1941 college football season

The 1941 college football regular season was the 73rd season of intercollegiate football in the United States. Competition included schools from the Big Ten Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Six Conference, the Southern Conference, the Southwestern Conference, and numerous smaller conferences and independent programs.

1941 college football season
First AP No. 1 of seasonMinnesota[1]
Number of bowls5
Champion(s)Minnesota (AP, consensus)
HeismanBruce Smith (halfback, Minnesota)
football seasons

The teams ranked highest in the final Associated Press poll in December 1941 were:

  1. Minnesota, under head coach Bernie Bierman, compiled a perfect 8–0 record, won the Big Ten championship, and was ranked No. 1. It was Minnesota's fifth national championship in eight years.
  2. Duke compiled a 9–0 record in the regular season, won the Southern Conference championship, and was ranked No. 2.
  3. Notre Dame, led by head coach Frank Leahy, compiled an 8–0–1 record and was ranked No. 3.
  4. Texas, led by head coach Dana X. Bible, compiled an 8–1–1 record and was ranked No. 4. Texas was named by one contemporary major selector, the math-based Williamson System, as its No. 1 team.[2]
  5. Michigan, led by head coach Fritz Crisler, compiled a 6–1–1 record and was ranked No. 5.

Minnesota halfback Bruce Smith won the 1941 Heisman Trophy, and Virginia halfback Bill Dudley won the 1941 Maxwell Award. The season's statistical leaders included Frank Sinkwich of Georgia with 1,103 rushing yards, Bud Schwenk of Washington University in St. Louis with 1,457 passing yards, Hank Stanton of Arizona with 820 receiving yards, and Bill Dudley with 134 points scored.

In the four major bowl games, No. 2 Duke lost to PCC champion Oregon State in the Rose Bowl, No. 6 Fordham defeated No. 7 Missouri in the Sugar Bowl, No. 14 Georgia defeated unranked TCU in the Orange Bowl, and No. 20 Alabama defeated No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies in the Cotton Bowl. The Rose Bowl was moved from Pasadena, California, to Durham, North Carolina, due to security concerns on the West Coast following the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Conference and program changes

Conference changes
School1940 Conference1941 Conference
Hardin–Simmons CowboysIndependentBorder
Long Island BlackbirdsIndependentDropped Program
Sewanee TigersSECIndependent
Washburn IchabodsMissouri ValleyIndependent
West Texas State BuffaloesAlamoBorder
William & Mary Norfolk Division BravesIndependentDropped Program

September

September 20 Tennessee beat Furman 32–6 and Boston College beat St. Anselm, 78–0.

September 27 In Seattle, defending champion Minnesota beat Washington 14–6, while in New Orleans, Boston College fell to Tulane, 21–7. Stanford beat Oregon 19–15, Michigan beat Michigan State 19–7, Texas won at Colorado, 34–6 and Duke beat Wake Forest 43–14. Tennessee was idle

October

October 4 Minnesota was idle. Tennessee lost at Duke, 19–0. In New York, Fordham beat SMU 16–10. Elsewhere, it was Stanford over UCLA 33–0, Michigan over Iowa 6–0, Northwestern beating Kansas State 51–3 and Texas defeating LSU 34–0.

October 11 Minnesota beat Illinois 34–6, Northwestern beat Wisconsin 41–14, and Michigan beat Pittsburgh 40–0. In Baltimore, Duke beat Maryland 50–0, while in Dallas, Texas beat Oklahoma 40–7. Fordham won at North Carolina 27–14. Stanford lost at Oregon State 10–0. In the poll that followed, Minnesota was ranked No. 1, followed by Texas, Duke, Fordham, and Northwestern.

On October 16, the penalty flag was used for the first time in the 1941 Oklahoma City vs. Youngstown football game in Youngstown, Ohio.

October 18 No. 1 Minnesota beat Pittsburgh 39–0. No. 2 Texas defeated Arkansas 48–14. No. 3 Duke beat visiting Colgate 27–14. In Ann Arbor, No. 6 Michigan beat visiting No. 5 Northwestern 14–7. No. 7 Navy beat Cornell 14–0 in Baltimore. The next poll featured No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Duke, and No. 5 Navy. Fordham dropped from No. 4 to No. 6 despite a 27–0 defeat of West Virginia.

October 25 The biggest game of the year took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as No. 1 Minnesota defeated No. 3 Michigan, 7–0. No. 2 Texas beat Rice 40–0. No. 4 Duke won at Pittsburgh 27–7. No. 5 Navy and Harvard played to a 0–0 tie. No. 6 Fordham beat TCU 28–14, while No. 9 Texas A&M won at Baylor 48–0, to reach 5–0–0. In the vote that followed, Minnesota received 60 first place votes, and Texas received 53. When the points were tallied, they both had 1,161 points and were tied for No. 1. Fordham, Duke, and Texas A&M rounded out the top five.

November

November 1 In Dallas, No. 1 Texas beat No. 20 SMU 34–0, while in Minneapolis, the other No. 1, Minnesota, edged No. 9 Northwestern 8–7. In New York, No. 3 Fordham defeated Purdue 17–0, and in Atlanta, No. 4 Duke won at Georgia Tech 14–0. In Little Rock, No. 5 Texas A&M beat Arkansas 7–0. Texas was alone at No. 1 the following week, followed by Minnesota, Fordham, Duke and Texas A&M, all unbeaten and untied.

November 8 No. 1 Texas and Baylor played to a 7–7 tie. No. 2 Minnesota beat Nebraska 9–0. No. 3 Fordham lost at Pittsburgh 13–0. No. 4 Duke won at Davidson 56–0. No. 5 Texas A&M beat SMU 21–10. No. 7 Notre Dame beat No. 6 Navy 20–13 in Baltimore and moved into fifth place behind Minnesota, Texas, Duke, and Texas A&M.

November 15 No. 1 Minnesota won at Iowa 34–13. No. 2 Texas lost to Texas Christian (TCU) 14–7. No. 3 Duke beat North Carolina 20–0. In Houston, No. 4 Texas A&M beat Rice 19–6. No. 5 Notre Dame won at No. 8 Northwestern 7–6. No. 7 Michigan, which beat Columbia 28–0, moved up to No. 5 behind Minnesota, Texas A&M, Duke, and Notre Dame.

November 22 No. 1 Minnesota closed its season with a 41–6 win over Wisconsin in Minneapolis. No. 2 Texas A&M was idle as it prepared for its Thanksgiving game. No. 3 Duke won its season closer at N.C. State 55–6 to get a bid to Pasadena’s Rose Bowl. No. 4 Notre Dame beat USC 20–18. No. 5 Michigan closed its season with a 20–20 tie against No. 14 Ohio State. The top four remained the same, but No. 6 Duquesne (which had finished its season at 8–0–0) replaced Michigan at No. 5.

On Thanksgiving Day No. 2 Texas A&M lost to No. 10 Texas 23–0. The top five in the final AP Poll were No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Texas, and No. 5 Michigan.

December 2 the Houlgate System published its "final selections" ranking Minnesota first, Navy second, and Alabama No. 3.[3]

The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7 called into question whether Southern California would be safe from a Japanese attack on New Year's Day. On December 15, bowl officials and U.S. Army officers met in San Francisco and decided to hold the game at Duke's stadium in Durham, North Carolina.[4]

Conference standings

Major conference standings
1941 Big Six Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 7 Missouri $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0
Nebraska 3 –2 –04 –5 –0
Oklahoma 3 –2 –06 –3 –0
Kansas 2 –3 –03 –6 –0
Kansas State 1 –3 –12 –5 –2
Iowa State 0 –4 –12 –6 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1941 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Minnesota $ 5 –0 –08 –0 –0
No. 5 Michigan 3 –1 –16 –1 –1
No. 13 Ohio State 3 –1 –16 –1 –1
No. 11 Northwestern 4 –2 –05 –3 –0
Wisconsin 3 –3 –03 –5 –0
Iowa 2 –4 –03 –5 –0
Purdue 1 –3 –02 –5 –1
Indiana 1 –3 –02 –6 –0
Illinois 0 –5 –02 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1941 Border Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Arizona $ 5 –0 –07 –3 –0
Texas Tech 2 –0 –09 –2 –0
West Texas State 4 –1 –08 –2 –0
Hardin–Simmons 3 –1 –07 –3 –1
New Mexico 3 –2 –15 –4 –1
Texas Mines 3 –4 –04 –5 –1
Arizona State 2 –4 –15 –1 –1
Arizona State–Flagstaff 1 –5 –03 –5 –0
New Mexico A&M 0 –6 –02 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Ivy League football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 15 Penn $ 5 –0 –07 –1 –0
Columbia 3 –1 –03 –5 –0
Harvard 4 –2 –05 –2 –1
Cornell 3 –2 –05 –3 –0
Dartmouth 2 –2 –05 –4 –0
Brown 1 –2 –05 –4 –0
Princeton 1 –4 –02 –6 –0
Yale 0 –6 –01 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1941 Middle Three Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lafayette $ 2 –0 –05 –4 –0
Rutgers 1 –1 –07 –2 –0
Lehigh 0 –2 –00 –6 –3
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Tulsa $ 4 –0 –08 –2 –0
Oklahoma A&M 3 –1 –05 –4 –0
Creighton 3 –2 –05 –5 –0
Saint Louis 1 –3 –14 –5 –1
Washington University 1 –3 –04 –5 –0
Drake 0 –3 –14 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Mountain States Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Utah $ 4 –0 –26 –0 –2
BYU 3 –1 –24 –3 –2
Denver 3 –1 –24 –3 –2
Colorado A&M 3 –2 –14 –2 –1
Colorado 3 –2 –13 –4 –1
Wyoming 1 –5 –02 –7 –1
Utah State 0 –6 –00 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 12 Oregon State $ 7 –2 –08 –2 –0
Washington 5 –3 –05 –4 –0
No. 19 Washington State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0
Stanford 4 –3 –06 –3 –0
Oregon 4 –4 –05 –5 –0
UCLA 3 –4 –15 –5 –1
California 3 –4 –04 –5 –0
USC 2 –4 –12 –6 –1
Montana 1 –3 –06 –3 –0
Idaho 0 –4 –04 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1941 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Colorado College $ 4 –0 –06 –2 –0
Colorado State–Greeley 3 –1 –03 –5 –0
Colorado Mines 1 –2 –12 –4 –2
Montana State 1 –2 –11 –4 –2
Western State (CO) 0 –4 –00 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 16 Mississippi State $ 4 –0 –18 –1 –1
No. 18 Tennessee 3 –1 –08 –2 –0
No. 20 Alabama 5 –2 –09 –2 –0
No. 14 Georgia 3 –1 –19 –1 –1
No. 17 Ole Miss 2 –1 –16 –2 –1
Vanderbilt 3 –2 –08 –2 –0
LSU 2 –2 –24 –4 –2
Tulane 2 –3 –05 –4 –0
Georgia Tech 2 –4 –03 –6 –0
Florida 1 –3 –04 –6 –0
Kentucky 0 –4 –05 –4 –0
Auburn 0 –4 –14 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1941 Southern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Duke $ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0
South Carolina 4 –0 –14 –4 –1
Clemson 5 –1 –07 –2 –0
William & Mary 4 –1 –08 –2 –0
VMI 4 –2 –04 –6 –0
VPI 4 –2 –06 –4 –0
Wake Forest 4 –2 –15 –5 –1
NC State 3 –4 –24 –5 –2
Furman 2 –3 –23 –4 –2
Washington and Lee 1 –2 –21 –6 –2
North Carolina 2 –4 –03 –7 –0
Maryland 1 –2 –03 –5 –1
Davidson 1 –5 –21 –6 –3
The Citadel 0 –2 –14 –3 –1
George Washington 0 –4 –11 –7 –1
Richmond 0 –6 –02 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1941 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Presbyterian $ 5 –0 –06 –3 –0
Miami (FL) 2 –0 –08 –2 –0
Centre 2 –0 –03 –4 –0
Mississippi Southern 6 –0 –19 –0 –1
Louisiana Tech 5 –1 –05 –4 –1
Eastern Kentucky 3 –1 –07 –1 –0
SW Louisiana 3 –1 –16 –2 –1
Union (TN) 3 –1 –15 –3 –1
Tennessee Tech 3 –1 –05 –4 –0
Western Kentucky State Teachers 3 –1 –14 –5 –1
Georgetown (KY) 2 –1 –07 –2 –0
Wofford 2 –1 –04 –6 –0
Memphis State 3 –2 –06 –3 –0
Rollins 2 –2 –05 –2 –1
Louisiana Normal 3 –3 –14 –3 –1
Murray State 3 –3 –24 –3 –2
Tampa 2 –2 –05 –4 –0
Louisville 1 –1 –04 –4 –0
Middle Tennessee State Teachers 2 –3 –14 –3 –1
Newberry 2 –3 –05 –6 –0
Mississippi College 1 –2 –05 –3 –0
SE Louisiana 2 –4 –03 –6 –0
Oglethorpe 1 –3 –04 –4 –0
Transylvania 1 –3 –03 –5 –0
Troy State 1 –4 –05 –4 –0
Louisiana College 1 –5 –04 –7 –0
Delta State 1 –7 –11 –8 –1
Union (KY) 0 –1 –00 –5 –0
Centenary 0 –2 –10 –8 –2
Morehead State 0 –3 –03 –4 –0
Erskine 0 –4 –02 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 9 Texas A&M $ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0
No. 4 Texas 4 –1 –18 –1 –1
TCU 4 –1 –17 –3 –1
Rice 3 –2 –16 –3 –1
SMU 2 –4 –05 –5 –0
Baylor 1 –4 –13 –6 –1
Arkansas 0 –6 –03 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Independents
1941 Eastern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 8 Duquesne   –  8 –0 –0
Thiel   –  7 –0 –0
Saint Francis (PA)   –  6 –0 –1
No. 6 Fordham   –  8 –1 –0
Rochester   –  6 –1 –0
Trinity (CT)   –  6 –1 –0
Wagner   –  5 –1 –0
Franklin & Marshall   –  5 –1 –1
Penn State   –  7 –2 –0
Temple   –  7 –2 –0
Coast Guard   –  6 –2 –0
Norwich   –  6 –2 –0
Hofstra   –  5 –2 –0
Boston College   –  7 –3 –0
Syracuse   –  5 –2 –1
Bucknell   –  6 –3 –0
Drexel   –  4 –2 –1
Boston University   –  5 –3 –0
La Salle   –  5 –3 –0
Tufts   –  5 –3 –0
Army   –  5 –3 –1
CCNY   –  4 –4 –0
Villanova   –  4 –4 –0
Manhattan   –  4 –4 –1
Holy Cross   –  4 –4 –2
Colgate   –  3 –3 –2
Providence   –  3 –3 –2
Buffalo   –  3 –4 –1
Massachusetts State   –  3 –4 –1
Pittsburgh   –  3 –6 –0
Vermont   –  2 –6 –0
NYU   –  2 –7 –0
Carnegie Tech   –  1 –7 –0
Rankings from AP Poll
1941 Midwestern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Western Michigan   –  8 –0 –0
No. 3 Notre Dame   –  8 –0 –1
Youngstown   –  7 –0 –1
Xavier   –  9 –1 –0
Detroit   –  7 –2 –0
Ohio   –  5 –2 –1
Dayton   –  7 –3 –0
Cincinnati   –  6 –3 –0
Akron   –  5 –3 –1
Michigan State   –  5 –3 –1
Central Michigan   –  4 –3 –0
Ohio Wesleyan   –  5 –4 –0
Marquette   –  4 –5 –0
Carthage   –  1 –5 –2
Wayne   –  2 –6 –0
Miami (OH)   –  2 –7 –0
Western Ontario   –  1 –4 –0
Wichita   –  1 –6 –1
Michigan State Normal   –  0 –5 –2
Detroit Tech   –  0 –6 –1
1941 Southern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
East Carolina   –  7 –0 –0
Delaware   –  7 –0 –1
Virginia   –  8 –1 –0
Marshall   –  7 –1 –0
No. 10 Navy   –  7 –1 –1
Georgetown   –  5 –4 –0
Western Maryland   –  3 –4 –1
West Virginia   –  4 –6 –0
Sewanee   –  2 –5 –0
Delaware State   –  1 –4 –0
Georgia Teachers   –  2 –8 –0
Rankings from AP Poll
1941 Western college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Hawaii   –  8 –1 –0
Santa Clara   –  6 –3 –0
San Francisco   –  6 –4 –0
Idaho Southern Branch   –  5 –1 –2
Cal Poly   –  5 –3 –1
Saint Mary's   –  5 –4 –0
Loyola (CA)   –  5 –5 –0
Nevada   –  3 –5 –1
Portland   –  3 –5 –0
Gonzaga   –  3 –7 –0
San Francisco State   –  2 –4 –1
Humboldt State   –  2 –5 –1
La Verne   –  0 –6 –0

Minor conferences
Conference Champion(s) Record
California Collegiate Athletic Association Fresno State
San Jose State		 2–0–1
Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association Morgan State College 6–1
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pittsburg State 3–1
Far Western Conference Pacific (CA) 3–0
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Luther 4–0–1
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Baker 5–1
Lone Star Conference North Texas State Teachers 4–0
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Alma 4–0–1
Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference Lawrence Technological University 3–0
Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference Ripon 5–0–1
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Saint Thomas (MN) 5–0
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Missouri School of Mines
Northwest Missouri State Teachers		 3–1–1
Nebraska College Athletic Conference Midland Lutheran 4–0
Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association Nebraska State Teachers (UN–Kearney) 3–0
New Mexico Intercollegiate Conference New Mexico Military Institute 4–0
North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Iowa State Teachers (Northern Iowa) 5–0
North Dakota College Athletic Conference Jamestown College 5–0
Northern Teachers Athletic Conference St. Cloud State Teachers 4–0
Ohio Athletic Conference Case 4–0
Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Central State College (OK) 6–0
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Millersville State Teachers
West Chester State Teachers		 3–0
Pacific Northwest Conference Willamette 5–0
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Colorado College 4–0
South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference Augustana (SD)
Northern State Teachers		 3–0
4–0
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Whittier 3–0–1
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Morris Brown 5–0
Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference Howard Payne 6–0
Washington Intercollegiate Conference Pacific Lutheran 4–0–1
Southwestern Athletic Conference No champion —
Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference Co-North: La Crosse Teachers
Co-North: Stout State Teachers
Co-South: Milwaukee State Teachers
Co-South: Platteville State Teachers		 3–1–0
3–1–0
3–0–1
3–0–1

Minor conference standings
1941 Alamo Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Texas A&I $ 1 –0 –08 –2 –0
St. Mary's (TX) 0 –1 –07 –4 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
San Jose State + 2 –0 –15 –3 –3
Fresno State + 2 –0 –14 –3 –2
Santa Barbara State 1 –2 –03 –5 –1
San Diego State 0 –3 –06 –4 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1941 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Pittsburg State $ 3 –1 –05 –2 –3
St. Benedict's 2 –1 –15 –2 –1
Emporia State 2 –1 –14 –3 –2
Southwestern (KS) 2 –2 –09 –3 –1
Fort Hays State 0 –4 –01 –6 –2
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Morgan State $ 6 –1 –06 –1 –0
Johnson C. Smith 4 –1 –17 –1 –2
Virginia State 4 –2 –14 –2 –2
Bluefield State 4 –3 –05 –3 –0
Hampton 6 –2 –06 –2 –0
Shaw 5 –2 –15 –2 –1
Virginia Union 2 –4 –04 –4 –0
North Carolina College 1 –5 –12 –6 –1
North Carolina A&T 2 –5 –03 –6 –0
Saint Paul's (VA) 1 –1 –02 –3 –1
Lincoln (PA) 2 –3 –04 –3 –0
Howard 1 –3 –03 –3 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Dixie Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Chattanooga $ 4 –0 –17 –1 –1
Howard (AL) 2 –0 –14 –5 –1
Mississippi College 3 –1 –05 –3 –0
Millsaps 1 –1 –04 –5 –0
Southwestern (TN) 0 –1 –04 –4 –1
Mercer 0 –3 –03 –6 –0
Spring Hill 0 –4 –02 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Far Western Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Pacific (CA) $ 3 –0 –04 –7 –0
Cal Aggies 2 –1 –02 –2 –4
Chico State 1 –2 –01 –5 –2
Humboldt State 0 –3 –02 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Illinois College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Millikin $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0
Bradley Tech * 1 –0 –08 –1 –0
North Central (IL) 3 –1 –15 –1 –1
Lake Forest 2 –1 –15 –1 –2
Monmouth (IL) 2 –1 –05 –2 –1
Knox (IL) 1 –2 –03 –4 –1
Augustana (IL) 1 –4 –02 –6 –0
Wheaton (IL) 0 –2 –13 –5 –2
Illinois Wesleyan 0 –2 –12 –5 –2
Illinois College 0 –3 –23 –4 –2
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * ineligible for league title
1941 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Illinois State + 3 –1 –07 –1 –1
Illinois State Normal + 3 –1 –03 –4 –2
Southern Illinois 2 –1 –15 –2 –1
Western Illinois 1 –2 –13 –4 –1
Eastern Illinois 0 –4 –00 –7 –0
Eureka 0 –0 –03 –3 –1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1941 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Rose Poly + 4 –0 –07 –0 –0
Saint Joseph's (IN) + 3 –0 –08 –0 –1
Ball State 3 –1 –13 –2 –2
Butler 3 –1 –05 –4 –0
Wabash 4 –2 –05 –3 –1
DePauw 3 –2 –06 –2 –0
Indiana State 2 –1 –15 –2 –1
Evansville 2 –1 –13 –5 –1
Manchester 2 –1 –12 –2 –2
Franklin (IN) 2 –4 –12 –5 –1
Hanover 1 –3 –01 –7 –0
Central Normal 1 –4 –02 –5 –0
Earlham 0 –5 –02 –5 –0
Valparaiso 0 –5 –00 –8 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1941 Iowa Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
St. Ambrose * 2 –0 –06 –2 –0
Luther $ 4 –0 –16 –1 –1
Dubuque 6 –1 –16 –1 –1
Central (IA) 6 –2 –06 –3 –0
Parsons 4 –3 –05 –4 –0
Iowa Wesleyan 3 –3 –03 –5 –0
Upper Iowa 3 –3 –03 –5 –0
Loras 2 –3 –03 –6 –0
Western Union 1 –2 –13 –4 –1
Simpson 2 –4 –03 –5 –1
Wartburg 1 –4 –02 –5 –0
Penn (IA) 1 –6 –01 –6 –0
Buena Vista 0 –4 –10 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – did not play enough conference games to be eligible for title
1941 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Baker $ 5 –1 –07 –2 –0
Bethel (KS) 4 –1 –16 –1 –1
Ottawa 4 –1 –16 –1 –1
Kansas Wesleyan 4 –2 –04 –3 –0
Bethany (KS) 1 –5 –01 –7 –0
College of Emporia 1 –5 –01 –8 –0
McPherson 1 –5 –01 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Lone Star Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
North Texas State $ 4 –0 –07 –1 –0
Southwest Texas State 3 –1 –04 –4 –0
East Texas State 2 –2 –06 –2 –1
Sam Houston State 1 –3 –02 –7 –1
Stephen F. Austin 0 –4 –01 –6 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Louisiana Tech $ 5 –0 –05 –4 –1
Southwestern Louisiana 3 –1 –06 –2 –1
Louisiana Normal 2 –2 –14 –3 –1
Southeastern Louisiana 1 –3 –04 –5 –0
Centenary 0 –1 –10 –8 –2
Louisiana College 0 –4 –04 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Bates $ 2 –0 –03 –4 –0
Colby 1 –0 –14 –2 –1
Maine 1 –1 –13 –2 –2
Bowdoin 0 –3 –01 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1941 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
St. Thomas (MN) $ 5 –0 –07 –1 –0
Macalester 4 –2 –05 –3 –0
Concordia (MN) 3 –2 –05 –2 –0
Saint Mary's (MN) 3 –2 –04 –3 –0
Hamline 2 –3 –04 –3 –0
St. Olaf 2 –3 –02 –4 –1
Saint John's (MN) 1 –3 –03 –4 –0
Augsburg 0 –5 –01 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Alma $ 4 –0 –16 –0 –1
Albion 3 –1 –13 –4 –1
Hope 2 –1 –23 –2 –3
Kalamazoo 2 –2 –15 –2 –1
Hillsdale 1 –3 –13 –4 –1
Adrian 0 –5 –02 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Missouri Valley $ 3 –0 –07 –2 –0
William Jewell 3 –1 –04 –4 –0
Culver–Stockton 2 –2 –03 –5 –0
Central (MO) 1 –2 –01 –5 –2
Tarkio 0 –4 –00 –6 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Maryville (MO) + 3 –1 –16 –2 –1
Missouri Mines + 3 –1 –14 –3 –2
Warrensburg 2 –1 –23 –2 –3
Springfield (MO) 3 –2 –08 –3 –0
Kirksville State 1 –3 –14 –4 –1
Cape Girardeau 0 –4 –14 –4 –1
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • Tie games did not count in standings.
1941 Nebraska College Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Midland $ 4 –0 –09 –0 –0
Doane 2 –1 –15 –2 –1
Nebraska Wesleyan 2 –2 –02 –6 –1
Hastings 1 –2 –11 –6 –1
York (NE) 0 –4 –01 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Kearney State $ 3 –0 –08 –0 –0
Wayne State (NE) 1 –1 –14 –2 –2
Peru State 1 –1 –14 –3 –1
Chadron State 0 –3 –03 –4 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 New England Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Rhode Island State $ 2 –0 –05 –2 –1
Maine 2 –1 –13 –2 –2
New Hampshire 0 –0 –14 –3 –1
Northeastern 0 –1 –04 –3 –0
Connecticut 0 –2 –02 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 North Central Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Iowa State Teachers $ 5 –0 –05 –3 –0
South Dakota 4 –1 –06 –2 –0
North Dakota 3 –1 –04 –5 –0
Omaha 2 –3 –03 –4 –1
North Dakota Agricultural 2 –4 –02 –7 –0
Morningside 1 –4 –03 –5 –0
South Dakota State 1 –5 –02 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 North State Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Elon $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0
Catawba 4 –1 –08 –3 –0
Lenoir–Rhyne 3 –3 –04 –6 –0
Western Carolina 2 –2 –03 –5 –0
Appalachian State 2 –3 –04 –5 –0
High Point 1 –5 –02 –7 –0
Guilford 0 –4 –00 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Northwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Willamette $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0
Whitman 4 –1 –05 –1 –0
Pacific (OR) 2 –3 –04 –4 –0
Puget Sound 2 –3 –02 –6 –0
College of Idaho 1 –3 –05 –5 –0
Linfield 0 –4 –01 –6 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Case $ 4 –0 –07 –1 –0
Ohio Northern 5 –0 –06 –1 –1
Toledo 2 –0 –07 –4 –0
Bowling Green 4 –0 –15 –2 –0
Kenyon 4 –1 –05 –2 –0
Wooster 4 –1 –15 –1 –1
Heidelberg 5 –2 –06 –2 –0
Otterbein 4 –2 –05 –3 –0
Wittenberg 3 –3 –04 –4 –0
Muskingum 2 –3 –03 –5 –0
John Carroll 1 –2 –12 –5 –1
Kent State 1 –3 –02 –5 –1
Marietta 1 –3 –01 –6 –0
Capital 1 –4 –02 –4 –1
Baldwin–Wallace 0 –2 –13 –4 –1
Findlay 0 –4 –03 –5 –0
Mount Union 0 –5 –01 –7 –0
Ashland 0 –3 –00 –5 –0
Oberlin 0 –3 –00 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Central State (OK) $ 6 –0 –06 –2 –0
SW Oklahoma State 5 –1 –09 –2 –0
Northeastern State 3 –3 –05 –3 –1
Oklahoma City 2 –3 –05 –7 –0
East Central 2 –3 –04 –6 –0
NW Oklahoma State 0 –3 –05 –5 –1
SE Oklahoma State 0 –5 –01 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
West Chester + 3 –0 –05 –1 –2
Millersville + 3 –0 –04 –2 –0
Shippensburg 6 –1 –06 –2 –0
Indiana (PA) 4 –2 –04 –2 –0
Clarion 2 –1 –13 –2 –1
East Stroudsburg 3 –2 –05 –2 –0
Lock Haven 2 –2 –12 –3 –2
Edinboro 1 –2 –12 –2 –1
Mansfield 1 –3 –12 –4 –1
Slippery Rock 1 –3 –02 –4 –1
Bloomsburg 1 –4 –01 –4 –0
California (PA) 0 –2 –00 –4 –0
Kutztown 0 –5 –00 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1941 Smoky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
King $ 1 –0 –15 –3 –1
Milligan 2 –1 –05 –2 –0
Carson–Newman 2 –1 –13 –5 –1
East Tennessee State Teachers 0 –3 –02 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Black Hills 2 –1 –06 –2 –0
South Dakota Mines 2 –1 –04 –2 –1
Southern Normal 1 –2 –02 –4 –0
Eastern Normal 1 –2 –01 –4 –0
1941 Southern California Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Whittier $ 3 –0 –14 –3 –1
Occidental 3 –1 –05 –2 –1
Redlands 2 –1 –13 –4 –1
Caltech 1 –3 –02 –5 –0
Pomona 0 –4 –02 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Prairie View 4 –0 –27 –1 –2
Langston 4 –1 –19 –1 –1
Southern 4 –2 –05 –3 –1
Texas College 3 –2 –14 –2 –1
Bishop 3 –3 –03 –4 –0
Arkansas AM&N 0 –5 –11 –6 –1
Wiley 0 –5 –10 –6 –1
  • Prairie View's conference title was forfeited after the SWAC ruled at its winter meeting, on December 13, that the Panthers had used an ineligible player, Whiteside.
1941 Texas Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Howard Payne $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –1
Abilene Christian 5 –1 –06 –3 –0
Texas Wesleyan 5 –1 –05 –3 –0
Southwestern (TX) 3 –3 –14 –3 –1
McMurry 2 –4 –14 –4 –1
Austin 2 –4 –02 –6 –0
Trinity (TX) 1 –5 –01 –7 –0
Daniel Baker 0 –6 –00 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 Washington Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Pacific Lutheran $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0
Eastern Washington 2 –1 –15 –2 –1
Western Washington 2 –2 –05 –2 –1
Saint Martin's 0 –2 –21 –4 –2
Central Washington 0 –3 –11 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1941 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
West Liberty State $ 6 –1 –07 –1 –1
Morris Harvey 3 –0 –15 –3 –1
Fairmont State 4 –2 –05 –2 –0
Glenville State 5 –3 –05 –3 –0
Concord 3 –2 –04 –4 –0
West Virginia Tech 3 –2 –00 –4 –2
Potomac State 2 –3 –03 –5 –0
Salem 0 –5 –10 –5 –1
Shepherd 0 –5 –00 –5 –0
West Virginia Wesleyan * 2 –0 –13 –4 –1
Bethany (WV) * 0 –2 –10 –6 –1
Davis & Elkins * 0 –3 –01 –10 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Did not qualify for conference standings
    Ties did not count in conference standings.
1941 Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
La Crosse State x 3 –1 –05 –1 –0
Stout State x 3 –1 –05 –2 –0
Superior State 2 –2 –04 –3 –0
River Falls State 1 –2 –12 –3 –2
Eau Claire State 0 –3 –10 –5 –2
Southern Division
Platteville State x 3 –0 –13 –0 –2
Whitewater State x 3 –0 –13 –2 –1
Stevens Point State 2 –2 –03 –4 –0
Milwaukee State 1 –3 –01 –6 –0
Oshkosh State 0 –4 –00 –6 –0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions

Rankings
Main article: 1941 NCAA football rankings

Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player

PlayerSchoolPositionTotal
Bruce SmithMinnesotaHB554
Angelo BertelliNotre DameQB345
Frankie AlbertStanfordQB336
Frank SinkwichGeorgiaHB249
Bill DudleyVirginiaHB237
Endicott PeabodyHarvardG153
Edgar JonesPittsburghRB151
Bob WestfallMichiganFB147
Steve LachDukeHB126
Jack CrainTexasHB102

Bowl games
Bowl game Winning team Losing team
Rose Bowl No. 12 Oregon State 20 No. 2 Duke 16
Sugar Bowl No. 6 Fordham 2 No. 7 Missouri 0
Orange Bowl No. 14 Georgia 40 TCU 7
Cotton Bowl Classic No. 20 Alabama 29 No. 9 Texas A&M 21
Sun Bowl Tulsa 6 Texas Tech 0

Statistical leaders

Total offense
Rank Team Games played Net yards gained Avg. gain per game First downs
1Duke93350372.2147
2Arizona103573357.3152
3Georgia103504350.4156
4Utah82803350.4112
5Texas103500350.0130
6Missouri93102344.7128
7Tulane92951327.9146
8Fordham82616327.0106
9Detroit92881320.1130
10Clemson92879319.9111

[5]

Total defense
Rank Team Games played Net Ops. Gained Opps. Av. per Game Oppon. 1st Downs
1Duquesne9885110.650
2Navy101258139.867
3Detroit81282142.476
4Notre Dame101283142.679
5Georgia101429142.985
6Texas Tech91432143.282
7Duke10537145.774
8San Jose101465146.562
9Virginia91362151.359
10Rutgers101211151.456

[5]

Rushing offense
Rank Team Games Rushes Yards gained Yards per game
1Missouri94882769307.7
2Duke94982392265.8
3Minnesota84762062257.8
4Utah83982054256.8
5Syracuse83952007250.9
6Navy94942249249.9
7Georgia105112397239.7
8Texas104602372237.2
9Clemson94372132236.9
10Michigan84201871233.9

[6]

Rushing defense
Rank Team Games Rushes Net yards gained Yards per game
1Duquesne1023544856.0
2Georgia1032359659.6
3Texas Tech932861761.7
4Navy831156062.2
5Texas932365965.9
6Tulane1031159766.3
7Santa Clara1030259866.4
8Notre Dame934061167.9
9Utah826860275.3
10Rice935781281.2

[6]

Passing offense
Rank Team Games Att. Compl. Int. Pct.
Compl.		 Yards Yds/Game Yds/Attempt
1Arizona1023110618.4591777177.77.69
2Texas A&M1029412630.4291657165.75.64
3Washington University (MO)923811620.4871472163.66.18
4Detroit91859411.5081307145.27.06
5Notre Dame91488114.5471223135.98.26
6Texas Mines926111227.4291219135.44.67
7Wake Forest101978824.4471335133.56.78
8San Francisco61024110.402756126.07.41
9Saint Mary's91656923.4181116124.06.76
10SMU102006817.3401201120.16.01

[7]

Passing defense
Rank Team Games Att. Compl. Pct.
Compl.		 Yards Yds/Game
1Purdue87421.28421727.1
2Boston University88523.27128035.0
3Denver99834.34735739.7
4Idaho910530.28637141.2
5Lafayette910439.47141846.4
6Harvard89727.27837647.0
7Florida89823.23538147.6
8Mississippi State79528.29533648.0
9San Jose1012248.32849049.0
10Villanova78930.33734349.0
11Iowa88424.28640350.4

[8]

Total offense
Rank Player Team Games Plays Rush Yds Pass Yds Total Yds Avg Gain
per Play
1Bud SchwenkWashington University (MO)9354471145719285.45
2Bill DudleyVirginia926296818246.96
3Frank SinkwichGeorgia10324110385618165.60
4Elmer MadarikDetroit930266771315415.10
5Owen PriceTexas Mines934747587414724.24
6Red CochranWake Forest10248162112512875.19
7Paul GovernaliColumbia830547781012874.23
8Derace MoserTexas A&M1027333891212504.58
9Steve FilipowiczFordham821849572412195.59
10Johnny PodestoSaint Mary's9220136100011365.16

[9]

Rushing
Rank Player Team Games Rushes Yds Gained Yds Lost Net Yds Avg Gain
per Play
1Frank SinkwichGeorgia1020911595611035.28
2Bill DudleyVirginia915510691019686.25
3Bob SteuberMissouri9113941868557.57
4John GrigasHoly Cross10179872468264.61
5Pat HarderWisconsin8142755247315.15
6Bob WestfallMichigan8156718306884.41
7Bill DaleyMinnesota9158707226854.34
8Maurice "Red" WadeMissouri9105681138556.49
9Andy TomasicTemple91738181416773.91
10Dick FisherOhio State8134711376745.03

[9]

Passing
Rank Player Team Games Att. Compl. Int. Pct. Compl. Yds. TDs
1Bud SchwenkWashington University (MO)923411419.48714576.23
2Owen PriceTexas Mines92089419.4529974.79
3Angelo BertelliNotre Dame91247011.56510378.36
4Paul GovernaliColumbia81677010.4198104.85
5Derace MoserTexas A&M191666719.4049125.49
6Elmer MadarikDetroit9128647.5008746.83
7Johnny PodestoSaint Mary's91426120.43010007.04
8Red CochranWake Forest101395920.42411258.09
9Jimmy RichardsonMarquette991587.6375365.89
10Bill DudleyVirginia9107578.5338568,00

[9]

Receiving
Rank Player Team Games Receptions Receiving
Yards		 Avg. Gain
per Pass
1Hank StantonArizona105082016.40
2Red LindowWashington University93947212.10
3Len KrausePenn State93253616.75
4PufaltWashington University9294053.97
5Walt McDonaldTulane92743716.19
6CrainBaylor10261525.85
7Marshall SpiveyTexas A&M102536314.52
8TurleyWashington University92536314.52
9HendersonTexas A&M10252299.16

[10]

Scoring

The following were the scoring leaders for 1941.[11]

Rank Player Team TD PAT FG Pts
1Bill DudleyVirginia18231134
2Ben CollinsWest Texas State18240132
3Curt SandigSt. Mary's (TX)18100118
4Toshio "Tosh" AsanoCitrus J.C.16140110
5Johnny ThompsonCoast Guard14221109
6Ed McGovernRose Poly1670103
7Andrew VictorThe Citadel1321099
8Chet MutrynXavier93
9Jack CrainTexas1123192
10 (tie)Jack JenkinsVanderbilt1215190
10 (tie)WaddelVisalia J.C.150090
12GantFlorida A&M145089
13JonesUnion (TN)142086
14Winston SiegfriedDuke132080
15RandelNewberry131079

Rules Committee

See also

References
  1. "October 13, 1941 AP Football Poll". CollegePollArchive.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  2. 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  3. Written at Los Angeles. "Houlgate Ranks Gophers First, Navy Second". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. United Press. December 2, 1941. Retrieved November 2, 2022. Holgate [sic], making his final selections, nominated the Navy for second place and Alabama for third.
  4. "Rose Bowl Grid Game is Transferred To Durham, N.C. By Duke, Beavers," Fresno Bee, Dec. 15, 1941, p2-B
  5. Walter R. Okesson, ed. (1942). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1942. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 55.
  6. Walter R. Okesson, ed. (1942). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1942. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 56.
  7. Walter R. Okesson, ed. (1942). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1942. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 57.
  8. Walter R. Okesson, ed. (1942). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1942. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 58.
  9. Walter R. Okesson, ed. (1942). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1942. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 62.
  10. Walter R. Okesson, ed. (1942). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1942. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 63.
  11. NCAA Football Guide, p. 67.
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