1954 college football season

The 1954 college football season saw three teams finish unbeaten and untied, with Ohio State Buckeyes and the UCLA Bruins sharing the national championship as the No. 1 picks of the AP Poll and the UPI Poll, respectively. Although the winners of the Big Ten and the Pacific conferences normally met in the Rose Bowl, a "no repeat" prevented the two champions from meeting. UCLA, which had been in the Rose Bowl earlier in the year, was replaced by conference runner-up USC.[2]

1954 college football season
Preseason AP No. 1Notre Dame[1]
Number of bowls7
Champion(s)Ohio State (AP)
UCLA (Coaches, FWAA)
HeismanAlan Ameche (fullback, Wisconsin)
football seasons

During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions. The AP poll in 1954 consisted of the votes of as many as 419 sportswriters.[3]

Though not all writers voted in every poll, each would give their opinion of the twenty best teams. Under a point system of 20 points for first place, 19 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. Although the rankings were based on the collective opinion of the representative sportswriters, the teams that remained "unbeaten and untied" were generally ranked higher than those that had not. A defeat, even against a strong opponent, tended to cause a team to drop in the rankings, and a team with two or more defeats was unlikely to remain in the Top 20. Generally, the top teams played on New Year's Day in the four major postseason bowl games: the Rose Bowl (near Los Angeles at Pasadena), the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans), the Orange Bowl (Miami), and the Cotton Bowl (Dallas).

In 1954, a limit of 10 games per season, excluding a bowl game, was imposed on all teams, with the exception that existing contracts would not be changed.

Conference and program changes
  • The ACC voted to add Virginia as its eighth football-playing member in December 1953.
School1953 Conference1954 Conference
Virginia CavaliersIndependentACC
DePauw TigersIndependentICC

September

In the preseason poll released on September 13, 1954, No. 1 Notre Dame had the most points, although No. 2 Oklahoma had more first place votes (74 vs. 52). Rounding out the Top Five were defending champion No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Illinois. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.

September 18, No. 2 Oklahoma won at No. 12 California 27–13, and No. 3 Maryland won at Kentucky, 20–0. Notre Dame and Texas, No. 1 and No. 4, were preparing to meet at South Bend to open their seasons. Oklahoma replaced Notre Dame as No. 1 in the first regular poll. No. 7 Georgia Tech, which beat Tulane 28–0 in Atlanta, replaced Illinois in the Top Five. Defying high expectations, the Illini would lose their opener to Penn State, 14–12, and finish the season with a 1–8–0 record. The next poll: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Texas, and No. 5 Georgia Tech.

September 25 No. 2 Notre Dame hosted No. 4 Texas and won 21–0. No. 1 Oklahoma beat No. 20 Texas Christian (TCU) 21–16. No. 3 Maryland was idle, and No. 5 Georgia Tech lost to Florida, 13–12. Notre Dame took back over the top spot from O.U., and Texas, Maryland and Georgia Tech were replaced by No. 8 UCLA (32–7 over Kansas), No. 10 Wisconsin (52–14 over Marquette) and No. 11 Iowa (14–10 over No. 7 Michigan State). The poll: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Iowa, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Wisconsin.

October

In a Friday game, No. 4 UCLA beat No. 6 Maryland 12–7. The next day, October 2, No. 1 Notre Dame was upset by No. 19 Purdue, 27–14. No. 2 Oklahoma which was idle, moved to the top as Notre Dame dropped to eighth. No. 3 Iowa defeated visiting Montana, 48–6, and No. 5 Wisconsin beat No. 13 Michigan State 6–0. The next poll: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 4 Iowa, and No. 5 Purdue.

October 9 No. 1 Oklahoma won its annual game in Dallas against No. 15 Texas, 14–7. No. 2 UCLA edged Washington 21–20. No. 3 Wisconsin beat No. 11 Rice 13–7. No. 4 Iowa lost to unranked Michigan, 14–13, and No. 5 Purdue was tied by No. 6 Duke, 13–13. No. 10 Ohio State, which had won at Illinois 40–7, entered the Top Five: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Ohio State, and No. 5 Purdue.

October 16 No. 2 Wisconsin hosted No. 5 Purdue and won 20–6. No. 1 Oklahoma visited Kansas and annihilated it, 65–0, while No. 3 UCLA went one better in beating Stanford 72–0. No. 4 Ohio State beat No. 13 Iowa 20–14. No. 7 Ole Miss, which had beaten Tulane 34–7, entered the Top Five: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Ohio State, and No. 5 Mississippi.

October 23 No. 2 Wisconsin faced its second high-ranked opponent in a week, visiting Big Ten rival and No. 4 Ohio State. OSU won, 31–14, to take the No. 1 spot. No. 1 Oklahoma beat Kansas State 21–0, and No. 3 UCLA beat Oregon State 61–0. No. 5 Mississippi lost to No. 7 Arkansas at Little Rock, 6–0. No. 9 Army, which had won 67–12 at Columbia, moved up. The next poll: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Arkansas, and No. 5 Army.

October 30 No. 1 Ohio State won at Northwestern, 14–7. No. 2 Oklahoma won 13–6 at Colorado. No. 3 UCLA won at California 27–6 and was given top billing in the next poll. No. 4 Arkansas won 14–7 at Texas A&M. No. 5 Army, which got to stay home, edged Virginia 21–20. No. 6 Notre Dame, which beat No. 15 Navy 6–0 in Baltimore, moved up. The next poll: No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Arkansas, and No. 5 Notre Dame.

November

November 6 No. 1 UCLA won at Oregon 41–0. No. 2 Ohio State beat visiting No. 20 Pittsburgh, 26–0. No. 3 Oklahoma won at Iowa State 40–0. No. 4 Arkansas, playing at Little Rock, beat No. 15 Rice 28–15, and No. 5 Notre Dame won at Penn, 42–7. The top five remained the same.

November 13 No. 1 UCLA had the week off, while No. 2 Ohio State won at Purdue 28–6 and got back the top rung. No. 3 Oklahoma beat Missouri 34–13. No. 4 Arkansas lost to No. 19 SMU, 21–14. No. 5 Notre Dame beat North Carolina, 42–13. No. 6 Army, which at won at Penn 35–0, came back to the Top Five: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Notre Dame, and No. 5 Army.

November 20 No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 12 Michigan 21–7. In Los Angeles, No. 2 UCLA beat its crosstown rival, No. 7 USC, 34–0. No. 3 Oklahoma beat Nebraska 55–7. No. 4 Notre Dame won at No. 19 Iowa 34–18. No. 5 Army had the day off, preparing for the Army-Navy game. The top five remained the same.

November 27 No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 UCLA had finished their seasons, both of them undefeated and untied. No. 3 Oklahoma also finished with a perfect record, winning its annual season-closer at Oklahoma A&M 14–0. No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 17 USC 23–17. In Philadelphia, No. 5 Army was beaten by No. 6 Navy, 27–20. The AP's final top five were No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Notre Dame, and No. 5 Navy, although the Coaches Poll selected UCLA as its top team. Under normal circumstances the Buckeyes and Bruins would have met in the Rose Bowl for a national championship showdown, but the Pacific Coast Conference's short-lived "no-repeat" rule forced UCLA to stay home because they had played in the previous year's Rose Bowl.[2] Instead, Ohio State matched up with No. 17 USC, whom they defeated 20–7.

Conference standings

Major conference standings

For this article, major conferences defined as those including at least one state flagship public university and the Ivy League.

1954 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 14 Duke $ 4 –0 –08 –2 –1
No. 8 Maryland 4 –0 –17 –2 –1
North Carolina 4 –2 –04 –5 –1
South Carolina 3 –3 –06 –4 –0
Clemson 1 –2 –05 –5 –0
Wake Forest 1 –4 –12 –7 –1
Virginia 0 –2 –03 –6 –0
NC State 0 –4 –02 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll[4]
1954 Big Seven Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Oklahoma $ 6 –0 –010 –0 –0
Nebraska 4 –2 –06 –5 –0
Colorado 3 –2 –17 –2 –1
Missouri 3 –2 –14 –5 –1
Kansas State 3 –3 –07 –3 –0
Iowa State 1 –5 –03 –6 –0
Kansas 0 –6 –00 –10 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Ohio State $ 7 –0 –010 –0 –0
No. 9 Wisconsin 5 –2 –07 –2 –0
No. 15 Michigan 5 –2 –06 –3 –0
Minnesota 4 –2 –07 –2 –0
Iowa 4 –3 –05 –4 –0
Purdue 3 –3 –05 –3 –1
Indiana 2 –4 –03 –6 –0
Michigan State 1 –5 –03 –6 –0
Northwestern 1 –5 –02 –7 –0
Illinois 0 –6 –01 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Border Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Texas Tech $ 4 –0 –07 –2 –1
Arizona State 3 –1 –05 –5 –0
Texas Western 4 –2 –08 –3 –0
Arizona 3 –2 –07 –3 –0
Hardin–Simmons 2 –3 –04 –6 –0
West Texas State 1 –5 –01 –8 –0
New Mexico A&M 0 –4 –00 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Far Western Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
San Francisco State $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0
Chico State 4 –1 –07 –2 –0
Humboldt State 3 –2 –05 –5 –0
Nevada 2 –3 –02 –5 –0
Cal Aggies 1 –4 –01 –7 –0
Sacramento State 0 –5 –00 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Second San Francisco State vs. Nevada game did not count in conference standings
1954 Ivy League football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Yale 4 –2 –05 –3 –1
Cornell 4 –2 –05 –4 –0
Brown 2 –1 –16 –2 –1
Harvard 3 –2 –14 –3 –1
Princeton 4 –3 –05 –3 –1
Dartmouth 2 –3 –03 –6 –0
Columbia 1 –5 –01 –8 –0
Penn 0 –2 –00 –9 –0
  • The Ivy League did not crown an official champion until 1956 when full league play began.
1954 Mid-American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Miami (OH) $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0
Kent State 4 –1 –08 –2 –0
Ohio 5 –2 –06 –3 –0
Toledo 3 –2 –06 –2 –1
Western Michigan 3 –4 –04 –5 –0
Western Reserve 2 –3 –03 –4 –1
Marshall 2 –5 –04 –5 –0
Bowling Green 0 –6 –02 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Middle Three Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lehigh + 1 –1 –04 –5 –0
Rutgers + 1 –1 –03 –6 –0
Lafayette + 1 –1 –02 –5 –2
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 North Central Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
South Dakota State + 5 –1 –07 –2 –0
Morningside + 5 –1 –05 –3 –0
South Dakota 3 –3 –05 –4 –0
North Dakota 3 –3 –04 –5 –0
Iowa State Teachers 3 –3 –03 –5 –0
North Dakota State 1 –4 –11 –7 –1
Augustana (SD) 0 –5 –11 –7 –1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 UCLA $ 6 –0 –09 –0 –0
No. 17 USC ^ 6 –1 –08 –4 –0
Oregon 5 –3 –06 –4 –0
California 4 –3 –05 –5 –0
Washington State 3 –4 –04 –6 –0
Stanford 2 –4 –04 –6 –0
Idaho 1 –2 –04 –5 –0
Washington 1 –6 –02 –8 –0
Oregon State 1 –6 –01 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – Selected as Rose Bowl representative
    UCLA won rivalry game over USC,
    but no-repeat rule was in effect
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Skyline Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 18 Denver $ 6 –1 –09 –1 –0
Wyoming 5 –1 –06 –4 –0
Utah State 4 –3 –04 –6 –0
New Mexico 3 –3 –05 –5 –0
Utah 3 –3 –04 –7 –0
Colorado A&M 3 –4 –03 –7 –0
Montana 1 –5 –03 –6 –0
BYU 1 –6 –01 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from Coaches Poll
1954 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 6 Ole Miss $ 5 –0 –09 –2 –0
Georgia Tech 6 –2 –08 –3 –0
Florida 5 –2 –05 –5 –0
Kentucky 5 –2 –07 –3 –0
Georgia 3 –2 –16 –3 –1
No. 13 Auburn 3 –3 –08 –3 –0
Mississippi State 3 –3 –06 –4 –0
Alabama 3 –3 –24 –5 –2
LSU 2 –5 –05 –6 –0
Tulane 1 –6 –11 –6 –3
Vanderbilt 1 –5 –02 –7 –0
Tennessee 1 –5 –04 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Southern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 12 West Virginia $ 3 –0 –08 –1 –0
Furman 2 –0 –05 –5 –0
No. 16 VPI 3 –0 –18 –0 –1
Davidson 2 –1 –06 –3 –0
VMI 4 –3 –04 –6 –0
Richmond 2 –3 –05 –4 –0
William & Mary 1 –2 –24 –4 –2
George Washington 0 –4 –11 –7 –1
The Citadel 0 –4 –02 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 10 Arkansas $ 5 –1 –08 –3 –0
SMU 4 –1 –16 –3 –1
No. 19 Rice 4 –2 –07 –3 –0
No. 18 Baylor 4 –2 –07 –4 –0
Texas 2 –3 –14 –5 –1
TCU 1 –5 –04 –6 –0
Texas A&M 0 –6 –01 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Yankee Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
New Hampshire $ 4 –0 –07 –1 –0
Rhode Island 3 –1 –06 –2 –0
Maine 2 –2 –05 –2 –0
Vermont 1 –1 –05 –1 –1
UMass 1 –3 –04 –4 –0
Connecticut 0 –4 –01 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion

Independents
1954 Eastern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Hobart   –  8 –0 –0
Juniata   –  8 –0 –0
Trinity (CT)   –  7 –0 –0
Worcester Tech   –  6 –0 –0
Carnegie Tech   –  7 –0 –1
Boston College   –  8 –1 –0
Boston University   –  7 –2 –0
Hofstra   –  7 –2 –0
No. 20 Penn State   –  7 –2 –0
Tufts   –  6 –2 –0
Brown   –  6 –2 –1
Drexel   –  5 –2 –0
Bucknell   –  6 –3 –0
Colgate   –  5 –2 –2
Princeton   –  5 –3 –1
Yale   –  5 –3 –1
Cornell   –  5 –4 –0
Harvard   –  4 –3 –1
Syracuse   –  4 –4 –0
Pittsburgh   –  4 –5 –0
Franklin & Marshall   –  3 –5 –0
Temple   –  3 –5 –0
Dartmouth   –  3 –6 –0
Holy Cross   –  3 –7 –0
Buffalo   –  2 –7 –0
Fordham   –  1 –7 –1
Columbia   –  1 –8 –0
Villanova   –  1 –9 –0
Penn   –  0 –9 –0
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Midwestern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Omaha   –  10 –0 –0
No. 4 Notre Dame   –  9 –1 –0
Wabash   –  7 –1 –1
Cincinnati   –  8 –2 –0
Youngstown   –  7 –2 –0
Washington University   –  6 –3 –0
Carthage   –  5 –3 –0
Dayton   –  5 –5 –0
Marquette   –  3 –5 –1
Wayne   –  3 –5 –1
John Carroll   –  3 –5 –0
Rose Poly   –  2 –5 –0
Drake   –  2 –7 –0
Xavier   –  2 –8 –0
Baldwin–Wallace   –  1 –8 –0
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Southern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 9 Miami (FL)   –  8 –1 –0
Delaware   –  8 –2 –0
No. 5 Navy   –  8 –2 –0
Tampa   –  8 –2 –0
Florida State   –  8 –4 –0
Abilene Christian   –  6 –3 –1
Chattanooga   –  6 –4 –0
Mississippi Southern   –  6 –4 –0
Memphis State   –  3 –4 –3
Louisville   –  3 –6 –0
Arkansas State   –  1 –8 –0
Sewanee   –  0 –8 –0
Rankings from AP Poll
1954 Western college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Pepperdine   –  6 –2 –0
San Jose State   –  7 –3 –0
Pacific (CA)   –  4 –5 –0
Hawaii   –  4 –4 –0
La Verne   –  2 –6 –0
Cal Poly San Dimas   –  1 –8 –0

Minor conferences
Conference Champion(s) Record
California Collegiate Athletic Association Fresno State Normal 4–0
Central Church College Conference Concordia (NE) 3–0
Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association North Carolina College 6–0–1
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Kansas State Teachers–Hays
Washburn		 4–1
College Conference of Illinois Millikin
Wheaton (IL)		 5–1
Evergreen Conference Whitworth 6–0
Far Western Conference San Francisco State 5–0
Frontier Conference Carroll (MT) 4–0
Gulf Coast Conference Trinity (TX) 2–0
Indiana Collegiate Conference Valparaiso 5–1
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Luther 6–0
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference College of Emporia 7–0
Lone Star Conference East Texas State Teachers
Southwest Texas State Teachers		 5–0–1
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hillsdale 6–0
Mid-American Conference Miami (OH) 4–0
Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference Carleton 8–0
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Gustavus Adolphus 6–0
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Northeast Missouri State 5–0
Nebraska College Conference Hastings 7–0
New Mexico Intercollegiate Conference Panhandle A&M 5–0
North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Morningside
South Dakota State College		 5–1
North Dakota College Athletic Conference Minot State Teachers
Valley City State		 6–0
Ohio Athletic Conference Heidelberg 5–0–1
Ohio Valley Conference Eastern Kentucky State 5–0
Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Central State College (OK)
Southwestern State College (OK)		 4–1
Oregon Collegiate Conference Unknown —
Pacific Northwest Conference College of Idaho
Lewis & Clark
Willamette		 4–1
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Stroudsburg State Teachers
Shippensburg State Teachers		 4–1
5–1
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Western State 7–1
South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference Southern State Teachers (USD–Springfield) 6–1
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pomona-Pitzer 4–0
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Florida A&M 4–0
Southwestern Athletic Conference Prairie View A&M College 6–0
State Teacher's College Conference of Minnesota St. Cloud State Teachers 4–0
Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference Howard Payne 2–0
Wisconsin State College Conference Wisconsin State–La Crosse 4–0–1

Minor conference standings
1954 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Fresno State $ 4 –0 –07 –3 –0
Cal Poly 3 –1 –06 –4 –0
San Diego State 2 –2 –05 –4 –0
Santa Barbara 1 –3 –04 –5 –0
Los Angeles State 0 –4 –02 –6 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Central Church College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Concordia (NE) $ 3 –0 –07 –1 –1
Tarkio 2 –1 –04 –3 –1
Westmar 1 –2 –03 –5 –0
Dana 0 –3 –01 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
North Carolina College $ 6 –0 –17 –1 –1
Virginia State 7 –1 –07 –2 –0
Maryland State 5 –0 –16 –1 –1
Bluefield State 6 –1 –08 –2 –0
St. Augustine's 6 –2 –06 –3 –0
Delaware State 5 –1 –07 –1 –0
Virginia Union 5 –3 –05 –3 –0
Morgan State 4 –2 –06 –3 –0
Hampton 4 –5 –14 –5 –1
Lincoln (PA) 3 –3 –04 –3 –1
North Carolina A&T 2 –5 –04 –6 –0
Winston-Salem State 2 –5 –03 –5 –0
Johnson C. Smith 1 –4 –11 –5 –2
West Virginia State 1 –5 –03 –6 –0
Fayetteville State 1 –5 –03 –6 –0
Saint Paul's (VA) 1 –6 –02 –6 –0
Howard 0 –5 –12 –6 –1
Shaw 0 –6 –10 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Fort Hays State + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0
Washburn + 4 –1 –06 –2 –0
Pittsburg State 3 –2 –06 –2 –0
St. Benedict's 2 –3 –02 –5 –1
Emporia State 2 –3 –02 –7 –0
Southwestern (KS) 0 –5 –01 –8 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 College Conference of Illinois football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Wheaton (IL) + 5 –1 –06 –2 –0
Millikin + 5 –1 –05 –3 –0
Illinois Wesleyan 4 –1 –05 –3 –0
Lake Forest 3 –3 –03 –5 –0
Augustana (IL) 2 –4 –03 –5 –0
North Central (IL) 1 –4 –02 –6 –0
Elmhurst 0 –6 –00 –8 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Evergreen Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Whitworth $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0
Puget Sound 5 –1 –06 –2 –0
Pacific Lutheran 4 –2 –05 –3 –0
Western Washington 3 –3 –03 –5 –0
Central Washington 2 –4 –02 –6 –0
Eastern Washington 1 –5 –01 –8 –0
UBC 0 –6 –0 ? – ? – ?
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Gulf Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Trinity (TX) $ 2 –0 –09 –0 –0
North Texas State 1 –1 –04 –6 –0
Midwestern (TX) 0 –2 –04 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Gulf States Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Southeastern Louisiana $ 6 –0 –09 –0 –0
Northwestern State 4 –2 –07 –2 –0
Louisiana Tech 4 –2 –06 –3 –0
Southwestern Louisiana 4 –2 –05 –4 –0
Louisiana College 1 –4 –14 –5 –1
McNeese State 1 –5 –02 –8 –0
Northeast Louisiana State 0 –5 –11 –8 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Hoosier Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Indiana Central $ 6 –0 –06 –3 –0
Taylor 4 –2 –06 –2 –0
Hanover 4 –2 –04 –5 –0
Franklin (IN) 2 –4 –03 –4 –1
Anderson (IN) 2 –4 –02 –7 –0
Manchester (IN) 2 –4 –02 –7 –0
Earlham 1 –5 –01 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Valparaiso $ 5 –1 –06 –2 –1
Ball State 4 –2 –06 –2 –0
Evansville 4 –2 –05 –4 –0
Butler 3 –2 –04 –4 –0
Saint Joseph's (IN) 2 –4 –05 –4 –0
Indiana State 2 –4 –04 –4 –0
DePauw 0 –5 –00 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Michigan State Normal + 5 –1 –08 –1 –0
Central Michigan + 5 –1 –08 –2 –0
Western Illinois 3 –1 –26 –1 –3
Illinois State Normal 3 –2 –15 –3 –1
Eastern Illinois 1 –4 –12 –6 –1
Southern Illinois 1 –5 –02 –7 –0
Northern Illinois State 1 –5 –02 –7 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Iowa Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Luther $ 6 –0 –09 –0 –0
Wartburg 5 –1 –05 –2 –1
Dubuque 4 –1 –14 –3 –1
Iowa Wesleyan 4 –2 –04 –4 –0
Buena Vista 3 –2 –15 –3 –1
Parsons 1 –4 –12 –4 –2
Central (IA) 1 –5 –03 –5 –0
Simpson 0 –4 –21 –5 –2
Upper Iowa 0 –5 –11 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
College of Emporia $ 7 –0 –09 –1 –0
Ottawa 5 –1 –16 –2 –1
Kansas Wesleyan 4 –2 –15 –3 –1
Bethel (KS) 4 –2 –14 –3 –1
McPherson 3 –4 –03 –6 –0
Baker 2 –5 –03 –6 –0
Bethany (KS) 1 –5 –11 –6 –1
Friends 0 –7 –01 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Lone Star Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Southwest Texas State + 5 –0 –16 –3 –1
East Texas State + 5 –0 –16 –3 –1
Stephen F. Austin 3 –3 –06 –3 –0
Sam Houston State 3 –3 –06 –4 –0
Texas A&I 2 –4 –06 –5 –0
Sul Ross 1 –5 –04 –7 –0
Lamar Tech 1 –5 –03 –7 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Mason–Dixon Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Hampden–Sydney $ 3 –1 –05 –3 –0
Randolph–Macon 2 –1 –06 –3 –0
Western Maryland 1 –1 –02 –6 –0
Bridgewater 1 –2 –02 –4 –1
Johns Hopkins 1 –2 –02 –6 –0
Gallaudet 0 –1 –00 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Hillsdale $ 6 –0 –07 –1 –1
Kalamazoo 4 –2 –06 –2 –0
Albion 4 –2 –05 –3 –0
Hope 3 –3 –03 –6 –0
Alma 2 –4 –06 –4 –0
Adrian 1 –5 –02 –7 –0
Olivet 1 –5 –01 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Mid-Ohio League football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Ashland $ 4 –0 –07 –0 –0
Findlay 3 –2 –03 –4 –0
Wilmington (OH) 1 –1 –04 –3 –0
Bluffton 2 –2 –04 –4 –0
Defiance 2 –3 –04 –4 –0
Ohio Northern 0 –4 –01 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Gustavus Adolphus $ 6 –0 –07 –2 –0
Concordia (MN) 5 –1 –06 –1 –1
Saint John's (MN) 4 –2 –06 –2 –0
Minnesota–Duluth 4 –2 –05 –3 –0
St. Thomas (MN) 4 –2 –05 –3 –0
Hamline 3 –3 –04 –3 –0
Macalester 1 –5 –02 –6 –0
Augsburg 0 –6 –01 –7 –0
Saint Mary's (MN) 0 –6 –00 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Minnesota Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
St. Cloud State $ 4 –0 –05 –3 –0
Winona State 2 –1 –15 –4 –1
Moorhead State 2 –2 –04 –3 –1
Mankato State 1 –3 –02 –7 –0
Bemidji State 0 –3 –11 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Missouri Valley + 2 –0 –17 –1 –2
William Jewell + 2 –0 –16 –1 –2
Tarkio 2 –2 –04 –3 –0
Central (MO) 1 –3 –02 –7 –0
Culver–Stockton 0 –2 –02 –5 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
NE Missouri State $ 5 –0 –07 –1 –0
SE Missouri State 4 –1 –07 –2 –0
Missouri–Rolla 3 –2 –03 –5 –0
Central Missouri State 1 –4 –03 –6 –0
NW Missouri State 1 –4 –02 –6 –0
SW Missouri State 1 –4 –02 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Wichita $ 4 –0 –09 –1 –0
Houston 3 –1 –05 –5 –0
Oklahoma A&M 2 –2 –05 –4 –0
Detroit 1 –3 –02 –7 –0
Tulsa 0 –4 –00 –11 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Montana Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Carroll (MT) $ 4 –0 –05 –2 –1
Western Montana 3 –1 –0 ? – ? – ?
Rocky Mountain 2 –2 –02 –4 –0
Eastern Montana 1 –3 –0 ? – ? – ?
Montana Mines 0 –4 –0 ? – ? – ?
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Nebraska College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Hastings $ 7 –0 –09 –0 –0
Peru State 5 –2 –07 –2 –0
Kearney State 4 –2 –15 –3 –1
Midland 3 –4 –04 –4 –0
Wayne State (NE) 3 –4 –05 –4 –0
Doane 2 –5 –02 –7 –0
Nebraska Wesleyan 2 –4 –13 –6 –1
Chadron State 1 –6 –01 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Doane forfeited a conference win over Midland.
1954 New Mexico Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Panhandle A&M $ 5 –0 –06 –3 –0
Adams State 3 –2 –03 –6 –0
New Mexico Highlands 2 –2 –15 –2 –1
New Mexico Western 2 –3 –04 –4 –0
New Mexico Military 1 –3 –11 –5 –1
Arizona State–Flagstaff 1 –4 –03 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Valley City State + 6 –0 –07 –1 –0
Minot State + 6 –0 –06 –1 –0
Jamestown 5 –1 –06 –2 –0
Wahpeton Science 4 –2 –05 –2 –0
Dickinson State 3 –3 –03 –4 –0
Ellendale 1 –5 –02 –3 –1
Mayville State 1 –5 –01 –5 –0
Bottineau 1 –5 –01 –5 –0
Bismarck JC 0 –6 –00 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • Valley City State beat Jamestown on November 4 in a non-conference game.
1954 North State Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Appalachian State $ 6 –0 –08 –3 –0
Elon 4 –1 –15 –3 –1
East Carolina 3 –2 –05 –4 –1
Western Carolina 2 –2 –14 –5 –1
Catawba 2 –4 –03 –8 –0
Guilford 1 –3 –01 –7 –0
Lenoir–Rhyne 0 –6 –02 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Northwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lewis & Clark + 4 –1 –08 –2 –0
College of Idaho + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0
Willamette + 4 –1 –06 –2 –0
Whitman 1 –4 –04 –4 –0
Pacific (OR) 1 –4 –03 –4 –0
Linfield 1 –4 –03 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Heidelberg $ 5 –0 –17 –1 –1
Muskingum 5 –1 –16 –2 –1
Denison 5 –2 –06 –2 –1
Ohio Wesleyan 4 –2 –07 –2 –0
Capital 4 –2 –06 –2 –0
Wooster 4 –3 –06 –3 –0
Wittenberg 4 –4 –04 –5 –0
Akron 3 –4 –03 –5 –0
Oberlin 2 –3 –02 –5 –1
Otterbein 2 –4 –02 –6 –0
Marietta 1 –3 –14 –3 –1
Hiram 1 –3 –12 –4 –1
Mount Union 1 –6 –02 –7 –0
Kenyon 0 –4 –00 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Kentucky $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –1
Western Kentucky 3 –2 –07 –3 –0
Murray State 3 –2 –05 –4 –0
Middle Tennessee 2 –2 –14 –4 –2
Tennessee Tech 1 –3 –14 –4 –2
Morehead State 0 –5 –00 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
SW Oklahoma State + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0
Central State (OK) + 4 –1 –06 –2 –1
East Central 3 –2 –04 –5 –0
SE Oklahoma State 2 –3 –03 –6 –1
Northeastern State 1 –3 –03 –6 –0
NW Oklahoma State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Oregon Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Oregon Tech + 3 –1 –06 –4 –0
Oregon College + 3 –1 –04 –4 –0
Portland State 2 –2 –03 –5 –0
Southern Oregon 2 –2 –02 –5 –0
Eastern Oregon 0 –4 –02 –6 –1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Bloomsburg + 3 –1 –06 –2 –0
East Stroudsburg + 5 –1 –06 –2 –0
West Chester + 3 –1 –05 –4 –0
Shippensburg 4 –1 –07 –1 –0
Clarion 3 –1 –05 –2 –0
California (PA) 4 –3 –04 –3 –0
Lock Haven 4 –3 –15 –3 –1
Indiana (PA) 3 –2 –05 –3 –0
Mansfield 2 –3 –12 –4 –1
Millersville 2 –5 –03 –5 –0
Slippery Rock 1 –3 –01 –7 –0
Edinboro 1 –4 –01 –6 –0
Kutztown 1 –3 –03 –3 –1
Cheyney 0 –5 –00 –8 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • Conference standings were based on the Saylor system of ratings.
1954 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Montana State $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0
Western State (CO) 7 –1 –09 –1 –0
Idaho State 3 –3 –04 –4 –0
Colorado Mines 4 –4 –04 –5 –0
Colorado State–Greeley 1 –6 –11 –7 –1
Colorado College 0 –7 –11 –8 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Southern State + 6 –1 –06 –1 –0
Northern State + 6 –1 –06 –2 –0
Huron 5 –2 –06 –3 –0
Dakota Wesleyan 5 –3 –05 –3 –0
South Dakota Mines 3 –3 –04 –4 –0
Black Hills 2 –4 –05 –4 –0
Yankton 2 –5 –02 –6 –0
Sioux Falls 1 –5 –00 –7 –0
General Beadle 0 –6 –01 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1954 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Pomona-Claremont $ 4 –0 –08 –0 –0
Redlands 2 –1 –15 –4 –1
Occidental 2 –2 –04 –4 –1
Whittier 1 –2 –13 –6 –1
Caltech 0 –4 –00 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Pomona-Claremont played Redlands, Occidental, and Caltech each twice; each game counted as one-half in the standings.
1954 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Prairie View A&M $ 6 –0 –010 –1 –0
Southern 5 –1 –010 –1 –0
Langston 4 –2 –04 –4 –1
Texas College 3 –3 –04 –6 –0
Wiley 2 –4 –05 –5 –0
Arkansas AM&N 1 –5 –02 –7 –2
Bishop 0 –6 –01 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 Texas Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Howard Payne $ 2 –0 –09 –1 –0
McMurry 1 –1 –06 –3 –1
Eastern New Mexico 0 –2 –06 –3 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1954 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Morris Harvey $ 4 –0 –08 –2 –0
Concord 5 –2 –05 –3 –1
West Virginia Tech 3 –2 –05 –4 –0
Shepherd 2 –1 –15 –2 –1
Potomac State 3 –3 –03 –3 –0
West Liberty State 3 –4 –04 –4 –0
Glenville State 2 –3 –13 –3 –1
Fairmont State 3 –5 –03 –5 –0
West Virginia Wesleyan 2 –4 –02 –4 –1
Salem 2 –6 –02 –6 –0
Bethany (WV) * 1 –0 –02 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Did not qualify for conference standings
    Conference standings based on power ratings
1954 Wisconsin State College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
[[{{{school}}}|La Crosse State]] $ 4 –0 –16 –2 –1
[[{{{school}}}|Platteville State]] 3 –1 –14 –1 –2
[[{{{school}}}|Eau Claire State]] 5 –2 –06 –2 –0
[[{{{school}}}|Stevens Point State]] 4 –2 –05 –2 –1
[[{{{school}}}|River Falls State]] 3 –2 –06 –2 –0
[[{{{school}}}|Milwaukee State]] 2 –2 –14 –4 –1
[[{{{school}}}|Oshkosh State]] 2 –2 –22 –2 –2
[[{{{school}}}|Stout State]] 1 –3 –12 –5 –1
[[{{{school}}}|Superior State]] 0 –5 –03 –5 –0
[[{{{school}}}|Whitewater State]] 0 –5 –00 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion

Rankings
Main article: 1954 NCAA football rankings

Final AP Poll

AP ranked Ohio State as No. 1, while the UPI coaches' poll gave the top spot to UCLA. Both wire services' rankings were made at the end of the regular season, and were unaffected by the postseason bowl games. Ohio State and UCLA had two common opponents in 1954; Cal and USC. Ohio State defeated Cal 21–13 and USC 20–7, while UCLA defeated Cal 27–6 and USC 34–0.

Ranking Team Record Conference
1 Ohio State 9–0–0 Big 10
2 UCLA 9–0–0 PCC
3 Oklahoma 10–0–0 Big 7
4 Notre Dame 8–1–0 Indep.
5 Navy 7–2–0 Indep.
6 Mississippi 9–1–0 SEC
7 Army 7–2–0 Indep.
8 Maryland 7–2–1 ACC
9 Wisconsin 7–2–0 Big 10
10 Arkansas 8–2–0 SWC
11 Miami (Florida) 8–1–0 Indep.
12 West Virginia 8–1–0 Southern
13 Auburn 7–3–0 SEC
14 Duke 7–2–1 ACC
15 Michigan 6–3–0 Big 10
16 Virginia Tech 8–0–1 Southern
17 USC 8–3–0 PCC
18 Baylor 7–3–0 SWC
19 Rice 7–3–0 SWC
20 Penn State 7–2–0 Indep.

Final Coaches Poll

The United Press International poll, taken from a panel of 35 coaches, had UCLA as the number one team beginning with the poll released on October 26. A rival to the AP poll, the UPI prefaced its release with the statement, "The men who know the game the best, the coaches themselves, voted UCLA to the top spot by the slender margin of seven points over Ohio State, the perfect record champions of the Big 10 Conference," [5] The UPI poll was a Top Ten, with a first place vote by a coach being worth 10 points, second worth 9 points, etc. With 350 being the maximum number of points, and 315 being the total for 35 second place votes, the panel was split on whether UCLA or Ohio State was the best team in the nation. The UPI Top Ten [6] Ohio State and UCLA had two common opponents in 1954; Cal and USC. Ohio State defeated Cal 21–13 and USC 20–7, while UCLA defeated Cal 27–6 and USC 34–0.

Ranking Team
1UCLA
2Ohio State
3Oklahoma
4Notre Dame
5Navy
6Mississippi
7Army
8Arkansas
9Miami (Fla.)
10Wisconsin
11 (t)USC
11 (t)Maryland
11 (t)Georgia Tech
14Duke
15Michigan
16Penn State
17SMU
18Denver
19Rice
20Minnesota

Undefeated seasons
Team Record Notes
1954 Ohio State Buckeyes football team10–0AP national champion
1954 UCLA Bruins football team9–0UP national champion
1954 Oklahoma Sooners football team10–0Big 7 champion, AP No. 3
1954 VPI Gobblers football team8–0–1AP No. 16
1954 Omaha Indians football team10–0Tangerine Bowl champion
1954 Trinity Tigers football team9–0Gulf Coast champion
1954 Juniata Indians football team8–0Part of seven-year run from 1953 to 1959 during which Juniata compiled a record of 50–2–2, including five undefeated seasons
1954 Whitworth Pirates football team8–0Evergreen champion, 21-game winning streak
1954 Worcester Tech Engineers football team6–0

Other undefeated teams: Ashland, Carleton, Carnegie Tech, Hastings (NE), Hobart, Luther, Pennsylvania Military, Pomona, Southeastern Louisiana, Trinity (CT), Western Colorado, Worcester Tech

Bowl games

Major bowls
Bowl game Winning team Losing team
Rose Bowl No. 1 Ohio State 20 No. 17 USC 7
Sugar Bowl No. 5 Navy 21 No. 6 Ole Miss 0
Cotton Bowl Georgia Tech 14 No. 10 Arkansas 6
Orange Bowl No. 14 Duke 34 Nebraska 7
No. 2 UCLA (9–0) and No. 3 Oklahoma (10–0) were idle in bowl season due to conference "no-repeat" rules.

Other bowls
Bowl game Winning team Losing team
Gator Bowl No. 13 Auburn 33 No. 18 Baylor 13
Refrigerator Bowl Delaware 19 Kent State 7
Tangerine Bowl Omaha 7 Eastern Kentucky 6

Heisman Trophy voting

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

PlayerSchoolPosition1st2nd3rdTotal
Alan AmecheWisconsinFB2141571121,068
Kurt BurrisOklahomaC18011176838
Howard CassadyOhio StateHB137139121810
Ralph GuglielmiNotre DameQB11212899691
Paul LarsonCaliforniaQB504237271
Dicky MoegleRiceHB365344258
Jack EllenaUCLAOT234044193
George ShawOregonQB323320182
Pete VannArmyQB202230134
Bob McNamaraMinnesotaHB161526104

Source: [7][8]

See also

References
  1. "1954 Preseason AP Football Poll". CollegePollArchive.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  2. "Missing Memories : '54 Bruins Might Have Been Best Ever, but They Didn't Reach the Rose Bowl - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. November 14, 1994.
  3. appollarchive.com/football/ap
  4. "1954 Atlantic Coast Conference Year Summary". sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  5. "UP Names UCLA Top In Nation", Aiken (S.C.) Standard and Review, November 30, 1954, p5
  6. "UCLA Edges Buckeyes In Last UP Grid Poll," The Vidette-Messenger (Valparaison, IN), December 1, 1954, p6
  7. "Ameche gets grid award". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. December 1, 1954. p. 29.
  8. "Wisconsin's Ameche wins grid award". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. December 1, 1954. p. 46.
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