🏈 The 1954 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
1954 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path9-0
- Sep 18vsSan Diego NavyW67-0
- Sep 25atKansasW32-7
- Oct 1vs#6MarylandW12-7
- Oct 9atWashingtonW21-20
- Oct 16vsStanfordW72-0
- Oct 23atOregon StateW61-0
- Oct 30atCaliforniaW27-6
- Nov 6vsOregonW41-0
- Nov 20vs#7USCW34-0
The 1954 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 1#10Arkansas6
- Orange BowlJan 1#14Duke34
- Rose BowlJan 1#1Ohio State20#17USC7
- Sugar BowlJan 1#5Navy21#6Mississippi0
The 1954 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 | Sep13 | 20 | 27 | Oct4 | 11 | 18 | 25 | Nov1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | Nov29final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 20 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| UCLA | 8 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Navy | 19 | 9 | 15 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 | ||||
| Mississippi | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Army | 13 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | ||
| Maryland | 3 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 8 | ||||
| Wisconsin | 9 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 8 | 9 |
| Arkansas | 12 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 10 | ||||
| Miami (FL) | 16 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 11 | |||||
| West Virginia | 16 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | |||
| Auburn | 18 | 15 | 13 | |||||||||
| Duke | 15 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 20 | 14 | ||
| Michigan | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | ||||||||
| Virginia Tech | 19 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | |||
| USC | 17 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 17 | |
| Baylor | 10 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 9 | 18 | |||||
| Rice | 16 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 19 | ||||
| Penn State | 10 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 20 | |||||||
| Kentucky | 18 | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 18 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 20 | |||||
| SMU | 18 | 19 | 11 | |||||||||
| Iowa | 11 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 19 | ||||
| Cincinnati | 20 | 13 | 12 | |||||||||
| Georgia | 20 | |||||||||||
| Purdue | 19 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 9 | 8 | ||||||
| Nebraska | 20 | |||||||||||
| Pittsburgh | 20 | |||||||||||
| TCU | 20 | 20 | 17 | |||||||||
| Colorado | 17 | 11 | ||||||||||
| Alabama | 14 | 12 | ||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 7 | 5 | 19 | 15 | ||||||||
| Florida | 20 | 14 | 18 | |||||||||
| Texas Tech | 19 | 14 | 17 | 20 | ||||||||
| Texas | 4 | 4 | 12 | 15 | ||||||||
| Stanford | 17 | |||||||||||
| Michigan State | 6 | 7 | 13 | |||||||||
| South Carolina | 15 | |||||||||||
| California | 12 | 17 | 18 | |||||||||
| Illinois | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
| Oregon | 18 | 16 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 13 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- NavyNR → #5
- Ohio State#20 → #1
- ArkansasNR → #10
- Miami (FL)NR → #11
- West VirginiaNR → #12
Fallers
- Texas#4 → NR
- Illinois#5 → NR
- Michigan State#6 → NR
- Georgia Tech#7 → NR
- Iowa#11 → NR
1954 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1954 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Nov 29 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 9-0 | |
| 2 | UCLAC | 1 | 9-0 |
| 3 | 3 | 10-0 | |
| 4 | 4 | 8-1 | |
| 5 | 5 | 7-2 | |
| 6 | 6 | 9-1 | |
| 7 | 7 | 7-2 | |
| 8 | 12 | 7-2-1 | |
| 9 | 10 | 7-2 | |
| 10 | 8 | 8-2 | |
| 11 | 9 | 8-1 | |
| 12 | 8-1 | ||
| 13 | 7-3 | ||
| 14 | 14 | 7-2-1 | |
| 15 | 15 | 6-3 | |
| 16 | 8-0-1 | ||
| 17 | 11 | 8-3 | |
| 18 | 7-3 | ||
| 19 | 18 | 7-3 | |
| 20 | 15 | 7-2 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 13 | |||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 20 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, zAPAP championCCoaches champion
The 1954 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1954 honoursHeisman: Alan Ameche
Heisman Trophy voting
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Kurt BurrisOklahoma
- Ralph Guglielmi★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Howard Cassady★ unanimousOhio State
- Dicky MaegleRice
- Alan Ameche★ unanimousWisconsin
The best games of 1954
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 195410 games
Upsets of 1954
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 195410 upsets
1954 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1954 standings by conference11 groups
Atlantic Coast
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke★ conference champion | 4-0 | 8-2-1 | #14 |
| 2 | Maryland | 4-0-1 | 7-2-1 | #8 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 4-2 | 4-5-1 | |
| 4 | South Carolina | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Clemson | 1-2 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Wake Forest | 1-4-1 | 2-7-1 | |
| 7 | Virginia | 0-2 | 3-6 | |
| 8 | North Carolina State | 0-4 | 2-8 |
Big Seven
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma★ conference champion | 6-0 | 10-0 | #3 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 4-2 | 6-5 | |
| 3 | Colorado | 3-2-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 4 | Missouri | 3-2-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 5 | Kansas State | 3-3 | 7-3 | |
| 6 | Iowa State | 1-5 | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Kansas | 0-6 | 0-10 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State★ conference champion | 7-0 | 10-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 5-2 | 7-2 | #9 |
| 3 | Michigan | 5-2 | 6-3 | #15 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 4-2 | 7-2 | |
| 5 | Iowa | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Purdue | 3-3 | 5-3-1 | |
| 7 | Indiana | 2-4 | 3-6 | |
| 8 | Michigan State | 1-5 | 3-6 | |
| 9 | Northwestern | 1-5 | 2-7 | |
| 10 | Illinois | 0-6 | 1-8 |
Border
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Tech★ conference champion | 4-0 | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 | Arizona State | 3-1 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Texas Western | 4-2 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | Arizona | 3-2 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | Hardin-Simmons | 2-3 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | West Texas State | 1-5 | 1-8 | |
| 7 | New Mexico State | 0-4 | 0-9 |
Missouri Valley
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wichita★ conference champion | 4-0 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Houston | 3-1 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Oklahoma A&M | 2-2 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 | Detroit | 1-3 | 2-7 | |
| 5 | Tulsa | 0-4 | 0-11 |
Pacific Coast
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA★ conference champion | 6-0 | 9-0 | #2 |
| 2 | USC | 6-1 | 8-4 | #17 |
| 3 | Oregon | 5-3 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | California | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Washington State | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Idaho | 1-2 | 4-5 | |
| 7 | Stanford | 2-4 | 4-6 | |
| 8 | Washington | 1-6 | 2-8 | |
| 9 | Oregon State | 1-6 | 1-8 |
Skyline
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Wyoming | 5-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Utah State | 4-3 | 4-6 | |
| 4 | New Mexico | 3-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Utah | 3-3 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Colorado A&M | 3-4 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Montana | 1-5 | 3-6 | |
| 8 | BYU | 1-6 | 1-8 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi★ conference champion | 5-0 | 9-2 | #6 |
| 2 | Georgia Tech | 6-2 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Kentucky | 5-2 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Florida | 5-2 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Georgia | 3-2-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 6 | Auburn | 3-3 | 8-3 | #13 |
| 7 | Mississippi State | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 8 | Alabama | 3-3-2 | 4-5-2 | |
| 9 | LSU | 2-5 | 5-6 | |
| 10 | Tulane | 1-6-1 | 1-6-3 | |
| 11 | Tennessee | 1-5 | 4-6 | |
| 12 | Vanderbilt | 1-5 | 2-7 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia★ conference champion | 3-0 | 8-1 | #12 |
| 2 | Furman | 2-0 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Virginia Tech | 3-0-1 | 8-0-1 | #16 |
| 4 | Davidson | 2-1 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | VMI | 4-3 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Richmond | 2-3 | 5-4 | |
| 7 | William & Mary | 1-2-2 | 4-4-2 | |
| 8 | George Washington | 0-4-1 | 1-7-1 | |
| 9 | Citadel | 0-4 | 2-8 |
Southwest
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas★ conference champion | 5-1 | 8-3 | #10 |
| 2 | SMU | 4-1-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | Rice | 4-2 | 7-3 | #19 |
| 4 | Baylor | 4-2 | 7-4 | #18 |
| 5 | Texas | 2-3-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 6 | TCU | 1-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 0-6 | 1-9 |
Independent
29 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame | - | 9-1 | #4 |
| 2 | Boston College | - | 8-1 | |
| 3 | Miami (FL) | - | 8-1 | #11 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | - | 8-2 | |
| 5 | Navy | - | 8-2 | #5 |
| 6 | Army | - | 7-2 | #7 |
| 7 | Boston University | - | 7-2 | |
| 8 | Penn State | - | 7-2 | #20 |
| 9 | Brown | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 10 | San Jose State | - | 7-3 | |
| 11 | Colgate | - | 5-2-2 | |
| 12 | Florida State | - | 8-4 | |
| 13 | Princeton | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 14 | Yale | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 15 | Harvard | - | 4-3-1 | |
| 16 | Cornell | - | 5-4 | |
| 17 | Syracuse | - | 4-4 | |
| 18 | Pacific | - | 4-5 | |
| 19 | Pittsburgh | - | 4-5 | |
| 20 | North Texas | - | 4-6 | |
| 21 | Marquette | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 22 | Dartmouth | - | 3-6 | |
| 23 | Rutgers | - | 3-6 | |
| 24 | Holy Cross | - | 3-7 | |
| 25 | Drake | - | 2-7 | |
| 26 | Fordham | - | 1-7-1 | |
| 27 | Columbia | - | 1-8 | |
| 28 | Villanova | - | 1-9 | |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | - | 0-9 |
1954 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1954 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.