🏈 The 1997 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 · 11 conferences · 20 bowls
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1860s
1997 national champion
Named by the selectors, with the road it took.
The path12-0
- Sep 13vs#8ColoradoW27-3
- Sep 20vsBaylorW38-3
- Sep 27vsNotre DameW21-14
- Oct 4atIndianaW37-0
- Oct 11vsNorthwesternW23-6
- Oct 18vs#15IowaW28-24
- Oct 25at#15Michigan StateW23-7
- Nov 1vsMinnesotaW24-3
- Nov 8at#2Penn StateW34-8
- Nov 15at#23WisconsinW26-16
- Nov 22vs#4Ohio StateW20-14
- Jan 1vs#8Washington StateW21-16Rose Bowl
The 1997 title game
The game that settled the title, then the rest of the major bowls.
Bowl Alliance
The other major bowls
- Fiesta BowlDec 31#10Kansas State35#14Syracuse18
- Rose BowlJan 1#1Michigan21#8Washington State16
- Sugar BowlJan 1#4Florida State31#9Ohio State14
The 1997 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.
- Conference title week
- Break before bowls
- Bowl season
Tap or drag on the chart to read a team's rank in any week.
AP rank, team by week
| Team | Aug11 | 25 | 31 | Sep7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | Oct5 | 12 | 19 | 26 | Nov2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 30 | Dec7 | Jan4final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Nebraska | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Florida State | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Florida | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| UCLA | 24 | 24 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||||
| North Carolina | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Kansas State | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Washington State | 19 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | ||||
| Georgia | 25 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | ||||
| Auburn | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
| Ohio State | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
| LSU | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 |
| Arizona State | 24 | 14 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 14 | |||||
| Purdue | 22 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | |||||||||
| Penn State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 16 |
| Colorado State | 24 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 17 | ||||||||||
| Washington | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 18 |
| Southern Mississippi | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 19 | ||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | 22 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 25 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 20 | |||||
| Syracuse | 17 | 13 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 21 | |||||||||
| Mississippi | 25 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||
| Missouri | 25 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 23 | ||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | 20 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | ||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 25 | 21 | 25 | |||||||||||||||
| Air Force | 23 | 19 | 18 | 24 | 23 | 23 | ||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 25 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 21 | 25 | 25 | |||||
| Mississippi State | 19 | 17 | 15 | 22 | ||||||||||||||
| Virginia Tech | 22 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 19 | |||||||
| West Virginia | 23 | 21 | 17 | 22 | ||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | ||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 22 | |||||
| Toledo | 24 | 22 | 18 | |||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 25 | |||||||||
| BYU | 19 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 21 | ||||||||||||
| Colorado | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 24 | ||||||||||
| Alabama | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 21 | 20 | |||||||||||
| Clemson | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 17 | ||||||||||||
| Miami (FL) | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 22 | |||||||||||||
| Texas | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | ||||||||||||||
| Notre Dame | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| USC | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | ||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 24 | 22 |
Tap a rank to read it and highlight that team on the chart above.
Movers
AP rank on Aug 11 against the final AP rank. NR is not ranked.
Risers
- UCLANR → #5
- Washington StateNR → #9
- GeorgiaNR → #10
- Kansas State#23 → #8
- Michigan#14 → #1
Fallers
- Colorado#8 → NR
- Penn State#1 → #16
- Notre Dame#11 → NR
- Washington#4 → #18
- Texas#12 → NR
1997 final polls
The last ranking of the season in each poll.
1997 final pollsAP, Coaches, Elo
AP and Coaches
Jan 4 final| AP | Team | C | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MichiganAP | 2 | 12-0 |
| 2 | NebraskaCTitle | 1 | 13-0 |
| 3 | 3 | 11-1 | |
| 4 | 6 | 10-2 | |
| 5 | 5 | 10-2 | |
| 6 | 4 | 11-1 | |
| 7 | 8 | 11-2 | |
| 8 | 7 | 11-1 | |
| 9 | 9 | 10-2 | |
| 10 | 10 | 10-2 | |
| 11 | 11 | 10-3 | |
| 12 | 12 | 10-3 | |
| 13 | 13 | 9-3 | |
| 14 | 14 | 9-3 | |
| 15 | 15 | 9-3 | |
| 16 | 17 | 9-3 | |
| 17 | 16 | 11-2 | |
| 18 | 18 | 8-4 | |
| 19 | 19 | 9-3 | |
| 20 | 21 | 9-4 | |
| 21 | 20 | 9-4 | |
| 22 | 22 | 8-4 | |
| 23 | 23 | 7-5 | |
| 24 | 24 | 8-4 | |
| 25 | 7-5 | ||
| Coaches only | |||
| 25 | |||
Elo top 25
rating, z
APAP championCCoaches championTitleTitle game winner
1997 conference championship games
The title game of each conference that played one, by date. The percentage is the winner's pre-game Elo win chance.
1997 conference championship games4 games, Dec 5-6
- Dec 5MACMarshall34Toledo14Marshall University Stadium67% Elo
- Dec 6Big 12#2Nebraska54#14Texas A&M15Alamodome86% Elo
- Dec 6SEC#3Tennessee30#11Auburn29Georgia Dome79% Elo
- Dec 6WAC#20Colorado State41New Mexico13Sam Boyd Stadium70% Elo
The 1997 honours
The Heisman vote and the major awards side by side, then the All-Americans.
The 1997 honoursHeisman: Charles Woodson
Heisman Trophy voting
Major awards
Lloyd Carr
AFCA Coach of the Year Award · Coach · Michigan
Charles Woodson
Bronko Nagurski Award · CB · Michigan
Charles Woodson
Chuck Bednarik Award · D · Michigan
Peyton Manning
Davey O'Brien Award · QB · Tennessee
Andy Katzenmoyer
Dick Butkus Award · LB · Ohio State
Show all 14 awards
Ricky Williams
Doak Walker Award · RB · Texas
Randy Moss
Fred Biletnikoff Award · WR · Marshall
Charles Woodson
Jim Thorpe Award · DB · Michigan
Peyton Manning
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award · QB · Tennessee
Martin Gramatica
Lou Groza Award · PK · Kansas State
Peyton Manning
Maxwell Award · QB · Tennessee
Aaron Taylor
Outland Trophy · OG · Nebraska
Grant Wistrom
Vince Lombardi/Rotary Award · DE · Nebraska
Charles Woodson
Walter Camp Award · DB · Michigan
Consensus All-Americans
A star marks a unanimous selection.
QB
- Peyton ManningTennessee
RB
- Curtis EnisPenn State
- Ricky Williams★ unanimousTexas
Show all 12 positions
TE
- Alonzo MayesOklahoma State
OL
- Alan FanecaLSU
- Aaron Taylor★ unanimousNebraska
- Kyle TurleySan Diego State
- Chad OverhauserUCLA
C
- Olin KreutzWashington
DL
- Andre WadsworthFlorida State
- Grant WistromNebraska
- Jason PeterNebraska
- Greg EllisNorth Carolina
LB
- Anthony SimmonsClemson
- Sam CowartFlorida State
- Brian SimmonsNorth Carolina
- Andy KatzenmoyerOhio State
DB
- Fred WearyFlorida
- Charles Woodson★ unanimousMichigan
- Dre’ BlyNorth Carolina
- Brian LeeWyoming
P
- Chad KesslerLSU
KR
- Tim DwightIowa
PK
- Martin GramaticaKansas State
QB
- Peyton ManningTennessee
RB
- Curtis EnisPenn State
- Ricky Williams★ unanimousTexas
TE
- Alonzo MayesOklahoma State
OL
- Alan FanecaLSU
- Aaron Taylor★ unanimousNebraska
- Kyle TurleySan Diego State
- Chad OverhauserUCLA
C
- Olin KreutzWashington
DL
- Andre WadsworthFlorida State
- Grant WistromNebraska
- Jason PeterNebraska
- Greg EllisNorth Carolina
LB
- Anthony SimmonsClemson
- Sam CowartFlorida State
- Brian SimmonsNorth Carolina
- Andy KatzenmoyerOhio State
DB
- Fred WearyFlorida
- Charles Woodson★ unanimousMichigan
- Dre’ BlyNorth Carolina
- Brian LeeWyoming
P
- Chad KesslerLSU
KR
- Tim DwightIowa
PK
- Martin GramaticaKansas State
The best games of 1997
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 199710 games
Rank by
Upsets of 1997
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 199710 upsets
1997 standings by conference
Every conference at once: conference and overall record, and the final AP rank. A star marks the conference champion.
1997 standings by conference11 groups
Atlantic Coast
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida State★ conference champion | 8-0 | 11-1 | #3 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 7-1 | 11-1 | #6 |
| 3 | Virginia | 5-3 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Georgia Tech | 5-3 | 7-5 | #25 |
| 5 | Clemson | 4-4 | 7-5 | |
| 6 | North Carolina State | 3-5 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Wake Forest | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| 8 | Maryland | 1-7 | 2-9 | |
| 9 | Duke | 0-8 | 2-9 |
Big 12
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | ||||
| 1 | Nebraska★ conference champion | 8-0 | 13-0 | #2 |
| 2 | Kansas State | 7-1 | 11-1 | #8 |
| 3 | Missouri | 5-3 | 7-5 | #23 |
| 4 | Colorado | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Kansas | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Iowa State | 1-7 | 1-10 | |
| South | ||||
| 1 | Texas A&M | 6-2 | 9-4 | #20 |
| 2 | Oklahoma State | 5-3 | 8-4 | #24 |
| 3 | Texas Tech | 5-3 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Texas | 2-6 | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 2-6 | 4-8 | |
| 6 | Baylor | 1-7 | 2-9 | |
Big East
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse★ conference champion | 6-1 | 9-4 | #21 |
| 2 | Virginia Tech | 5-2 | 7-5 | |
| 3 | West Virginia | 4-3 | 7-5 | |
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 4-3 | 6-6 | |
| 5 | Miami (FL) | 3-4 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Boston College | 3-4 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | Temple | 3-4 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Rutgers | 0-7 | 0-11 |
Big Ten
11 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan★ conference champion | 8-0 | 12-0 | #1 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 6-2 | 10-3 | #12 |
| 3 | Penn State | 6-2 | 9-3 | #16 |
| 4 | Purdue | 6-2 | 9-3 | #15 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 5-3 | 8-5 | |
| 6 | Iowa | 4-4 | 7-5 | |
| 7 | Michigan State | 4-4 | 7-5 | |
| 8 | Northwestern | 3-5 | 5-7 | |
| 9 | Minnesota | 1-7 | 3-9 | |
| 10 | Indiana | 1-7 | 2-9 | |
| 11 | Illinois | 0-8 | 0-11 |
Big West
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah State★ conference champion | 4-1 | 6-6 | |
| 2 | Nevada★ conference champion | 4-1 | 5-6 | |
| 3 | Boise State | 3-2 | 4-7 | |
| 4 | Idaho | 2-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | North Texas | 2-3 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | New Mexico State | 0-5 | 2-9 |
Conference USA
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Mississippi★ conference champion | 6-0 | 9-3 | #19 |
| 2 | Tulane | 5-1 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | East Carolina | 4-2 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 2-4 | 8-4 | |
| 5 | Memphis | 2-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Houston | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 7 | Louisville | 0-6 | 1-10 |
Mid-American
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | ||||
| 1 | Marshall★ conference champion | 7-1 | 10-3 | |
| 2 | Miami (OH) | 6-2 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Ohio | 6-2 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | Bowling Green | 3-5 | 3-8 | |
| 5 | Kent State | 3-5 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Akron | 2-7 | 2-9 | |
| West | ||||
| 1 | Toledo | 7-1 | 9-3 | |
| 2 | Western Michigan | 6-2 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Ball State | 4-4 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | Eastern Michigan | 4-5 | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Central Michigan | 1-7 | 2-9 | |
| 6 | Northern Illinois | 0-8 | 0-11 | |
Pacific-10
10 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA★ conference champion | 7-1 | 10-2 | #5 |
| 2 | Washington State★ conference champion | 7-1 | 10-2 | #9 |
| 3 | Arizona State | 6-2 | 9-3 | #14 |
| 4 | Washington | 5-3 | 8-4 | #18 |
| 5 | Arizona | 4-4 | 7-5 | |
| 6 | USC | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Oregon | 3-5 | 7-5 | |
| 8 | Stanford | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| 9 | California | 1-7 | 3-8 | |
| 10 | Oregon State | 0-8 | 3-8 |
Southeastern
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | ||||
| 1 | Tennessee★ conference champion | 7-1 | 11-2 | #7 |
| 2 | Florida | 6-2 | 10-2 | #4 |
| 3 | Georgia | 6-2 | 10-2 | #10 |
| 4 | South Carolina | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Kentucky | 2-6 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Vanderbilt | 0-8 | 3-8 | |
| Western | ||||
| 1 | Auburn | 6-2 | 10-3 | #11 |
| 2 | LSU | 6-2 | 9-3 | #13 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 4-4 | 8-4 | #22 |
| 4 | Mississippi State | 4-4 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Alabama | 2-6 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Arkansas | 2-6 | 4-7 | |
Western Athletic
16 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific | ||||
| 1 | Colorado State★ conference champion | 7-1 | 11-2 | #17 |
| 2 | Air Force | 6-2 | 10-3 | |
| 3 | Fresno State | 5-3 | 6-6 | |
| 4 | Wyoming | 4-4 | 7-6 | |
| 5 | San Diego State | 4-4 | 5-7 | |
| 6 | San Jose State | 4-4 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | UNLV | 2-6 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Hawaii | 1-7 | 3-9 | |
| Mountain | ||||
| 1 | New Mexico | 6-2 | 9-4 | |
| 2 | Rice | 5-3 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | SMU | 5-3 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Utah | 5-3 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | BYU | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 6 | UTEP | 3-5 | 4-7 | |
| 7 | Tulsa | 2-6 | 2-9 | |
| 8 | TCU | 1-7 | 1-10 | |
Independent
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana Tech | - | 9-2 | |
| 2 | Navy | - | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Notre Dame | - | 7-6 | |
| 4 | Central Florida | - | 5-6 | |
| 5 | UAB | - | 5-6 | |
| 6 | Northeast Louisiana | - | 5-7 | |
| 7 | Army | - | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Arkansas State | - | 2-9 | |
| 9 | SW Louisiana | - | 1-10 |
1997 bowls
One line per game, latest first. A tag marks the playoff and the other major bowls.
1997 bowls20 bowls
Show all 20 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
Youngstown State
Playoff
Round by round.
I-AA playoff
First Round · 8 games
Youngstown State28✓
Hampton13
Youngstown State
Quarterfinals · 4 games
Semifinals · 2 games
Youngstown State25✓
Eastern Washington14
Youngstown State
Championship · 1 game
1997 standings by conference
Overall and conference record.
1997 standings by conference14 groups
Atlantic 10
12 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Atlantic | ||||
| 1 | Villanova | 8-0 | 12-1 | |
| 2 | Delaware | 7-1 | 12-1 | |
| 3 | Northeastern | 5-3 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | William & Mary | 4-4 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | Richmond | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 6 | James Madison | 3-5 | 5-6 | |
| New England | ||||
| 1 | New Hampshire | 5-3 | 5-6 | |
| 2 | Connecticut | 4-4 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Maine | 4-4 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 2-6 | 2-9 | |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 1-7 | 2-9 | |
| 6 | Boston University | 1-7 | 1-10 | |
Big Sky
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Washington | 7-1 | 12-1 | |
| 2 | Montana | 6-2 | 8-4 | |
| 3 | Montana State | 5-3 | 6-5 | |
| 4 | Northern Arizona | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 5 | Weber State | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 6 | CSU-Northridge | 4-4 | 6-6 | |
| 7 | Portland State | 3-5 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Idaho State | 2-6 | 3-8 | |
| 9 | Sacramento State | 1-7 | 1-10 |
Gateway
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Illinois | 6-0 | 11-2 | |
| 2 | Northern Iowa | 5-1 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Youngstown State | 4-2 | 11-2 | |
| 4 | SW Missouri State | 3-3 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Indiana State | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Southern Illinois | 1-5 | 3-8 | |
| 7 | Illinois State | 0-6 | 2-9 |
Ivy
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard | 7-0 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | Dartmouth | 6-1 | 8-2 | |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 5-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Brown | 3-4 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Cornell | 3-4 | 5-5 | |
| 6 | Princeton | 2-5 | 5-5 | |
| 7 | Columbia | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 8 | Yale | 0-7 | 1-9 |
Metro Atlantic
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown | 7-0 | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Duquesne | 6-1 | 7-3 | |
| 3 | Fairfield | 4-3 | 7-3 | |
| 4 | Siena | 4-3 | 6-3 | |
| 5 | Marist | 4-3 | 6-4 | |
| 6 | Canisius | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | St. Peter's | 1-6 | 1-9 | |
| 8 | Iona | 0-7 | 0-10 | |
| 9 | St. John's | - | 8-3 |
Mid-Eastern
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hampton | 7-0 | 10-2 | |
| 2 | South Carolina State | 5-2 | 9-2 | |
| 3 | Florida A&M | 5-2 | 9-3 | |
| 4 | Howard | 4-3 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | North Carolina A&T | 3-4 | 7-4 | |
| 6 | Morgan State | 2-5 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Bethune-Cookman | 1-6 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | Delaware State | 1-6 | 3-8 |
Northeast
5 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Morris | 4-0 | 8-3 | |
| 2 | Monmouth | 3-1 | 5-4 | |
| 3 | Wagner | 2-2 | 6-4 | |
| 4 | Central Connecticut State | 1-3 | 5-5 | |
| 5 | St. Francis (PA) | 0-4 | 2-9 |
Ohio Valley
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Kentucky | 7-0 | 8-4 | |
| 2 | Murray State | 5-2 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | Eastern Illinois | 4-2 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | Tennessee State | 4-2 | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Tennessee Tech | 4-3 | 6-5 | |
| 6 | Middle Tennessee State | 2-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | SE Missouri State | 1-6 | 4-7 | |
| 8 | UT-Martin | 0-7 | 1-10 |
Patriot
7 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colgate | 6-0 | 7-5 | |
| 2 | Bucknell | 5-1 | 10-1 | |
| 3 | Fordham | 4-2 | 5-6 | |
| 4 | Lehigh | 2-4 | 4-7 | |
| 5 | Lafayette | 2-4 | 3-8 | |
| 6 | Towson | 1-5 | 3-7 | |
| 7 | Holy Cross | 1-5 | 3-8 |
Pioneer
6 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dayton | 5-0 | 9-1 | |
| 2 | San Diego | 4-1 | 8-3 | |
| 3 | Drake | 2-3 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | Butler | 2-3 | 6-4 | |
| 5 | Valparaiso | 2-3 | 3-7 | |
| 6 | Evansville | 0-5 | 2-8 |
Southern
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Southern | 7-1 | 10-3 | |
| 2 | Appalachian State | 6-2 | 7-4 | |
| 3 | East Tennessee State | 5-3 | 7-4 | |
| 4 | Furman | 5-3 | 7-4 | |
| 5 | UT-Chattanooga | 4-4 | 7-4 | |
| 6 | Citadel | 4-4 | 6-5 | |
| 7 | Western Carolina | 3-5 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Wofford | 2-6 | 3-7 | |
| 9 | VMI | 0-8 | 0-11 |
Southland
8 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McNeese State | 6-1 | 12-1 | |
| 2 | Northwestern State | 6-1 | 8-4 | |
| 3 | Stephen F. Austin | 5-2 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | Nicholls State | 3-4 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Sam Houston State | 3-4 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | SW Texas State | 2-5 | 5-6 | |
| 7 | Troy State | 2-5 | 5-6 | |
| 8 | Jacksonville State | 1-6 | 1-10 |
Southwestern Athletic
9 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern | 8-0 | 10-1 | |
| 2 | Jackson State | 7-1 | 9-3 | |
| 3 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 6-2 | 8-3 | |
| 4 | Texas Southern | 4-4 | 5-6 | |
| 5 | Alcorn State | 4-4 | 4-7 | |
| 6 | Mississippi Valley State | 3-5 | 4-6 | |
| 7 | Alabama State | 2-6 | 3-8 | |
| 8 | Grambling | 2-6 | 3-8 | |
| 9 | Prairie View | 0-8 | 0-9 |
Independent
14 teams| # | Team | Conf | All | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Poly-SLO | - | 10-1 | |
| 2 | Western Kentucky | - | 10-2 | |
| 3 | Liberty | - | 9-2 | |
| 4 | Hofstra | - | 9-3 | |
| 5 | Morehead State | - | 7-3 | |
| 6 | Samford | - | 7-4 | |
| 7 | South Florida | - | 5-6 | |
| 8 | Southern Utah | - | 5-6 | |
| 9 | St. Mary's | - | 4-6 | |
| 10 | Norfolk State | - | 3-7 | |
| 11 | Buffalo | - | 2-9 | |
| 12 | La Salle | - | 1-8 | |
| 13 | Charleston Southern | - | 1-9 | |
| 14 | Austin Peay | - | 0-10 |
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.