🏈 The 1965 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
1965 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path10-1
- Sep 18vsUCLAW13-3
- Sep 25atPenn StateW23-0
- Oct 2vsIllinoisW22-12
- Oct 9atMichiganW24-7
- Oct 16vsOhio StateW32-7
- Oct 23at#6PurdueW14-10
- Oct 30vsNorthwesternW49-7
- Nov 6atIowaW35-0
- Nov 13vsIndianaW27-13
- Nov 20at#4Notre DameW12-3
- Jan 1vs#5UCLAL12-14Rose Bowl
The 1965 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
The 1965 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
- Regular season ends
- Bowl season
Tap or drag on the chart to read a team's rank in any week.
AP rank, team by week
| Team | Sep6 | 20 | 27 | Oct4 | 11 | 18 | 25 | Nov1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | Jan3final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | |||||
| Michigan State | 9 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Arkansas | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| UCLA | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | |||||||
| Nebraska | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Missouri | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| Tennessee | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| LSU | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 8 | |||||||
| Notre Dame | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
| USC | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | ||
| Texas Tech | 9 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||||
| Florida | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | |||||||
| Kentucky | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Purdue | 9 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||||||
| Texas | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | ||||||
| Georgia | 10 | 4 | 5 | 10 | |||||||||
| Mississippi State | 9 | 10 | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 4 | 4 | 7 | ||||||||||
| Syracuse | 9 | ||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 10 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 6 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- Michigan StateNR → #2
- UCLANR → #4
- MissouriNR → #6
- TennesseeNR → #7
- Alabama#5 → #1
Fallers
- Texas#2 → NR
- Michigan#4 → NR
- Purdue#9 → NR
- Ohio State#10 → NR
- Notre Dame#3 → #9
1965 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1965 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
AP Jan 3, Coaches Nov 29 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AlabamaAP | 4 | 9-1-1 |
| 2 | 1 | 10-1 | |
| 3 | 2 | 10-1 | |
| 4 | 5 | 8-2-1 | |
| 5 | 3 | 10-1 | |
| 6 | 6 | 8-2-1 | |
| 7 | 7 | 8-1-2 | |
| 8 | 14 | 8-3 | |
| 9 | 8 | 7-2-1 | |
| 10 | 9 | 7-2-1 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 10 | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 15 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | |||
| 20 | |||
The coaches final came out before the bowls; the AP final after.
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1965 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1965 honoursHeisman: Mike Garrett
Heisman Trophy voting
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Bob GriesePurdue
- Paul CraneAlabama
- Bubba SmithMichigan State
- Aaron BrownMinnesota
Show all 10 positions
- George Webster★ unanimousMichigan State
- Johnny RolandMissouri
- Jim Grabowski★ unanimousIllinois
- Nick RassasNotre Dame
- Donny AndersonTexas Tech
- Mike Garrett★ unanimousUSC
- Dick Arrington★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Stas MaliszewskiPrinceton
- Bob GriesePurdue
- Paul CraneAlabama
- Bubba SmithMichigan State
- Aaron BrownMinnesota
- George Webster★ unanimousMichigan State
- Johnny RolandMissouri
- Jim Grabowski★ unanimousIllinois
- Nick RassasNotre Dame
- Donny AndersonTexas Tech
- Mike Garrett★ unanimousUSC
- Dick Arrington★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Stas MaliszewskiPrinceton
The best games of 1965
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 196510 games
Upsets of 1965
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 196510 upsets
1965 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1965 standings by conference12 groups
AAWU
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA★ conference champion | 4-0 | 8-2-1 | #4 |
| 2 | USC | 4-1 | 7-2-1 | #10 |
| 3 | Washington State | 2-1 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Washington | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Stanford | 2-3 | 6-3-1 | |
| 6 | California | 2-3 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Oregon State | 1-3 | 5-5 | |
| 8 | Oregon | 0-5 | 4-5-1 |
Atlantic Coast
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke | 4-2 | 6-4 | |
| 2 | South Carolina | 4-2 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | North Carolina State★ conference champion | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Clemson★ conference champion | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Maryland | 3-3 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | North Carolina | 3-3 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Virginia | 2-4 | 4-6 | |
| 8 | Wake Forest | 1-5 | 3-7 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska★ conference champion | 7-0 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 2 | Missouri | 6-1 | 8-2-1 | #6 |
| 3 | Colorado | 4-2-1 | 6-2-2 | |
| 4 | Iowa State | 3-3-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 3-4 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | Oklahoma State | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Kansas | 2-5 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Kansas State | 0-7 | 0-10 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State★ conference champion | 7-0 | 10-1 | #2 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 6-1 | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Purdue | 5-2 | 7-2-1 | |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5-2 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Illinois | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 6 | Northwestern | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Michigan | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 2-5 | 2-7-1 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 1-6 | 2-8 | |
| 10 | Iowa | 0-7 | 1-9 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartmouth★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-0 | |
| 2 | Princeton | 6-1 | 8-1 | |
| 3 | Harvard | 3-2-2 | 5-2-2 | |
| 4 | Cornell | 3-3-1 | 4-3-2 | |
| 5 | Yale | 3-4 | 3-6 | |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 2-4-1 | 4-4-1 | |
| 7 | Brown | 1-6 | 2-7 | |
| 8 | Columbia | 1-6 | 2-7 |
Mid-American
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowling Green★ conference champion | 5-1 | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Miami (OH)★ conference champion | 5-1 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Western Michigan | 3-2-1 | 6-2-1 | |
| 4 | Kent State | 3-2-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Marshall | 2-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Toledo | 2-4 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Ohio | 0-6 | 0-10 |
Missouri Valley
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa★ conference champion | 4-0 | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Louisville | 2-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | North Texas | 2-2 | 3-7 | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 1-2 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Wichita State | 0-4 | 2-7 |
Southeastern
11 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama★ conference champion | 6-1-1 | 9-1-1 | #1 |
| 2 | Florida | 4-2 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Mississippi | 6-3 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Auburn | 4-2-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 5 | Tennessee | 2-1-2 | 8-1-2 | #7 |
| 6 | LSU | 3-3 | 8-3 | #8 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 8 | Georgia | 2-3 | 6-4 | |
| 9 | Mississippi State | 1-5 | 4-6 | |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 1-5 | 2-7-1 | |
| 11 | Tulane | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia★ conference champion | 4-0 | 6-4 | |
| 2 | William & Mary | 5-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | East Carolina | 3-1 | 9-1 | |
| 4 | VMI | 3-2 | 3-7 | |
| 5 | George Washington | 4-3 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Davidson | 2-3 | 6-4 | |
| 7 | Furman | 2-3 | 5-5 | |
| 8 | Citadel | 2-6 | 2-8 | |
| 9 | Richmond | 0-6 | 0-10 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas★ conference champion | 7-0 | 10-1 | #3 |
| 2 | Texas Tech | 5-2 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | TCU | 5-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Texas | 3-4 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Baylor | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | SMU | 3-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 1-6 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Rice | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Western Athletic
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYU★ conference champion | 4-1 | 6-4 | |
| 2 | Arizona State | 3-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Wyoming | 3-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | New Mexico | 2-3 | 3-7 | |
| 5 | Utah | 1-3 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | Arizona | 1-4 | 3-7 |
Independent
32 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Utah State | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Xavier | - | 8-2 | |
| 4 | Southern Mississippi | - | 7-2 | |
| 5 | Notre Dame | - | 7-2-1 | #9 |
| 6 | Texas Western | - | 8-3 | |
| 7 | Syracuse | - | 7-3 | |
| 8 | Virginia Tech | - | 7-3 | |
| 9 | Georgia Tech | - | 7-3-1 | |
| 10 | Colgate | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 11 | Boston College | - | 6-4 | |
| 12 | Buffalo | - | 5-3-2 | |
| 13 | Quantico Marines | - | 6-4 | |
| 14 | West Texas State | - | 6-4 | |
| 15 | Miami (FL) | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 16 | Idaho | - | 5-5 | |
| 17 | Memphis State | - | 5-5 | |
| 18 | Navy | - | 4-4-2 | |
| 19 | Penn State | - | 5-5 | |
| 20 | San Jose State | - | 5-5 | |
| 21 | Army | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 22 | Florida State | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 23 | Houston | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 24 | Colorado State | - | 4-6 | |
| 25 | Air Force | - | 3-6-1 | |
| 26 | Rutgers | - | 3-6 | |
| 27 | Pittsburgh | - | 3-7 | |
| 28 | Holy Cross | - | 2-7-1 | |
| 29 | Dayton | - | 1-8-1 | |
| 30 | Lehigh | - | 1-8 | |
| 31 | Pacific | - | 1-8 | |
| 32 | Villanova | - | 1-8 |
1965 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1965 bowls9 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.
1965 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1965 standings by conference24 groups
Big Sky
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weber State | - | 8-1 | |
| 2 | Montana | - | 4-6 | |
| 3 | Idaho State | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 4 | Montana State | - | 3-7 |
California CAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Fresno State | - | 6-4 |
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 | - | 9-0 | |
| 2 | Howard | - | 5-3 | |
| 3 | Norfolk State | - | 4-4 | |
| 4 | Delaware State | - | 4-5 | |
| 5 | North Carolina A&T | - | 4-6 | |
| 6 | North Carolina Central | - | 3-5-1 | |
| 7 | Hampton | - | 1-8 |
Eastern Football
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Connecticut State | - | 7-1 |
Far Western
3 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | - | 6-4 | |
| 2 | UC Davis | - | 4-6 | |
| 3 | Sacramento State | - | 3-7 |
Gulf States
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LA-Lafayette | - | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Northwestern State | - | 5-3 | |
| 3 | McNeese State | - | 5-4 | |
| 4 | SE Louisiana | - | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Louisiana Tech | - | 4-4 | |
| 6 | LA-Monroe | - | 1-8 |
Indiana Collegiate
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball State | - | 9-0-1 | |
| 2 | Butler | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Indiana State | - | 4-3-1 | |
| 4 | Valparaiso | - | 3-6 |
Interstate IAC
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Illinois | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Central Michigan | - | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Western Illinois | - | 4-5 | |
| 4 | Eastern Illinois | - | 3-5 | |
| 5 | Illinois State | - | 0-9 |
Lone Star
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Stephen F. Austin | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | East Texas State | - | 4-5 | |
| 4 | Sam Houston State | - | 4-6 |
Middle Atlantic
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Chester | - | 5-3 | |
| 2 | Wagner | - | 3-6 |
Midwest Athletic Association
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee State | - | 9-0-1 |
Minnesota IAC
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Thomas | - | 4-4-1 |
Missouri IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SW Missouri State | - | 7-2 | |
| 2 | SE Missouri State | - | 2-8 |
North Central
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State | - | 11-0 | |
| 2 | North Dakota | - | 9-1 | |
| 3 | State College of Iowa | - | 4-5 | |
| 4 | South Dakota | - | 2-8 | |
| 5 | South Dakota State | - | 1-8-1 |
Ohio Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron | - | 5-3-1 |
Ohio Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Tennessee State | - | 10-0 | |
| 2 | Austin Peay | - | 8-1 | |
| 3 | Eastern Kentucky | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 4 | Morehead State | - | 3-6 | |
| 5 | Murray State | - | 2-6-2 | |
| 6 | Tennessee Tech | - | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Western Kentucky | - | 2-6-2 | |
| 8 | East Tennessee State | - | 2-6-1 |
Presidents' Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Michigan | - | 3-4-1 |
Rocky Mountain
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Colorado | - | 4-4-2 |
Southland
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas State | - | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Arlington State | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Lamar | - | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Abilene Christian | - | 4-5 |
Southwestern Athletic
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grambling | - | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Jackson State | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 3 | Prairie View | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 4 | Southern | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Texas Southern | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 7 | Alcorn A&M | - | 3-5-1 |
Virginia Little Eight
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frederick | - | 4-6 |
Yankee
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Massachusetts | - | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Connecticut | - | 3-6 | |
| 4 | Rhode Island | - | 2-7 | |
| 5 | New Hampshire | - | 0-8 |
Independent
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 2 | Mississippi Valley State | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Drake | - | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Northern Arizona | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | Portland State | - | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois | - | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Hawaii | - | 1-8-1 |
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.