🏈 The 1972 college football season
The champion and its path, the poll race week by week, the honours, the best games and every conference table.
Source: Citizen of Nowhere college football database · 13 conferences · 11 bowls
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1860s
1972 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, USC12-0
- Sep 9at#4ArkansasW31-10
- Sep 16vsOregon StateW51-6
- Sep 23atIllinoisW55-20
- Sep 30vsMichigan StateW51-6
- Oct 7at#15StanfordW30-21
- Oct 14vsCaliforniaW42-14
- Oct 21vs#18WashingtonW34-7
- Oct 28atOregonW18-0
- Nov 4atWashington StateW44-3
- Nov 18at#14UCLAW24-7
- Dec 2vs#10Notre DameW45-23
- Jan 1vs#3Ohio StateW42-17Rose Bowl
The 1972 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Sugar BowlDec 31#2Oklahoma14#5Penn State0
- Cotton BowlJan 1#7Texas17#4Alabama13
- Orange BowlJan 1#9Nebraska40#12Notre Dame6
- Rose BowlJan 1#1USC42#3Ohio State17
The 1972 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
The final top five and the champion are drawn in team colours; everyone else is muted until you tap a line or pick a team. The grid under a poll chart has the same ranks, team by week, so a rank can be read as a number as well as a height. Where the College Football Playoff or BCS ranking also ran, switch between it and the AP poll. The Elo view plots each team's rating on the poll dates for the teams that finished in the Elo top 15 or were ranked at any point, and its Show filter works the same way.
- 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 | Sep4 | 11 | 18 | 25 | Oct2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 30 | Nov6 | 13 | 20 | 27 | Dec4 | Jan3final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Texas | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 4 |
| Auburn | 17 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 | ||||
| Michigan | 10 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| Alabama | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Tennessee | 15 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 |
| Ohio State | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
| Penn State | 5 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| LSU | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| North Carolina | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 12 | |||||||||
| Arizona State | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 13 | |||
| Notre Dame | 13 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 14 |
| UCLA | 8 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | |
| Colorado | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 |
| North Carolina State | 17 | ||||||||||||||
| Louisville | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | |||||||||||
| Washington State | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | ||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 20 | ||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | |||||||||||
| Purdue | 18 | 18 | 20 | ||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | 19 | 20 | |||||||||||||
| Missouri | 16 | 14 | 19 | 16 | |||||||||||
| Iowa State | 20 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 17 | |||||||
| Texas Tech | 18 | 15 | 20 | ||||||||||||
| Washington | 9 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 17 | |||||||
| Stanford | 20 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 20 | ||||||||
| Yale | 20 | ||||||||||||||
| Air Force | 19 | 16 | 16 | 19 | |||||||||||
| Arkansas | 4 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 | |||||||||
| Florida State | 19 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 17 | |||||||||
| SMU | 18 | ||||||||||||||
| Mississippi | 16 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | ||||||||||
| Tulane | 18 | ||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 17 | 16 | 16 | ||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 18 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Sep 4 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- AuburnNR → #5
- North CarolinaNR → #12
- Texas#14 → #3
- UCLANR → #15
- North Carolina StateNR → #17
Fallers
- Arkansas#4 → NR
- Washington#9 → NR
- Colorado#2 → #16
- Mississippi#16 → NR
- Georgia#17 → NR
1972 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1972 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
AP Jan 3, Coaches Dec 4 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USCAPC | 1 | 12-0 |
| 2 | 2 | 11-1 | |
| 3 | 5 | 10-1 | |
| 4 | 9 | 9-2-1 | |
| 5 | 7 | 10-1 | |
| 6 | 6 | 10-1 | |
| 7 | 4 | 10-2 | |
| 8 | 11 | 10-2 | |
| 9 | 3 | 9-2 | |
| 10 | 8 | 10-2 | |
| 11 | 10 | 9-2-1 | |
| 12 | 14 | 11-1 | |
| 13 | 13 | 10-2 | |
| 14 | 12 | 8-3 | |
| 15 | 17 | 8-3 | |
| 16 | 14 | 8-4 | |
| 17 | 8-3-1 | ||
| 18 | 16 | 9-1 | |
| 19 | 17 | 7-4 | |
| 20 | 7-4-1 | ||
| Coaches only | |||
| 17 | |||
| 20 | |||
The coaches final came out before the bowls; the AP final after.
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1972 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1972 honoursHeisman: Johnny Rodgers
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
John McKay
AFCA Coach of the Year Award · Coach · USC
Brad VanPelt
Maxwell Award · DB · Michigan State
Rich Glover
Outland Trophy · MG · Nebraska
Rich Glover
Vince Lombardi/Rotary Award · MG · Nebraska
Johnny Rodgers
Walter Camp Award · WR · Nebraska
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
QB
- Bert JonesLSU
TE
- Charles Young★ unanimousUSC
C
- Tom BrahaneyOklahoma
Show all 12 positions
DE
- Willie HarperNebraska
- Bruce BannonPenn State
DT
- Greg Marx★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Dave ButzPurdue
LB
- Randy GradisharOhio State
- John SkorupanPenn State
DB
- Cullen BryantColorado
- Randy LoganMichigan
- Brad VanPelt★ unanimousMichigan State
- Robert PopelkaSMU
B
- Woody GreenArizona State
- Greg Pruitt★ unanimousOklahoma
- Otis ArmstrongPurdue
FL
- Johnny Rodgers★ unanimousNebraska
G
- John Hannah★ unanimousAlabama
- Ron RusnakNorth Carolina
MG
- Rich Glover★ unanimousNebraska
QB
- Bert JonesLSU
TE
- Charles Young★ unanimousUSC
C
- Tom BrahaneyOklahoma
DE
- Willie HarperNebraska
- Bruce BannonPenn State
DT
- Greg Marx★ unanimousNotre Dame
- Dave ButzPurdue
LB
- Randy GradisharOhio State
- John SkorupanPenn State
DB
- Cullen BryantColorado
- Randy LoganMichigan
- Brad VanPelt★ unanimousMichigan State
- Robert PopelkaSMU
B
- Woody GreenArizona State
- Greg Pruitt★ unanimousOklahoma
- Otis ArmstrongPurdue
FL
- Johnny Rodgers★ unanimousNebraska
G
- John Hannah★ unanimousAlabama
- Ron RusnakNorth Carolina
MG
- Rich Glover★ unanimousNebraska
The best games of 1972
The ten best games of the season by Game Score. Switch to the Elo score for a second opinion.
How this is measured
Game score is the college football workbook's own rating of how good a game was; it weighs a lot more than the margin. The Elo score is a second view built from the ratings alone: the two teams' average pre-game Elo, plus stakes (150 for the national championship game, 90 for a playoff game or a major bowl, 40 for another bowl or a conference title game, 15 for a rivalry), plus up to 60 for a close finish and 15 for overtime. The Elo view takes its own top ten from every game between major teams. Sort by any column.
The best games of 197210 games
Rank by
Upsets of 1972
The results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of, lowest first.
How this is measured
Win chance is the winner's pre-game probability from the site's college football Elo ratings, home field included, so 3% means the winner would be expected to win about one time in thirty. Games against lower-level opponents count and carry a tag for the level (FCS, Division II and so on). Where the AP poll had ranks, the rank line is shown as context. Elo gap is the loser's pre-game rating minus the winner's.
Upsets of 197210 upsets
1972 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1972 standings by conference13 groups
Atlantic Coast
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina★ conference champion | 6-0 | 11-1 | #12 |
| 2 | North Carolina State | 4-1-1 | 8-3-1 | #17 |
| 3 | Maryland | 3-2-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 4 | Duke | 3-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Clemson | 2-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Virginia | 1-5 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | Wake Forest | 1-5 | 2-9 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma★ conference champion | 6-1 | 11-1 | #2 |
| 2 | Nebraska★ conference champion | 5-1-1 | 9-2-1 | #4 |
| 3 | Colorado | 4-3 | 8-4 | #16 |
| 4 | Oklahoma State | 4-3 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Missouri | 3-4 | 6-6 | |
| 6 | Iowa State | 2-4-1 | 5-6-1 | |
| 7 | Kansas | 2-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Kansas State | 1-6 | 3-8 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan★ conference champion | 7-1 | 10-1 | #6 |
| 2 | Ohio State★ conference champion | 7-1 | 9-2 | #9 |
| 3 | Purdue | 6-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Michigan State | 5-2-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 5 | Minnesota | 4-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Indiana | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Illinois | 3-5 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Iowa | 2-6-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 2-6 | 4-7 | |
| 10 | Northwestern | 1-8 | 2-9 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartmouth★ conference champion | 5-1-1 | 7-1-1 | |
| 2 | Yale | 5-2 | 7-2 | |
| 3 | Cornell | 4-3 | 6-3 | |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 4-3 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Harvard | 3-3-1 | 4-4-1 | |
| 6 | Columbia | 2-4-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 7 | Princeton | 2-4-1 | 3-5-1 | |
| 8 | Brown | 1-6 | 1-8 |
Mid-American
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kent State★ conference champion | 4-1 | 6-5-1 | |
| 2 | Bowling Green | 3-1-1 | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 | Western Michigan | 2-2-1 | 7-3-1 | |
| 4 | Miami (OH) | 2-3 | 7-3 | |
| 5 | Toledo | 2-3 | 6-5 | |
| 6 | Ohio | 1-4 | 3-8 |
Missouri Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville★ conference champion | 4-1 | 9-1 | #18 |
| 2 | Drake★ conference champion | 4-1 | 7-5 | |
| 3 | West Texas State★ conference champion | 3-1 | 5-5 | |
| 4 | Tulsa | 3-1 | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Memphis State | 3-2 | 5-5-1 | |
| 6 | Wichita State | 2-4 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | New Mexico State | 1-3 | 2-9 | |
| 8 | North Texas | 0-7 | 1-10 |
Pacific Coast
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego State★ conference champion | 4-0 | 10-1 | |
| 2 | Pacific | 3-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Fresno State | 1-3 | 6-4-1 | |
| 4 | Long Beach State | 1-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | San Jose State | 1-3 | 4-7 |
Pacific-8
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC★ conference champion | 7-0 | 12-0 | #1 |
| 2 | UCLA | 5-2 | 8-3 | #15 |
| 3 | Washington | 4-3 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | Washington State | 4-3 | 7-4 | #19 |
| 5 | California | 3-4 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Stanford | 2-5 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Oregon | 2-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Oregon State | 1-6 | 2-9 |
Southeastern
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama★ conference champion | 7-1 | 10-2 | #7 |
| 2 | Auburn | 6-1 | 10-1 | #5 |
| 3 | Tennessee | 5-2 | 10-2 | #8 |
| 4 | LSU | 4-2-1 | 9-2-1 | #11 |
| 5 | Georgia | 4-3 | 7-4 | |
| 6 | Florida | 3-3-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 7 | Mississippi | 2-5 | 5-5 | |
| 8 | Kentucky | 2-5 | 3-8 | |
| 9 | Mississippi State | 1-6 | 4-7 | |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 0-6 | 3-8 |
Southern
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Carolina★ conference champion | 6-0 | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Richmond | 5-1 | 6-4 | |
| 3 | William & Mary | 4-2 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | Citadel | 4-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Davidson | 2-3-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 6 | VMI | 1-5 | 2-9 | |
| 7 | Furman | 1-6 | 2-9 | |
| 8 | Appalachian State | 0-3-1 | 5-5-1 |
Southwest
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas★ conference champion | 7-0 | 10-1 | #3 |
| 2 | Texas Tech | 4-3 | 8-4 | |
| 3 | SMU | 4-3 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3-4 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Rice | 3-4 | 5-5-1 | |
| 6 | Baylor | 3-4 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | TCU | 2-5 | 5-6 | |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 2-5 | 3-8 |
Western Athletic
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State★ conference champion | 5-1 | 10-2 | #13 |
| 2 | BYU | 5-2 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Utah | 5-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Arizona | 4-3 | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Wyoming | 3-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | New Mexico | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 7 | Colorado State | 1-4 | 1-10 | |
| 8 | UTEP | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Independent
33 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State | - | 10-2 | #10 |
| 2 | Tampa | - | 10-2 | |
| 3 | Notre Dame | - | 8-3 | #14 |
| 4 | Utah State | - | 8-3 | |
| 5 | West Virginia | - | 8-4 | |
| 6 | Florida State | - | 7-4 | |
| 7 | Northern Illinois | - | 7-4 | |
| 8 | Rutgers | - | 7-4 | |
| 9 | Georgia Tech | - | 7-4-1 | #20 |
| 10 | Air Force | - | 6-4 | |
| 11 | Army | - | 6-4 | |
| 12 | Houston | - | 6-4-1 | |
| 13 | Virginia Tech | - | 6-4-1 | |
| 14 | Temple | - | 5-4 | |
| 15 | Colgate | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 16 | Holy Cross | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 17 | Tulane | - | 6-5 | |
| 18 | Miami (FL) | - | 5-6 | |
| 19 | Syracuse | - | 5-6 | |
| 20 | Texas-Arlington | - | 5-6 | |
| 21 | Dayton | - | 4-6-1 | |
| 22 | Boston College | - | 4-7 | |
| 23 | Idaho | - | 4-7 | |
| 24 | Navy | - | 4-7 | |
| 25 | South Carolina | - | 4-7 | |
| 26 | Southern Mississippi | - | 3-7-1 | |
| 27 | Marshall | - | 2-8 | |
| 28 | Xavier | - | 2-8 | |
| 29 | Cincinnati | - | 2-9 | |
| 30 | UT-Chattanooga | - | 2-9 | |
| 31 | Villanova | - | 2-9 | |
| 32 | Southern Illinois | - | 1-8-1 | |
| 33 | Pittsburgh | - | 1-10 |
1972 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1972 bowls11 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.
1972 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1972 standings by conference19 groups
Big Sky
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana State | - | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Idaho State | - | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Boise State | - | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Weber State | - | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Montana | - | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Northern Arizona | - | 3-8 |
California CAA
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Poly-SLO | - | 8-1-1 |
Central IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norfolk State | - | 3-7 | |
| 2 | Hampton | - | 1-10 |
Eastern Football
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Connecticut State | - | 5-5 |
Far Western
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UC Davis | - | 6-2-2 | |
| 2 | Sacramento State | - | 2-8 |
Gulf South
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern State | - | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Jacksonville State | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 3 | Troy State | - | 4-5-1 | |
| 4 | SE Louisiana | - | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Nicholls State | - | 3-8 | |
| 6 | UT-Martin | - | 1-9 |
Indiana Collegiate
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valparaiso | - | 6-4 | |
| 2 | Butler | - | 5-5 |
Mason-Dixon
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Towson | - | 1-9 |
Metropolitan Intercollegiate
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wagner | - | 7-3 | |
| 2 | Fordham | - | 5-5 |
Mid-Eastern
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Central | - | 9-2 | |
| 2 | North Carolina A&T | - | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Howard | - | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Delaware State | - | 5-4 | |
| 5 | South Carolina State | - | 1-9 |
Mid-Eastern Athletic
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan State | - | 5-5 |
Minnesota IAC
1 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Thomas | - | 6-4 |
Missouri IAA
2 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SE Missouri State | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 2 | SW Missouri State | - | 4-6 |
North Central
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | - | 10-1 | |
| 2 | South Dakota | - | 9-1 | |
| 3 | North Dakota State | - | 8-2 | |
| 4 | South Dakota State | - | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Northern Iowa | - | 4-5 |
Ohio Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee Tech | - | 10-2 | |
| 2 | Western Kentucky | - | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Middle Tennessee State | - | 7-3-1 | |
| 4 | Eastern Kentucky | - | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Murray State | - | 4-6 | |
| 6 | Morehead State | - | 3-6-1 | |
| 7 | East Tennessee State | - | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Austin Peay | - | 3-8 |
Southland
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana Tech | - | 12-0 | |
| 2 | Lamar | - | 8-3 | |
| 3 | McNeese State | - | 8-3 | |
| 4 | LA-Lafayette | - | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Arkansas State | - | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Abilene Christian | - | 3-8 |
Southwestern Athletic
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State | - | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Alcorn A&M | - | 5-3-1 | |
| 3 | Texas Southern | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 4 | Mississippi Valley State | - | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Prairie View | - | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Southern | - | 2-7-1 |
Yankee
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | - | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Connecticut | - | 4-5 | |
| 3 | New Hampshire | - | 4-5 | |
| 4 | Maine | - | 3-6 | |
| 5 | Rhode Island | - | 3-7 |
Independent
21 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | - | 10-0 | |
| 2 | Tennessee State | - | 11-1 | |
| 3 | Western Carolina | - | 7-2-1 | |
| 4 | Hawaii | - | 8-3 | |
| 5 | Indiana State | - | 7-3 | |
| 6 | Bucknell | - | 6-3 | |
| 7 | San Diego | - | 6-3-1 | |
| 8 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | - | 4-2-1 | |
| 9 | Eastern Michigan | - | 6-4 | |
| 10 | Samford | - | 5-3-2 | |
| 11 | Ball State | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 12 | Nevada | - | 6-5 | |
| 13 | Central Michigan | - | 5-5-1 | |
| 14 | Santa Clara | - | 4-4-1 | |
| 15 | Akron | - | 3-4-2 | |
| 16 | LA-Monroe | - | 3-7 | |
| 17 | Portland State | - | 3-8 | |
| 18 | Boston University | - | 2-8 | |
| 19 | Northern Michigan | - | 2-8 | |
| 20 | Eastern Illinois | - | 1-9 | |
| 21 | UNLV | - | 1-10 |
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.