🏈 The 1960 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
1960 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Minnesota8-2
- Sep 24at#12NebraskaW26-14
- Oct 1vsIndianaW42-0
- Oct 8vsNorthwesternW7-0
- Oct 15vsIllinoisW21-10
- Oct 22atMichiganW10-0
- Oct 29vsKansas StateW48-7
- Nov 5vs#1IowaW27-10
- Nov 12vsPurdueL14-23
- Nov 19atWisconsinW26-7
- Jan 2vs#6WashingtonL7-17Rose Bowl
The 1960 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 2#10Duke7#7Arkansas6
- Orange BowlJan 2#5Missouri21#4Navy14
- Rose BowlJan 2#6Washington17#1Minnesota7
- Sugar BowlJan 2#2Mississippi14Rice6
The 1960 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 | Sep5 | 19 | 26 | Oct3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 31 | Nov7 | 14 | 21 | Nov28final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 18 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Mississippi | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Iowa | 15 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Navy | 17 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | ||
| Missouri | 16 | 19 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| Washington | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Arkansas | 19 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | ||
| Ohio State | 16 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Alabama | 5 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 9 | |||||
| Duke | 15 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 10 | ||||||
| Kansas | 7 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 19 | 10 | 11 | ||||
| Baylor | 20 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 12 | |||||
| Auburn | 12 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 13 | ||||
| Yale | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | ||||||||
| Michigan State | 8 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | |
| Penn State | 19 | 11 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 16 | ||||||
| New Mexico State | 18 | 20 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | ||||||
| Florida | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | |||||||
| Syracuse | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 19 |
| Purdue | 7 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 19 | |||||||
| Rice | 20 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 12 | ||||||
| UCLA | 8 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 11 | ||||
| Oregon | 19 | |||||||||||
| Pittsburgh | 7 | 17 | 14 | 12 | ||||||||
| Tennessee | 18 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 14 | ||||||
| Utah State | 18 | 19 | ||||||||||
| Colorado | 18 | |||||||||||
| Oregon State | 10 | 17 | 18 | 15 | ||||||||
| Wisconsin | 12 | 11 | ||||||||||
| Texas | 4 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 15 | ||||||
| Clemson | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |||||||
| Arizona State | 18 | |||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 13 | 10 | 19 | |||||||||
| Illinois | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| Army | 18 | |||||||||||
| Northwestern | 14 | 14 | 6 | |||||||||
| Notre Dame | 17 | 12 | ||||||||||
| Nebraska | 12 | |||||||||||
| LSU | 18 | |||||||||||
| USC | 6 | |||||||||||
| Oklahoma | 10 | |||||||||||
| TCU | 11 | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 13 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
1960 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1960 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Nov 28 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MinnesotaAPC | 1 | 8-1 |
| 2 | 3 | 9-0-1 | |
| 3 | 2 | 8-1 | |
| 4 | 6 | 9-1 | |
| 5 | 4 | 9-1 | |
| 6 | 5 | 9-1 | |
| 7 | 7 | 8-2 | |
| 8 | 8 | 7-2 | |
| 9 | 9 | 8-1-1 | |
| 10 | 12 | 7-2 | |
| 11 | 9 | 7-2-1 | |
| 12 | 11 | 8-2 | |
| 13 | 14 | 8-2 | |
| 14 | 18 | 9-0 | |
| 15 | 13 | 6-2-1 | |
| 16 | 6-3 | ||
| 17 | 18 | 10-0 | |
| 18 | 16 | 8-2 | |
| 19 | 15 | 4-4-1 | |
| 19 | 7-2 | ||
| Coaches only | |||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1960 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1960 honoursHeisman: Joe Bellino
Heisman Trophy voting
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- E.J. HolubTexas Tech
- Jake Gibbs★ unanimousMississippi
- Joe Bellino★ unanimousNavy
- Bob Ferguson★ unanimousOhio State
- Ernie DavisSyracuse
- Danny LaRose★ unanimousMissouri
- Mike Ditka★ unanimousPittsburgh
- E.J. HolubTexas Tech
- Jake Gibbs★ unanimousMississippi
- Joe Bellino★ unanimousNavy
- Bob Ferguson★ unanimousOhio State
- Ernie DavisSyracuse
- Danny LaRose★ unanimousMissouri
- Mike Ditka★ unanimousPittsburgh
The best games of 1960
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 196010 games
Upsets of 1960
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 196010 upsets
1960 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1960 standings by conference12 groups
AAWU
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington★ conference champion | 4-0 | 10-1 | #6 |
| 2 | USC | 3-1 | 4-6 | |
| 3 | UCLA | 2-2 | 7-2-1 | |
| 4 | California | 1-3 | 2-7-1 | |
| 5 | Stanford | 0-4 | 0-10 |
Atlantic Coast
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke★ conference champion | 5-1 | 8-3 | #10 |
| 2 | North Carolina State | 4-1-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | Maryland | 5-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Clemson | 4-2 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | South Carolina | 3-3-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 6 | North Carolina | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Wake Forest | 2-5 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Virginia | 0-6 | 0-10 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 6-0-1 | 7-2-1 | #11 |
| 2 | Missouri★ conference champion | 6-1 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 3 | Colorado | 5-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Iowa State | 4-3 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 2-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 6 | Nebraska | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Oklahoma State | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Kansas State | 0-7 | 1-9 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-2 | #1 |
| 2 | Iowa★ conference champion | 5-1 | 8-1 | #3 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 5-2 | 7-2 | #8 |
| 4 | Michigan State | 4-2 | 6-2-1 | #15 |
| 5 | Illinois | 3-4 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Michigan | 3-4 | 5-4 | |
| 7 | Northwestern | 3-4 | 5-4 | |
| 8 | Purdue | 3-4 | 4-4-1 | #19 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 2-5 | 4-5 | |
| 10 | Indiana | 0-7 | 1-8 |
Border
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico State★ conference champion | 4-0 | 11-0 | #17 |
| 2 | Arizona | 3-0 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Arizona State | 3-2 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Texas Western | 2-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 5 | West Texas State | 1-4 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | Hardin-Simmons | 0-4 | 0-10 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-0 | #14 |
| 2 | Princeton | 6-1 | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Dartmouth | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 4 | Harvard | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Columbia | 3-4 | 3-6 | |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Brown | 1-6 | 3-6 | |
| 8 | Cornell | 1-6 | 2-7 |
Missouri Valley
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wichita★ conference champion | 3-0 | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Tulsa | 2-1 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 1-2 | 4-6 | |
| 4 | North Texas | 0-3 | 2-6-1 |
Skyline
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah State★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Wyoming★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Utah | 5-1 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | New Mexico | 4-2 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Montana | 2-5 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | BYU | 2-5 | 3-8 | |
| 7 | Denver | 1-6 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Colorado State | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi★ conference champion | 5-0-1 | 10-0-1 | #2 |
| 2 | Florida | 5-1 | 9-2 | #18 |
| 3 | Alabama | 5-1-1 | 8-1-2 | #9 |
| 4 | Auburn | 5-2 | 8-2 | #13 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 3-2-2 | 6-2-2 | |
| 6 | Georgia | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 7 | Georgia Tech | 4-4 | 5-5 | |
| 8 | LSU | 2-3-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 9 | Kentucky | 2-4-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 10 | Tulane | 1-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 11 | Mississippi State | 0-5-1 | 2-6-1 | |
| 12 | Vanderbilt | 0-7 | 3-7 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VMI★ conference champion | 4-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 | Citadel | 4-2 | 8-2-1 | |
| 3 | George Washington | 4-2 | 5-3-1 | |
| 4 | Virginia Tech | 4-2 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Furman | 2-2 | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | Richmond | 3-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 7 | Davidson | 1-3 | 3-5 | |
| 8 | William & Mary | 1-5 | 2-8 | |
| 9 | West Virginia | 0-2-1 | 0-8-2 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-3 | #7 |
| 2 | Baylor | 5-2 | 8-3 | #12 |
| 3 | Texas | 5-2 | 7-3-1 | |
| 4 | Rice | 5-2 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | TCU | 3-3-1 | 4-4-2 | |
| 6 | Texas Tech | 1-5-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 0-4-3 | 1-6-3 | |
| 8 | SMU | 0-6-1 | 0-9-1 |
Independent
27 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rutgers | - | 8-1 | |
| 2 | Navy | - | 9-2 | #4 |
| 3 | Memphis State | - | 8-2 | |
| 4 | Detroit | - | 7-2 | |
| 5 | Syracuse | - | 7-2 | #19 |
| 6 | Penn State | - | 7-3 | #16 |
| 7 | Oregon | - | 7-3-1 | |
| 8 | Army | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 9 | Oregon State | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 10 | Holy Cross | - | 6-4 | |
| 11 | Houston | - | 6-4 | |
| 12 | Miami (FL) | - | 6-4 | |
| 13 | San Jose State | - | 5-4 | |
| 14 | Pittsburgh | - | 4-3-3 | |
| 15 | Xavier | - | 5-5 | |
| 16 | Washington State | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 17 | Air Force | - | 4-6 | |
| 18 | Boston University | - | 3-5-2 | |
| 19 | Pacific | - | 4-6 | |
| 20 | Boston College | - | 3-6-1 | |
| 21 | Florida State | - | 3-6-1 | |
| 22 | Marquette | - | 3-6 | |
| 23 | Colgate | - | 2-7 | |
| 24 | Notre Dame | - | 2-8 | |
| 25 | Villanova | - | 2-8 | |
| 26 | Dayton | - | 1-9 | |
| 27 | Idaho | - | 1-9 |
1960 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1960 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.