🏈 The 1962 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
1962 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, USC11-0
- Sep 22vs#8DukeW14-7
- Sep 29atSMUW33-3
- Oct 6atIowaW7-0
- Oct 20vsCaliforniaW32-6
- Oct 27atIllinoisW28-16
- Nov 3vs#9WashingtonW14-0
- Nov 10atStanfordW39-14
- Nov 17vsNavyW13-6
- Nov 24atUCLAW14-3
- Dec 1vsNotre DameW25-0
- Jan 1vs#2WisconsinW42-37Rose Bowl
The 1962 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
The 1962 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 | Sep10 | 24 | Oct1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | Nov5 | 12 | 19 | 26 | Dec3final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Mississippi | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Texas | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Alabama | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Arkansas | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||
| LSU | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| Oklahoma | 10 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| Penn State | 9 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 9 | |||||
| Minnesota | 10 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 10 | |||||||
| Missouri | 10 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||
| Northwestern | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | |||||||
| Michigan State | 4 | 6 | 10 | 7 | ||||||||
| Washington | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | ||||||
| Auburn | 10 | |||||||||||
| Ohio State | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | |||||||
| Purdue | 7 | 9 | ||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 8 | 5 | ||||||||||
| Miami (FL) | 9 | |||||||||||
| Army | 10 | |||||||||||
| Duke | 8 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 10 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Fallers
- Ohio State#1 → NR
- Michigan State#4 → NR
- Purdue#7 → NR
- Duke#8 → NR
- Washington#10 → NR
1962 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1962 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Dec 3 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USCAPC | 1 | 10-0 |
| 2 | 2 | 8-1 | |
| 3 | 3 | 9-0 | |
| 4 | 4 | 9-0-1 | |
| 5 | 5 | 9-1 | |
| 6 | 6 | 9-1 | |
| 7 | 8 | 8-1-1 | |
| 8 | 7 | 8-2 | |
| 9 | 9 | 9-1 | |
| 10 | 10 | 6-2-1 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 18 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1962 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1962 honoursHeisman: Terry Baker
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Lee Roy Jordan★ unanimousAlabama
- Jerry Stovall★ unanimousLSU
- George SaimesMichigan State
- Mel RenfroOregon
- Terry Baker★ unanimousOregon State
Show all 5 positions
- Jack CverckoNorthwestern
- Johnny Treadwell★ unanimousTexas
- Bobby Bell★ unanimousMinnesota
- Jim DunawayMississippi
- Lee Roy Jordan★ unanimousAlabama
- Jerry Stovall★ unanimousLSU
- George SaimesMichigan State
- Mel RenfroOregon
- Terry Baker★ unanimousOregon State
- Jack CverckoNorthwestern
- Johnny Treadwell★ unanimousTexas
- Bobby Bell★ unanimousMinnesota
- Jim DunawayMississippi
The best games of 1962
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 196210 games
Upsets of 1962
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 196210 upsets
1962 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1962 standings by conference12 groups
AAWU
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC★ conference champion | 4-0 | 11-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Washington | 4-1 | 7-1-2 | |
| 3 | Washington State | 1-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 | Stanford | 2-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | UCLA | 1-3 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | California | 0-4 | 1-9 |
Atlantic Coast
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke★ conference champion | 6-0 | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Clemson | 5-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Maryland | 5-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | South Carolina | 3-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 5 | North Carolina State | 3-4 | 3-6-1 | |
| 6 | North Carolina | 3-4 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Virginia | 1-4 | 5-5 | |
| 8 | Wake Forest | 0-7 | 0-10 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma★ conference champion | 7-0 | 8-3 | #8 |
| 2 | Missouri | 5-1-1 | 8-1-2 | |
| 3 | Nebraska | 5-2 | 9-2 | |
| 4 | Kansas | 4-2-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 | Iowa State | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Oklahoma State | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Colorado | 1-6 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Kansas State | 0-7 | 0-10 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-2 | #2 |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5-2 | 6-2-1 | #10 |
| 3 | Northwestern | 4-2 | 7-2 | |
| 4 | Ohio State | 4-2 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Michigan State | 3-3 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Purdue | 3-3 | 4-4-1 | |
| 7 | Iowa | 3-3 | 4-5 | |
| 8 | Illinois | 2-5 | 2-7 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 1-5 | 3-6 | |
| 10 | Michigan | 1-6 | 2-7 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartmouth★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-0 | |
| 2 | Harvard | 5-2 | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Columbia | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 4 | Princeton | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Cornell | 4-3 | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Yale | 1-5-1 | 2-5-2 | |
| 8 | Brown | 0-6-1 | 1-6-2 |
Mid-American
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowling Green★ conference champion | 5-0-1 | 7-1-1 | |
| 2 | Ohio | 5-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Miami (OH) | 3-1-1 | 8-2-1 | |
| 4 | Western Michigan | 3-3 | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Kent State | 2-4 | 3-6 | |
| 6 | Toledo | 1-5 | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Marshall | 0-5 | 4-6 |
Missouri Valley
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa★ conference champion | 3-0 | 5-5 | |
| 2 | North Texas | 2-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 1-2 | 2-8 | |
| 4 | Wichita | 0-3 | 3-7 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi★ conference champion | 6-0 | 10-0 | #3 |
| 2 | Alabama | 6-1 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 3 | LSU | 5-1 | 9-1-1 | #7 |
| 4 | Georgia Tech | 5-2 | 7-3-1 | |
| 5 | Florida | 4-2 | 7-4 | |
| 6 | Auburn | 4-3 | 6-3-1 | |
| 7 | Georgia | 2-3-1 | 3-4-3 | |
| 8 | Kentucky | 2-3-1 | 3-5-2 | |
| 9 | Mississippi State | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 10 | Tennessee | 2-6 | 4-6 | |
| 11 | Vanderbilt | 1-6 | 1-9 | |
| 12 | Tulane | 0-7 | 0-10 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 4-0 | 8-2 | |
| 2 | VMI★ conference champion | 6-0 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Richmond | 3-2 | 6-3 | |
| 4 | William & Mary | 4-3-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 5 | Furman | 2-2 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Virginia Tech | 2-3 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Citadel | 1-4 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | George Washington | 1-5 | 3-7 | |
| 9 | Davidson | 0-4-1 | 3-5-1 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas★ conference champion | 6-0-1 | 9-1-1 | #4 |
| 2 | Arkansas | 6-1 | 9-2 | #6 |
| 3 | TCU | 5-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Baylor | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 3-4 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | Rice | 2-4-1 | 2-6-2 | |
| 7 | SMU | 2-5 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Texas Tech | 0-7 | 1-9 |
Western Athletic
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico★ conference champion | 2-1-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 | Arizona State | 1-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 3 | Arizona | 2-2 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | Wyoming | 2-2 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | BYU | 2-2 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Utah | 1-2-1 | 4-5-1 |
Independent
34 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis State | - | 8-1 | |
| 2 | Oregon State | - | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Penn State | - | 9-2 | #9 |
| 4 | West Texas State | - | 9-2 | |
| 5 | Boston College | - | 8-2 | |
| 6 | Utah State | - | 8-2 | |
| 7 | Villanova | - | 7-3 | |
| 8 | Buffalo | - | 6-3 | |
| 9 | Oregon | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 10 | Houston | - | 7-4 | |
| 11 | Miami (FL) | - | 7-4 | |
| 12 | Army | - | 6-4 | |
| 13 | Holy Cross | - | 6-4 | |
| 14 | Louisville | - | 6-4 | |
| 15 | Xavier | - | 6-4 | |
| 16 | Florida State | - | 4-3-3 | |
| 17 | Air Force | - | 5-5 | |
| 18 | Montana | - | 5-5 | |
| 19 | Navy | - | 5-5 | |
| 20 | Notre Dame | - | 5-5 | |
| 21 | Pacific | - | 5-5 | |
| 22 | Pittsburgh | - | 5-5 | |
| 23 | Rutgers | - | 5-5 | |
| 24 | Syracuse | - | 5-5 | |
| 25 | Texas Western | - | 4-5 | |
| 26 | New Mexico State | - | 4-6 | |
| 27 | Colgate | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 28 | Idaho | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 29 | San Jose State | - | 2-8-1 | |
| 30 | Boston University | - | 2-7 | |
| 31 | Dayton | - | 2-8 | |
| 32 | Detroit | - | 1-8 | |
| 33 | Hardin-Simmons | - | 1-9 | |
| 34 | Colorado State | - | 0-10 |
1962 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1962 bowls10 bowls
College Division. Shown for context. These seasons do not count in this hub’s major-college records.
Champion
College Division national champion.
No playoff. Small-college champions were picked by the AP and UPI polls.
1962 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1962 standings by conference20 groups
California CAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Fresno State | - | 7-3 |
California Collegiate Athletic Association
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Poly-SLO | - | 4-5 |
Central IAA
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | North Carolina A&T | - | 7-3 | |
| 3 | North Carolina Central | - | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Norfolk State | - | 5-3 | |
| 5 | Delaware State | - | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Hampton | - | 3-6 | |
| 7 | Howard | - | 1-8 |
Far Western
3 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 2 | UC Davis | - | 5-4 | |
| 3 | Sacramento State | - | 2-7 |
Gulf States
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern State | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 | McNeese State | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 3 | SE Louisiana | - | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Louisiana Tech | - | 4-4 | |
| 5 | LA-Lafayette | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 6 | LA-Monroe | - | 2-6 |
Indiana Collegiate
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Butler | - | 5-2-2 | |
| 2 | Valparaiso | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Indiana State | - | 5-3 | |
| 4 | Ball State | - | 4-3-1 |
Interstate IAC
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Illinois | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Western Illinois | - | 5-3 | |
| 3 | Central Michigan | - | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Illinois State | - | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Eastern Illinois | - | 1-7 |
Lone Star
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Lamar | - | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Sam Houston State | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 4 | East Texas State | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Stephen F. Austin | - | 1-9 |
Middle Atlantic
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Chester | - | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Wagner | - | 4-4-1 |
Midwest Athletic Association
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee State | - | 1-7-1 |
Minnesota IAC
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Thomas | - | 6-3 |
Missouri IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SE Missouri State | - | 7-3 | |
| 2 | SW Missouri State | - | 5-3-1 |
North Central
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State College of Iowa | - | 7-1-1 | |
| 2 | South Dakota State | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 3 | North Dakota | - | 5-4 | |
| 4 | South Dakota | - | 1-9 | |
| 5 | North Dakota State | - | 0-10 |
Ohio Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron | - | 7-2 |
Ohio Valley
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Tennessee State | - | 7-3 | |
| 2 | Eastern Kentucky | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Morehead State | - | 5-3 | |
| 4 | Western Kentucky | - | 5-3 | |
| 5 | Middle Tennessee State | - | 6-4 | |
| 6 | Murray State | - | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Tennessee Tech | - | 2-8 |
Rocky Mountain
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Colorado | - | 3-6 |
Southern IAC
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida A&M | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Alabama A&M | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Bethune-Cookman | - | 7-2 | |
| 4 | South Carolina State | - | 5-3 | |
| 5 | Alabama State | - | 0-8 |
Southwestern Athletic
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State | - | 10-1 | |
| 2 | Grambling | - | 6-2-2 | |
| 3 | Texas Southern | - | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Prairie View | - | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Southern | - | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 7 | Alcorn A&M | - | 4-5 |
Yankee
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | - | 7-0-1 | |
| 2 | Massachusetts | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Maine | - | 4-4 | |
| 4 | Connecticut | - | 3-6 | |
| 5 | Rhode Island | - | 2-5-2 |
Independent
17 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Mississippi | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Drake | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Hawaii | - | 6-2 | |
| 4 | Montana State | - | 7-3 | |
| 5 | Arkansas State | - | 6-3 | |
| 6 | Abilene Christian | - | 6-4 | |
| 7 | East Carolina | - | 5-4 | |
| 8 | Weber State | - | 5-4 | |
| 9 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 5-5 | |
| 10 | Findlay | - | 4-5 | |
| 11 | Tampa | - | 3-4-2 | |
| 12 | Arlington State | - | 4-6 | |
| 13 | Southern Illinois | - | 4-6 | |
| 14 | Idaho State | - | 3-6 | |
| 15 | Eastern Michigan | - | 2-5 | |
| 16 | Mississippi Valley State | - | 2-5 | |
| 17 | Santa Clara | - | 2-6 |
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.