🏈 The 1966 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
1966 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Notre Dame9-0-1
- Sep 24vs#7PurdueW26-14
- Oct 1atNorthwesternW35-7
- Oct 8vsArmyW35-0
- Oct 15vsNorth CarolinaW32-0
- Oct 22at#10OklahomaW38-0
- Oct 29vsNavyW31-7
- Nov 5vsPittsburghW40-0
- Nov 12vsDukeW64-0
- Nov 19at#2Michigan StateT10-10
- Nov 26at#10USCW51-0
The 1966 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
The 1966 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 | 28 | Dec5final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 6 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan State | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Georgia | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| UCLA | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Purdue | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |||||
| Georgia Tech | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||
| Miami (FL) | 9 | 9 | |||||||||||
| SMU | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||
| Florida | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | |||||||
| USC | 9 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | ||
| Arkansas | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | |||||
| Tennessee | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||
| Wyoming | 10 | ||||||||||||
| Oklahoma | 10 | ||||||||||||
| Baylor | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 9 | 8 | |||||||||||
| Syracuse | 7 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 5 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- GeorgiaNR → #4
- Georgia TechNR → #8
- Miami (FL)NR → #9
- SMUNR → #10
- Notre Dame#6 → #1
1966 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1966 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
AP Dec 5, Coaches Nov 28 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre DameAPC | 1 | 9-0-1 |
| 2 | 2 | 9-0-1 | |
| 3 | 3 | 10-0 | |
| 4 | 4 | 9-1 | |
| 5 | 5 | 9-1 | |
| 6 | 7 | 9-1 | |
| 7 | 6 | 8-2 | |
| 8 | 8 | 9-1 | |
| 9 | 10 | 7-2-1 | |
| 10 | 9 | 8-2 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | |||
| 20 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1966 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1966 honoursHeisman: Steve Spurrier
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Jim BrelandGeorgia Tech
- Bubba Smith★ unanimousMichigan State
- Alan PageNotre Dame
- Loyd Phillips★ unanimousArkansas
- Tom GreenleeWashington
Show all 10 positions
- Jim Lynch★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Paul NaumoffTennessee
- Tom BeierMiami (FL)
- George Webster★ unanimousMichigan State
- Nate ShawUSC
- Steve Spurrier★ unanimousFlorida
- Clint JonesMichigan State
- Nick Eddy★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Mel FarrUCLA
- LaVerne AllersNebraska
- Tom RegnerNotre Dame
- Jim BrelandGeorgia Tech
- Bubba Smith★ unanimousMichigan State
- Alan PageNotre Dame
- Loyd Phillips★ unanimousArkansas
- Tom GreenleeWashington
- Jim Lynch★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Paul NaumoffTennessee
- Tom BeierMiami (FL)
- George Webster★ unanimousMichigan State
- Nate ShawUSC
- Steve Spurrier★ unanimousFlorida
- Clint JonesMichigan State
- Nick Eddy★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Mel FarrUCLA
- LaVerne AllersNebraska
- Tom RegnerNotre Dame
The best games of 1966
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 196610 games
Upsets of 1966
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 196610 upsets
1966 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1966 standings by conference12 groups
AAWU
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC★ conference champion | 4-1 | 7-4 | |
| 2 | UCLA | 3-1 | 9-1 | #5 |
| 3 | Oregon State | 3-1 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Washington | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | California | 2-3 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | Oregon | 1-3 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Washington State | 1-3 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Stanford | 1-4 | 5-5 |
Atlantic Coast
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson★ conference champion | 6-1 | 6-4 | |
| 2 | North Carolina State | 5-2 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Maryland | 3-3 | 4-6 | |
| 4 | Virginia | 3-3 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | Duke | 2-3 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Wake Forest | 2-4 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | South Carolina | 1-3 | 1-9 | |
| 8 | North Carolina | 1-4 | 2-8 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-2 | #6 |
| 2 | Colorado | 5-2 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Missouri | 4-2-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 | Oklahoma State | 4-2-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 6 | Iowa State | 2-3-2 | 2-6-2 | |
| 7 | Kansas | 0-6-1 | 2-7-1 | |
| 8 | Kansas State | 0-6-1 | 0-9-1 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-0-1 | #2 |
| 2 | Purdue | 6-1 | 9-2 | #7 |
| 3 | Michigan | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Illinois | 4-3 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | Minnesota | 3-3-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 6 | Ohio State | 3-4 | 4-5 | |
| 7 | Northwestern | 2-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 2-4-1 | 3-6-1 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 1-5-1 | 1-8-1 | |
| 10 | Iowa | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-1 | |
| 2 | Dartmouth★ conference champion | 6-1 | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Princeton★ conference champion | 6-1 | 7-2 | |
| 4 | Cornell | 4-3 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Yale | 3-4 | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Columbia | 2-5 | 2-7 | |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1-6 | 2-7 | |
| 8 | Brown | 0-7 | 1-8 |
Mid-American
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami (OH)★ conference champion | 5-1 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Western Michigan★ conference champion | 5-1 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Bowling Green | 4-2 | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Ohio | 3-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Kent State | 2-4 | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Toledo | 1-5 | 2-7-1 | |
| 7 | Marshall | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Missouri Valley
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Texas | 3-1 | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Tulsa★ conference champion | 3-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 2-2 | 3-7 | |
| 4 | Louisville | 1-3 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Wichita State | 1-3 | 2-8 |
Southeastern
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama★ conference champion | 6-0 | 11-0 | #3 |
| 2 | Georgia★ conference champion | 5-0 | 10-1 | #4 |
| 3 | Florida | 4-1 | 9-2 | |
| 4 | Mississippi | 5-2 | 8-3 | |
| 5 | Tennessee | 3-2 | 8-3 | |
| 6 | LSU | 2-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 7 | Kentucky | 2-4 | 3-6-1 | |
| 8 | Auburn | 1-5 | 4-6 | |
| 9 | Mississippi State | 0-6 | 2-8 | |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 0-5 | 1-9 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 3-0 | 3-5-2 | |
| 2 | William & Mary★ conference champion | 4-1-1 | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 | East Carolina★ conference champion | 4-1-1 | 4-5-1 | |
| 4 | George Washington | 4-3 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | Davidson | 2-3 | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Citadel | 3-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Richmond | 2-4 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | VMI | 1-3 | 2-8 | |
| 9 | Furman | 1-4 | 2-7-1 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-3 | #10 |
| 2 | Arkansas | 5-2 | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Texas | 5-2 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Texas A&M | 4-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 5 | Baylor | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Texas Tech | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | TCU | 2-5 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Rice | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Western Athletic
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming★ conference champion | 5-0 | 10-1 | |
| 2 | BYU | 3-2 | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Arizona State | 3-2 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | Utah | 3-2 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Arizona | 1-4 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | New Mexico | 0-5 | 2-8 |
Independent
32 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame | - | 9-0-1 | #1 |
| 2 | Colgate | - | 8-1-1 | |
| 3 | Georgia Tech | - | 9-2 | #8 |
| 4 | Army | - | 8-2 | |
| 5 | Dayton | - | 8-2 | |
| 6 | Houston | - | 8-2 | |
| 7 | Memphis State | - | 7-2 | |
| 8 | Miami (FL) | - | 8-2-1 | #9 |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | - | 8-2-1 | |
| 10 | Syracuse | - | 8-3 | |
| 11 | Colorado State | - | 7-3 | |
| 12 | New Mexico State | - | 7-3 | |
| 13 | West Texas State | - | 7-3 | |
| 14 | Villanova | - | 6-3 | |
| 15 | Holy Cross | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 16 | Southern Mississippi | - | 6-4 | |
| 17 | Texas Western | - | 6-4 | |
| 18 | Rutgers | - | 5-4 | |
| 19 | Tulane | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 20 | Florida State | - | 6-5 | |
| 21 | Buffalo | - | 5-5 | |
| 22 | Penn State | - | 5-5 | |
| 23 | Tampa | - | 4-5 | |
| 24 | Air Force | - | 4-6 | |
| 25 | Boston College | - | 4-6 | |
| 26 | Idaho | - | 4-6 | |
| 27 | Navy | - | 4-6 | |
| 28 | Utah State | - | 4-6 | |
| 29 | Xavier | - | 4-6 | |
| 30 | Pacific | - | 4-7 | |
| 31 | San Jose State | - | 3-7 | |
| 32 | Pittsburgh | - | 1-9 |
1966 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1966 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.
1966 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1966 standings by conference22 groups
Big Sky
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana State | - | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Weber State | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | Idaho State | - | 3-6 | |
| 4 | Montana | - | 1-8 |
California CAA
3 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego State | - | 11-0 | |
| 2 | Fresno State | - | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Long Beach State | - | 6-3 |
California Collegiate Athletic Association
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Poly-SLO | - | 6-4 |
Central IAA
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan State | - | 9-0 | |
| 2 | Hampton | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | North Carolina Central | - | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Howard | - | 4-4 | |
| 5 | Delaware State | - | 3-5 | |
| 6 | Norfolk State | - | 3-5 | |
| 7 | North Carolina A&T | - | 3-6 |
Eastern Football
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Connecticut State | - | 7-2 |
Far Western
3 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Nevada | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | UC Davis | - | 5-5 |
Gulf States
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern State | - | 9-0 | |
| 2 | LA-Monroe | - | 7-3 | |
| 3 | LA-Lafayette | - | 6-4 | |
| 4 | McNeese State | - | 5-5 | |
| 5 | SE Louisiana | - | 3-6 | |
| 6 | Louisiana Tech | - | 1-9 |
Indiana Collegiate
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball State | - | 7-0-1 | |
| 2 | Indiana State | - | 6-2 | |
| 3 | Butler | - | 4-5 | |
| 4 | Valparaiso | - | 3-6 |
Interstate IAC
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Michigan | - | 5-5 | |
| 2 | Illinois State | - | 2-5-2 | |
| 3 | Eastern Illinois | - | 1-6-1 | |
| 4 | Western Illinois | - | 1-7-1 |
Lone Star
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas State | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 | Sam Houston State | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | Stephen F. Austin | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 4 | East Texas State | - | 5-3-2 | |
| 5 | Howard Payne | - | 5-5-1 |
Middle Atlantic
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Chester | - | 8-1 | |
| 2 | Wagner | - | 2-6-1 |
Midwestern
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee State | - | 10-0 |
Minnesota IAC
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Thomas | - | 2-6-1 |
Missouri IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SW Missouri State | - | 7-4 | |
| 2 | SE Missouri State | - | 5-5 |
North Central
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | North Dakota State | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | South Dakota | - | 5-5 | |
| 4 | State College of Iowa | - | 4-5 | |
| 5 | South Dakota State | - | 3-7 |
Ohio Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wittenberg | - | 8-1 |
Ohio Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morehead State | - | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Eastern Kentucky | - | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Middle Tennessee State | - | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Austin Peay | - | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Tennessee Tech | - | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Western Kentucky | - | 5-5 | |
| 7 | East Tennessee State | - | 3-6 | |
| 8 | Murray State | - | 0-10 |
Rocky Mountain
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Colorado | - | 3-7 |
Southland
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas State | - | 7-2 | |
| 2 | Arlington State | - | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Lamar | - | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Abilene Christian | - | 4-6 |
Southwestern Athletic
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 2 | Grambling | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 3 | Jackson State | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 4 | Prairie View | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 5 | Alcorn A&M | - | 5-3-2 | |
| 6 | Texas Southern | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 7 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | - | 4-5-1 |
Yankee
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | - | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Maine | - | 4-5 | |
| 3 | Connecticut | - | 2-6-1 | |
| 4 | New Hampshire | - | 2-6 | |
| 5 | Rhode Island | - | 1-7-1 |
Independent
14 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parsons | - | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Drake | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Northern Illinois | - | 8-2 | |
| 4 | Akron | - | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Northern Michigan | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 6 | Samford | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 7 | Eastern Michigan | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 8 | Northern Arizona | - | 6-4 | |
| 9 | Boston University | - | 5-5 | |
| 10 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 5-5 | |
| 11 | Southern Illinois | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 12 | Hawaii | - | 4-6 | |
| 13 | Portland State | - | 4-6 | |
| 14 | Mississippi Valley State | - | 2-7 |
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.