🏈 The 1949 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
1949 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Notre Dame10-0
- Sep 24vsIndianaW49-6
- Oct 1atWashingtonW27-7
- Oct 8atPurdueW35-12
- Oct 15vs#4TulaneW46-7
- Oct 29vsNavyW40-0
- Nov 5at#10Michigan StateW34-21
- Nov 12vsNorth CarolinaW42-6
- Nov 19vsIowaW28-7
- Nov 26vs#17USCW32-0
- Dec 3atSMUW27-20
The 1949 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 2#5Rice27#16North Carolina13
- Orange BowlJan 2#15Santa Clara21#11Kentucky13
- Rose BowlJan 2#6Ohio State17#3California14
- Sugar BowlJan 2#2Oklahoma35#9LSU0
The 1949 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 | Oct3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 31 | Nov7 | 14 | 21 | Nov28final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| California | 10 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Army | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Rice | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | ||
| Ohio State | 11 | 11 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 6 | |
| Michigan | 1 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Minnesota | 5 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
| LSU | 17 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 9 | |||
| Pacific | 19 | 11 | 10 | ||||||
| Kentucky | 15 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 20 | 11 |
| Cornell | 17 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 20 | 12 |
| Villanova | 16 | 17 | 16 | 13 | |||||
| Maryland | 16 | 15 | 14 | ||||||
| Santa Clara | 20 | 19 | 14 | 15 | |||||
| North Carolina | 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 16 | |||
| Tennessee | 14 | 18 | 17 | ||||||
| Princeton | 18 | ||||||||
| Michigan State | 13 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 19 | |
| Baylor | 20 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 20 | ||
| Missouri | 20 | 18 | 16 | 20 | |||||
| Tulane | 4 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 10 | ||||
| Stanford | 17 | 12 | 12 | ||||||
| USC | 8 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 17 | |||
| Virginia | 19 | 10 | 9 | ||||||
| SMU | 9 | 10 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 10 | ||
| Dartmouth | 14 | ||||||||
| Texas | 12 | 16 | 10 | 19 | 13 | ||||
| Boston University | 18 | 15 | |||||||
| Wake Forest | 18 | ||||||||
| Iowa | 15 | ||||||||
| Duke | 14 | 16 | |||||||
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 14 | 9 | 20 | |||||
| Fordham | 20 | ||||||||
| UCLA | 18 | 13 | 20 | ||||||
| Northwestern | 20 | 13 | |||||||
| Pittsburgh | 19 | 15 | 16 | ||||||
| Navy | 18 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
1949 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1949 final pollsAP, Elo
Final AP poll, Nov 28.
Show all 21 teams
Elo top 25
rating, z
The 1949 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1949 honoursHeisman: Leon Hart
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Clayton Tonnemaker★ unanimousMinnesota
- Arnold GaliffaArmy
- Bob WilliamsNotre Dame
- Emil Sitko★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Doak WalkerSMU
- Leon Hart★ unanimousNotre Dame
- James WilliamsRice
Show all 5 positions
- Rod Franz★ unanimousCalifornia
- Ed BagdonMichigan State
- Clayton Tonnemaker★ unanimousMinnesota
- Arnold GaliffaArmy
- Bob WilliamsNotre Dame
- Emil Sitko★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Doak WalkerSMU
- Leon Hart★ unanimousNotre Dame
- James WilliamsRice
- Rod Franz★ unanimousCalifornia
- Ed BagdonMichigan State
The best games of 1949
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 194910 games
Upsets of 1949
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 194910 upsets
1949 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1949 standings by conference10 groups
Big Nine
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State★ conference champion | 4-1-1 | 7-1-2 | #6 |
| 2 | Michigan★ conference champion | 4-1-1 | 6-2-1 | #7 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 4-2 | 7-2 | #8 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 3-2-1 | 5-3-1 | |
| 5 | Illinois | 3-3-1 | 3-4-2 | |
| 6 | Iowa | 3-3 | 4-5 | |
| 7 | Northwestern | 3-4 | 4-5 | |
| 8 | Purdue | 2-4 | 4-5 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 0-6 | 1-8 |
Big Seven
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma★ conference champion | 5-0 | 11-0 | #2 |
| 2 | Missouri | 5-1 | 7-4 | #20 |
| 3 | Iowa State | 3-3 | 5-3-1 | |
| 4 | Nebraska | 3-3 | 4-5 | |
| 5 | Kansas | 2-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Colorado | 1-4 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Kansas State | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Border
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Tech★ conference champion | 5-0 | 7-5 | |
| 2 | Arizona State | 4-1 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Texas Western | 4-2 | 8-2-1 | |
| 4 | Hardin-Simmons | 4-2 | 6-4-1 | |
| 5 | West Texas State | 3-2 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Arizona | 2-4 | 2-7-1 | |
| 7 | New Mexico State | 1-4 | 4-6 | |
| 8 | New Mexico | 1-6 | 2-8 | |
| 9 | Northern Arizona | 0-3 | 1-6-1 |
Missouri Valley
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit★ conference champion | 4-0 | 5-4 | |
| 2 | Drake | 3-1 | 6-2-1 | |
| 3 | Oklahoma A&M | 2-1-1 | 4-4-2 | |
| 4 | Wichita | 2-3-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 5 | Tulsa | 1-2-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 6 | Bradley | 1-3 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Saint Louis | 0-3-1 | 2-6-1 |
Pacific Coast
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California★ conference champion | 7-0 | 10-1 | #3 |
| 2 | UCLA | 5-2 | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Stanford | 4-2 | 7-3-1 | |
| 4 | USC | 4-2 | 5-3-1 | |
| 5 | Oregon State | 5-3 | 7-3 | |
| 6 | Oregon | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Washington | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Washington State | 2-6 | 3-6 | |
| 9 | Idaho | 1-4 | 3-5 | |
| 10 | Montana | 0-3 | 5-4 |
Skyline
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming★ conference champion | 5-0 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Colorado A&M | 4-1 | 9-1 | |
| 3 | Denver | 2-2 | 4-6 | |
| 4 | Utah | 2-3 | 2-7-1 | |
| 5 | Utah State | 1-3 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | BYU | 0-5 | 0-11 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulane★ conference champion | 5-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 | Kentucky | 4-1 | 9-3 | #11 |
| 3 | Tennessee | 4-1-1 | 7-2-1 | #17 |
| 4 | Georgia Tech | 5-2 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | LSU | 4-2 | 8-3 | #9 |
| 6 | Alabama | 4-3-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 7 | Vanderbilt | 4-4 | 5-5 | |
| 8 | Auburn | 2-4-2 | 2-4-3 | |
| 9 | Mississippi | 2-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 10 | Florida | 1-4-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 11 | Georgia | 1-4-1 | 4-6-1 | |
| 12 | Mississippi State | 0-6 | 0-8-1 |
Southern
16 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | 4-0 | 9-1 | #14 |
| 2 | North Carolina★ conference champion | 5-0 | 7-4 | #16 |
| 3 | Washington & Lee | 3-1-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 4 | Duke | 4-2 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | William & Mary | 4-2 | 6-4 | |
| 6 | VMI | 3-2-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 7 | Clemson | 2-2 | 4-4-2 | |
| 8 | Citadel | 2-2 | 4-5 | |
| 9 | South Carolina | 3-3 | 4-6 | |
| 10 | Wake Forest | 3-3 | 4-6 | |
| 11 | Furman | 3-3 | 3-6 | |
| 12 | George Washington | 2-3 | 4-5 | |
| 13 | North Carolina State | 3-6 | 3-7 | |
| 14 | Richmond | 2-6 | 3-7 | |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 1-5-2 | 1-7-2 | |
| 16 | Davidson | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Southwest
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rice★ conference champion | 6-0 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 2 | Baylor | 4-2 | 8-2 | #20 |
| 3 | TCU | 3-3 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 | Texas | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | SMU | 2-3-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | Arkansas | 2-4 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 0-5-1 | 1-8-1 |
Independent
36 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army | - | 9-0 | #4 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | - | 10-0 | #1 |
| 3 | Brown | - | 8-1 | |
| 4 | Cornell | - | 8-1 | #12 |
| 5 | Villanova | - | 8-1 | #13 |
| 6 | Virginia | - | 7-2 | |
| 7 | Santa Clara | - | 8-2-1 | #15 |
| 8 | Boston University | - | 6-2 | |
| 9 | Dartmouth | - | 6-2 | |
| 10 | San Francisco | - | 7-3 | |
| 11 | Miami (FL) | - | 6-3 | |
| 12 | Michigan State | - | 6-3 | #19 |
| 13 | Pittsburgh | - | 6-3 | |
| 14 | Princeton | - | 6-3 | #18 |
| 15 | Rutgers | - | 6-3 | |
| 16 | Fordham | - | 5-3 | |
| 17 | Loyola Marymount | - | 6-4 | |
| 18 | Penn State | - | 5-4 | |
| 19 | Temple | - | 5-4 | |
| 20 | Houston | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 21 | Boston College | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 22 | Georgetown | - | 5-5 | |
| 23 | Nevada | - | 5-5 | |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | - | 4-4 | |
| 25 | Yale | - | 4-4 | |
| 26 | Marquette | - | 4-5 | |
| 27 | Syracuse | - | 4-5 | |
| 28 | West Virginia | - | 4-6-1 | |
| 29 | Navy | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 30 | St. Mary's | - | 3-6-1 | |
| 31 | Duquesne | - | 3-6 | |
| 32 | NYU | - | 3-6 | |
| 33 | Columbia | - | 2-7 | |
| 34 | Colgate | - | 1-8 | |
| 35 | Harvard | - | 1-8 | |
| 36 | Holy Cross | - | 1-9 |
1949 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1949 bowls9 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.