1972 NCAA University Division football rankings
| 1972 NCAA University Division football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1972 |
| Bowl season | 1972–73 bowl games |
| Preseason No. 1 | |
| End of season champions | USC |
AP Poll
| Preseason Aug[1] | Week 1 Sep 11[2] | Week 2 Sep 18[3] | Week 3 Sep 25[4] | Week 4 Oct 2[5] | Week 5 Oct 9[6] | Week 6 Oct 16[7] | Week 7 Oct 23[8] | Week 8 Oct 30[9] | Week 9 Nov 6[10] | Week 10 Nov 13[11] | Week 11 Nov 20[12] | Week 12 Nov 27[13] | Week 13 Dec 4[14] | Week 14 (Final) Jan[15] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nebraska (0-0) (28) | USC (1-0) (13) | USC (2-0) (28) | USC (3-0) (28) | USC (4-0) (36) | USC (5-0) (34) | USC (6-0) (28) | USC (7-0) (44) | USC (8-0) (41) | USC (9-0) (40) | USC (9-0) (42) | USC (10-0) (44) | USC (10-0) (46) | USC (11-0) (50) | USC (12-0) (50) | 1. |
| 2. | Colorado (0-0) (13) | Colorado (1-0) (12) | Oklahoma (1-0) (11) | Oklahoma (2-0) (14) | Oklahoma (3-0) (13) | Oklahoma (3-0) (15) | Oklahoma (4-0) (20) | Alabama (6-0) (2) | Alabama (7-0) (3) | Alabama (8-0) (3) | Alabama (9-0) (5) | Alabama (10-0) (5) | Alabama (10-0) (4) | Oklahoma (10-1) | Oklahoma (11-1) | 2. |
| 3. | Ohio State (0-0) (4) | Ohio State (0-0) (5) | Colorado (2-0) (7) | Colorado (3-0) (5) | Ohio State (2-0) | Alabama (4-0) | Alabama (5-0) | Nebraska (5-1) (2) | Nebraska (6-1) (4) | Nebraska (7-1) (5) | Michigan (9-0) (3) | Michigan (10-0) (1) | Oklahoma (9-1) | Ohio State (9-1) | Texas (10-1) | 3. |
| 4. | Arkansas (0-0) (2) | Oklahoma (0-0) (12) | Ohio State (1-0) (2) | Tennessee (3-0) (1) | Alabama (3-0) | Ohio State (3-0) (1) | Ohio State (4-0) (1) | Ohio State (5-0) (1) | Michigan (7-0) (1) | Michigan (8-0) (1) | Oklahoma (7-1) | Oklahoma (8-1) | Ohio State (9-1) | Alabama (10-1) | Nebraska (9-2-1) | 4. |
| 5. | Penn State (0-0) | Alabama (1-0) | Tennessee (2-0) (2) | Ohio State (1-0) (1) | Michigan (3-0) (1) | Michigan (4-0) | Nebraska (4-1) | Michigan (6-0) (1) | Ohio State (6-0) (1) | Ohio State (7-0) (1) | Nebraska (7-1-1) | Nebraska (8-1-1) | Penn State (10-1) | Penn State (10-1) | Auburn (10-1) | 5. |
| 6. | Oklahoma (0-0) (2) | Penn State (0-0) (1) | UCLA (2-0) | Alabama (2-0) | Nebraska (3-1) | Nebraska (3-1) | Michigan (5-0) (1) | LSU (6-0) | LSU (6-0) | LSU (7-0) | Penn State (8-1) | Penn State (9-1) | Texas (9-1) | Auburn (9-1) | Michigan (10-1) | 6. |
| 7. | Alabama (0-0) | Tennessee (1-0) (1) | Alabama (1-0) | Nebraska (2-1) | Notre Dame (2-0) | Notre Dame (3-0) | LSU (5-0) | Colorado (6-1) | Oklahoma (5-1) | Oklahoma (6-1) | Texas (7-1) | Texas (8-1) | Michigan (10-1) | Texas (9-1) | Alabama (10-2) | 7. |
| 8. | USC (0-0) | UCLA (1-0) | LSU (1-0) | Michigan (2-0) (1) | LSU (3-0) | LSU (4-0) | Notre Dame (4-0) | Oklahoma (4-1) | UCLA (7-1) | UCLA (8-1) | LSU (7-1) | LSU (8-1) | Nebraska (8-2-1) | Michigan (10-1) | Tennessee (10-2) | 8. |
| 9. | Washington (0-0) (1) | LSU (0-0) | Nebraska (1-1) | LSU (2-0) | Texas (2-0) | Auburn (4-0) | Colorado (5-1) | UCLA (6-1) | Texas (5-1) | Texas (6-1) | Ohio State (7-1) | Ohio State (8-1) | Auburn (8-1) | Nebraska (8-2-1) | Ohio State (9-2) | 9. |
| 10. | Michigan (0-0) | Nebraska (0-1) (1) | Arizona State (2-0) | Notre Dame (1-0) | Tennessee (3-1) | Texas (3-0) | Tennessee (4-1) | Texas (4-1) | Penn State (6-1) | Penn State (7-1) | Notre Dame (7-1) | Auburn (8-1) | Notre Dame (8-1) | LSU (9-1-1) | Penn State (10-2) | 10. |
| 11. | LSU (0-0) | Michigan (0-0) | Penn State (0-1) | Arizona State (3-0) | Washington (4-0) | Tennessee (4-1) | UCLA (5-1) | Penn State (5-1) | Auburn (6-1) | Auburn (7-1) | Auburn (7-1) | Notre Dame (8-1) | LSU (8-1-1) | Tennessee (9-2) | LSU (9-2-1) | 11. |
| 12. | Arizona State (0-0) | Washington (1-0) (1) | Michigan (1-0) | Texas (1-0) | Colorado (3-1) | Washington (5-0) | Penn State (4-1) | Auburn (5-1) | Notre Dame (5-1) | Notre Dame (6-1) | Iowa State (5-2-1) | Tennessee (7-2) | Tennessee (8-2) | Notre Dame (8-2) | North Carolina (11-1) | 12. |
| 13. | Notre Dame (0-0) | Arizona State (1-0) | Notre Dame (0-0) | Penn State (1-1) | Florida State (4-0) | Colorado (4-1) | Stanford (4-1) | Notre Dame (4-1) | Tennessee (4-2) | Tennessee (5-2) | Tennessee (6-2) | Colorado (8-3) | Colorado (8-3) | Colorado (8-3) | Arizona State (10-2) | 13. |
| 14. | Texas (0-0) | Notre Dame (0-0) | Texas (0-0) | Washington (3-0) | UCLA (3-1) | UCLA (4-1) | Auburn (4-1) т | Tennessee (4-2) | Iowa State (5-1) | Missouri (5-3) | UCLA (8-2) | UCLA (8-3) | North Carolina (9-1) | UCLA (8-3) | Notre Dame (8-3) | 14. |
| 15. | Tennessee (0-0) | Texas (0-0) | Washington (2-0) | UCLA (2-1) | Stanford (3-0) | Penn State (3-1) | Texas (3-1) т | Iowa State (4-1) | Colorado (6-2) | Texas Tech (7-1) | Colorado (7-3) | North Carolina (8-1) | UCLA (8-3) | Arizona State (9-2) | UCLA (8-3) | 15. |
| 16. | Mississippi (0-0) | Georgia (0-0) | Georgia (1-0) | Florida State (3-0) | Penn State (2-1) | Air Force (4-0) | Air Force (5-0) | Arizona State (5-1) | Missouri (4-3) | Colorado (6-3) | North Carolina (7-1) | Missouri (6-4) | Arizona State (9-2) | North Carolina (9-1) | Colorado (8-4) | 16. |
| 17. | Georgia (0-0) | Arkansas (0-1) | Florida State (2-0) | Mississippi (2-0) | Auburn (3-0) | Stanford (3-1) | Arkansas (4-1) | Florida State (6-1) | Louisville (6-0) | Iowa State (5-2) | Washington (8-2) | Iowa State (5-3-1) | Louisville (9-1) | Louisville (9-1) | NC State (8-3-1) | 17. |
| 18. | Purdue (0-0) | Purdue (0-0) | Michigan State (1-0) | Tulane (2-0) | Mississippi (3-0) | Iowa State (3-0) | Washington (5-1) | Arkansas (4-2) т | Texas Tech (6-1) | North Carolina (6-1) | Arizona State (7-2) | Arizona State (8-2) | West Virginia (8-3) | West Virginia (8-3) | Louisville (9-1) | 18. |
| 19. | Florida State (0-0) | Mississippi (0-0) | Stanford (1-0) | Stanford (2-0) | Air Force (3-0) | Oklahoma State (3-1) | Arizona State (4-1) | SMU (4-1) т | Air Force (6-1) | Arizona State (6-2) | Missouri (5-4) | Washington State (7-4) | Washington State (7-4) | Washington State (7-4) | Washington State (7-4) | 19. |
| 20. | Stanford (0-0) | Florida State (1-0) | Mississippi (1-0) | West Virginia (3-0) | Iowa State (3-0) | Arkansas (3-1) | Iowa State (3-1) | West Virginia (5-2) т | Arkansas (5-2) |
| Washington State (6-4) | Texas Tech (8-2) | Oklahoma State (6-4) | Purdue (6-5) | Georgia Tech (7-4-1) | 20. |
| Preseason Aug[1] | Week 1 Sep 11[2] | Week 2 Sep 18[3] | Week 3 Sep 25[4] | Week 4 Oct 2[5] | Week 5 Oct 9[6] | Week 6 Oct 16[7] | Week 7 Oct 23[8] | Week 8 Oct 30[9] | Week 9 Nov 6[10] | Week 10 Nov 13[11] | Week 11 Nov 20[12] | Week 12 Nov 27[13] | Week 13 Dec 4[14] | Week 14 (Final) Jan[15] | ||
Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
|
Final Coaches' poll
The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December.[16]
USC was a unanimous selection, with all 35 first-place votes.[17]
| Ranking | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | USC |
| 2 | Oklahoma |
| 3 | Ohio State |
| 4 | Alabama |
| 5 | Texas |
| 6 | Michigan |
| 7 | Auburn |
| 8 | Penn State |
| 9 | Nebraska |
| 10 | LSU |
| 11 | Tennessee |
| 12 | Notre Dame |
| 13 | Arizona State |
| 14 | Colorado |
| North Carolina | |
| 16 | Louisville |
| 17 | UCLA |
| Washington State | |
| Utah State | |
| 20 | San Diego State |
References
- ^ "1972 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "September 11, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "September 18, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "September 25, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 2, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 9, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 16, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 23, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "October 30, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 6, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 13, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 20, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "November 27, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "December 4, 1972 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "1972 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ a b "UPI board unanimous on Trojans". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. December 5, 1972. p. 23.
- ^ a b "USC claims 3rd national title in 10 years". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). UPI. December 5, 1972. p. 12.
- ^ http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/rfsc/history/CoachPolls.txt