1976 NCAA Division I football rankings

1976 NCAA Division I football rankings
Season1976
Bowl season1976–77 bowl games
Preseason No. 1
Nebraska
End of season championsPittsburgh
NCAA Division I football rankings
← 1975
1977 →

Two human polls comprised the 1976 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I 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

Preseason
Aug [1]		Week 1
Sep 14[2]		Week 2
Sep 21[3]		Week 3
Sep 28[4]		Week 4
Oct 5[5]		Week 5
Oct 12[6]		Week 6
Oct 19[7]		Week 7
Oct 26[8]		Week 8
Nov 2[9]		Week 9
Nov 9[10]		Week 10
Nov 16[11]		Week 11
Nov 23[12]		Week 12
Nov 30[13]		Week 13 (Final)
Jan[14]
1.Nebraska (25)Michigan (1–0) (28)Michigan (2–0) (47)Michigan (3–0) (56)Michigan (4–0) (52)Michigan (5–0) (57)Michigan (6–0) (58)Michigan (7–0) (53)Michigan (8–0) (57)Pittsburgh (9–0) (49)Pittsburgh (10–0) (44)Pittsburgh (10–0) (39)Pittsburgh (11–0) (45)Pittsburgh (12–0) (59)1.
2.Michigan (10)Ohio State (1–0) (18)Ohio State (2–0) (3)Pittsburgh (3–0) (2)Pittsburgh (4–0) (3)Pittsburgh (5–0) (3)Pittsburgh (6–0) (4)Pittsburgh (7–0) (6)Pittsburgh (8–0) (5)UCLA (8–0–1) (7)UCLA (9–0–1) (13)Michigan (10–1) (13)Michigan (10–1) (8)USC (11–1) (3)2.
3.Arizona State (7)Pittsburgh (1–0) (9)Pittsburgh (2–0) (7)Oklahoma (3–0) (2)Oklahoma (4–0) (3)Nebraska (4–0–1)Nebraska (5–0–1)UCLA (6–0–1)UCLA (7–0–1)USC (7–1) (2)USC (8–1) (1)USC (9–1) (7)USC (10–1) (3)Michigan (10–2)3.
4.Ohio State (3)Oklahoma (1–0) (4)Oklahoma (2–0) (3)UCLA (3–0)Georgia (4–0) (2)UCLA (4–0–1)UCLA (5–0–1)USC (5–1)USC (6–1)Michigan (8–1) (2)Michigan (9–1) (2)Georgia (9–1) (1)Maryland (11–0) (2)Houston (10–2)4.
5.Oklahoma (6)UCLA (1–0) (2)UCLA (2–0)Nebraska (2–0–1)UCLA (3–0–1)Maryland (5–0)Oklahoma (5–0–1)Maryland (7–0)Texas Tech (6–0)Texas Tech (7–0) (1)Texas Tech (8–0) (1)Maryland (11–0) (2)Georgia (10–1)Oklahoma (9–2–1)5.
6.Alabama (3)Missouri (1–0)Nebraska (1–0–1)Georgia (3–0)Nebraska (3–0–1)Oklahoma (4–0–1)Maryland (6–0)Texas Tech (5–0) (1)Maryland (8–0)Maryland (9–0) (2)Georgia (9–1) тUCLA (9–1–1)Houston (8–2)Ohio State (9–2–1)6.
7.Texas (3)Penn State (1–0)Georgia (2–0)Maryland (3–0)Maryland (4–0)Missouri (4–1)USC (4–1)Georgia (6–1)Georgia (7–1)Georgia (8–1)Maryland (10–0) тHouston (7–2)UCLA (9–1–1)Texas A&M (10–2)7.
8.USC (2)Nebraska (0–0–1)Maryland (2–0)Ohio State (2–1)Kansas (4–0)USC (4–1)Texas Tech (4–0)Ohio State (5–1–1)Ohio State (6–1–1)Ohio State (7–1–1)Ohio State (8–1–1)Oklahoma (7–2–1)Oklahoma (8–2–1)Maryland (11–1)8.
9.Pittsburgh (1)Georgia (1–0)Texas A&M (2–0)Kansas (3–0)Missouri (3–1)Ohio State (3–1–1)Ohio State (4–1–1)Nebraska (5–1–1)Nebraska (6–1–1)Nebraska (7–1–1)Houston (6–2)Texas Tech (8–1)Texas Tech (9–1)Nebraska (9–3–1)9.
10.Penn StateMaryland (1–0)Kansas (3–0)Alabama (2–1)Ohio State (2–1–1)Texas Tech (3–0)Georgia (5–1)Missouri (5–2)Florida (6–1)Alabama (7–2)Oklahoma (7–2–1)Nebraska (7–2–1)Texas A&M (9–2)Georgia (10–2)10.
11.Notre DameTexas A&M (1–0)Penn State (1–1)LSU (2–0–1)USC (3–1)Georgia (4–1)Florida (4–1)Notre Dame (5–1)Notre Dame (6–1)Missouri (6–3)Texas A&M (7–2) (1)Texas A&M (8–2)Ohio State (8–2–1)Alabama (9–3)11.
12.MarylandArkansas (1–0)Arkansas (2–0)Missouri (2–1)Florida (3–1)Florida (3–1)Notre Dame (4–1)Florida (5–1)Arkansas (5–1)Houston (6–2)Nebraska (7–2–1)Ohio State (8–2–1)Colorado (8–3)Notre Dame (9–3)12.
13.ArkansasKansas (2–0)Alabama (1–1)USC (2–1)Boston College (3–0)Texas (2–1–1)Texas (2–1–1)Oklahoma (5–1–1)Oklahoma State (5–2)Arkansas (5–1–1)Notre Dame (7–2)Notre Dame (8–2)Nebraska (7–3–1)Texas Tech (10–2)13.
14.Texas A&MAlabama (0–1)Illinois (2–0)North Carolina (4–0)Notre Dame (3–1)Notre Dame (3–1)Houston (4–1)Arkansas (4–1)Colorado (6–2)Oklahoma (6–2–1)Iowa State (8–2)Colorado (8–3) тOklahoma State (8–3)Oklahoma State (9–3)14.
15.CaliforniaBoston College (1–0)LSU (1–0–1)Boston College (2–0)Texas Tech (2–0)Kansas (4–1)Arkansas (3–1)Texas (3–1–1)Alabama (6–2)Florida (6–2)Colorado (7–3)Oklahoma State (7–3) тNotre Dame (8–3)UCLA (9–2–1)15.
16.GeorgiaLSU (0–0–1)North Carolina (3–0)Ole Miss (3–1)Texas (2–1)LSU (3–1–1) тIowa State (5–1)Oklahoma State (4–2)Missouri (5–3)Texas A&M (6–2)Oklahoma State (6–3)Penn State (7–3)Alabama (8–3)Colorado (8–4)16.
17.UCLANorth Carolina (2–0)Ole Miss (2–1)Texas Tech (2–0)Texas A&M (3–1)Ole Miss (4–2) тMissouri (4–2)Alabama (5–2)Oklahoma (5–2–1)Oklahoma State (5–3)Penn State (7–3)Rutgers (10–0)Rutgers (11–0)Rutgers (11–0)17.
18.FloridaArizona State (0–1)Boston College (1–0)Notre Dame (2–1)Arkansas (3–1)Arkansas (3–1)Alabama (4–2)Mississippi State (6–1)Texas A&M (6–2)Notre Dame (6–2)Alabama (7–3)Alabama (7–3)Baylor (7–2–1)Kentucky (8–4)18.
19.KansasTexas (0–1)USC (1–1)Florida (2–1)North Carolina (4–1)Houston (3–1)South Carolina (5–2)Colorado (5–2)Houston (5–2)Colorado (6–3)Missouri (6–4) тMississippi State (9–2) тNorth Carolina (9–2)Iowa State (8–3)19.
20.Miami (OH)Ole Miss (1–1)Texas Tech (2–0)Penn State (1–2)LSU (2–1–1)Alabama (3–2)
Cincinnati (5–1)Texas (3–2–1)South Carolina (6–3)Rutgers (10–0) тNorth Carolina (9–2) т
  • Mississippi State (9–2) т
  • Penn State (7–4) т
Mississippi State (9–2)20.
Preseason
Aug [1]		Week 1
Sep 14[2]		Week 2
Sep 21[3]		Week 3
Sep 28[4]		Week 4
Oct 5[5]		Week 5
Oct 12[6]		Week 6
Oct 19[7]		Week 7
Oct 26[8]		Week 8
Nov 2[9]		Week 9
Nov 9[10]		Week 10
Nov 16[11]		Week 11
Nov 23[12]		Week 12
Nov 30[13]		Week 13 (Final)
Jan[14]
Dropped:
  • California
  • Florida
  • Miami (OH)
  • Notre Dame
  • USC
Dropped:
  • Arizona State
  • Missouri
  • Texas
Dropped:
  • Arkansas
  • Illinois
  • Texas A&M
Dropped:
  • Alabama
  • Ole Miss
  • Penn State
Dropped:
  • Boston College
  • North Carolina
  • Texas A&M
Dropped:
  • Kansas
  • LSU
  • Ole Miss
Dropped:
  • East Carolina
  • Houston
  • Iowa State
  • South Carolina
Dropped:
  • Cincinnati
  • Mississippi State
Dropped:
  • Texas
Dropped:
  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • South Carolina
Dropped:
  • Iowa State
  • Missouri
NoneDropped:
  • Baylor
  • North Carolina
  • Penn State

Coaches Poll

Week 1
Sep 13		Week 2
Sep 20		Week 3
Sep 27[15]		Week 4
Oct 4[16]		Week 5
Oct 11[17]		Week 6
Oct 18[18]		Week 7
Oct 25[19]		Week 8
Nov 1[20][N 1]		Week 9
Nov 8[21]		Week 10
Nov 15[22]		Week 11
Nov 22[23]		Week 12
Nov 29[24]		Week 13
Jan 4 (Final)
1.Ohio State (1–0)Michigan (2–0)Michigan (3–0)Michigan (4–0)Michigan (5–0)Michigan (6–0)Michigan (7–0)Michigan (8–0)Pittsburgh (9–0)Pittsburgh (10–0)Pittsburgh (10–0)Pittsburgh (11–0)Pittsburgh (12–0) (39)1.
2.Michigan (1–0)Ohio State (2–0)UCLA (3–0)Pittsburgh (4–0)Pittsburgh (5–0)Pittsburgh (6–0)Pittsburgh (7–0)Pittsburgh (8–0)UCLA (8–0–1)UCLA (9–0–1)USC (9–1)Michigan (10–1)USC (11–1) (3)2.
3.UCLA (1–0)Pittsburgh (2–0)Pittsburgh (3–0)Oklahoma (4–0)Nebraska (4–0–1)Nebraska (5–0–1)UCLA (6–0–1)UCLA (7–0–1)USC (7–1)USC (8–1)Michigan (10–1)USC (10–1)Michigan (10–2)3.
4.Pittsburgh (1–0)UCLA (2–0)Oklahoma (3–0)Georgia (4–0)UCLA (4–0–1)UCLA (5–0–1)USC (5–1)USC (6–1)Michigan (8–1)Michigan (9–1)Georgia (9–1)Georgia (10–1)Houston (10–2)4.
5.Oklahoma (1–0)Oklahoma (2–0)Nebraska (2–0–1)Nebraska (3–0–1)Oklahoma (4–0–1)Oklahoma (5–0–1)Maryland (7–0)Texas Tech (6–0)Texas Tech (7–0)Texas Tech (8–0)Maryland (11–0)Maryland (11–0)Ohio State (9–2–1)5.
6.Missouri (1–0)Nebraska (1–0–1)Georgia (3–0)UCLA (3–0–1)Maryland (5–0)USC (4–1)Texas Tech (5–0)Maryland (8–0)Georgia (8–1)Georgia (9–1)UCLA (9–1–1)UCLA (9–1–1)Oklahoma (9–2–1)6.
7.Penn State (1–0)Georgia (2–0)Maryland (3–0)Maryland (4–0)Missouri (4–1)Maryland (6–0)Georgia (6–1)Ohio State (6–1–1)Maryland (9–0)Maryland (10–0)Houston (7–2)Houston (8–2)Nebraska (8–3–1)7.
8.Nebraska (0–0–1)Maryland (2–0)Ohio State (2–1)Kansas (4–0)USC (4–1)Ohio State (4–1–1)Ohio State (5–1–1)Georgia (7–1)Ohio State (7–1–1)Ohio State (8–1–1)Nebraska (7–2–1)Texas Tech (9–1)Texas A&M (10–2)8.
9.Georgia (1-0)Texas A&M (2–0)Alabama (2–1)Missouri (3–1)Ohio State (3–1–1)Texas Tech (4–0)Nebraska (5–1–1)Nebraska (6–1–1)Nebraska (7–1–1)Oklahoma (7–2–1)Ohio State (8–2–1)Oklahoma (8–2–1)Alabama (9–3)9.
10.Texas A&M (1–0)Penn State (1–1)Missouri (2–1)USC (3–1)Texas Tech (3–0)Georgia (5–1)Missouri (5–2)Florida (6–1)Missouri (6–3)Iowa State (8–2)Texas Tech (8–1)Ohio State (8–2–1) тGeorgia (10–2)10.
11.Maryland (1–0)Arkansas (2–0)Kansas (3–0)Ohio State (2–1–1)Georgia (4–1)Florida (4–1)Notre Dame (5–1)Notre Dame (6–1–1)Houston (6–2)Nebraska (7–2–1)Notre Dame (8–2)Texas A&M (9–2) тMaryland (11–1)11.
12.Arkansas (1–0)Kansas (3–0)USC (2–1)Notre Dame (3–1)Florida (3–1)Notre Dame (4–1)Florida (5–1)Oklahoma State (5–2)Alabama (7–2)Texas A&M (7–2)Texas A&M (8–2)Colorado (8–3)Notre Dame (9–3)12.
13.Alabama (0–1)Alabama (1–1)LSU (2–0–1)Florida (3–1)Notre Dame (3–1)Texas (2–1–1)Oklahoma (5–1–1)Colorado (6–2)Tulsa (6–2)Houston (6–2)Oklahoma (7–2–1)Notre Dame (8–3)Texas Tech (10–2)13.
14.LSU (0–0–1)Illinois (2–0)North Carolina (4–0)Texas (2–1)Texas (2–1–1)Houston (4–1)Arkansas (4–1)Arkansas (5–1)Oklahoma (6–2–1)Notre Dame (7–2)Oklahoma State (7–3)Oklahoma State (8–3)Oklahoma State (9–3)14.
15.Boston College (1–0)LSU (1–0–1) тNotre Dame (2–1)Arkansas (3–1)Houston (3–1)Arkansas (3–1)Oklahoma State (4–2)Alabama (6–2)Florida (6–2)Tulsa (7–2)Colorado (8–3)Rutgers (11–0) тUCLA (9–2–1)15.
16.Kansas (2–0) тUSC (1–1) тBoston College (2–0)Texas A&M (3–1)Arkansas (3–1)Missouri (4–2)Colorado (5–2)Tulsa (5–2)Iowa State (7–2) тColorado (7–3)Rutgers (10–0) тAlabama (8–3) тColorado (8–4)16.
17.North Carolina (2-0) тBoston College (1–0)Florida (2–1)Boston College (3–0)Tulsa (4–1)Cincinnati (6–0)Texas (3–1–1)Houston (5–2)Arkansas (6–1–1) тOklahoma State (6–3)BYU (9–2) тBYU (9–2) тRutgers (11–0)17.
18.Texas Tech (1–0) тNorth Carolina (3–0)Houston (2–1)Texas Tech (2–0)Kansas (4–1)Iowa State (5–1)Alabama (5–2) тBaylor (4–2–1)Rutgers (10–0)Baylor (6–2–1)Baylor (7–2–1) тIowa State (8–3)18.
19.USC (0–1)Florida (1–1) тTulsa (3–1)Houston (2–1)Oklahoma State (3–1)Colorado (4–2)Boston College (5–1) тNotre Dame (6–2) тBYU (8–2) тFlorida (7–3)Nebraska (7–3–1)Baylor (8–2–1) т19.
20.Oklahoma State (1–0)Texas Tech (1–0) тTexas (1–1)Tulsa (4–1)Ole Miss (4–2)Alabama (4–2)Cincinnati (6–0) т
Wyoming (8–2) тPenn State (7–3)Florida (8–3)Kentucky (8–4) т20.
Week 1
Sep 13		Week 2
Sep 20		Week 3
Sep 27[15]		Week 4
Oct 4[16]		Week 5
Oct 11[17]		Week 6
Oct 18[18]		Week 7
Oct 25[19]		Week 8
Nov 1[20][N 1]		Week 9
Nov 8[21]		Week 10
Nov 15[22]		Week 11
Nov 22[23]		Week 12
Nov 29[24]		Week 13
Jan 4 (Final)
Dropped:
  • Missouri
  • Oklahoma State
Dropped:
  • Texas A&M
  • Penn State
  • Arkansas
  • Illinois
  • Texas Tech
Dropped:
  • Alabama
  • LSU
  • North Carolina
Dropped:
  • Texas A&M
  • Boston College
Dropped:
  • Tulsa
  • Kansas
  • Oklahoma State
  • Ole Miss
Dropped:
  • Houston
  • Iowa State
Dropped:
  • Missouri
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Boston College
  • Cincinnati
Dropped:
  • Oklahoma State
  • Colorado
Dropped:
  • Missouri
  • Alabama
  • Florida
  • Arkansas
  • Baylor
Dropped:
  • Iowa State
  • Tulsa
  • Wyoming
Dropped:
Penn State		Dropped:
  • BYU
  • Florida

[25][26] Note:

  1. ^ Less than 20 teams received votes in this poll.

References

  1. ^ "1976 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  2. ^ "September 14, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  3. ^ "September 21, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  4. ^ "September 28, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  5. ^ "October 5, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  6. ^ "October 12, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  7. ^ "October 19, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  8. ^ "October 26, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  9. ^ "November 2, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  10. ^ "November 9, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  11. ^ "November 16, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  12. ^ "November 23, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  13. ^ "November 30, 1976 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  14. ^ "1976 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  15. ^ "UPI Poll". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. September 28, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  16. ^ "UPI Poll". Wisconsin State Journal. October 6, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  17. ^ "UPI Poll". Daily World. October 12, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  18. ^ "UPI Poll". Denton Record-Chronicle. October 19, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  19. ^ "UPI Poll". Orlando Sentinel. October 26, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  20. ^ "UPI Poll". Dayton Daily News. November 2, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  21. ^ "UPI Poll". Dayton Daily News. November 9, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  22. ^ "UPI Poll". The Record. November 16, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  23. ^ "UPI Poll". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. November 23, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  24. ^ "UPI Poll". Daily Times-Advocate. November 30, 1976. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  25. ^ MacCambridge, Michael (2005). ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. pp. 1316–1317. ISBN 1-4013-3703-1.
  26. ^ "UPI poll". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. January 4, 1977. p. 3C.