🏈 The 1963 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
1963 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The 1963 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
The 1963 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 | Sep9 | 23 | 30 | Oct7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | Nov4 | 11 | 18 | 25 | Dec2 | Dec9final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Navy | 9 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Illinois | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | |
| Auburn | 8 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | |||||
| Nebraska | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| Mississippi | 2 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | |
| Alabama | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 8 |
| Michigan State | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 9 | |||||||
| Oklahoma | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| Ohio State | 10 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||
| Wisconsin | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||||||
| Northwestern | 6 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 9 | ||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 9 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||
| USC | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | |||||||||
| Penn State | 9 | ||||||||||||
| Arkansas | 8 | 8 | |||||||||||
| Washington | 10 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 9 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- IllinoisNR → #3
- PittsburghNR → #4
- AuburnNR → #5
- NebraskaNR → #6
- Michigan StateNR → #9
Fallers
- USC#1 → NR
- Northwestern#6 → NR
- Wisconsin#7 → NR
- Arkansas#8 → NR
- Ohio State#10 → NR
1963 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1963 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
AP Dec 9, Coaches Dec 2 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TexasAPC | 1 | 10-0 |
| 2 | 2 | 9-1 | |
| 3 | 4 | 7-1-1 | |
| 4 | 3 | 9-1 | |
| 5 | 6 | 9-1 | |
| 6 | 5 | 9-1 | |
| 7 | 7 | 7-0-2 | |
| 8 | 9 | 8-2 | |
| 9 | 10 | 6-2-1 | |
| 10 | 8 | 8-2 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 19 | |||
| 20 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1963 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1963 honoursHeisman: Roger Staubach
Heisman Trophy voting
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Dick Butkus★ unanimousIllinois
- Gale SayersKansas
- Sherman LewisMichigan State
- Roger Staubach★ unanimousNavy
- Jim GrishamOklahoma
- Paul MarthaPittsburgh
- Lawrence ElkinsBaylor
- Vern BurkeOregon State
Show all 5 positions
- Bob Brown★ unanimousNebraska
- Rick RedmanWashington
- Dick Butkus★ unanimousIllinois
- Gale SayersKansas
- Sherman LewisMichigan State
- Roger Staubach★ unanimousNavy
- Jim GrishamOklahoma
- Paul MarthaPittsburgh
- Lawrence ElkinsBaylor
- Vern BurkeOregon State
- Bob Brown★ unanimousNebraska
- Rick RedmanWashington
The best games of 1963
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 196310 games
Upsets of 1963
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 196310 upsets
1963 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1963 standings by conference12 groups
AAWU
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington★ conference champion | 4-1 | 6-5 | |
| 2 | USC | 3-1 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Washington State | 1-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 4 | UCLA | 2-2 | 2-8 | |
| 5 | California | 1-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 6 | Stanford | 1-4 | 3-7 |
Atlantic Coast
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-2 | |
| 2 | North Carolina State★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Clemson | 5-2 | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 | Duke | 5-2 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Maryland | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | South Carolina | 1-5-1 | 1-8-1 | |
| 7 | Wake Forest | 1-5 | 1-9 | |
| 8 | Virginia | 0-5-1 | 2-7-1 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska★ conference champion | 7-0 | 10-1 | #6 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 6-1 | 8-2 | #9 |
| 3 | Missouri | 5-2 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Kansas | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Iowa State | 3-4 | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Colorado | 2-5 | 2-8 | |
| 7 | Kansas State | 1-5 | 2-7 | |
| 8 | Oklahoma State | 0-6 | 1-8 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois★ conference champion | 5-1-1 | 8-1-1 | #3 |
| 2 | Michigan State | 4-1-1 | 6-2-1 | #10 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 4-1-1 | 5-3-1 | |
| 4 | Purdue | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Northwestern | 3-4 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 3-4 | 5-4 | |
| 7 | Michigan | 2-3-2 | 3-4-2 | |
| 8 | Iowa | 2-3-1 | 3-3-2 | |
| 9 | Minnesota | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 10 | Indiana | 1-5 | 3-6 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartmouth★ conference champion | 5-2 | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Princeton★ conference champion | 5-2 | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Harvard | 4-2-1 | 5-2-2 | |
| 4 | Yale | 4-3 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Cornell | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Columbia | 2-4-1 | 4-4-1 | |
| 7 | Brown | 2-5 | 3-5 | |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 1-6 | 3-6 |
Mid-American
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio★ conference champion | 5-1 | 6-4 | |
| 2 | Miami (OH) | 4-1-1 | 5-3-2 | |
| 3 | Bowling Green | 4-2 | 8-2 | |
| 4 | Marshall | 3-2-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Western Michigan | 2-4 | 2-7 | |
| 6 | Kent State | 1-5 | 3-5-1 | |
| 7 | Toledo | 1-5 | 2-7 |
Missouri Valley
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wichita★ conference champion | 3-1 | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Cincinnati★ conference champion | 2-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Tulsa | 2-2 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | North Texas | 2-2 | 3-6 | |
| 5 | Louisville | 0-3 | 3-7 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn | 6-1 | 9-2 | #5 |
| 2 | Mississippi★ conference champion | 5-1-1 | 7-1-2 | #7 |
| 3 | Alabama | 7-2 | 9-2 | #8 |
| 4 | Mississippi State | 4-1-2 | 7-2-2 | |
| 5 | LSU | 4-2 | 7-4 | |
| 6 | Georgia Tech | 4-3 | 7-3 | |
| 7 | Florida | 3-3-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 8 | Tennessee | 3-5 | 5-5 | |
| 9 | Georgia | 2-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 0-5-2 | 1-7-2 | |
| 11 | Kentucky | 0-5-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 12 | Tulane | 0-6-1 | 1-8-1 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Tech★ conference champion | 5-0 | 8-2 | |
| 2 | West Virginia | 3-1 | 4-6 | |
| 3 | VMI | 3-1-2 | 3-5-2 | |
| 4 | Furman | 3-2 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | William & Mary | 4-4 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Richmond | 2-2-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 7 | Citadel | 2-4 | 4-6 | |
| 8 | George Washington | 1-5 | 2-7 | |
| 9 | Davidson | 0-4-1 | 1-5-2 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas★ conference champion | 7-0 | 11-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Baylor | 6-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Rice | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | TCU | 2-4-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 6 | Texas Tech | 2-5 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | SMU | 2-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 1-5-1 | 2-7-1 |
Western Athletic
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State | 3-0 | 8-1 | |
| 2 | New Mexico★ conference champion | 3-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Arizona | 2-2 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | Utah | 2-2 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | Wyoming | 2-3 | 6-4 | |
| 6 | BYU | 0-4 | 2-8 |
Independent
33 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis State | - | 9-0-1 | |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | - | 9-1 | #4 |
| 3 | Navy | - | 9-2 | #2 |
| 4 | Syracuse | - | 8-2 | |
| 5 | Utah State | - | 8-2 | |
| 6 | Oregon | - | 8-3 | |
| 7 | Army | - | 7-3 | |
| 8 | Penn State | - | 7-3 | |
| 9 | Boston College | - | 6-3 | |
| 10 | Air Force | - | 7-4 | |
| 11 | Buffalo | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 12 | Southern Mississippi | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 13 | Idaho | - | 5-4 | |
| 14 | Villanova | - | 5-4 | |
| 15 | Xavier | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 16 | Oregon State | - | 5-5 | |
| 17 | San Jose State | - | 5-5 | |
| 18 | West Texas State | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 19 | Florida State | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 20 | Colgate | - | 3-4-1 | |
| 21 | New Mexico State | - | 3-6-1 | |
| 22 | Rutgers | - | 3-6 | |
| 23 | Colorado State | - | 3-7 | |
| 24 | Miami (FL) | - | 3-7 | |
| 25 | Texas Western | - | 3-7 | |
| 26 | Detroit | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 27 | Holy Cross | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 28 | Notre Dame | - | 2-7 | |
| 29 | Dayton | - | 1-7-2 | |
| 30 | Houston | - | 2-8 | |
| 31 | Pacific | - | 2-8 | |
| 32 | Boston University | - | 1-6-1 | |
| 33 | Lehigh | - | 1-8 |
1963 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1963 bowls8 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.
1963 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1963 standings by conference20 groups
Big Sky
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana State | - | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Weber State | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Idaho State | - | 5-3 | |
| 4 | Montana | - | 1-9 |
California CAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego State | - | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Fresno State | - | 4-6 |
California Collegiate Athletic Association
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Poly-SLO | - | 2-8 |
Central IAA
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan State | - | 8-1 | |
| 2 | North Carolina Central | - | 8-1 | |
| 3 | North Carolina A&T | - | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Norfolk State | - | 4-4 | |
| 5 | Hampton | - | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Howard | - | 4-5 | |
| 7 | Delaware State | - | 2-5-1 |
Far Western
3 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento State | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 2 | UC Davis | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 3 | Nevada | - | 3-6 |
Gulf States
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McNeese State | - | 8-0 | |
| 2 | Louisiana Tech | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | SE Louisiana | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 4 | SW Louisiana | - | 4-5 | |
| 5 | LA-Monroe | - | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Northwestern State | - | 4-6 |
Indiana Collegiate
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Butler | - | 8-1 | |
| 2 | Ball State | - | 5-3 | |
| 3 | Indiana State | - | 4-4 | |
| 4 | Valparaiso | - | 3-5 |
Interstate IAC
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Illinois | - | 10-0 | |
| 2 | Western Illinois | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Central Michigan | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 4 | Illinois State | - | 3-6 | |
| 5 | Eastern Illinois | - | 2-7 |
Lone Star
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas State | - | 10-0 | |
| 2 | East Texas State | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 3 | Stephen F. Austin | - | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Sam Houston State | - | 4-3-1 |
Middle Atlantic
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Chester | - | 7-1 | |
| 2 | Wagner | - | 6-3 |
Midwest Athletic Association
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee State | - | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Kentucky State | - | 5-4 |
Minnesota IAC
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Thomas | - | 4-5 |
Missouri IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SW Missouri State | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | SE Missouri State | - | 4-6 |
North Central
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota State | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | North Dakota | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | State College of Iowa | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 4 | North Dakota State | - | 3-5 | |
| 5 | South Dakota | - | 1-7 |
Ohio Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron | - | 6-3 |
Ohio Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Kentucky | - | 10-0-1 | |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee State | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | East Tennessee State | - | 7-2 | |
| 4 | Tennessee Tech | - | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Morehead State | - | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Murray State | - | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Eastern Kentucky | - | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Austin Peay | - | 1-9 |
Rocky Mountain
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Colorado | - | 4-5 |
Southwestern Athletic
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairie View | - | 10-1 | |
| 2 | Southern | - | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Texas Southern | - | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Grambling | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 5 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | Jackson State | - | 4-5 | |
| 7 | Alcorn A&M | - | 3-7 |
Yankee
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | - | 8-0-1 | |
| 2 | Maine | - | 5-3 | |
| 3 | Rhode Island | - | 4-5 | |
| 4 | Connecticut | - | 2-6 | |
| 5 | New Hampshire | - | 2-6 |
Independent
15 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Carolina | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Abilene Christian | - | 8-1 | |
| 3 | Mississippi Valley State | - | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Northern Arizona | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 5 | Lamar | - | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Drake | - | 4-4 | |
| 7 | Hawaii | - | 5-5 | |
| 8 | Northern Michigan | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 9 | Tampa | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 10 | Southern Illinois | - | 4-5 | |
| 11 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 4-6 | |
| 12 | Hardin-Simmons | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 13 | Arkansas State | - | 2-6 | |
| 14 | Eastern Michigan | - | 2-6 | |
| 15 | Arlington State | - | 1-8 |
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.