🏈 The 1964 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
1964 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Alabama10-1
- Sep 19vsGeorgiaW31-3
- Sep 26vsTulaneW36-6
- Oct 3vsVanderbiltW24-0
- Oct 10vsNorth Carolina StateW21-0
- Oct 17atTennesseeW19-8
- Oct 24vs#9FloridaW17-14
- Oct 31atMississippi StateW23-6
- Nov 7vs#8LSUW17-9
- Nov 14at#10Georgia TechW24-7
- Nov 26atAuburnW21-14
- Jan 1vs#5TexasL17-21Orange Bowl
The 1964 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
The 1964 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 | Sep7 | 28 | Oct5 | 12 | 19 | 26 | Nov2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | Nov30final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Arkansas | 9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Notre Dame | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Michigan | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| Texas | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | ||
| LSU | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | |||
| Oregon State | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||
| Ohio State | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
| USC | 2 | 10 | |||||||||
| Florida State | 10 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||
| Syracuse | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||||
| Oregon | 7 | 10 | |||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 8 | 7 | 10 | ||||||||
| Florida | 9 | 10 | 9 | ||||||||
| Purdue | 10 | ||||||||||
| Illinois | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||
| Kentucky | 5 | ||||||||||
| Michigan State | 9 | ||||||||||
| Navy | 10 | 6 | |||||||||
| Auburn | 8 | 7 | |||||||||
| Washington | 7 | 10 | |||||||||
| Mississippi | 1 | ||||||||||
| Oklahoma | 2 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 7 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- ArkansasNR → #2
- Notre DameNR → #3
- MichiganNR → #4
- NebraskaNR → #6
- LSUNR → #7
Fallers
- Mississippi#1 → NR
- Oklahoma#2 → NR
- Illinois#3 → NR
- Washington#7 → NR
- Auburn#8 → NR
1964 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1964 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Nov 30 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AlabamaAPC | 1 | 10-0 |
| 2 | 2 | 10-0 | |
| 3 | 3 | 9-1 | |
| 4 | 4 | 8-1 | |
| 5 | 5 | 9-1 | |
| 6 | 6 | 9-1 | |
| 7 | 7 | 7-1-1 | |
| 8 | 8 | 8-2 | |
| 9 | 9 | 7-2 | |
| 10 | 10 | 7-3 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 20 | |||
| 20 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, zAPAP championCCoaches champion
The 1964 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1964 honoursHeisman: John Huarte
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Dick ButkusIllinois
- Tucker FredericksonAuburn
- Lawrence ElkinsBaylor
- Gale SayersKansas
- John HuarteNotre Dame
- Fred BiletnikoffFlorida State
- Jack SnowNotre Dame
Show all 5 positions
- Glenn ResslerPenn State
- Rick RedmanWashington
- Dick ButkusIllinois
- Tucker FredericksonAuburn
- Lawrence ElkinsBaylor
- Gale SayersKansas
- John HuarteNotre Dame
- Fred BiletnikoffFlorida State
- Jack SnowNotre Dame
- Glenn ResslerPenn State
- Rick RedmanWashington
The best games of 1964
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 196410 games
Upsets of 1964
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 196410 upsets
1964 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1964 standings by conference12 groups
AAWU
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon State★ conference champion | 3-1 | 8-3 | #8 |
| 2 | USC★ conference champion | 3-1 | 7-3 | #10 |
| 3 | Washington | 5-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | UCLA | 2-2 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | Stanford | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Oregon | 1-2-1 | 7-2-1 | |
| 7 | Washington State | 1-2-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 8 | California | 0-4 | 3-7 |
Atlantic Coast
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State★ conference champion | 5-2 | 5-5 | |
| 2 | Duke | 3-2-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 3 | Maryland | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | North Carolina | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Wake Forest | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | South Carolina | 2-3-1 | 3-5-2 | |
| 7 | Clemson | 2-4 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Virginia | 1-5 | 5-5 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-2 | #6 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 5-1-1 | 6-4-1 | |
| 3 | Kansas | 5-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Missouri | 4-2-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Kansas State | 3-4 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Colorado | 1-6 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Iowa State | 0-7 | 1-8-1 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-1 | #4 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 5-1 | 7-2 | #9 |
| 3 | Purdue | 5-2 | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Illinois | 4-3 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Minnesota | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Michigan State | 3-3 | 4-5 | |
| 7 | Northwestern | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 2-5 | 3-6 | |
| 9 | Iowa | 1-5 | 3-6 | |
| 10 | Indiana | 1-5 | 2-7 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princeton★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-0 | |
| 2 | Harvard | 5-2 | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Yale | 4-2-1 | 6-2-1 | |
| 4 | Dartmouth | 4-3 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Brown | 3-4 | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Cornell | 3-4 | 3-5-1 | |
| 7 | Columbia | 1-5-1 | 2-6-1 | |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 0-7 | 1-8 |
Mid-American
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowling Green★ conference champion | 5-1 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Marshall | 4-2 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Miami (OH) | 4-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 | Ohio | 3-2-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Western Michigan | 2-4 | 3-6 | |
| 6 | Kent State | 1-4-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 7 | Toledo | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Missouri Valley
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati★ conference champion | 3-0 | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Tulsa | 3-1 | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Wichita State | 2-2 | 4-6 | |
| 4 | North Texas | 1-3 | 2-7-1 | |
| 5 | Louisville | 0-3 | 1-9 |
Southeastern
11 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama★ conference champion | 8-0 | 10-1 | #1 |
| 2 | Florida | 4-2 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Kentucky | 4-2 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | LSU | 4-2-1 | 8-2-1 | #7 |
| 5 | Georgia | 3-2 | 7-3-1 | |
| 6 | Auburn | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 7 | Mississippi | 2-4-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 8 | Mississippi State | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 9 | Vanderbilt | 1-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 10 | Tennessee | 1-5-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 11 | Tulane | 1-4 | 3-7 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia★ conference champion | 5-0 | 7-4 | |
| 2 | Virginia Tech | 3-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | George Washington | 3-2 | 5-4 | |
| 4 | Citadel | 4-3 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | William & Mary | 4-3 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Richmond | 2-4 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Davidson | 1-3 | 3-6 | |
| 8 | Furman | 1-4 | 3-7 | |
| 9 | VMI | 1-4 | 1-9 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas★ conference champion | 7-0 | 11-0 | #2 |
| 2 | Texas | 6-1 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 3 | Baylor | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | Texas Tech | 3-3-1 | 6-4-1 | |
| 5 | Rice | 3-3-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 6 | TCU | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 1-6 | 1-9 | |
| 8 | SMU | 0-7 | 1-9 |
Western Athletic
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico★ conference champion | 3-1 | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Utah★ conference champion | 3-1 | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Arizona★ conference champion | 3-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 | Wyoming | 2-2 | 6-2-2 | |
| 5 | Arizona State | 0-2 | 8-2 | |
| 6 | BYU | 0-4 | 3-6-1 |
Independent
32 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame | - | 9-1 | #3 |
| 2 | Florida State | - | 9-1-1 | |
| 3 | Colgate | - | 7-2 | |
| 4 | Villanova | - | 6-2 | |
| 5 | Georgia Tech | - | 7-3 | |
| 6 | Boston College | - | 6-3 | |
| 7 | Rutgers | - | 6-3 | |
| 8 | Southern Mississippi | - | 6-3 | |
| 9 | Syracuse | - | 7-4 | |
| 10 | New Mexico State | - | 6-4 | |
| 11 | Penn State | - | 6-4 | |
| 12 | Memphis State | - | 5-4 | |
| 13 | Utah State | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 14 | Buffalo | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 15 | Holy Cross | - | 5-5 | |
| 16 | Colorado State | - | 5-6 | |
| 17 | Air Force | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 18 | Miami (FL) | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 19 | Xavier | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 20 | Army | - | 4-6 | |
| 21 | Idaho | - | 4-6 | |
| 22 | Pittsburgh | - | 3-5-2 | |
| 23 | San Jose State | - | 4-6 | |
| 24 | West Texas State | - | 4-6 | |
| 25 | Navy | - | 3-6-1 | |
| 26 | Dayton | - | 3-7 | |
| 27 | Detroit | - | 3-7 | |
| 28 | Houston | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 29 | Boston University | - | 2-7 | |
| 30 | Lehigh | - | 1-7-1 | |
| 31 | Pacific | - | 1-9 | |
| 32 | Texas Western | - | 0-8-2 |
1964 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1964 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.
1964 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1964 standings by conference22 groups
Big Sky
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho State | - | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Montana State | - | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Montana | - | 3-6 | |
| 4 | Weber State | - | 2-6 |
California CAA
3 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Beach State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | San Diego State | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Fresno State | - | 4-6 |
California Collegiate Athletic Association
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Poly-SLO | - | 0-10 |
Central IAA
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howard | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Morgan State | - | 7-2 | |
| 3 | North Carolina A&T | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 | North Carolina Central | - | 4-5 | |
| 5 | Delaware State | - | 3-7 | |
| 6 | Norfolk State | - | 2-5 | |
| 7 | Hampton | - | 1-8 |
Far Western
3 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento State | - | 8-2-1 | |
| 2 | UC Davis | - | 3-6 | |
| 3 | Nevada | - | 1-9 |
Gulf States
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana Tech | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | McNeese State | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | SE Louisiana | - | 6-3 | |
| 4 | LA-Lafayette | - | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Northwestern State | - | 4-5 | |
| 6 | LA-Monroe | - | 0-8 |
Indiana Collegiate
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana State | - | 6-2 | |
| 2 | Valparaiso | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Ball State | - | 5-3 | |
| 4 | Butler | - | 4-4 |
Interstate IAC
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Illinois | - | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Western Illinois | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Illinois State | - | 5-4 | |
| 4 | Central Michigan | - | 4-5 | |
| 5 | Eastern Illinois | - | 3-6 |
Lone Star
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston State | - | 9-1-1 | |
| 2 | Texas State | - | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Stephen F. Austin | - | 4-5 | |
| 4 | East Texas State | - | 2-7 |
Middle Atlantic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wagner | - | 10-0 |
Midwest Athletic Association
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Kentucky State | - | 7-3 |
Minnesota IAC
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Thomas | - | 3-6 |
Missouri IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SW Missouri State | - | 6-4 | |
| 2 | SE Missouri State | - | 5-5 |
North Central
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State | - | 10-1 | |
| 2 | North Dakota | - | 8-1 | |
| 3 | State College of Iowa | - | 9-2 | |
| 4 | South Dakota | - | 3-6 | |
| 5 | South Dakota State | - | 2-8 |
Ohio Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron | - | 6-3 |
Ohio Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Peay | - | 8-1-1 | |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee State | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 3 | Western Kentucky | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 | Morehead State | - | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Murray State | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | East Tennessee State | - | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Eastern Kentucky | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 8 | Tennessee Tech | - | 1-9 |
Presidents' Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Michigan | - | 4-3 |
Rocky Mountain
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Colorado | - | 4-5 |
Southland
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas State | - | 7-0-2 | |
| 2 | Lamar | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | Abilene Christian | - | 5-5 | |
| 4 | Arlington State | - | 3-6-1 |
Southwestern Athletic
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairie View | - | 9-0 | |
| 2 | Grambling | - | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Jackson State | - | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Alcorn A&M | - | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | - | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Texas Southern | - | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Southern | - | 4-6 |
Yankee
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Maine | - | 5-3 | |
| 3 | Connecticut | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 4 | Rhode Island | - | 3-7 | |
| 5 | New Hampshire | - | 1-6-1 |
Independent
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Carolina | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Santa Clara | - | 7-2 | |
| 3 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Drake | - | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Mississippi Valley State | - | 5-4 | |
| 6 | Northern Arizona | - | 5-4 | |
| 7 | Howard (AL) | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 8 | Hawaii | - | 4-5 | |
| 9 | Tampa | - | 4-6 | |
| 10 | Southern Illinois | - | 2-8 |
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.