🏈 The 1948 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
1948 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Michigan9-0
- Sep 25atMichigan StateW13-7
- Oct 2vsOregonW14-0
- Oct 9at#15PurdueW40-0
- Oct 16vs#3NorthwesternW28-0
- Oct 23at#13MinnesotaW27-14
- Oct 30vsIllinoisW28-20
- Nov 6vsNavyW35-0
- Nov 13vsIndianaW54-0
- Nov 20at#18Ohio StateW13-3
The 1948 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 1#10SMU21#9Oregon13
- Orange BowlJan 1Texas41#8Georgia28
- Rose BowlJan 1#7Northwestern20#4California14
- Sugar BowlJan 1#5Oklahoma14
The 1948 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 | Oct4 | 11 | 18 | 25 | Nov1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | Nov29final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| California | 9 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Oklahoma | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | |
| Army | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Northwestern | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Georgia | 16 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 8 | ||
| Oregon | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9 | |||
| SMU | 4 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| Clemson | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | |
| Vanderbilt | 15 | 12 | |||||||
| Tulane | 17 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 13 | |||
| Michigan State | 19 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | ||
| Mississippi | 13 | 10 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 15 | |||
| Minnesota | 8 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 16 |
| William & Mary | 20 | 17 | |||||||
| Penn State | 10 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 18 | 18 |
| Cornell | 13 | 12 | 19 | 19 | |||||
| Wake Forest | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||||||
| Ohio State | 11 | 18 | 17 | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 16 | 19 | |
| Georgia Tech | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 20 | ||
| Nevada | 19 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 16 | |||
| Tennessee | 20 | 18 | |||||||
| Missouri | 12 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 20 | ||||
| Baylor | 19 | 20 | |||||||
| Duke | 18 | 15 | |||||||
| Arkansas | 13 | ||||||||
| Purdue | 15 | ||||||||
| Texas | 16 | ||||||||
| Indiana | 17 | ||||||||
| Harvard | 18 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
1948 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1948 final pollsAP, Elo
Final AP poll, Nov 29.
Show all 20 teams
Elo top 25
rating, z
The 1948 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1948 honoursHeisman: Doak Walker
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Chuck BednarikPennsylvania
- Clyde ScottArkansas
- Jackie JensenCalifornia
- Charlie JusticeNorth Carolina
- Emil SitkoNotre Dame
- Doak Walker★ unanimousSMU
- Dick RifenburgMichigan
- Leon HartNotre Dame
Show all 5 positions
- Bill FischerNotre Dame
- Buddy BurrisOklahoma
- Chuck BednarikPennsylvania
- Clyde ScottArkansas
- Jackie JensenCalifornia
- Charlie JusticeNorth Carolina
- Emil SitkoNotre Dame
- Doak Walker★ unanimousSMU
- Dick RifenburgMichigan
- Leon HartNotre Dame
- Bill FischerNotre Dame
- Buddy BurrisOklahoma
The best games of 1948
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 194810 games
Upsets of 1948
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 194810 upsets
1948 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1948 standings by conference10 groups
Big Nine
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan★ conference champion | 6-0 | 9-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Northwestern | 5-1 | 8-2 | #7 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5-2 | 7-2 | #16 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 3-3 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Iowa | 2-4 | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Purdue | 2-4 | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Indiana | 2-4 | 2-7 | |
| 8 | Illinois | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 1-5 | 2-7 |
Big Seven
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma★ conference champion | 5-0 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 2 | Missouri | 5-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Kansas | 4-2 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Colorado | 2-3 | 3-6 | |
| 5 | Iowa State | 2-4 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Nebraska | 2-4 | 2-8 | |
| 7 | Kansas State | 0-6 | 1-9 |
Border
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Tech★ conference champion | 5-0 | 7-3 | |
| 2 | Texas Western | 4-1-1 | 8-2-1 | |
| 3 | Arizona | 3-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Arizona State | 3-2 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Hardin-Simmons | 3-2-1 | 6-2-3 | |
| 6 | West Texas State | 2-3 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Northern Arizona | 1-2 | 4-5 | |
| 8 | New Mexico | 1-6 | 2-9 | |
| 9 | New Mexico State | 0-4 | 3-7 |
Missouri Valley
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma A&M★ conference champion | 2-0 | 6-4 | |
| 2 | Wichita | 2-1-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 | Drake | 1-1 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Tulsa | 0-1-1 | 0-9-1 | |
| 5 | Saint Louis | 0-2 | 4-7 |
Pacific Coast
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California★ conference champion | 6-0 | 10-1 | #4 |
| 2 | Oregon★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-2 | #9 |
| 3 | USC | 4-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 | Washington State | 4-3-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 5 | Oregon State | 2-3-2 | 5-4-3 | |
| 6 | Stanford | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Washington | 2-5-1 | 2-7-1 | |
| 8 | UCLA | 2-6 | 3-7 | |
| 9 | Idaho | 1-5 | 3-6 | |
| 10 | Montana | 0-3 | 3-7 |
Skyline
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah★ conference champion | 5-0 | 8-1-1 | |
| 2 | Colorado A&M | 4-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Denver | 2-2 | 4-5-1 | |
| 4 | Utah State | 2-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | BYU | 1-3 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Wyoming | 0-5 | 4-5 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia★ conference champion | 6-0 | 9-2 | #8 |
| 2 | Mississippi | 6-1 | 8-1 | #15 |
| 3 | Tulane | 5-1 | 9-1 | #13 |
| 4 | Vanderbilt | 4-2-1 | 8-2-1 | #12 |
| 5 | Georgia Tech | 4-3 | 7-3 | |
| 6 | Alabama | 4-4-1 | 6-4-1 | |
| 7 | Mississippi State | 3-3 | 4-4-1 | |
| 8 | Tennessee | 2-3-1 | 4-4-2 | |
| 9 | Kentucky | 1-3-1 | 5-3-2 | |
| 10 | Florida | 1-5 | 5-5 | |
| 11 | LSU | 1-5 | 3-7 | |
| 12 | Auburn | 0-7 | 1-8-1 |
Southern
16 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson★ conference champion | 5-0 | 11-0 | #11 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 4-0-1 | 9-1-1 | #3 |
| 3 | VMI | 5-1 | 6-3 | |
| 4 | William & Mary | 5-1-1 | 7-2-2 | #17 |
| 5 | Wake Forest | 5-2 | 6-4 | #20 |
| 6 | Maryland | 4-2 | 6-4 | |
| 7 | Duke | 3-2-1 | 4-3-2 | |
| 8 | Richmond | 3-3-1 | 5-3-2 | |
| 9 | Washington & Lee | 2-2 | 4-6 | |
| 10 | George Washington | 2-4 | 4-6 | |
| 11 | Furman | 2-4 | 2-6-1 | |
| 12 | Davidson | 2-5 | 3-5-1 | |
| 13 | South Carolina | 1-3 | 3-5 | |
| 14 | North Carolina State | 1-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 0-6-1 | 0-8-1 | |
| 16 | Citadel | 0-5 | 2-7 |
Southwest
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU★ conference champion | 5-0-1 | 9-1-1 | #10 |
| 2 | Texas | 4-1-1 | 7-3-1 | |
| 3 | Baylor | 3-2-1 | 6-3-2 | |
| 4 | Rice | 3-2-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Arkansas | 2-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | TCU | 1-4-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 0-5-1 | 0-9-1 |
Independent
36 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame | - | 9-0-1 | #2 |
| 2 | Army | - | 8-0-1 | #6 |
| 3 | Cornell | - | 8-1 | #19 |
| 4 | Penn State | - | 7-1-1 | #18 |
| 5 | Nevada | - | 9-2 | |
| 6 | Brown | - | 7-2 | |
| 7 | Rutgers | - | 7-2 | |
| 8 | Villanova | - | 8-2-1 | |
| 9 | Boston University | - | 6-2 | |
| 10 | Dartmouth | - | 6-2 | |
| 11 | Santa Clara | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 12 | West Virginia | - | 9-3 | |
| 13 | Michigan State | - | 6-2-2 | #14 |
| 14 | Boston College | - | 5-2-2 | |
| 15 | Detroit | - | 6-3 | |
| 16 | Pittsburgh | - | 6-3 | |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | - | 5-3 | |
| 18 | Virginia | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 19 | Harvard | - | 4-4 | |
| 20 | Holy Cross | - | 5-5 | |
| 21 | Princeton | - | 4-4 | |
| 22 | Columbia | - | 4-5 | |
| 23 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 4-5 | |
| 24 | Yale | - | 4-5 | |
| 25 | Georgetown | - | 3-4-1 | |
| 26 | Miami (FL) | - | 4-6 | |
| 27 | St. Mary's | - | 4-6 | |
| 28 | Colgate | - | 3-6 | |
| 29 | Fordham | - | 3-6 | |
| 30 | NYU | - | 3-6 | |
| 31 | Temple | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 32 | Duquesne | - | 2-7 | |
| 33 | San Francisco | - | 2-7 | |
| 34 | Marquette | - | 2-8 | |
| 35 | Syracuse | - | 1-8 | |
| 36 | Navy | - | 0-8-1 |
1948 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1948 bowls14 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.