1968 NCAA University Division football rankings

Two human polls comprised the 1968 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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For the 1968 season, the AP Poll returned to ranking 20 teams per week, after ranking only 10 per week from 1961 to 1967. This was also the second time (first since 1965) that the final AP Poll was conducted in January after the completion of bowl season, rather than at the end of the regular season. The final poll would continue to be conducted after bowl season from this season forward.

Preseason
Aug[1]
Week 1
Sep 16[2]
Week 2
Sep 23[3]
Week 3
Sep 30[4]
Week 4
Oct 7[5]
Week 5
Oct 14[6]
Week 6
Oct 21[7]
Week 7
Oct 28[8]
Week 8
Nov 4[9]
Week 9
Nov 11[10]
Week 10
Nov 18[11]
Week 11
Nov 25[12]
Week 12
Dec 2[13]
Week 13 (Final)
Jan[14]
1.Purdue (14)Purdue (0–0) (14)Purdue (1–0) (25)Purdue (2–0) (42)Purdue (3–0) (35)USC (4–0) (23)USC (5–0) (21)USC (5–0) (24)USC (6–0) (19)USC (7–0) (32)USC (8–0) (27)Ohio State (9–0) (21.5)Ohio State (9–0) (34)Ohio State (10–0) (44)1.
2.USC (10)USC (0–0) (8)Notre Dame (1–0) (19)USC (2–0) (2)USC (3–0) (1)Ohio State (3–0) (12)Ohio State (4–0) (15)Ohio State (5–0) (12)Ohio State (6–0) (14)Ohio State (7–0) (14)Ohio State (8–0) (7)USC (9–0) (24.5)USC (9–0–1) (2)Penn State (11–0) (2)2.
3.Notre Dame (3)Notre Dame (0–0) (2)USC (1–0) (4)Penn State (2–0) (1)Penn State (3–0) (1)Penn State (4–0) (3)Kansas (5–0) (5)Kansas (6–0) (6)Kansas (7–0) (10)Penn State (7–0) (1)Penn State (8–0) (2)Penn State (9–0) (3)Penn State (9–0) (3)Texas (9–1–1) (2)3.
4.OklahomaTexas (0–0) (2)Penn State (1–0) (1)Florida (2–0)Ohio State (2–0)Kansas (4–0) (4)Penn State (4–0) (1)Penn State (5–0) (1)Penn State (6–0) (1)Michigan (7–1)Michigan (8–1)Georgia (7–0–2) (1)Georgia (8–0–2)USC (9–1–1)4.
5.Texas (3)Oklahoma (0–0)Florida (1–0)Notre Dame (1–1)Notre Dame (2–1)Purdue (3–1)Notre Dame (4–1)Tennessee (4–0–1)Tennessee (5–0–1) (1)Georgia (6–0–2)Georgia (7–0–2) (1)Kansas (9–1)Texas (8–1–1)Notre Dame (7–2–1)5.
6.Oregon State (2)Florida (0–0)Texas (0–0–1)Ohio State (1–0)Kansas (3–0)Notre Dame (3–1)Tennessee (4–0–1)Purdue (5–1)Purdue (6–1)Missouri (7–1)Texas (7–1–1)Texas (7–1–1)Kansas (9–1)Arkansas (10–1) (1)6.
7.Florida (1)Alabama (0–0) (2)Alabama (1–0)Nebraska (3–0)Florida (3–0)Florida (4–0)Purdue (4–1)Georgia (5–0–1)Michigan (6–1)Kansas (7–1)Kansas (8–1)Tennessee (7–1–1)Notre Dame (7–2–1)Kansas (9–2)7.
8.Penn StateOregon State (0–0)UCLA (1–0)Kansas (2–0)LSU (3–0)Tennessee (3–0–1)Georgia (4–0–1)California (5–1)Missouri (6–1)Texas (6–1–1)Tennessee (6–1–1)Arkansas (9–1)Tennessee (8–1–1)Georgia (8–1–2)8.
9.TennesseeOhio State (0–0)Nebraska (2–0)UCLA (2–0)Nebraska (3–0)Arkansas (4–0)Miami (FL) (4–1)Michigan (5–1)Georgia (5–0–2)Notre Dame (6–2)Arkansas (8–1)Notre Dame (7–2)Arkansas (9–1)Missouri (8–3)9.
10.AlabamaPenn State (0–0)Houston (1–0–1)LSU (2–0)Tennessee (2–0–1)Georgia (3–0–1)Syracuse (3–1)Missouri (5–1)Texas (5–1–1)Arkansas (7–1)Notre Dame (7–2)Houston (6–1–2)Oklahoma (7–3)Purdue (8–2)10.
11.Ohio StateHouston (1–0)Ohio State (0–0)Alabama (2–0)Houston (2–0–1)Syracuse (3–1)California (4–1)Texas (4–1–1)California (5–1–1)Tennessee (5–1–1)Houston (5–1–2)Oklahoma (6–3)Purdue (8–2)Oklahoma (7–4)11.
12.Texas A&MTennessee (0–0–1)Kansas (1–0)Houston (1–0–1)Michigan State (3–0)Miami (FL) (3–1)Michigan (4–1)Notre Dame (4–2)Notre Dame (5–2)Auburn (6–2)Purdue (7–2)Purdue (8–2)Alabama (8–2)Michigan (8–2)12.
13.IndianaTexas A&M (0–0)Indiana (1–0)Miami (FL) (2–0)Ole Miss (3–0)Nebraska (3–1)Texas (3–1–1)SMU (5–1)Houston (3–1–2)Oregon State (6–2)Missouri (7–2)Michigan (8–2)Michigan (8–2)Tennessee (8–2–1)13.
14.NebraskaNebraska (1–0)LSU (1–0)Arizona State (2–0)Arkansas (3–0)Stanford (3–1)Missouri (4–1)LSU (5–1)Arkansas (6–1)Houston (4–1–2)Oklahoma (5–3)Oregon State (7–3)Oregon State (7–3)SMU (8–3)14.
15.MinnesotaIndiana (0–0)Miami (FL) (1–0)Tennessee (1–0–1)Syracuse (2–1)Texas Tech (3–0–1)Florida (4–1)Houston (3–1–1)Oregon State (5–2)Purdue (6–2)Alabama (7–2)Alabama (7–2)Ohio (10–0)Oregon State (7–3)15.
16.UCLAMinnesota (0–0) тTennessee (0–0–1)Georgia (1–0–1)California (3–0)Ole Miss (3–1)Arkansas (4–1)Michigan State (4–2)Ohio (7–0)Alabama (6–2)Oregon State (6–3)Missouri (7–3)Missouri (7–3)Auburn (7–4)16.
17.Arizona StateUCLA (0–0) тMinnesota (0–1)Texas A&M (1–1)Georgia (2–0–1)Texas (2–1–1)Ole Miss (4–1)Arkansas (5–1)Michigan State (4–3)Ohio (8–0)Ohio (9–0)Ohio (10–0)Arizona State (8–2)Alabama (8–3)17.
18.LSUGeorgia (0–0–1)Oregon State (0–1) (1)California (2–0)Stanford (3–0)Michigan (3–1)LSU (4–1)Florida State (4–1)Auburn (5–2)California (5–2–1)California (6–2–1)Auburn (6–3)Houston (6–2–2)Houston (6–2–2)18.
19.SyracuseMiami (FL) (0–0)Arizona State (1–0)Michigan State (2–0)Florida State (2–1)Indiana (3–1)Texas Tech (3–0–2)Ohio (6–0)Wyoming (6–2)Indiana (6–2)Auburn (6–3)Arizona (8–1)Florida State (8–2)LSU (8–3)19.
20.Miami (FL)LSU (0–0)Wyoming (1–1)Arkansas (2–0)Oregon State (2–1)
Florida State (3–1)Florida (4–1–1)LSU (5–2)Wyoming (6–2)Wyoming (7–2)Arizona State (7–2)SMU (7–3)Ohio (10–1)20.
Preseason
Aug[1]
Week 1
Sep 16[2]
Week 2
Sep 23[3]
Week 3
Sep 30[4]
Week 4
Oct 7[5]
Week 5
Oct 14[6]
Week 6
Oct 21[7]
Week 7
Oct 28[8]
Week 8
Nov 4[9]
Week 9
Nov 11[10]
Week 10
Nov 18[11]
Week 11
Nov 25[12]
Week 12
Dec 2[13]
Week 13 (Final)
Jan[14]
Dropped:
  • Arizona State
  • Syracuse
Dropped:
  • Georgia
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas A&M
Dropped:
  • Indiana
  • Minnesota
  • Oregon State
  • Texas
  • Wyoming
Dropped:
  • Alabama
  • Arizona State
  • Miami (FL)
  • Texas A&M
  • UCLA
Dropped:
  • California
  • Florida State
  • Houston
  • Michigan State
  • Oregon State
Dropped:
  • Indiana
  • Nebraska
  • Stanford
Dropped:
  • Miami (FL)
  • Ole Miss
  • Syracuse
  • Texas Tech
Dropped:
  • Florida
  • Florida State
  • SMU
Dropped:
  • LSU
  • Michigan State
Dropped:
  • Indiana
Dropped:
  • California
  • Wyoming
Dropped:
  • Arizona
  • Auburn
Dropped:
  • Arizona State
  • Florida State

Final Coaches Poll

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The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December.[15]
Ohio State received 28 of the 34 first-place votes; USC received four and Penn State two.

Ranking Team Conference Bowl
1 Ohio State Big Ten Won Rose, 27–16
2 USC Pac-8 Lost Rose, 16–27
3 Penn State Independent Won Orange, 15–14
4 Georgia SEC Lost Sugar, 2–16
5 Texas Southwest Won Cotton, 36–13
6 Kansas Big Eight Lost Orange, 14–15
7 Tennessee SEC Lost Cotton, 13–36
8 Notre Dame Independent none
9 Arkansas Southwest Won Sugar, 16–2
10 Oklahoma Big Eight Lost Bluebonnet, 27–28
11 Purdue Big Ten none
12 Alabama SEC Lost Gator, 10–35
13 Oregon State Pac-8 none
14 Florida State Independent Lost Peach, 27–31
15 Michigan Big Ten none
16 SMU Southwest Won Bluebonnet, 28–27
17 Missouri Big Eight Won Gator, 35–10
18 Ohio Mid-American Lost Tangerine, 42–49
Minnesota Big Ten none
20 Houston Independent
Stanford Pac-8

[15]

  • Notre Dame did not participate in bowl games from 1925 through 1968.
  • Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and 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.

References

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  1. ^ "1968 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  2. ^ "September 16, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "September 23, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "September 30, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "October 7, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  6. ^ "October 14, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  7. ^ "October 21, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  8. ^ "October 28, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "November 4, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "November 11, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  11. ^ "November 18, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  12. ^ "November 25, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  13. ^ "December 2, 1968 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  14. ^ "1968 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  15. ^ a b "Ohio State captures national grid crown". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). UPI. December 3, 1968. p. 6.