1959 major college football rankings

Two human polls comprised the 1959 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

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  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

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The final AP poll was released on December 7, at the end of the 1959 regular season, weeks before the major bowls.[1]

Preseason
Aug[2]
Week 1
Sep 21[3]
Week 2
Sep 28[4]
Week 3
Oct 5[5]
Week 4
Oct 12[6]
Week 5
Oct 19[7]
Week 6
Oct 26[8]
Week 7
Nov 2[9]
Week 8
Nov 9[10]
Week 9
Nov 16[11]
Week 10
Nov 23[12]
Week 11
Nov 30[13]
Week 12 (Final)
Dec 7[14]
1.LSU (60)LSU (1–0) (64)LSU (2–0) (48)LSU (3–0) (69)LSU (4–0) (83)LSU (5–0) (68)LSU (6–0) (71)LSU (7–0) (132)Syracuse (7–0) (111)Syracuse (8–0) (126)Syracuse (9–0) (121)Syracuse (9–0) (95)Syracuse (10–0) (134)1.
2.Oklahoma (48)Oklahoma (0–0) (12)Northwestern (1–0) (20)Northwestern (2–0) (30)Northwestern (3–0) (10)Northwestern (4–0) (23)Northwestern (5–0) (25)Northwestern (6–0) (30)Texas (8–0) (85)Ole Miss (8–1) (68)Ole Miss (8–1) (32)Ole Miss (9–1) (49)Ole Miss (9–1) (47)2.
3.Auburn (17)Auburn (0–0) (6)Ole Miss (2–0) (4)Georgia Tech (3–0)Texas (4–0) (10)Texas (5–0) (8)Ole Miss (6–0) (46)Texas (7–0) (6)LSU (7–1) (13)LSU (8–1) (16)LSU (9–1) (1)LSU (9–1) (6)LSU (9–1) (6)3.
4.SMU (6)Ole Miss (1–0) (6)Army (1–0)Texas (3–0)Georgia Tech (4–0) (6)Ole Miss (5–0) (18)Texas (6–0) (6)Syracuse (6–0) (14)USC (7–0) (14)USC (8–0) (16)Texas (8–1) (1)Texas (9–1)Texas (9–1) (1)4.
5.Army (4)Clemson (1–0)Iowa (1–0) (4)Ole Miss (3–0) (2)Ole Miss (4–0) (6)USC (4–0) (12)Syracuse (5–0) (11)Ole Miss (6–1) (1)Ole Miss (7–1) (14)Texas (8–1) (1)Wisconsin (7–2) (1)Georgia (9–1) (2)Georgia (9–1) (3)5.
6.Wisconsin (10)SMU (0–0)Clemson (2–0) (7)USC (3–0) (9)Purdue (2–0–1) (5)Syracuse (4–0) (4)USC (5–0) (6)USC (6–0) (4)Northwestern (6–1) (2)Georgia (8–1) (6)Georgia (8–1) (2)Wisconsin (7–2) (15)Wisconsin (7–2) (5)6.
7.Ohio State (2)Army (0–0)Georgia Tech (2–0)Purdue (1–0–1)USC (3–0) (7)Auburn (3–1) (5)Penn State (6–0) (6)Penn State (7–0) (8)Wisconsin (6–1) (19)Penn State (8–1) (6)USC (8–1)TCU (8–2)TCU (8–2)7.
8.Ole Miss (5)Wisconsin (0–0)Notre Dame (1–0) (1)Tennessee (2–0)Syracuse (3–0) (2)Penn State (5–0) (3)Auburn (4–1) (5)Auburn (5–1) (3)Auburn (6–1) (9)Northwestern (6–2) (1)TCU (7–2)Washington (9–1) (2)Washington (9–1)8.
9.Iowa (4)TCU (1–0)Tennessee (1–0)Wisconsin (2–0)Iowa (2–1) (5)Georgia Tech (4–1)Georgia Tech (5–1) (1)Wisconsin (5–1) (2)Tennessee (5–1–1) (4)Wisconsin (6–2)Washington (9–1) (4)Arkansas (8–2)Arkansas (8–2)9.
10.Northwestern (6)Northwestern (0–0)Texas (2–0)Iowa (1–1)Penn State (4–0) (4)Arkansas (4–1) (1)Wisconsin (4–1) (2)Clemson (5–1) (2)Penn State (7–1)TCU (6–2)Arkansas (8–2) (1)Clemson (8–2)Alabama (7–1–2) (5)10.
11.Purdue (2)USC (1–0) (4)USC (2–0) (1)South Carolina (3–0) (3)Auburn (2–1) (1)Oregon (5–0) (1)Purdue (3–1–1)Georgia (6–1)Clemson (6–1) (3)Michigan State (5–3) (1)Auburn (7–2)Alabama (7–1–2) (6)Clemson (8–2)11.
12.North Carolina (6)Ohio State (0–0)Wisconsin (1–0)Syracuse (2–0) (1)Arkansas (4–0)Wisconsin (3–1)Clemson (4–1) (2)Washington (6–1)Georgia (7–1) (2)Auburn (6–2)Miami (FL) (6–3) (5)Illinois (5–3–1) (1)Penn State (8–2)12.
13.TCU (2)Iowa (0–0) тGeorgia (2–0)Oklahoma (1–1) (2)Illinois (2–1)Illinois (3–1)Yale (5–0) (1)Tennessee (4–1–1)Washington (7–1)Arkansas (7–2)Illinois (5–3–1)USC (8–2)Illinois (5–3–1)13.
14.South Carolina (4)Navy (1–0) тOhio State (1–0)Auburn (1–1)Tennessee (2–1)Purdue (2–1–1)Georgia (5–1)Purdue (3–1–2)Oregon (7–1) (2)Washington (8–1)Clemson (7–2)Penn State (8–2)USC (8–2)14.
15.Air Force (1)Texas (1–0)Navy (2–0)SMU (1–1)Clemson (3–1) тIowa (2–2)TCU (4–2)Oregon (6–1)Georgia Tech (6–2)Oregon (8–1) (1)Penn State (8–2)Oklahoma (7–3)Oklahoma (7–3)15.
16.Notre Dame (3)Georgia Tech (1–0)South Carolina (2–0)Penn State (3–0) (2)SMU (2–1) тTCU (3–2)Oregon (5–1)Arkansas (5–2)Iowa (4–3) (1) тIowa (5–3) (3)Pittsburgh (6–4)Wyoming (9–1)Wyoming (9–1)16.
17.TexasGeorgia (1–0)Auburn (0–1)Florida (3–0)Air Force (3–0)Clemson (3–1)Arkansas (4–2) тTCU (5–2)North Texas State (8–0) тAlabama (5–1–2) (4)Oklahoma (6–3)UCLA (5–3–1)Notre Dame (5–5)17.
18.Clemson (1)Penn State (1–0) (2)Air Force (1–0)Air Force (2–0)Washington (4–0)Oklahoma (3–2)Washington (5–1) тAir Force (4–1–1)TCU (5–2)Miami (FL) (5–3)Missouri (6–4) (2)Florida (5–4–1)Missouri (6–4)18.
19.Michigan State (1)Florida (1–0)Florida (2–0)Arkansas (3–0)Florida (3–0–1)Yale (4–0) (1)Oklahoma (4–2)Georgia Tech (5–2)Michigan State (4–3)Clemson (6–2)Alabama (6–1–2) (1)Notre Dame (5–5)Florida (5–4–1)19.
20.SyracuseSouth Carolina (1–0)Syracuse (1–0)Illinois (1–1)Pittsburgh (3–1)Ohio State (2–0)Tennessee (3–1–1)North Texas State (7–0)Arkansas (6–2)Tennessee (5–2–1)UCLA (4–3–1)Missouri (6–4)Pittsburgh (6–4)20.
Preseason
Aug[2]
Week 1
Sep 21[3]
Week 2
Sep 28[4]
Week 3
Oct 5[5]
Week 4
Oct 12[6]
Week 5
Oct 19[7]
Week 6
Oct 26[8]
Week 7
Nov 2[9]
Week 8
Nov 9[10]
Week 9
Nov 16[11]
Week 10
Nov 23[12]
Week 11
Nov 30[13]
Week 12 (Final)
Dec 7[14]
Dropped:
  • Air Force
  • Michigan State
  • North Carolina
  • Notre Dame
  • Purdue
  • Syracuse
Dropped:
  • Oklahoma
  • Penn State
  • SMU
  • TCU
Dropped:
  • Army
  • Clemson
  • Georgia
  • Navy
  • Notre Dame
  • Ohio State
Dropped:
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • Wisconsin
Dropped:
  • Air Force
  • Florida
  • Pittsburgh
  • SMU
  • Tennessee
  • Washington
Dropped:
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Ohio State
Dropped:
  • Oklahoma
  • Yale
Dropped:
  • Air Force
  • Purdue
Dropped:
  • Georgia Tech
  • North Texas State
Dropped:
  • Iowa
  • Michigan State
  • Northwestern
  • Oregon
  • Tennessee
Dropped:
  • Auburn
  • Miami (FL)
  • Pittsburgh
Dropped:
  • UCLA

Final Coaches Poll

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The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 8.[15]
Syracuse received 31 of the 35 first-place votes; Mississippi received three and Washington one.[16]

Ranking Team Conference Bowl
1 Syracuse Independent Won Cotton, 23–14
2 Ole Miss SEC Won Sugar, 21–0
3 LSU SEC Lost Sugar, 0–21
4 Texas Southwest Lost Cotton, 14–23
5 Georgia SEC Won Orange, 14–0
6 Wisconsin Big Ten Lost Rose, 8–44
7 Washington AAWU Won Rose, 44–8
8 TCU Southwest Lost Bluebonnet, 7–23
9 Arkansas Southwest Won Gator, 14–7
10 Penn State Independent Won Liberty, 7–0
11 Clemson ACC Won Bluebonnet, 23–7
12 Illinois Big Ten none
13 Alabama SEC Lost Liberty, 0–7
USC AAWU none
15 Auburn SEC
16 Michigan State Big Ten
17 Oklahoma Big Eight
18 Notre Dame Independent
19 Florida SEC
Pittsburgh Independent
Missouri Big Eight Lost Orange, 0–14

[15][16]

  • Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and AAWU (later Pac-8) conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl.
  • The Ivy League has prohibited its members from participating in postseason football since the league was officially formed in 1954.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Orange win grid crown". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 8, 1959. p. 18.
  2. ^ "1959 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "September 21, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "September 28, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "October 5, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  6. ^ "October 12, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  7. ^ "October 19, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  8. ^ "October 26, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "November 2, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "November 9, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  11. ^ "November 16, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  12. ^ "November 23, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  13. ^ "November 30, 1959 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  14. ^ "1959 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  15. ^ a b "Syracuse tops final grid poll by wide margin". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). UPI. December 8, 1959. p. 2.
  16. ^ a b "Syracuse is voted national champion by coaches board". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. December 8, 1959. p. 23.