Two human polls comprised the 1955 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.
| 1955 college football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1955 |
| Bowl season | 1955–56 bowl games |
| Preseason No. 1 | |
| End of season champions | Oklahoma |
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 November 28, at the end of the 1955 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.
| Preseason Aug[1] | Week 1 Sep 19[2] | Week 2 Sep 26[3] | Week 3 Oct 3[4] | Week 4 Oct 10[5] | Week 5 Oct 17[6] | Week 6 Oct 24[7] | Week 7 Oct 31[8] | Week 8 Nov 7[9] | Week 9 Nov 14[10] | Week 10 Nov 21[11] | Week 11 (Final) Nov 28[12] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UCLA (33) | UCLA (1–0) (34) | Maryland (2–0) (45) | Maryland (3–0) (88) | Michigan (3–0) (80) | Michigan (4–0) (76) | Maryland (6–0) (62) | Maryland (7–0) (74) | Oklahoma (7–0) (115) | Oklahoma (8–0) (103) | Oklahoma (9–0) (114) | Oklahoma (10–0) (218) | 1. |
| 2. | Oklahoma (32) | Georgia Tech (1–0) (3) | Michigan (1–0) (48) | Michigan (2–0) (27) | Maryland (4–0) (45) | Maryland (5–0) (33) | Oklahoma (5–0) (53) | Oklahoma (6–0) (54) | Maryland (8–0) (89) | Maryland (9–0) (46) | Michigan State (8–1) (39) | Michigan State (8–1) (88) | 2. |
| 3. | Michigan (34) | Oklahoma (0–0) (10) | Georgia Tech (2–0) (11) | Oklahoma (2–0) (13) | Oklahoma (3–0) (21) | Oklahoma (4–0) (29) | Michigan (5–0) (39) | Michigan (6–0) (63) | Michigan State (6–1) (44) | Michigan State (7–1) (37) | Maryland (10–0) (35) | Maryland (10–0) (55) | 3. |
| 4. | Ohio State (9) | Michigan (0–0) (6) | Notre Dame (1–0) (3) | Georgia Tech (3–0) (9) | Notre Dame (3–0) (7) | Navy (4–0) (7) | Navy (5–0) (4) | Michigan State (5–1) (7) | UCLA (7–1) (9) | Notre Dame (7–1) (2) | UCLA (9–1) (6) | UCLA (9–1) (9) | 4. |
| 5. | Maryland (8) | Maryland (1–0) (1) | Oklahoma (1–0) (12) | Notre Dame (2–0) (4) | Georgia Tech (4–0) (3) | Duke (4–0) (15) | Michigan State (4–1) (4) | UCLA (6–1) (3) | Notre Dame (6–1) (2) | UCLA (8–1) (6) | Notre Dame (8–1) (3) | Ohio State (7–2) (4) | 5. |
| 6. | Notre Dame (2) | Ohio State (0–0) | Army (1–0) (1) | Army (2–0) (8) | Wisconsin (3–0) (11) | Michigan State (3–1) (4) | UCLA (5–1) (2) | Notre Dame (5–1) (1) | West Virginia (7–0) (18) | Michigan (7–1) (1) | Ohio State (7–2) (5) | TCU (9–1) (9) | 6. |
| 7. | Army | Pittsburgh (1–0) | UCLA (1–1) | UCLA (2–1) | TCU (4–0) (4) | UCLA (4–1) (3) | West Virginia (6–0) (13) | West Virginia (6–0) (16) | Michigan (6–1) | TCU (7–1) (2) | TCU (8–1) (3) | Georgia Tech (8–1–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Navy (1) | Ole Miss (1–0) | Ohio State (1–0) (1) | TCU (3–0) (5) | Navy (3–0) | West Virginia (4–0) (9) | Auburn (4–0–1) (8) | Georgia Tech (6–1) | TCU (6–1) (3) | Texas A&M (7–1–1) | Texas A&M (7–1–1) | Auburn (8–1–1) (6) | 8. |
| 9. | Miami (FL) (5) | Navy (0–0) т | USC (2–0) (3) | Wisconsin (2–0) (11) | UCLA (3–1) (1) | Auburn (3–0–1) (5) | Notre Dame (4–1) | Navy (5–1) | Texas A&M (6–1–1) | Ohio State (6–2) (1) | Georgia Tech (7–1–1) | Notre Dame (8–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Georgia Tech (1) | USC (1–0) (1) т | TCU (2–0) (3) | USC (3–0) (3) | West Virginia (3–0) (11) | USC (4–1) (1) | USC (5–1) | TCU (6–1) (2) | Ohio State (5–2) (1) | Georgia Tech (7–1–1) | Auburn (7–1–1) | Ole Miss (9–1) (1) | 10. |
| 11. | Rice | Notre Dame (0–0) | Rice (1–0) | West Virginia (2–0) (13) | Duke (3–0) (4) | Notre Dame (3–1) | Texas A&M (5–1) | Ohio State (4–2) | Georgia Tech (6–1–1) | Navy (6–1–1) | Navy (6–1–1) | Pittsburgh (7–3) (1) | 11. |
| 12. | Iowa (4) | Texas Tech (1–0) | Pittsburgh (2–0) (1) | Navy (2–0) | Washington (4–0) (4) | Texas A&M (4–1) | Georgia Tech (5–1) | Texas A&M (5–1–1) | Auburn (5–1–1) (2) | Auburn (6–1–1) (4) | Michigan (7–2) | Michigan (7–2) | 12. |
| 13. | USC (2) | Rice (0–0) | West Virginia (1–0) (3) | Duke (2–0) (3) | Michigan State (2–1) | Georgia Tech (4–1) | Holy Cross (4–1) (1) | Miami (OH) (6–0) | Navy (5–1–1) | West Virginia (7–1) (1) | Pittsburgh (7–3) (1) | USC (6–4) | 13. |
| 14. | Wisconsin | Army (0–0) | Iowa (1–0) (1) | Auburn (2–0) | Ohio State (2–1) | Colorado (4–0) | TCU (5–1) | Auburn (4–1–1) | Ole Miss (7–1) | Ole Miss (8–1) | Miami (FL) (5–3) (2) | Miami (FL) (6–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Ole Miss | Miami (FL) (0–1) | Navy (1–0) (1) | Miami (FL) (1–1) | Rice (2–0–1) | Wisconsin (3–1) | Ohio State (3–2) | Ole Miss (6–1) | Miami (OH) (7–0) | Pittsburgh (6–3) (1) | Ole Miss (8–1) | Miami (OH) (9–0) | 15. |
| 16. | SMU | LSU (1–0) | Duke (1–0) | Clemson (3–0) | USC (3–1) | Baylor (4–1) | Pittsburgh (4–2) | USC (5–2) | Illinois (4–3) | Miami (OH) (8–0) | Miami (OH) (8–0) | Stanford (6–3–1) | 16. |
| 17. | Auburn | Arkansas (1–0) (1) | Wisconsin (1–0) | Purdue (2–0) | Auburn (2–0–1) | Boston College (3–0) (1) | Duke (4–1) | Kentucky (4–2–1) | Pittsburgh (5–3) | Tennessee (5–2–1) | Stanford (6–3–1) | Texas A&M (7–2–1) | 17. |
| 18. | Duke (1) | Baylor (1–0) | Penn State (1–0) (1) | Washington (3–0) (1) | Army (2–1) | TCU (4–1) | Miami (OH) (5–0) | Syracuse (3–2) | Duke (4–2–1) т | Stanford (5–3–1) | Duke (6–2–1) | Navy (6–2–1) | 18. |
| 19. | West Virginia (1) | Florida (1–0) т | Washington (2–0) (1) | Kentucky (2–1) | Texas A&M (3–1) | Yale (4–0) | Washington (4–1–1) | Army (4–2) | Mississippi State (6–2) т | Oregon State (6–2) | Vanderbilt (7–2) | West Virginia (8–2) | 19. |
| 20. | Purdue (1) | Purdue (0–0) (1) т | Baylor (2–0) | Stanford (2–1) |
| Holy Cross (4–0) | Ole Miss (5–1) | Mississippi State (6–1) |
| Duke (5–2–1) | Syracuse (5–3) | Army (6–3) | 20. |
| Preseason Aug[13] | Week 1 Sep 19[14] | Week 2 Sep 26[15] | Week 3 Oct 3[16] | Week 4 Oct 10[17] | Week 5 Oct 17[18] | Week 6 Oct 24[19] | Week 7 Oct 31[20] | Week 8 Nov 7[21] | Week 9 Nov 14[22] | Week 10 Nov 21[23] | Week 11 (Final) Nov 28[24] | ||
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Final Coaches Poll
The final UP Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on November 28.[25]
Oklahoma received 24 of the 35 first-place votes; Michigan State received seven, and two each to Maryland and UCLA.[25]
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | Big Seven | Won Orange, 20–6 |
| 2 | Michigan State | Big Ten | Won Rose, 17–14 |
| 3 | Maryland | ACC | Lost Orange, 6–20 |
| 4 | UCLA | Pacific Coast | Lost Rose, 14–17 |
| 5 | Ohio State | Big Ten | none |
| 6 | TCU | Southwest | Lost Cotton, 13–14 |
| 7 | Georgia Tech | SEC | Won Sugar, 7–0 |
| 8 | Auburn | SEC | Lost Gator, 13–25 |
| 9 | Ole Miss | SEC | Won Cotton, 14–13 |
| 10 | Notre Dame | Independent | none |
| 11 | Pittsburgh | Independent | Lost Sugar, 0–7 |
| 12 | USC | Pacific Coast | none |
| 13 | Michigan | Big Ten | |
| 14 | Texas A&M | Southwest | |
| 15 | Army | Independent | |
| 16 | Duke | ACC | |
| 17 | West Virginia | Southern | |
| 18 | Miami (FL) | Independent | |
| 19 | Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 20 | Miami (OH) | Mid-American | |
| Navy | Independent | ||
| Stanford | Pacific Coast | ||
| 23 | Kentucky | SEC | |
| Tennessee | SEC |
- Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pacific Coast (later AAWU / 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.
Litkenhous Ratings
The top 25 ranked teams in the Litkenhous Ratings were:[26]
1. Oklahoma
2. UCLA
3. TCU
4. Maryland
5. Michigan State
6. Georgia Tech
7. Ohio State
8. Ole Miss
9. USC
10. Notre Dame
11. Michigan
12. Stanford
13. Texas A&M
14. Miami (FL)
15. Vanderbilt
16. Tennessee
17. Army
18. Pittsburgh
19. Duke
20. Navy
21. Iowa
22. West Virginia
23. Auburn
24. LSU
25. Texas
HBCU rankings
The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1955 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was largely segregated. The rankings were published on December 10:[27]
- 1. Grambling (10–0)
- 2. Maryland State (9–0)
- 3. Florida A&M (7–1–1)
- 4. Tennessee A&I (7–2)
- 5. Southern (7–2–1)
- 6. Langston (6–2–1)
- 7. North Carolina A&T (4–1–3)
- 8. Texas Southern (7–2–1)
- 9. North Carolina College (4–1–2)
- 10. Prairie View A&M (8–2–1)
- 11. Kentucky State (7–2)
- 12. Delaware State (7–1)
- 13. Morgan State (6–2)
- 14. Virginia State (5–2–2)
- 15. Morris Brown (6–3)
The Associated Negro Press also published rankings on December 8:[28]
- 1. Grambling (10–0)
- 2. Maryland State (9–0)
- 3. Florida A&M (7–1–1)
- 4. Southern (7–2–1)
- 5. Langston (6–2–1)
- 6. Tennessee A&I (7–2)
- 7. Texas Southern (7–2–1)
- 8. Prairie View A&M (8–2–1)
- 9. North Carolina A&T (4–1–3)
- 10. Lincoln (MO) (6–3)
- 11. Kentucky State (7–2)
- 12. Morris Brown (6–3)
- 13. Morgan State (6–2)
- 14. Delaware State (7–1)
See also
References
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