games
Upsets of 1947
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 194710 upsets
1947 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1947 standings by conference10 groups
Big Nine
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan★ conference champion | 6-0 | 10-0 | #2 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 3-2-1 | 5-3-1 | |
| 3 | Minnesota | 3-3 | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Illinois | 3-3 | 5-3-1 | |
| 5 | Purdue | 3-3 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Indiana | 2-3-1 | 5-3-1 | |
| 7 | Iowa | 2-3-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 8 | Northwestern | 2-4 | 3-6 | |
| 9 | Ohio State | 1-4-1 | 2-6-1 |
Big Six
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas★ conference champion | 4-0-1 | 8-1-2 | #12 |
| 2 | Oklahoma★ conference champion | 4-0-1 | 7-2-1 | #16 |
| 3 | Missouri | 3-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Nebraska | 2-3 | 2-7 | |
| 5 | Iowa State | 1-4 | 3-6 | |
| 6 | Kansas State | 0-5 | 0-10 |
Border
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Tech★ conference champion | 4-0 | 6-5 | |
| 2 | Hardin-Simmons | 5-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | West Texas State | 5-2 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Arizona | 3-2 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Texas Western | 3-3-1 | 5-3-1 | |
| 6 | Arizona State | 3-4 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | New Mexico | 1-5-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 8 | New Mexico State | 1-4 | 3-6 | |
| 9 | Northern Arizona | 0-4 | 1-7 |
Missouri Valley
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa★ conference champion | 3-0 | 5-5 | |
| 2 | Wichita | 2-1 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Saint Louis | 1-1 | 4-6 | |
| 4 | Drake | 1-3 | 1-7-1 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma A&M | 0-2 | 3-7 |
Mountain States
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah★ conference champion | 6-0 | 8-1-1 | |
| 2 | Denver | 3-2-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 | Utah State | 3-3 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Colorado | 3-3 | 4-5 | |
| 5 | Colorado A&M | 2-3-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | Wyoming | 2-4 | 4-5 | |
| 7 | BYU | 1-5 | 3-7 |
Pacific Coast
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC★ conference champion | 6-0 | 7-2-1 | #8 |
| 2 | California | 5-1 | 9-1 | #15 |
| 3 | Oregon | 5-1 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Montana | 2-1 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | UCLA | 4-2 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Oregon State | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Washington | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 8 | Washington State | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 9 | Idaho | 1-4 | 4-4 | |
| 10 | Stanford | 0-7 | 0-9 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-2 | #13 |
| 2 | Georgia Tech | 4-1 | 10-1 | #10 |
| 3 | Alabama | 5-2 | 8-3 | #6 |
| 4 | Mississippi State | 2-2 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | Georgia | 3-3 | 7-4-1 | |
| 6 | Vanderbilt | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 7 | Tulane | 2-3-2 | 2-5-2 | |
| 8 | LSU | 2-3-1 | 5-3-1 | |
| 9 | Kentucky | 2-3 | 8-3 | |
| 10 | Tennessee | 2-3 | 5-5 | |
| 11 | Auburn | 1-5 | 2-7 | |
| 12 | Florida | 0-3-1 | 4-5-1 |
Southern
16 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William & Mary★ conference champion | 7-1 | 9-2 | #14 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 4-1 | 8-2 | #9 |
| 3 | South Carolina | 4-1-1 | 6-2-1 | |
| 4 | Duke | 3-1-1 | 4-3-2 | #19 |
| 5 | Washington & Lee | 3-2 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Maryland | 3-2-1 | 7-2-2 | |
| 7 | North Carolina State | 3-2-1 | 5-3-1 | #17 |
| 8 | Virginia Tech | 4-3 | 4-5 | |
| 9 | Davidson | 3-3-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 10 | Wake Forest | 3-4 | 6-4 | |
| 11 | VMI | 2-3-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 12 | Clemson | 1-3 | 4-5 | |
| 13 | Citadel | 1-4 | 3-5 | |
| 14 | Furman | 1-4 | 2-7 | |
| 15 | Richmond | 1-5 | 3-7 | |
| 16 | George Washington | 0-4 | 1-7-1 |
Southwest
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU★ conference champion | 5-0-1 | 9-0-2 | #3 |
| 2 | Texas | 5-1 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 3 | Rice | 4-2 | 6-3-1 | #18 |
| 4 | TCU | 2-3-1 | 4-5-2 | |
| 5 | Arkansas | 1-4-1 | 6-4-1 | |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 1-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 7 | Baylor | 1-5 | 5-5 |
Independent
39 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame | - | 9-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Penn State | - | 9-0-1 | #4 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | - | 7-0-1 | #7 |
| 4 | Rutgers | - | 8-1 | |
| 5 | Nevada | - | 9-2 | |
| 6 | Columbia | - | 7-2 | #20 |
| 7 | Michigan State | - | 7-2 | |
| 8 | San Francisco | - | 7-3 | |
| 9 | Virginia | - | 7-3 | |
| 10 | Army | - | 5-2-2 | #11 |
| 11 | Yale | - | 6-3 | |
| 12 | Villanova | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 13 | Boston University | - | 5-3 | |
| 14 | Princeton | - | 5-3 | |
| 15 | Detroit | - | 6-4 | |
| 16 | West Virginia | - | 6-4 | |
| 17 | Boston College | - | 5-4 | |
| 18 | Brown | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 19 | Dartmouth | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 20 | Holy Cross | - | 4-4-2 | |
| 21 | Santa Clara | - | 4-4 | |
| 22 | Cornell | - | 4-5 | |
| 23 | Harvard | - | 4-5 | |
| 24 | Marquette | - | 4-5 | |
| 25 | Montana State | - | 4-5 | |
| 26 | Georgetown | - | 3-4-1 | |
| 27 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 4-6 | |
| 28 | Syracuse | - | 3-6 | |
| 29 | Temple | - | 3-6 | |
| 30 | NYU | - | 2-5-1 | |
| 31 | St. Mary's | - | 3-7 | |
| 32 | Colgate | - | 1-5-2 | |
| 33 | Miami (FL) | - | 2-7-1 | |
| 34 | Duquesne | - | 2-8 | |
| 35 | Fordham | - | 1-6-1 | |
| 36 | Merchant Marine | - | 2-9 | |
| 37 | Navy | - | 1-7-1 | |
| 38 | Pittsburgh | - | 1-8 | |
| 39 | Portland | - | 1-8 |
1947 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1947 bowls12 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.