🏈 The 1952 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
1952 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Michigan State9-0
- Sep 27atMichiganW27-13
- Oct 4atOregon StateW17-14
- Oct 11vsTexas A&MW48-6
- Oct 18vsSyracuseW48-7
- Oct 25vs#17Penn StateW34-7
- Nov 1at#8PurdueW14-7
- Nov 8atIndianaW41-14
- Nov 15vs#6Notre DameW21-3
- Nov 22vsMarquetteW62-13
The 1952 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 1#10Texas16#8Tennessee0
- Orange BowlJan 1#9Alabama61#14Syracuse6
- Rose BowlJan 1#5USC7#11Wisconsin0
- Sugar BowlJan 1#2Georgia Tech24#7Mississippi7
The 1952 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 | Sep8 | 29 | Oct6 | 13 | 22 | 27 | Nov3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | Dec1final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Georgia Tech | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Notre Dame | 10 | 19 | 8 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 3 | |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| USC | 16 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| UCLA | 18 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Mississippi | 18 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 7 | |||||
| Tennessee | 6 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | ||
| Alabama | 18 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 9 | |||
| Texas | 11 | 5 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | ||
| Wisconsin | 7 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| Tulsa | 11 | 11 | 12 | ||||||||
| Maryland | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 13 |
| Syracuse | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | |||||||
| Florida | 20 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | ||||||
| Duke | 19 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 13 | 16 | |
| Ohio State | 20 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | ||||||
| Purdue | 16 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 18 | ||||
| Princeton | 14 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | |||
| Kentucky | 19 | 20 | |||||||||
| Virginia | 16 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 20 | |||||
| Michigan | 19 | 15 | 20 | 12 | |||||||
| Pittsburgh | 18 | 14 | 16 | ||||||||
| Kansas | 17 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 18 | ||
| Houston | 19 | ||||||||||
| Washington | 17 | ||||||||||
| Villanova | 12 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 11 | |||||
| Penn State | 20 | 19 | 17 | 15 | |||||||
| Holy Cross | 20 | ||||||||||
| California | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | |||||
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 14 | 11 | 17 | |||||||
| Stanford | 13 | 13 | |||||||||
| Illinois | 5 | 2 | 13 | 17 | |||||||
| Navy | 17 | 20 | |||||||||
| Georgia | 19 | ||||||||||
| Rice | 17 | ||||||||||
| TCU | 9 | ||||||||||
| Washington State | 15 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 8 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- MississippiNR → #7
- AlabamaNR → #9
- TulsaNR → #12
- UCLA#18 → #6
- SyracuseNR → #14
Fallers
- Illinois#5 → NR
- California#8 → NR
- TCU#9 → NR
- Pennsylvania#12 → NR
- Stanford#13 → NR
1952 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1952 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Dec 1 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 9-0 | |
| 2 | 2 | 11-0 | |
| 3 | 3 | 7-2-1 | |
| 4 | 4 | 8-1-1 | |
| 5 | 4 | 9-1 | |
| 6 | 6 | 8-1 | |
| 7 | 7 | 8-0-2 | |
| 8 | 8 | 8-1-1 | |
| 9 | 9 | 9-2 | |
| 10 | 11 | 8-2 | |
| 11 | 10 | 6-2-1 | |
| 12 | 7-1-1 | ||
| 13 | 13 | 7-2 | |
| 14 | 7-2 | ||
| 15 | 6-3 | ||
| 16 | 18 | 8-2 | |
| 17 | 15 | 6-3 | |
| 18 | 12 | 4-3-2 | |
| 19 | 14 | 8-1 | |
| 20 | 19 | 5-3-2 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 15 | |||
| 17 | |||
| 19 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, zAPAP championCCoaches champion
The 1952 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1952 honoursHeisman: Billy Vessels
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Donn MoomawUCLA
- Jack Scarbath★ unanimousMaryland
- Johnny Lattner★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Billy VesselsOklahoma
- Jim SearsUSC
Show all 5 positions
- Hal MillerGeorgia Tech
- Dick ModzelewskiMaryland
The best games of 1952
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 195210 games
Upsets of 1952
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 195210 upsets
1952 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1952 standings by conference10 groups
Big Nine
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin★ conference champion | 4-1-1 | 6-3-1 | #11 |
| 2 | Purdue★ conference champion | 4-1-1 | 4-3-2 | #18 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 5-2 | 6-3 | #17 |
| 4 | Michigan | 4-2 | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Minnesota | 3-1-2 | 4-3-2 | |
| 6 | Illinois | 2-5 | 4-5 | |
| 7 | Northwestern | 2-5 | 2-6-1 | |
| 8 | Iowa | 2-5 | 2-7 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 1-5 | 2-7 |
Big Seven
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma★ conference champion | 5-0-1 | 8-1-1 | #4 |
| 2 | Missouri | 5-1 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Nebraska | 3-2-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 | Colorado | 2-2-2 | 6-2-2 | |
| 5 | Kansas | 3-3 | 7-3 | |
| 6 | Iowa State | 1-5 | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Kansas State | 0-6 | 1-9 |
Border
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State★ conference champion | 4-0 | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Texas Tech | 2-1-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 3 | Arizona | 3-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Hardin-Simmons | 2-2-1 | 5-3-2 | |
| 5 | Texas Western | 2-3-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 6 | New Mexico State | 1-2-1 | 2-6-1 | |
| 7 | West Texas State | 1-4 | 3-6 | |
| 8 | Northern Arizona | 0-1 | 3-4 |
Missouri Valley
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston★ conference champion | 3-0 | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Tulsa | 3-1 | 8-2-1 | #12 |
| 3 | Oklahoma A&M | 2-2 | 3-7 | |
| 4 | Detroit | 1-3 | 3-6 | |
| 5 | Wichita | 0-3 | 3-6-1 |
Pacific Coast
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC★ conference champion | 6-0 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 2 | UCLA | 5-1 | 8-1 | #6 |
| 3 | Washington | 6-2 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | California | 3-3 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | Washington State | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Stanford | 2-5 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Oregon | 2-5 | 2-7-1 | |
| 8 | Idaho | 1-3 | 4-4-1 | |
| 9 | Oregon State | 1-6 | 2-7 |
Skyline
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah★ conference champion | 5-0 | 6-3-1 | |
| 2 | New Mexico | 5-1 | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Colorado A&M | 5-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Wyoming | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 5 | BYU | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Utah State | 3-4 | 3-7-1 | |
| 7 | Montana | 1-5 | 2-7-1 | |
| 8 | Denver | 0-7 | 3-7 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Tech★ conference champion | 7-0 | 12-0 | #2 |
| 2 | Tennessee | 5-0-1 | 8-2-1 | #8 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 4-1-2 | 8-1-2 | #7 |
| 4 | Alabama | 4-2 | 10-2 | #9 |
| 5 | Georgia | 4-3 | 7-4 | |
| 6 | Florida | 3-3 | 8-3 | #15 |
| 7 | Mississippi State | 3-4 | 5-4 | |
| 8 | Tulane | 3-5 | 5-5 | |
| 9 | Kentucky | 1-3-2 | 5-4-2 | #20 |
| 10 | LSU | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 11 | Vanderbilt | 1-4-1 | 3-5-2 | |
| 12 | Auburn | 0-7 | 2-8 |
Southern
15 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke★ conference champion | 5-0 | 8-2 | #16 |
| 2 | West Virginia | 5-1 | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Wake Forest | 5-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 | William & Mary | 4-1 | 4-5 | |
| 5 | George Washington | 5-1-1 | 6-2-1 | |
| 6 | Furman | 2-2-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 7 | Virginia Tech | 4-4 | 5-6 | |
| 8 | Washington & Lee | 3-4 | 3-7 | |
| 9 | VMI | 2-3-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 10 | South Carolina | 2-4 | 5-5 | |
| 11 | North Carolina State | 2-4 | 3-7 | |
| 12 | North Carolina | 1-2 | 2-6 | |
| 13 | Citadel | 1-3-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 14 | Davidson | 1-6 | 2-7 | |
| 15 | Richmond | 0-6 | 1-9 |
Southwest
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas★ conference champion | 6-0 | 9-2 | #10 |
| 2 | Rice | 4-2 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | SMU | 3-2-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 4 | TCU | 2-2-2 | 4-4-2 | |
| 5 | Baylor | 1-3-2 | 4-4-2 | |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 1-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 7 | Arkansas | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Independent
33 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State | - | 9-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Princeton | - | 8-1 | #19 |
| 3 | Villanova | - | 7-1-1 | |
| 4 | Holy Cross | - | 8-2 | |
| 5 | Virginia | - | 8-2 | |
| 6 | Maryland | - | 7-2 | #13 |
| 7 | Yale | - | 7-2 | |
| 8 | Notre Dame | - | 7-2-1 | #3 |
| 9 | Penn State | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 10 | Navy | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 11 | Syracuse | - | 7-3 | #14 |
| 12 | Pacific | - | 7-3-1 | |
| 13 | Colgate | - | 6-3 | |
| 14 | Pittsburgh | - | 6-3 | |
| 15 | San Jose State | - | 6-3 | |
| 16 | Harvard | - | 5-4 | |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | - | 4-3-2 | |
| 18 | Boston University | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 19 | Army | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 20 | Boston College | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 21 | Rutgers | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 22 | Marquette | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 23 | Miami (FL) | - | 4-7 | |
| 24 | Fordham | - | 2-5-1 | |
| 25 | NYU | - | 2-5-1 | |
| 26 | Clemson | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 27 | Columbia | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 28 | Santa Clara | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 29 | Temple | - | 2-7-1 | |
| 30 | Brown | - | 2-7 | |
| 31 | Cornell | - | 2-7 | |
| 32 | Dartmouth | - | 2-7 | |
| 33 | Drake | - | 2-7 |
1952 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1952 bowls6 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.