🏈 The 1971 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
1971 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Nebraska13-0
- Sep 11vsOregonW34-7
- Sep 18vsMinnesotaW35-7
- Sep 25vsTexas A&MW34-7
- Oct 2vsUtah StateW42-6
- Oct 9atMissouriW36-0
- Oct 16vsKansasW55-0
- Oct 23atOklahoma StateW41-13
- Oct 30vs#9ColoradoW31-7
- Nov 6vsIowa StateW37-0
- Nov 13atKansas StateW44-17
- Nov 25at#2OklahomaW35-31
- Dec 4atHawaiiW45-3
- Jan 1vs#2AlabamaW38-6Orange Bowl
The 1971 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
The 1971 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 | Sep5 | 13 | 20 | 27 | Oct4 | 11 | 18 | 25 | Nov1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | Dec6 | Jan3final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Colorado | 12 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | |
| Alabama | 16 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Penn State | 12 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| Michigan | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Georgia | 18 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| Arizona State | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
| Stanford | 19 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 10 |
| LSU | 9 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 20 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | |
| Auburn | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 12 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| Toledo | 19 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | |||
| Mississippi | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | ||||||||||
| Arkansas | 7 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 |
| Houston | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | |||||||
| Texas | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 18 |
| Washington | 17 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | |||||
| USC | 5 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 20 | ||||||
| Northwestern | 20 | 19 | |||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 | |||||||||||
| Michigan State | 18 | 19 | |||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 11 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 16 | |||||
| Air Force | 20 | 18 | |||||||||||||
| Florida State | 19 | 19 | |||||||||||||
| Purdue | 20 | 17 | |||||||||||||
| Duke | 20 | 19 | 14 | 19 | |||||||||||
| Syracuse | 13 | 15 | |||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 19 | ||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 15 | ||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 17 |
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
- ColoradoNR → #3
- Alabama#16 → #4
- ToledoNR → #14
- Georgia#18 → #7
- MississippiNR → #15
Fallers
- Texas#3 → #18
- USC#5 → #20
- Ohio State#11 → NR
- Syracuse#13 → NR
- Notre Dame#1 → #13
1971 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1971 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
AP Jan 3, Coaches Dec 6 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NebraskaAPC | 1 | 13-0 |
| 2 | 3 | 11-1 | |
| 3 | 7 | 10-2 | |
| 4 | 2 | 11-1 | |
| 5 | 11 | 11-1 | |
| 6 | 4 | 11-1 | |
| 7 | 8 | 11-1 | |
| 8 | 6 | 11-1 | |
| 9 | 9 | 10-2 | |
| 10 | 16 | 9-3 | |
| 11 | 10 | 9-3 | |
| 12 | 5 | 9-2 | |
| 13 | 15 | 8-2 | |
| 14 | 13 | 12-0 | |
| 15 | 20 | 10-2 | |
| 16 | 20 | 8-3-1 | |
| 17 | 14 | 9-3 | |
| 18 | 12 | 8-3 | |
| 19 | 8-3 | ||
| 20 | 6-4-1 | ||
| Coaches only | |||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | |||
The coaches final came out before the bowls; the AP final after.
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1971 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1971 honoursHeisman: Pat Sullivan
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
- Pat Sullivan★ unanimousAuburn
- Tom BrahaneyOklahoma
- Willie HarperNebraska
- Walt Patulski★ unanimousNotre Dame
Show all 11 positions
- Sherman WhiteCalifornia
- Larry JacobsonNebraska
- Mel LongToledo
- Ernie JacksonDuke
- Tommy CasanovaLSU
- Clarence EllisNotre Dame
- Bobby Majors★ unanimousTennessee
- Terry Beasley★ unanimousAuburn
- Johnny RodgersNebraska
- Dave JoynerPenn State
- Jerry Sisemore★ unanimousTexas
- Pat Sullivan★ unanimousAuburn
- Tom BrahaneyOklahoma
- Willie HarperNebraska
- Walt Patulski★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Sherman WhiteCalifornia
- Larry JacobsonNebraska
- Mel LongToledo
- Ernie JacksonDuke
- Tommy CasanovaLSU
- Clarence EllisNotre Dame
- Bobby Majors★ unanimousTennessee
- Terry Beasley★ unanimousAuburn
- Johnny RodgersNebraska
- Dave JoynerPenn State
- Jerry Sisemore★ unanimousTexas
The best games of 1971
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 197110 games
Upsets of 1971
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Upsets of 197110 upsets
1971 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1971 standings by conference13 groups
Atlantic Coast
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina★ conference champion | 6-0 | 9-3 | |
| 2 | Clemson | 4-2 | 5-6 | |
| 3 | Duke | 2-3 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Wake Forest | 2-3 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Virginia | 2-3 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | North Carolina State | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 7 | Maryland | 1-4 | 2-9 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska★ conference champion | 7-0 | 13-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 6-1 | 11-1 | #2 |
| 3 | Colorado | 5-2 | 10-2 | #3 |
| 4 | Iowa State | 4-3 | 8-4 | |
| 5 | Kansas State | 2-5 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Oklahoma State | 2-5 | 4-6-1 | |
| 7 | Kansas | 2-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Missouri | 0-7 | 1-10 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan★ conference champion | 8-0 | 11-1 | #6 |
| 2 | Northwestern | 6-3 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Ohio State | 5-3 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Michigan State | 5-3 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Illinois | 5-3 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 3-5 | 4-6-1 | |
| 7 | Minnesota | 3-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Purdue | 3-5 | 3-7 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 2-6 | 3-8 | |
| 10 | Iowa | 1-8 | 1-10 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-1 | |
| 2 | Dartmouth★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-1 | |
| 3 | Columbia | 5-2 | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Harvard | 4-3 | 5-4 | |
| 5 | Princeton | 3-4 | 4-5 | |
| 6 | Yale | 3-4 | 4-5 | |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1-6 | 2-7 | |
| 8 | Brown | 0-7 | 0-9 |
Mid-American
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo★ conference champion | 5-0 | 12-0 | #14 |
| 2 | Bowling Green | 4-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | Miami (OH) | 2-3 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Western Michigan | 2-3 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | Ohio | 2-3 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Kent State | 0-5 | 3-8 |
Missouri Valley
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Texas | 3-1 | 3-8 | |
| 2 | Drake | 2-1 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Memphis State★ conference champion | 2-1 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | Tulsa | 2-1 | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Louisville | 3-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 6 | West Texas State | 1-3 | 2-9 | |
| 7 | Wichita State | 0-4 | 3-8 |
Pacific Coast
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Beach State★ conference champion | 5-1 | 8-4 | |
| 2 | San Jose State | 4-1 | 5-6-1 | |
| 3 | Fresno State | 3-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | San Diego State | 2-3 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | UC Santa Barbara | 2-3 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Pacific | 1-4 | 3-8 | |
| 7 | CSU-Los Angeles | 0-3 | 2-8 |
Pacific-8
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-3 | #10 |
| 2 | USC | 3-2-1 | 6-4-1 | #20 |
| 3 | Washington | 4-3 | 8-3 | #19 |
| 4 | California | 4-3 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Oregon State | 3-3 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Oregon | 2-4 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Washington State | 2-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | UCLA | 1-4-1 | 2-7-1 |
Southeastern
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama★ conference champion | 7-0 | 11-1 | #4 |
| 2 | Georgia | 5-1 | 11-1 | #7 |
| 3 | Auburn | 5-1 | 9-2 | #12 |
| 4 | Mississippi | 4-2 | 10-2 | #15 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 4-2 | 10-2 | #9 |
| 6 | LSU | 3-2 | 9-3 | #11 |
| 7 | Vanderbilt | 1-5 | 4-6-1 | |
| 8 | Florida | 1-6 | 4-7 | |
| 9 | Kentucky | 1-6 | 3-8 | |
| 10 | Mississippi State | 1-7 | 2-9 |
Southern
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond★ conference champion | 5-1 | 5-6 | |
| 2 | William & Mary | 4-1 | 5-6 | |
| 3 | Citadel | 4-2 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | East Carolina | 3-2 | 4-6 | |
| 5 | Furman | 2-3 | 5-5-1 | |
| 6 | VMI | 1-4 | 1-10 | |
| 7 | Davidson | 0-6 | 1-9 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-3 | #18 |
| 2 | Arkansas | 5-1-1 | 8-3-1 | #16 |
| 3 | TCU | 5-2 | 6-4-1 | |
| 4 | Texas A&M | 4-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | SMU | 3-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Rice | 2-4-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 7 | Texas Tech | 2-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Baylor | 0-7 | 1-9 |
Western Athletic
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State★ conference champion | 7-0 | 11-1 | #8 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 5-1 | 6-3-2 | |
| 3 | Arizona | 3-3 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | BYU | 3-4 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Wyoming | 3-4 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Utah | 3-4 | 3-8 | |
| 7 | Colorado State | 1-4 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | UTEP | 1-6 | 5-6 |
Independent
34 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State | - | 11-1 | #5 |
| 2 | Boston College | - | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Notre Dame | - | 8-2 | #13 |
| 4 | Houston | - | 9-3 | #17 |
| 5 | Idaho | - | 8-3 | |
| 6 | Utah State | - | 8-3 | |
| 7 | Temple | - | 6-2-1 | |
| 8 | Florida State | - | 8-4 | |
| 9 | Cincinnati | - | 7-4 | |
| 10 | Hawaii | - | 7-4 | |
| 11 | West Virginia | - | 7-4 | |
| 12 | Air Force | - | 6-4 | |
| 13 | Army | - | 6-4 | |
| 14 | Colgate | - | 6-4 | |
| 15 | Villanova | - | 6-4-1 | |
| 16 | South Carolina | - | 6-5 | |
| 17 | Southern Mississippi | - | 6-5 | |
| 18 | Tampa | - | 6-5 | |
| 19 | Georgia Tech | - | 6-6 | |
| 20 | New Mexico State | - | 5-5-1 | |
| 21 | Northern Illinois | - | 5-5-1 | |
| 22 | Syracuse | - | 5-5-1 | |
| 23 | Dayton | - | 5-6 | |
| 24 | Holy Cross | - | 4-6 | |
| 25 | Miami (FL) | - | 4-7 | |
| 26 | Rutgers | - | 4-7 | |
| 27 | Virginia Tech | - | 4-7 | |
| 28 | Navy | - | 3-8 | |
| 29 | Pittsburgh | - | 3-8 | |
| 30 | Tulane | - | 3-8 | |
| 31 | Marshall | - | 2-8 | |
| 32 | Texas-Arlington | - | 2-9 | |
| 33 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 2-9 | |
| 34 | Xavier | - | 1-9 |
1971 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1971 bowls12 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.
1971 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1971 standings by conference19 groups
Big Sky
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boise State | - | 10-2 | |
| 2 | Weber State | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 3 | Idaho State | - | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Montana | - | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Northern Arizona | - | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Montana State | - | 2-7-1 |
California CAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Poly-Pomona | - | 6-5 | |
| 2 | Cal Poly-SLO | - | 6-5 |
Central IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norfolk State | - | 3-6 | |
| 2 | Hampton | - | 1-9 |
Eastern Football
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Connecticut State | - | 7-3 |
Far Western
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UC Davis | - | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Sacramento State | - | 4-5-1 |
Gulf South
4 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville State | - | 6-3 | |
| 2 | Troy State | - | 6-3 | |
| 3 | UT-Martin | - | 5-5 | |
| 4 | SE Louisiana | - | 0-11 |
Indiana Collegiate
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valparaiso | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Butler | - | 3-7 |
Mason-Dixon
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Towson | - | 1-8 |
Mid-Eastern
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Central | - | 7-2 | |
| 2 | South Carolina State | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | North Carolina A&T | - | 6-4-1 | |
| 4 | Howard | - | 4-5 | |
| 5 | Delaware State | - | 1-8 |
Mid-Eastern Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan State | - | 6-4-1 |
Middle Atlantic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wagner | - | 5-4 |
Minnesota IAC
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Thomas | - | 3-7 |
Missouri IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SE Missouri State | - | 7-3-1 | |
| 2 | SW Missouri State | - | 1-8-1 |
North Central
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State | - | 7-2 | |
| 2 | North Dakota | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | Northern Iowa | - | 4-5 | |
| 4 | South Dakota | - | 3-7 | |
| 5 | South Dakota State | - | 3-7 |
Ohio Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee Tech | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Western Kentucky | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Morehead State | - | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee State | - | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Murray State | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 6 | Eastern Kentucky | - | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Austin Peay | - | 2-8 | |
| 8 | East Tennessee State | - | 0-9-1 |
Southland
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana Tech | - | 9-2 | |
| 2 | LA-Lafayette | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 3 | Abilene Christian | - | 5-5 | |
| 4 | Arkansas State | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 5 | Lamar | - | 5-6 |
Southwestern Athletic
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State | - | 9-1-1 | |
| 2 | Grambling | - | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Texas Southern | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 4 | Alcorn A&M | - | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Mississippi Valley State | - | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Prairie View | - | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Southern | - | 3-7 |
Yankee
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 2 | Massachusetts | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 3 | New Hampshire | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 4 | Rhode Island | - | 3-6 | |
| 5 | Maine | - | 2-6 |
Independent
21 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | - | 10-1 | |
| 2 | Tennessee State | - | 9-1 | |
| 3 | Samford | - | 8-1 | |
| 4 | McNeese State | - | 9-1-1 | |
| 5 | Akron | - | 8-2 | |
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | - | 7-1-2 | |
| 7 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | - | 7-2 | |
| 8 | Appalachian State | - | 7-3-1 | |
| 9 | Santa Clara | - | 6-4 | |
| 10 | Southern Illinois | - | 6-4 | |
| 11 | UNLV | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 12 | Bucknell | - | 5-5 | |
| 13 | Central Michigan | - | 5-5 | |
| 14 | Nevada | - | 5-5 | |
| 15 | Ball State | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 | Northeastern | - | 4-5 | |
| 17 | Portland State | - | 4-5 | |
| 18 | LA-Monroe | - | 4-6-1 | |
| 19 | Eastern Illinois | - | 4-6 | |
| 20 | Indiana State | - | 4-6 | |
| 21 | Boston University | - | 3-7 |
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.