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
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
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) т Georgia (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) т Iowa (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) т TCU (3–2) Oregon (5–1) Arkansas (5–2) Iowa (4–3) (1) т Iowa (5–3) (3) Pittsburgh (6–4) Wyoming (9–1)Wyoming (9–1) 16. 17. Texas Georgia (1–0)Auburn (0–1) Florida (3–0) Air Force (3–0) Clemson (3–1) Arkansas (4–2) т TCU (5–2) North Texas State (8–0) т Alabama (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) т Air 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. Syracuse South 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: Dropped: Army Clemson Georgia Navy Notre Dame Ohio State Dropped: Oklahoma South Carolina Wisconsin Dropped: Air Force Florida Pittsburgh SMU Tennessee Washington Dropped: Dropped: Dropped: Dropped: Georgia Tech North Texas State Dropped: Iowa Michigan State Northwestern Oregon Tennessee Dropped: Auburn Miami (FL) Pittsburgh Dropped:
Final Coaches Poll
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
References
^ "Orange win grid crown" . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 8, 1959. p. 18.
^ "1959 Preseason AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "September 21, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "September 28, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "October 5, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "October 12, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "October 19, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "October 26, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "November 2, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "November 9, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "November 16, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "November 23, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "November 30, 1959 AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ "1959 Final AP Football Poll" . College Poll Archive . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
^ a b "Syracuse tops final grid poll by wide margin" . Bend Bulletin . (Oregon). UPI. December 8, 1959. p. 2.
^ a b "Syracuse is voted national champion by coaches board" . Reading Eagle . (Pennsylvania). UPI. December 8, 1959. p. 23.
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