1971 NCAA University Division football rankings
| 1971 NCAA University Division football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1971 |
| Bowl season | 1971–72 bowl games |
| Preseason No. 1 | |
| End of season champions | Nebraska |
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
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. | Arkansas | Auburn (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. | Tennessee | Tennessee (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. | LSU | Alabama (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. | Oklahoma | Oklahoma (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 State | Georgia (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 State | Colorado (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. | Syracuse | Stanford (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 State | Penn State (0–0) | Georgia (2–0) | Ohio State (1–1) | Duke (4–0) | Tennessee (3–1) | Arizona State (4–1) т | Texas (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. | UCLA | Syracuse (0–0) | Arizona State (1–0) | Washington (3–0) | Ohio State (2–1) | Stanford (4–1) | Toledo (6–0) т | Toledo (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. | Alabama | Arizona 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) т | Stanford (8–3) | Arkansas (8–3–1) | 16. |
| 17. | Georgia Tech | USC (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) т | Mississippi (9–2) | Houston (9–3) | 17. |
| 18. | Georgia | Michigan 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) т | Arkansas (8–2–1) | Texas (8–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Stanford | South 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) т | Northwestern (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] | ||
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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 |
- Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pac-8 conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl.
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ "1971 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "September 13, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "September 20, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "September 27, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 4, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 11, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 18, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 25, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 1, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 8, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 15, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 22, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 29, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "December 6, 1971 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "1971 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ a b Madden, Bill (December 7, 1971). "Coaches agree". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. p. 32.