| 1954 NCAA football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1954 |
| Bowl season | 1954–55 bowl games |
| Preseason No. 1 | |
| End of season champions |
Ohio State (AP) UCLA (Coaches) |
Two human polls comprised the 1954 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
Legend
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
| National champion | ||
(#–#)
|
Win–loss record | |
(Italics)
|
Number of first place votes | |
т
|
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
AP Poll
The final AP Poll was released on November 29, at the end of the 1954 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.
| Preseason Aug [1] | Week 1 Sep 20 [2] | Week 2 Sep 27 [3] | Week 3 Oct 4 [4] | Week 4 Oct 11 [5] | Week 5 Oct 18 [6] | Week 6 Oct 25 [7] | Week 7 Nov 1 [8] | Week 8 Nov 8 [9] | Week 9 Nov 15 [10] | Week 10 Nov 22 [11] | Week 11 (Final) Nov 29 [12] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Notre Dame (52) | Oklahoma (1–0) (56) | Notre Dame (1–0) (94) | Oklahoma (2–0) (77) | Oklahoma (3–0) (118) | Oklahoma (4–0) (115) | Ohio State (5–0) (64) | UCLA (7–0) (72) | UCLA (8–0) (117) | Ohio State (8–0) (87) | Ohio State (9–0) (115) | Ohio State (9–0) (204) | 1. |
| 2. | Oklahoma (74) | Notre Dame (0–0) (11) | Oklahoma (2–0) (24) | UCLA (3–0) (20) | Wisconsin (4–0) (21) | Wisconsin (4–0) (42) | Oklahoma (5–0) (74) | Ohio State (6–0) (69) | Ohio State (7–0) (80) | UCLA (8–0) (92) | UCLA (9–0) (85) | UCLA (9–0) (133) | 2. |
| 3. | Maryland (13) | Maryland (0–0) (9) | Iowa (1–0) (11) | Wisconsin (2–0) (17) | UCLA (4–0) (10) | UCLA (5–0) (23) | UCLA (6–0) (45) | Oklahoma (6–0) (42) | Oklahoma (7–0) (44) | Oklahoma (8–0) (28) | Oklahoma (9–0) (31) | Oklahoma (10–0) (35) | 3. |
| 4. | Texas (10) | Texas (1–0) (3) | UCLA (2–0) (3) | Iowa (2–0) (15) | Ohio State (3–0) (14) | Ohio State (4–0) (8) | Arkansas (5–0) (16) | Arkansas (6–0) (16) | Arkansas (7–0) (43) | Notre Dame (6–1) (2) | Notre Dame (7–1) (4) | Notre Dame (8–1) (9) | 4. |
| 5. | Illinois (2) | Georgia Tech (1–0) (2) | Wisconsin (1–0) (7) | Purdue (2–0) (22) | Purdue (2–0–1) (3) | Ole Miss (5–0) (9) | Army (4–1) (1) | Notre Dame (4–1) (4) | Notre Dame (5–1) (3) | Army (7–1) | Army (7–1) | Navy (7–2) (4) | 5. |
| 6. | Michigan State (7) | Illinois (0–0) | Maryland (1–0) (3) | Duke (2–0) (3) | Duke (2–0–1) (7) | Notre Dame (3–1) | Notre Dame (3–1) (1) | Miami (FL) (6–0) (14) | Army (6–1) (4) | Ole Miss (8–1) (7) | Navy (6–2) (2) | Ole Miss (9–1) (6) | 6. |
| 7. | Georgia Tech (5) | Michigan State (0–0) | Duke (1–0) (7) | Ole Miss (3–0) (12) | Ole Miss (4–0) (11) | Arkansas (4–0) (4) | West Virginia (4–0) (6) | Army (5–1) (1) | Ole Miss (7–1) (5) | Navy (6–2) т | Ole Miss (8–1) (6) | Army (7–2) | 7. |
| 8. | UCLA (1) | UCLA (1–0) (2) | Ole Miss (2–0) (3) | Notre Dame (1–1) | Notre Dame (2–1) (2) | Minnesota (4–0) | Wisconsin (4–1) | Purdue (4–1–1) | USC (7–1) | USC (8–1) т | Wisconsin (7–2) | Maryland (7–2–1) (4) | 8. |
| 9. | Wisconsin (1) | Ole Miss (1–0) (1) | USC (2–0) | USC (3–0) | Navy (3–0) (1) т | Army (3–1) | Purdue (3–1–1) | Ole Miss (6–1) (2) | Iowa (5–2) | Arkansas (7–1) (5) | Baylor (7–2) | Wisconsin (7–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Ole Miss (2) | Baylor (1–0) т | Penn State (1–0) | Ohio State (2–0) (1) | Penn State (3–0) (3) т | West Virginia (3–0) (9) | Miami (FL) (5–0) (6) | USC (6–1) | Navy (5–2) | Minnesota (7–1) | Maryland (6–2–1) | Arkansas (8–2) (4) | 10. |
| 11. | Iowa (1) | Wisconsin (0–0) т | Baylor (2–0) | Rice (2–0) | Minnesota (3–0) (2) | Colorado (5–0) (2) | Michigan (4–1) | Duke (4–1–1) | Miami (FL) (6–1) | SMU (5–1–1) | Miami (FL) (7–1) (2) | Miami (FL) (8–1) (7) | 11. |
| 12. | California | Iowa (0–0) | Texas (1–1) | Penn State (2–0) | Arkansas (3–0) (1) | Alabama (4–1) | Ole Miss (5–1) | Iowa (4–2) | Cincinnati (8–0) | Michigan (6–2) | West Virginia (7–1) (3) | West Virginia (8–1) (2) | 12. |
| 13. | Army | Rice (0–0) | Michigan State (0–1) | Maryland (1–1) | Iowa (2–1) | Purdue (2–1–1) | USC (5–1) | Cincinnati (7–0) | Minnesota (6–1) | Maryland (5–2–1) | Arkansas (7–2) (2) | Auburn (7–3) (1) | 13. |
| 14. | Alabama | Texas Tech (1–0) (1) | Ohio State (1–0) (1) | Florida (2–1) (1) | West Virginia (2–0) (6) | Virginia Tech (4–0) | Virginia Tech (5–0) (1) | Minnesota (5–1) | Wisconsin (5–2) | West Virginia (6–1) | Michigan (6–3) | Duke (7–2–1) | 14. |
| 15. | Duke (2) | USC (1–0) | South Carolina (1–0) (1) | Texas (2–1) | Rice (2–1) | Georgia Tech (4–1) | Navy (4–1) | Rice (4–2) | Virginia Tech (6–0–1) | Virginia Tech (6–0–1) | Auburn (7–2) | Michigan (6–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Rice | Oregon (1–0) | Rice (1–0) | West Virginia (1–0) (5) | Virginia Tech (3–0) | Miami (FL) (4–0) | Duke (3–1–1) | Wisconsin (4–2) | West Virginia (5–1) (2) | Miami (FL) (6–1) | Virginia Tech (7–0–1) | Virginia Tech (8–0–1) | 16. |
| 17. | USC | California (0–1) | Texas Tech (2–0) | Stanford (3–0) | Colorado (4–0) (1) | USC (4–1) | TCU (4–2) | West Virginia (4–1) (1) | Maryland (4–2–1) | Wisconsin (6–2) | USC (8–2) | USC (8–3) | 17. |
| 18. | Oregon | Army (0–0) | California (1–1) | Minnesota (2–0) | Army (2–1) | Florida (3–2) | SMU (3–1) | Virginia Tech (5–0–1) | Baylor (6–2) | Auburn (7–1) | Kentucky (7–3) | Baylor (7–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Texas Tech | Duke (0–0) | Purdue (1–0) | Navy (2–0) т | Georgia Tech (3–1) | Duke (2–1–1) | Rice (3–2) | Navy (4–2) | SMU (4–1–1) | Iowa (5–3) | Penn State (7–2) | Rice (7–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Ohio State (1) | TCU (1–0) | Florida (1–1) | Virginia Tech (3–0) т | Texas Tech (3–0–1) | TCU (3–2) | Cincinnati (6–0) |
| Georgia (6–1–1) | Baylor (6–2) |
| Penn State (7–2) | 20. |
| Preseason Aug [1] | Week 1 Sep 20 [2] | Week 2 Sep 27 [3] | Week 3 Oct 4 [4] | Week 4 Oct 11 [5] | Week 5 Oct 18 [6] | Week 6 Oct 25 [7] | Week 7 Nov 1 [8] | Week 8 Nov 8 [9] | Week 9 Nov 15 [10] | Week 10 Nov 22 [11] | Week 11 (Final) Nov 29 [12] | ||
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Final Coaches Poll
The final
UP
Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on November 29.
[13]
UCLA received 21 of the 35 first-place votes; Ohio State received eleven, and one each to Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Navy.
[13]
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA | Pacific Coast | none |
| 2 | Ohio State | Big Ten | Won Rose, 20–7 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | Big Seven | none |
| 4 | Notre Dame | Independent | |
| 5 | Navy | Independent | Won Sugar, 21–0 |
| 6 | Ole Miss | SEC | Lost Sugar, 0–21 |
| 7 | Army | Independent | none |
| 8 | Arkansas | Southwest | Lost Cotton, 6–14 |
| 9 | Miami (FL) | Independent | none |
| 10 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| 11 | USC | Pacific Coast | Lost Rose, 7–20 |
| 12 | Maryland | ACC | none |
| 13 | Georgia Tech | SEC | Won Cotton, 14–6 |
| 14 | Duke | ACC | Won Orange, 34–7 |
| 15 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| Penn State | Independent | ||
| 17 | SMU | Southwest | |
| 18 | Denver | Skyline | |
| Rice | Southwest | ||
| 20 | Minnesota | Big Ten |
- The NCAA record book lists USC, Maryland, and Georgia Tech in a tie for 11th place, [16] while contemporary sources list them in 11th, 12th, and 13th respectively.
- Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pacific Coast (later AAWU / Pac-8) conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl.
Litkenhous Ratings
The Litkenhous Ratings released in mid-December 1954 provided numerical rankings to over 600 college football programs. The top 50 ranked teams were: [17]
1. UCLA
2. Ohio State
3. Oklahoma
4. Maryland
5. Notre Dame
6. Wisconsin
7. Iowa
8. Ole Miss
9. Purdue
10. Michigan
11. Miami (FL)
12. Navy
13. Arkansas
14. Baylor
15. Minnesota
16. Auburn
17. Army
18. Michigan State
19. Rice
20. USC
21. SMU
22. Colorado
23. Georgia Tech
24. Texas Tech
25. Texas
26. California
27. TCU
28. Indiana
29. Duke
30. Miami (OH)
31. Northwestern
32. Florida
33. Penn State
34. Pittsburgh
35. Nebraska
36. Kentucky
37. West Virginia
38. Southeastern Louisiana
39. Alabama
40. Arizona
41. Mississippi State
42. Wichita
43. Cincinnati
44. Missouri
45. LSU
46. Oregon
47. Illinois
48. Georgia
49. Texas A&M
50. Oklahoma A&M
HBCU rankings
The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1954 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was largely segregated. The rankings were published on December 11: [18]
- 1. Tennessee A&I (10–1)
- 2. Florida A&M (8–1)
- 3. Southern (10–1)
- 4. North Carolina College (7–1–1)
- 5. Virginia State (7–2)
- 6. Maryland State (6–1–1)
- 7. Prairie View A&M (10–1)
- 8. South Carolina State (8–2)
- 9. Morris Brown (5–3)
- 10. Alcorn State (5–2–2)
- 11. Lincoln (MO) (4–3–1)
- 12. Xavier (LA) (6–2)
- 13. Morgan State (6–3)
- 14. Texas Southern (4–3–2)
- 15. Grambling (4–2–2)
The Associated Negro Press also published rankings on December 25: [19]
- 1. Tennessee A&I (10–1)
- 2. Florida A&M (8–1)
- 3. Prairie View A&M (10–1)
- 4. Southern (10–1)
- 5. N.C. College (7–1–1)
- 6. Maryland State (6–1–1)
- 7. Xavier (LA) (6–2)
- 8. Virginia State (7–2)
- 9. South Carolina State (8–2)
- 10. Bluefield State (7–2)
- 11. Miles (8–0)
- 12. Virginia Union (5–3)
- 13. Texas Southern (5–4–2)
- 14. Allen (5–4)
- 15. Bethune-Cookman (7–3)
- 16. Lincoln (MO) (4–3–1)
- 17. Alcorn (6–2–2)
- 18. St. Augustine's (6–2)
- 19. Central State (4–4)
- 20. Kentucky State (5–3)
- 21. Morris Brown (5–3)
- 22. Grambling (4–3–2)
- 23. Morgan State (5–3)
- 24. North Carolina A&T (4–5)
- 25. Mississippi Vocational (6–2)
- 26. Delaware State (7–1)
- 27. Elizabeth City (5–1)
- 28. Fort Valley State (5–4)
- 29. Langston (4–4–1)
- 30. Claflin (6–3)
- 31. Knoxville (5–3–1)
- 32. Alabama State (4–3–1)
- 33. Hampton (4–5–1)
- 34. Dillard (4–4)
- 35. Tuskegee (3–5)
- 36. Texas College (4–5)
- 37. Morehouse (4–3)
- 38. West Virginia State (3–6)
- 39. Lincoln (PA) (4–3–1)
- 40. Wiley (5–5)
- 41. Fisk (4–4)
- 42. Arkansas A&M (2–7–2)
- 43. Mississippi Industrial (2–3)
- 44. Winston-Salem State (2–7)
- 45. Fayetteville State (3–6)
- 46. Paul Quinn (2–5–1)
- 47. Florida Normal (3–1–1)
- 48. Livingstone (4–1)
- 49. Clark (1–7)
- 50. Howard (2–6–1)
- 51. Jackson State (1–7–1)
- 52. Tougaloo (3–5)
- 53. Johnson C. Smith (1–5–2)
- 54. Saint Paul's (1–7)
- 55. Albany State (1–3–1)
- 56. Morris College (2–3)
- 57. Philander Smith (1–4)
- 58. Savannah State (1–6)
- 59. Alabama A&M (1–7)
- 60. Benedict (0–8)
- 61. Shaw (0–7–1)
- 62. Lane (1–4)
- 63. Bishop (1–7)
- 64. Paine (0–5)
- 65. Rust (0–5)
- 66. Morristown (0–4)
References
- ^ "1954 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "September 20, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "September 27, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 4, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 11, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 18, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 25, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 1, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 8, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 15, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 22, 1954 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "1954 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c "UCLA stays on top in voting of coaches". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. November 30, 1954. p. 29.
- ^ "U.P. Poll of Coaches Ranks UCLA No. 1 Over Buckeyes". The Atlanta Constitution. November 30, 1954. p. 10.
- ^ "Coaches' Ballots Pick Bruins No. 1". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 30, 1954. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "2018 NCAA Division I FBS record book" (PDF). NCAA. p. 148.
- ^ "Final Litkenhous Ratings". The Journal and Courier. December 14, 1954. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The National Parade". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 11, 1954. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Luix Virgil Overbea (December 25, 1954). "Pigskin Huddle". Baltimore Afro-American (p. 16).