1971 NCAA University Division football rankings

1971 NCAA University Division football rankings
Season1971
Bowl season1971–72 bowl games
Preseason No. 1
Notre Dame
End of season championsNebraska
NCAA University Division football rankings
← 1970
1972 →

Two human polls comprised the 1971 NCAA University Division 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

For the first time, the top two teams in the final poll were from the same conference; Nebraska (13–0) and Oklahoma (11–1) were joined by Colorado (10–2) in third for a sweep by the Big Eight Conference.[1]

Preseason
Aug[2]		Week 1
Sep 13[3]		Week 2
Sep 20[4]		Week 3
Sep 27[5]		Week 4
Oct 4[6]		Week 5
Oct 11[7]		Week 6
Oct 18[8]		Week 7
Oct 25[9]		Week 8
Nov 1[10]		Week 9
Nov 8[11]		Week 10
Nov 15[12]		Week 11
Nov 22[13]		Week 12
Nov 29[14]		Week 13
Dec 6[15]		Week 14 (Final)
Jan 3[1][16]
1.Notre Dame (15)Nebraska (1–0) (31)Nebraska (2–0) (32)Nebraska (3–0) (44)Nebraska (4–0) (43)Nebraska (5–0) (40)Nebraska (6–0) (35)Nebraska (7–0) (31)Nebraska (8–0) (34)Nebraska (9–0) (41)Nebraska (10–0) (40)Nebraska (10–0) (40)Nebraska (11–0) (48)Nebraska (12–0) (48)Nebraska (13–0) (55)1.
2.Nebraska (26)Notre Dame (0–0) (10)Notre Dame (1–0) (18)Michigan (3–0) (3)Michigan (4–0) (5)Oklahoma (4–0) (8)Oklahoma (5–0) (18)Oklahoma (6–0) (21)Oklahoma (7–0) (17)Oklahoma (8–0) (6)Oklahoma (9–0) (8)Oklahoma (9–0) (8)Alabama (11–0) (4)Alabama (11–0) (4)Oklahoma (11–1)2.
3.Texas (5)Texas (0–0) (5)Texas (1–0) (3)Texas (2–0) (3)Texas (3–0) (3)Michigan (5–0) (4)Michigan (6–0) (1)Michigan (7–0) (1)Michigan (8–0) (2)Michigan (9–0) (6)Michigan (10–0) (4)Alabama (10–0) (1)Oklahoma (9–1)Oklahoma (10–1)Colorado (10–2)3.
4.Michigan (1)Michigan (1–0) (2)Michigan (2–0)Notre Dame (2–0) (1)Auburn (3–0) (2)Alabama (5–0)Alabama (6–0)Alabama (7–0) (1)Alabama (8–0)Alabama (9–0)Alabama (10–0) (1)Michigan (11–0) (3)Michigan (11–0) (2)Michigan (11–0) (3)Alabama (11–1)4.
5.USC (1)Ohio State (1–0)Auburn (1–0) (2)Auburn (2–0) (2)Colorado (4–0) (2)Auburn (4–0) (2)Auburn (5–0) (1)Auburn (6–0) (1)Auburn (7–0) (1)Penn State (8–0) (1)Auburn (9–0) (1)Auburn (9–0) (1)Penn State (10–0) (1)Auburn (9–1)Penn State (11–1)5.
6.Auburn (1)Arkansas (1–0)Ohio State (1–0)Colorado (3–0) (2)Alabama (4–0)Colorado (5–0) (1)Notre Dame (5–0)Penn State (6–0)Penn State (7–0) (1)Auburn (8–0) (1)Penn State (9–0) (1)Penn State (10–0) (2)Auburn (9–1)Georgia (10–1)Michigan (11–1)6.
7.ArkansasAuburn (0–0) (2)Arkansas (2–0)Alabama (3–0)Notre Dame (3–0)Notre Dame (4–0)Penn State (5–0)Georgia (7–0)Georgia (8–0)Georgia (9–0)Notre Dame (8–1)Georgia (9–1)Georgia (10–1)Colorado (9–2)Georgia (11–1)7.
8.TennesseeTennessee (0–0)Alabama (2–0)Oklahoma (2–0)Oklahoma (3–0)Georgia (5–0)Georgia (6–0)Arkansas (6–1)Notre Dame (6–1)Notre Dame (7–1)Georgia (9–1)Colorado (9–2)Colorado (9–2)Arizona State (10–1)Arizona State (11–1)8.
9.LSUAlabama (1–0)Tennessee (1–0)Penn State (2–0)Penn State (3–0)Penn State (4–0)Arkansas (5–1)Colorado (6–1)Ohio State (6–1)Arizona State (7–1)Arizona State (8–1)Arizona State (9–1)Arizona State (10–1)Tennessee (9–2)Tennessee (10–2)9.
10.OklahomaOklahoma (0–0)Colorado (2–0)Stanford (3–0)Georgia (4–0)Texas (3–1)Stanford (5–1)Ohio State (5–1)Arizona State (6–1)Stanford (7–2)Colorado (8–2)LSU (7–3)LSU (8–3)Penn State (10–1)Stanford (9–3)10.
11.Ohio StateGeorgia (1–0)Oklahoma (1–0)Georgia (3–0)Washington (4–0)Arizona State (4–0)Colorado (5–1)LSU (5–1)Tennessee (5–2)Tennessee (6–2)Tennessee (6–2)Tennessee (7–2)Texas (8–2)LSU (8–3)LSU (9–3)11.
12.Penn StateColorado (1–0)Penn State (1–0)Tennessee (1–1)Arizona State (3–0)LSU (4–1)Ohio State (4–1)Notre Dame (5–1)Stanford (6–2)Colorado (7–2)Texas (7–2)Texas (7–2)Tennessee (8–2)Texas (8–2)Auburn (9–2)12.
13.SyracuseStanford (1–0)Stanford (2–0)Arizona State (2–0)Tennessee (2–1)Ohio State (3–1)LSU (5–1)Arizona State (5–1)Colorado (6–2)Texas (6–2)Toledo (10–0)Notre Dame (8–2)Toledo (11–0)Notre Dame (8–2)Notre Dame (8–2)13.
14.Arizona StatePenn State (0–0)Georgia (2–0)Ohio State (1–1)Duke (4–0)Tennessee (3–1)Arizona State (4–1) тTexas (4–2)Toledo (8–0)Toledo (9–0)LSU (6–3)Toledo (11–0)Notre Dame (8–2)Toledo (11–0)Toledo (12–0)14.
15.UCLASyracuse (0–0)Arizona State (1–0)Washington (3–0)Ohio State (2–1)Stanford (4–1)Toledo (6–0) тToledo (7–0)Texas (5–2)USC (5–4)USC (6–4)Houston (8–2)Houston (9–2)Houston (9–2)Mississippi (10–2)15.
16.AlabamaArizona State (0–0)USC (1–1)LSU (2–1)LSU (3–1)Arkansas (4–1)Texas (3–2)Tennessee (4–2)Arkansas (6–2)Ohio State (6–2)Houston (7–2)Stanford (8–3)Arkansas (8–2–1) тStanford (8–3)Arkansas (8–3–1)16.
17.Georgia TechUSC (0–1)Washington (2–0)USC (2–1)Arkansas (3–1)Toledo (5–0)Purdue (3–2)Stanford (5–2)USC (4–4)Arkansas (6–2–1)Arkansas (7–2–1)Arkansas (8–2–1)Stanford (8–3) тMississippi (9–2)Houston (9–3)17.
18.GeorgiaMichigan State (1–0)LSU (1–1)Arkansas (2–1)North Carolina (4–0)Washington (4–1)Tennessee (3–2)Air Force (5–1)LSU (5–2)Houston (6–2)Stanford (7–3)Mississippi (8–2)Mississippi (9–2) тArkansas (8–2–1)Texas (8–3)18.
19.StanfordSouth Carolina (1–0)Toledo (2–0)Duke (3–0)Stanford (3–1)Florida State (5–0)Duke (5–1)Florida State (6–1)Houston (5–2)Washington (7–2)Michigan State (6–4)North Carolina (9–2)North Carolina (9–2) тNorthwestern (7–4)Washington (8–3)19.
20.Northwestern (1)Houston (1–0)Duke (2–0)North Carolina (3–0)Toledo (4–0)Purdue (2–2)Air Force (4–1)USC (3–4)Washington (6–2)LSU (5–3)Mississippi (8–2)Washington (8–3)Washington (8–3)Washington (8–3)USC (6–4–1)20.
Preseason
Aug[2]		Week 1
Sep 13[3]		Week 2
Sep 20[4]		Week 3
Sep 27[5]		Week 4
Oct 4[6]		Week 5
Oct 11[7]		Week 6
Oct 18[8]		Week 7
Oct 25[9]		Week 8
Nov 1[10]		Week 9
Nov 8[11]		Week 10
Nov 15[12]		Week 11
Nov 22[13]		Week 12
Nov 29[14]		Week 13
Dec 6[15]		Week 14 (Final)
Jan 3[1][16]
Dropped:
  • Georgia Tech
  • LSU
  • Northwestern
  • UCLA
Dropped:
  • Houston
  • Michigan State
  • South Carolina
  • Syracuse
Dropped:
  • Toledo
Dropped:
  • USC
Dropped:
  • Duke
  • North Carolina
Dropped:
  • Florida State
  • Washington
Dropped:
  • Duke
  • Purdue
Dropped:
  • Air Force
  • Florida State
NoneDropped:
  • Ohio State
  • Washington
Dropped:
  • Michigan State
  • USC
NoneDropped:
  • North Carolina
Dropped:
  • Northwestern

Final Coaches Poll

The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December.[17]
Nebraska received 29 of the 31 first place votes; Alabama received the other two.

Ranking Team Conference Bowl
1 Nebraska Big Eight Won Orange, 38–6
2 Alabama SEC Lost Orange, 6–38
3 Oklahoma Big Eight Won Sugar, 40–22
4 Michigan Big Ten Lost Rose, 12–13
5 Auburn SEC Lost Sugar, 22–40
6 Arizona State WAC Won Fiesta, 45–38
7 Colorado Big Eight Won Bluebonnet, 31–21
8 Georgia SEC Won Gator, 7–3
9 Tennessee SEC Won Liberty, 14–13
10 LSU SEC Won Sun, 33–15
11 Penn State Independent Won Cotton, 30–6
12 Texas Southwest Lost Cotton, 6–30
13 Toledo Mid-American Won Tangerine, 28–3
14 Houston Independent Lost Bluebonnet, 21–31
15 Notre Dame Independent none (declined)
16 Stanford Pac-8 Won Rose, 13–12
17 Iowa State Big Eight Lost Sun, 15–33
18 North Carolina ACC Lost Gator, 3–7
19 Florida State Independent Lost Fiesta, 38–45
20 Arkansas Southwest Lost Liberty, 13–14
Mississippi SEC Won Peach, 13–12

[17]

References

  1. ^ a b "Grid poll sweep for Big Eight; Huskers, Sooners, Buffs, 1, 2, 3". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 4, 1972. p. 12.
  2. ^ "1971 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "September 13, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "September 20, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "September 27, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  6. ^ "October 4, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  7. ^ "October 11, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  8. ^ "October 18, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "October 25, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "November 1, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  11. ^ "November 8, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  12. ^ "November 15, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  13. ^ "November 22, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  14. ^ "November 29, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  15. ^ "December 6, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  16. ^ "1971 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  17. ^ a b Madden, Bill (December 7, 1971). "Coaches agree". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. p. 32.