Two human polls comprised the 1973 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I 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.
| 1973 NCAA Division I football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1973 |
| Bowl season | 1973–74 bowl games |
| Preseason No. 1 | |
| End of season champions | Notre Dame (AP) Alabama (Coaches) |
Legend
edit| 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
edit| Preseason Aug[1] | Week 1 Sep 10[2] | Week 2 Sep 17[3] | Week 3 Sep 24[4] | Week 4 Oct 1[5] | Week 5 Oct 8[6] | Week 6 Oct 15[7] | Week 7 Oct 22[8] | Week 8 Oct 29[9] | Week 9 Nov 5[10] | Week 10 Nov 12[11] | Week 11 Nov 19[12] | Week 12 Nov 26[13] | Week 13 Dec 3[14] | Week 14 (Final) Jan[15] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | USC (55) | USC (0–0) (49) | USC (1–0) (38) | USC (2–0) (36) | Ohio State (2–0) (35) | Ohio State (3–0) (41) | Ohio State (4–0) (39) | Ohio State (5–0) (35) | Ohio State (6–0) (36) | Ohio State (7–0) (35) | Ohio State (8–0) (35) | Ohio State (9–0) (34) | Alabama (10–0) (36) | Alabama (11–0) (34) | Notre Dame (11–0) (33) | 1. |
| 2. | Ohio State (2) | Nebraska (1–0) (8) | Nebraska (1–0) (8) | Nebraska (2–0) (12) | Nebraska (3–0) (10) | Nebraska (4–0) (9) | Alabama (5–0) (6) | Alabama (6–0) (12) | Alabama (7–0) (12) | Alabama (8–0) (14) | Alabama (8–0) (13) | Alabama (9–0) (16) | Oklahoma (9–0–1) (20) | Oklahoma (10–0–1) (16) | Ohio State (10–0–1) (11) | 2. |
| 3. | Texas (1) | Ohio State (0–0) (2) | Ohio State (1–0) (11) | Ohio State (1–0) (8) | Alabama (3–0) (6) | Alabama (4–0) (6) | Oklahoma (3–0–1) (8) | Oklahoma (4–0–1) (8) | Oklahoma (5–0–1) (9) | Oklahoma (6–0–1) (7) | Oklahoma (7–0–1) (10) | Oklahoma (8–0–1) (9) | Ohio State (9–0–1) (2) | Notre Dame (10–0) (2) | Oklahoma (10–0–1) (16) | 3. |
| 4. | Nebraska (2) | Texas (0–0) | Alabama (1–0) (2) | Michigan (2–0) (1) | USC (2–0–1) (3.5) | USC (3–0–1) (1) | Michigan (5–0) (1) | Michigan (6–0) (1) | Michigan (7–0) (1) | Michigan (8–0) (1) | Michigan (9–0) (1) | Michigan (10–0) (1) | Michigan (10–0–1) (1) | Ohio State (9–0–1) (2) | Alabama (11–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Michigan (2) | Michigan (0–0) (1) | Michigan (1–0) | Alabama (2–0) (1) | Michigan (3–0) (2) | Michigan (4–0) (1) | Penn State (5–0) (4) | Penn State (6–0) (4) | Notre Dame (6–0) | Notre Dame (7–0) (1) | Notre Dame (8–0) (1) | Notre Dame (8–0) (1) | Notre Dame (9–0) (2) | Michigan (10–0–1) (1) | Penn State (12–0) | 5. |
| 6. | Alabama | Alabama (0–0) | Texas (0–0) | Penn State (2–0) (2) | Oklahoma (1–0–1) (1.5) | Oklahoma (2–0–1) | USC (4–0–1) | USC (5–0–1) | Penn State (7–0) (4) | Penn State (8–0) (4) | Penn State (9–0) (1) | Penn State (10–0) (1) | Penn State (11–0) (2) | Penn State (11–0) (3) | Michigan (10–0–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Penn State (1) | Penn State (0–0) (1) | Penn State (1–0) (1) | Notre Dame (1–0) | Penn State (3–0) (3) | Penn State (4–0) (3) | Missouri (5–0) (1) | Missouri (6–0) (1) | LSU (7–0) | LSU (8–0) | LSU (8–0) | LSU (9–0) | USC (9–1–1) | USC (9–1–1) | Nebraska (9–2–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Notre Dame | Notre Dame (0–0) | Notre Dame (0–0) | Oklahoma (1–0) (1) | Notre Dame (2–0) | Tennessee (4–0) | Notre Dame (4–0) | Notre Dame (5–0) | Arizona State (7–0) | USC (6–1–1) | UCLA (8–1) | UCLA (9–1) | LSU (9–1) | Texas (8–2) | USC (9–2–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Tennessee | Tennessee (0–0) | Oklahoma (1–0) | Tennessee (2–0) | Tennessee (3–0) | Notre Dame (3–0) | LSU (5–0) | LSU (6–0) | USC (5–1–1) | UCLA (7–1) | USC (7–1–1) | USC (8–1–1) | Texas (8–2) | UCLA (9–2) | Arizona State (11–1) т | 9. |
| 10. | UCLA | Colorado (0–0) | Tennessee (1–0) | LSU (2–0) | LSU (3–0) | LSU (4–0) | Tennessee (5–0) | Nebraska (5–1) | UCLA (6–1) | Missouri (7–1) | Nebraska (7–1–1) | Nebraska (8–1–1) | UCLA (9–2) | Arizona State (10–1) | Houston (11–1) т | 10. |
| 11. | Colorado т | Oklahoma (0–0) | LSU (1–0) | Auburn (2–0) | Oklahoma State (3–0) | Arizona State (4–0) | Nebraska (4–1) | Arizona State (6–0) | Tennessee (6–1) | Nebraska (6–1–1) | Texas (6–2) | Texas (7–2) | Arizona State (10–1) | Texas Tech (10–1) | Texas Tech (11–1) | 11. |
| 12. | Oklahoma т | Auburn (0–0) | Auburn (1–0) | Oklahoma State (2–0) | Arizona State (3–0) | Missouri (4–0) | Arizona State (5–0) | Houston (6–0) | Missouri (6–1) | Texas Tech (7–1) | Texas Tech (8–1) | Texas Tech (9–1) | Texas Tech (10–1) | Nebraska (8–2–1) | UCLA (9–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Auburn | Arizona State (0–0) | Arizona State (1–0) | Arizona State (2–0) | Texas (1–1) | Texas (2–1) | UCLA (4–1) | UCLA (5–1) | Nebraska (5–1–1) | Texas (5–2) | Arizona State (8–1) | Arizona State (9–1) | Nebraska (8–2–1) | LSU (9–2) | LSU (9–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Arizona State | Florida (0–0) | NC State (2–0) | Texas (0–1) | Houston (3–0) | Houston (4–0) | Houston (5–0) | Tennessee (5–1) | Tulane (6–0) | Arizona State (7–1) | Missouri (7–2) | Houston (8–1) | Houston (9–1) | Houston (10–1) | Texas (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Florida | LSU (0–0) | Florida (1–0) | Houston (2–0) | Missouri (3–0) | UCLA (3–1) | Miami (FL) (3–1) | Tulane (5–0) | Texas Tech (6–1) | Houston (7–1) | Houston (8–1) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (11–0) | 15. |
| 16. | LSU | UCLA (0–1) | Houston (1–0) | Florida (2–0) | UCLA (2–1) | Miami (FL) (2–1) | Colorado (4–1) | Miami (OH) (6–0) | Miami (OH) (7–0) | Tennessee (6–2) | Tennessee (6–2) | NC State (7–3) | NC State (8–3) | NC State (8–3) | NC State (9–3) | 16. |
| 17. | NC State | NC State (2–0) | Oklahoma State (1–0) | UCLA (1–1) | Miami (FL) (2–0) | Colorado (3–1) | Tulane (4–0) | Kansas (4–2) | Colorado (5–2) | Miami (OH) (8–0) | Miami (OH) (9–0) | Tulane (8–1) | Kansas (7–3–1) | Tulane (9–2) | Missouri (8–4) | 17. |
| 18. | Houston | Houston (0–0) | UCLA (0–1) | Miami (FL) (1–0) | Colorado (2–1) | Tulane (3–0) | Kansas (4–1) | Texas Tech (5–1) | Houston (6–1) | Kansas (5–2–1) | Kansas (6–2–1) | Oklahoma State (5–2–2) | Maryland (8–3) | Maryland (8–3) | Kansas (7–4–1) | 18. |
| 19. | North Carolina | North Carolina (0–0) | Colorado (0–1) | NC State (2–1) | SMU (3–0) | Kansas (3–1) | Arizona (5–0) | Texas (3–2) | Auburn (5–2) т | Kent State (7–1) | Arizona (8–1) | Missouri (7–3) | Tennessee (7–3) | Kansas (7–3–1) | Tennessee (8–4) | 19. |
| 20. | Texas Tech | Texas Tech (0–0) |
| Missouri (2–0) | West Virginia (3–0) | Miami (OH) (4–0) | Miami (OH) (5–0) | Richmond (6–0) | Texas (4–2) т | Pittsburgh (5–2–1) | NC State (6–3) |
| Missouri (7–4) | Tennessee (8–3) |
| 20. |
| Preseason Aug[1] | Week 1 Sep 10[2] | Week 2 Sep 17[3] | Week 3 Sep 24[4] | Week 4 Oct 1[5] | Week 5 Oct 8[6] | Week 6 Oct 15[7] | Week 7 Oct 22[8] | Week 8 Oct 29[9] | Week 9 Nov 5[10] | Week 10 Nov 12[11] | Week 11 Nov 19[12] | Week 12 Nov 26[13] | Week 13 Dec 3[14] | Week 14 (Final) Jan[15] | ||
| None | Dropped:
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| None |
Final Coaches Poll
editThis was the last season in which the final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December.[16]
Alabama received 21 of the 34 first-place votes; Oklahoma received nine, Ohio State two, Notre Dame one, and Michigan one.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Sugar, 23–24 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | Big Eight | none |
| 3 | Ohio State | Big Ten | Won Rose, 42–21 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | Independent | Won Sugar, 24–23 |
| 5 | Penn State | Independent | Won Orange, 16–9 |
| 6 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| 7 | USC | Pac-8 | Lost Rose, 21–42 |
| 8 | Texas | Southwest | Lost Cotton, 3–19 |
| 9 | UCLA | Pac-8 | none |
| 10 | Arizona State | WAC | Won Fiesta, 28–7 |
| 11 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Won Cotton, 19–3 |
| Texas Tech | Southwest | Won Gator, 28–19 | |
| 13 | Houston | Independent | Won Bluebonnet, 47–7 |
| 14 | LSU | SEC | Lost Orange, 9–16 |
| 15 | Kansas | Big Eight | Lost Liberty, 18–31 |
| Tulane | Independent | Lost Bluebonnet, 7–47 | |
| 17 | Miami (OH) | Mid-American | Won Tangerine, 16–7 |
| 18 | Maryland | ACC | Lost Peach, 16–17 |
| 19 | San Diego State | PCAA | none |
| Florida | SEC | Lost Tangerine, 7–16 |
References
edit- ^ "1973 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "September 10, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "September 17, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "September 24, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "October 1, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "October 8, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "October 15, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "October 22, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "October 29, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "November 5, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "November 12, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "November 19, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "November 26, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "December 3, 1973 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "1973 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "Tide tops both polls". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI/AP. December 4, 1973. p. 20.