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 |
Two human polls comprised the 1972 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)
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Number of first place votes | |
т
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Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
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 (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 (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 (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 (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 | 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 (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 | 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 | 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 (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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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. | Ole Miss | 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 | Arkansas (0-1) | Florida State (2-0) | Ole Miss (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 | Purdue (0-0) | Michigan State (1-0) | Tulane (2-0) | Ole Miss (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 | Ole Miss (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 | Florida State (1-0) | Ole Miss (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] | ||
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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 | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC | Pac-8 | Won Rose, 42–17 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | Big Eight | Won Sugar, 14–0 |
| 3 | Ohio State | Big Ten | Lost Rose, 17–42 |
| 4 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Cotton, 13–17 |
| 5 | Texas | Southwest | Won Cotton, 17–13 |
| 6 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| 7 | Auburn | SEC | Won Gator, 24–3 |
| 8 | Penn State | Independent | Lost Sugar, 0–14 |
| 9 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Won Orange, 40–6 |
| 10 | LSU | SEC | Lost Bluebonnet, 17–24 |
| 11 | Tennessee | SEC | Won Bluebonnet, 24–17 |
| 12 | Notre Dame | Independent | Lost Orange, 6–40 |
| 13 | Arizona State | WAC | Won Fiesta, 49–35 |
| 14 | Colorado | Big Eight | Lost Gator, 3–24 |
| North Carolina | ACC | Won Sun, 32–28 | |
| 16 | Louisville | MVC | none |
| 17 | UCLA | Pac-8 | |
| Washington State | Pac-8 | ||
| Utah State | Independent | ||
| 20 | San Diego State | PCAA |
- Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pac-8 conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl.
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