🏈 The 1980 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 · 14 conferences · 15 bowls
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1860s
1980 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path, Georgia12-0
- Sep 6atTennesseeW16-15
- Sep 13vsTexas A&MW42-0
- Sep 20vsClemsonW20-16
- Sep 27vsTCUW34-3
- Oct 11vsMississippiW28-21
- Oct 18vsVanderbiltW41-0
- Oct 25atKentuckyW27-0
- Nov 1vs#14South CarolinaW13-10
- Nov 8vs#20FloridaW26-21
- Nov 15atAuburnW31-21
- Nov 29vsGeorgia TechW38-20
- Jan 1vs#7Notre DameW17-10Sugar Bowl
The 1980 major bowls
No title game this year. The big bowls of the season, by date.
- Cotton BowlJan 1#9Alabama30#6Baylor2
- Orange BowlJan 1#4Oklahoma18#2Florida State17
- Rose BowlJan 1#5Michigan23#16Washington6
- Sugar BowlJan 1#1Georgia17#7Notre Dame10
The 1980 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 | Aug25 | Sep8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | Oct6 | 13 | 20 | 27 | Nov3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | Dec1 | 8 | Jan4final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 16 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Michigan | 12 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | ||||
| Florida State | 13 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Alabama | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Penn State | 18 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Notre Dame | 11 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| North Carolina | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
| USC | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 11 |
| BYU | 19 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | |||||||
| UCLA | 16 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | |||
| Baylor | 20 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 14 | ||||
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 15 |
| Washington | 20 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Purdue | 9 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 17 | ||||||||||
| Miami (FL) | 13 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | ||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | |||||||||
| SMU | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | ||||||||
| South Carolina | 20 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 18 | ||||
| Florida | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | |||||||||||
| Texas | 10 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 20 | ||||||
| Missouri | 17 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 | |||||||
| Arkansas | 6 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | ||||||||
| Southern Mississippi | 20 | |||||||||||||||
| Iowa State | 19 | |||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 15 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 20 | ||||||||||
| Auburn | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | ||||||||||||
| Maryland | 19 | |||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 20 | |||||||||||||||
| Houston | 8 | 9 | 18 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Aug 25 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- Georgia#16 → #1
- BYUNR → #12
- UCLANR → #13
- BaylorNR → #14
- Penn State#18 → #8
Fallers
- Arkansas#6 → NR
- Houston#8 → NR
- Texas#10 → NR
- Ohio State#1 → #15
- Stanford#15 → NR
1980 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1980 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Jan 4 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GeorgiaAPC | 1 | 12-0 |
| 2 | 2 | 11-1 | |
| 3 | 3 | 10-2 | |
| 4 | 4 | 10-2 | |
| 5 | 5 | 10-2 | |
| 6 | 6 | 10-2 | |
| 7 | 7 | 10-2 | |
| 8 | 8 | 10-2 | |
| 9 | 10 | 9-2-1 | |
| 10 | 9 | 11-1 | |
| 11 | 12 | 8-2-1 | |
| 12 | 11 | 12-1 | |
| 13 | 14 | 9-2 | |
| 14 | 13 | 10-2 | |
| 15 | 15 | 9-3 | |
| 16 | 17 | 9-3 | |
| 17 | 16 | 9-3 | |
| 18 | 18 | 9-3 | |
| 19 | 9-3 | ||
| 20 | 20 | 8-4 | |
| Coaches only | |||
| 19 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches champion
The 1980 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1980 honoursHeisman: George Rogers
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Vince Dooley
AFCA Coach of the Year Award · Coach · Georgia
Mike Singletary
Davey O'Brien Award · LB · Baylor
Hugh Green
Maxwell Award · DE · Pittsburgh
Mark May
Outland Trophy · OT · Pittsburgh
Hugh Green
Vince Lombardi/Rotary Award · DE · Pittsburgh
Show all 6 awards
Hugh Green
Walter Camp Award · DE · Pittsburgh
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
QB
- Mark Herrmann★ unanimousPurdue
RB
- Herschel Walker★ unanimousGeorgia
- Jarvis RedwineNebraska
- George Rogers★ unanimousSouth Carolina
WR
- Ken Margerum★ unanimousStanford
Show all 10 positions
TE
- Dave Young★ unanimousPurdue
OL
- Nick EyreBYU
- Randy SchleusenerNebraska
- Louis OubreOklahoma
- Mark May★ unanimousPittsburgh
- Keith Van HorneUSC
C
- John Scully★ unanimousNotre Dame
DL
- E.J. Junior★ unanimousAlabama
- Leonard MitchellHouston
- Hugh Green★ unanimousPittsburgh
- Kenneth SimsTexas
LB
- Mike Singletary★ unanimousBaylor
- David LittleFlorida
- Lawrence Taylor★ unanimousNorth Carolina
- Bob CrableNotre Dame
MG
- Ron SimmonsFlorida State
QB
- Mark Herrmann★ unanimousPurdue
RB
- Herschel Walker★ unanimousGeorgia
- Jarvis RedwineNebraska
- George Rogers★ unanimousSouth Carolina
WR
- Ken Margerum★ unanimousStanford
TE
- Dave Young★ unanimousPurdue
OL
- Nick EyreBYU
- Randy SchleusenerNebraska
- Louis OubreOklahoma
- Mark May★ unanimousPittsburgh
- Keith Van HorneUSC
C
- John Scully★ unanimousNotre Dame
DL
- E.J. Junior★ unanimousAlabama
- Leonard MitchellHouston
- Hugh Green★ unanimousPittsburgh
- Kenneth SimsTexas
LB
- Mike Singletary★ unanimousBaylor
- David LittleFlorida
- Lawrence Taylor★ unanimousNorth Carolina
- Bob CrableNotre Dame
MG
- Ron SimmonsFlorida State
The best games of 1980
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 198010 games
Rank by
Upsets of 1980
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 198010 upsets
1980 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1980 standings by conference14 groups
Atlantic Coast
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina★ conference champion | 6-0 | 11-1 | #10 |
| 2 | Maryland | 5-1 | 8-4 | |
| 3 | North Carolina State | 3-3 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Clemson | 2-4 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Wake Forest | 2-4 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Virginia | 2-4 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | Duke | 1-5 | 2-9 |
Big Eight
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma★ conference champion | 7-0 | 10-2 | #3 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 6-1 | 10-2 | #7 |
| 3 | Missouri | 5-2 | 8-4 | |
| 4 | Kansas | 3-3-1 | 4-5-2 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | 2-4-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 6 | Iowa State | 2-5 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Kansas State | 1-6 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Colorado | 1-6 | 1-10 |
Big Ten
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan★ conference champion | 8-0 | 10-2 | #4 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 7-1 | 9-3 | #15 |
| 3 | Purdue | 7-1 | 9-3 | #17 |
| 4 | Iowa | 4-4 | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Minnesota | 4-5 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Indiana | 3-5 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 3-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Illinois | 3-5 | 3-7-1 | |
| 9 | Michigan State | 2-6 | 3-8 | |
| 10 | Northwestern | 0-9 | 0-11 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale★ conference champion | 6-1 | 8-2 | |
| 2 | Cornell | 5-2 | 5-5 | |
| 3 | Harvard | 4-3 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Brown | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Princeton | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 6 | Dartmouth | 4-3 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1-6 | 1-9 | |
| 8 | Columbia | 0-7 | 1-9 |
Mid-American
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Michigan★ conference champion | 7-2 | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Western Michigan | 6-3 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Northern Illinois | 4-3 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Miami (OH) | 4-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Ball State | 5-4 | 6-5 | |
| 6 | Ohio | 5-4 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Bowling Green | 4-4 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Toledo | 3-6 | 4-7 | |
| 9 | Kent State | 3-6 | 3-8 | |
| 10 | Eastern Michigan | 1-7 | 1-9 |
Missouri Valley
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa★ conference champion | 4-1 | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Wichita State | 4-1-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 3 | Indiana State | 4-2 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Drake | 3-2 | 8-3 | |
| 5 | West Texas State | 2-4 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | New Mexico State | 1-4-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois | 1-5 | 3-8 |
Pacific Coast
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Beach State★ conference champion | 5-0 | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Utah State | 4-1 | 6-5 | |
| 3 | San Jose State | 3-2 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Fresno State | 1-4 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | CSU-Fullerton | 1-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Pacific | 1-4 | 4-8 |
Pacific-10
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-3 | #16 |
| 2 | UCLA | 5-2 | 9-2 | #13 |
| 3 | USC | 4-2-1 | 8-2-1 | #11 |
| 4 | Arizona State | 5-3 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Oregon | 4-3-1 | 6-3-2 | |
| 6 | Stanford | 3-4 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Arizona | 3-4 | 5-6 | |
| 8 | Washington State | 3-4 | 4-7 | |
| 9 | California | 3-5 | 3-8 | |
| 10 | Oregon State | 0-8 | 0-11 |
Southeastern
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia★ conference champion | 6-0 | 12-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Alabama | 5-1 | 10-2 | #6 |
| 3 | Mississippi State | 5-1 | 9-3 | #19 |
| 4 | Florida | 4-2 | 8-4 | |
| 5 | LSU | 4-2 | 7-4 | |
| 6 | Tennessee | 3-3 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Mississippi | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Kentucky | 1-5 | 3-8 | |
| 9 | Auburn | 0-6 | 5-6 | |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 0-6 | 2-9 |
Southern
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Furman★ conference champion | 7-0 | 9-1-1 | |
| 2 | UT-Chattanooga | 5-2 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Appalachian State | 4-2-1 | 6-4-1 | |
| 4 | Citadel | 3-2 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Western Carolina | 2-4-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 6 | VMI | 1-4-1 | 3-7-1 | |
| 7 | East Tennessee State | 1-4 | 2-9 | |
| 8 | Marshall | 0-5-1 | 2-8-1 |
Southland
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McNeese State★ conference champion | 5-0 | 10-2 | |
| 2 | SW Louisiana | 4-1 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Texas-Arlington | 3-2 | 3-8 | |
| 4 | Louisiana Tech | 2-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Lamar | 1-4 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Arkansas State | 0-5 | 2-9 |
Southwest
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baylor★ conference champion | 8-0 | 10-2 | #14 |
| 2 | SMU | 5-3 | 8-4 | #20 |
| 3 | Houston | 5-3 | 7-5 | |
| 4 | Texas | 4-4 | 7-5 | |
| 5 | Rice | 4-4 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Arkansas | 3-5 | 7-5 | |
| 7 | Texas Tech | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 3-5 | 4-7 | |
| 9 | TCU | 1-7 | 1-10 |
Western Athletic
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYU★ conference champion | 6-1 | 12-1 | #12 |
| 2 | Colorado State | 5-1-1 | 6-4-1 | |
| 3 | Hawaii | 3-3 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | Wyoming | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | San Diego State | 4-4 | 4-8 | |
| 6 | New Mexico | 3-4 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | Utah | 2-3-1 | 5-5-1 | |
| 8 | Air Force | 1-3 | 2-9-1 | |
| 9 | UTEP | 1-6 | 1-11 |
Independent
30 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | - | 11-1 | #2 |
| 2 | Florida State | - | 10-2 | #5 |
| 3 | Penn State | - | 10-2 | #8 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | - | 9-2-1 | #9 |
| 5 | Miami (FL) | - | 9-3 | #18 |
| 6 | Southern Mississippi | - | 9-3 | |
| 7 | Navy | - | 8-4 | |
| 8 | South Carolina | - | 8-4 | |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | - | 8-4 | |
| 10 | Boston College | - | 7-4 | |
| 11 | Northeast Louisiana | - | 7-4 | |
| 12 | Rutgers | - | 7-4 | |
| 13 | UNLV | - | 7-4 | |
| 14 | Tulane | - | 7-5 | |
| 15 | Colgate | - | 5-4-1 | |
| 16 | North Texas | - | 6-5 | |
| 17 | Villanova | - | 6-5 | |
| 18 | West Virginia | - | 6-6 | |
| 19 | Louisville | - | 5-6 | |
| 20 | Richmond | - | 5-6 | |
| 21 | Syracuse | - | 5-6 | |
| 22 | East Carolina | - | 4-7 | |
| 23 | Illinois State | - | 4-7 | |
| 24 | Temple | - | 4-7 | |
| 25 | Army | - | 3-7-1 | |
| 26 | Holy Cross | - | 3-8 | |
| 27 | Cincinnati | - | 2-9 | |
| 28 | Memphis State | - | 2-9 | |
| 29 | William & Mary | - | 2-9 | |
| 30 | Georgia Tech | - | 1-9-1 |
1980 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1980 bowls15 bowls
I-AA. Shown for context. These seasons do not count in this hub’s major-college records.
Champion
I-AA national champion.
I-AA champion
Playoff
Round by round.
I-AA playoff
Semifinals · 2 games
Championship · 1 game
1980 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1980 standings by conference6 groups
Big Sky
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boise State | 6-1 | 10-3 | |
| 2 | Nevada | 4-3 | 6-4-1 | |
| 3 | Idaho | 4-3 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Idaho State | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Weber State | 4-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Northern Arizona | 3-4 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Montana State | 3-4 | 4-6 | |
| 8 | Montana | 1-6 | 3-7 |
Mid-Eastern
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina State | 5-0 | 10-1 | |
| 2 | North Carolina A&T | 3-2 | 9-3 | |
| 3 | Howard | 2-2 | 6-2-2 | |
| 4 | Bethune-Cookman | 2-2 | 5-4-1 | |
| 5 | Florida A&M | 2-3 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Delaware State | 0-5 | 2-9 |
Ohio Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Kentucky | 6-1 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Murray State | 5-2 | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Eastern Kentucky | 5-2 | 10-3 | |
| 4 | Austin Peay | 5-2 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Morehead State | 2-5 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Akron | 2-5 | 3-7-1 | |
| 7 | Middle Tennessee State | 2-5 | 2-8 | |
| 8 | Tennessee Tech | 1-6 | 4-7 |
Southwestern Athletic
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grambling | 5-1 | 10-2 | |
| 2 | Jackson State | 5-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Alcorn State | 3-3 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Mississippi Valley State | 3-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | Southern | 3-3 | 4-6-1 | |
| 6 | Texas Southern | 2-4 | 2-9 | |
| 7 | Prairie View | 0-6 | 2-8 |
Yankee
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston University | 5-0 | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 4-1 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Connecticut | 3-2 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 2-3 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Maine | 1-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 0-5 | 2-9 |
Independent
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lehigh | - | 9-1-2 | |
| 2 | Delaware | - | 9-2 | |
| 3 | SE Louisiana | - | 8-2 | |
| 4 | Northwestern State | - | 8-3 | |
| 5 | Portland State | - | 8-3 | |
| 6 | Bucknell | - | 6-4 | |
| 7 | James Madison | - | 4-6 | |
| 8 | Lafayette | - | 3-7 | |
| 9 | Nicholls State | - | 2-9 | |
| 10 | Northeastern | - | 2-9 |
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.