1965 NCAA University Division football rankings

none August 2023 December 2025 1965 Nebraska Alabama (AP)Michigan State (Coaches) Two human polls comprised the 1965 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   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 For the first time in its history, the final AP Poll was released in January, after the bowl games.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YOshAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DJsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5120%2C472175 Tuscaloosa News Alabama Associated Press Green Bob Tide keeps AP title trophy January 4, 1966 7https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2GJYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7015%2C513221 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Associated Press Alabama is voted No. 1 in final AP grid poll January 4, 1966 13 This practice would not be repeated again for the next two seasons, but has been the standard since the 1968 season. The AP Poll ranked only the top ten teams from 1962 through 1967. Entering New Year's Day, the top three teams (Michigan State, Arkansas, Nebraska) were all 10–0,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=obszAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7199%2C8052754 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Associated Press Michigan State leads; Irish skid November 30, 1965 14 but all three lost. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (Final) Aug Sep 20 Sep 27 Oct 4 Oct 11 Oct 18 Oct 25 Nov 1 Nov 8 Nov 15 Nov 22 Nov 29 Jan 4 Nebraska (11) Texas (7) Notre Dame (7) Michigan (5) Alabama (4) Arkansas (6) USC (4) LSU Purdue (1) Ohio State (1) Notre Dame (1–0) (24) u Nebraska (1–0) (16) d Texas (1–0) (7) d Michigan (1–0) (2) Arkansas (1–0) (4) u Purdue (1–0) u LSU (1–0) u Florida (1–0) npr Syracuse (1–0) npr Kentucky (1–0) npr Alabama Ohio State USC Texas (2–0) (15) u Purdue (2–0) (14) u Nebraska (2–0) (13) d Arkansas (2–0) (3) u LSU (2–0) u Kentucky (2–0) (1) u Michigan (2–0) d Notre Dame (1–1) d Michigan State (2–0) npr Georgia (2–0) npr Florida Syracuse Texas (3–0) (25) Nebraska (3–0) (10) u Arkansas (3–0) (1) u Georgia (3–0) (3) u Michigan State (3–0) u Purdue (2–0–1) (1) d Notre Dame (2–1) u USC (2–0–1) npr Mississippi State (3–0) npr Florida (2–1) npr Kentucky LSU Michigan Texas (4–0) (22) Nebraska (4–0) (16) Arkansas (4–0) (4) Michigan State (4–0) (3) u Georgia (4–0) (2) d USC (3–0–1) u Purdue (3–0–1) (1) d Notre Dame (3–1) d Florida (3–1) u Mississippi State (4–0) d Arkansas (5–0) (28) u Michigan State (5–0) (14) u Nebraska (5–0) (8) d USC (4–0–1) u Texas (4–1) d Purdue (4–0–1) u Notre Dame (3–1) u Florida (4–1) u LSU (4–1) npr Georgia (4–1) d Mississippi State Michigan State (6–0) (19) u Arkansas (6–0) (23) d Nebraska (6–0) (9) Notre Dame (4–1) u LSU (5–1) u Purdue (4–1–1) Florida (4–1) u USC (4–1–1) d Texas (4–2) d Alabama (4–1–1) npr Georgia Michigan State (7–0) (36) Arkansas (7–0) (11) Nebraska (7–0) (3) Notre Dame (5–1) Alabama (5–1–1) u USC (4–1–1) u Georgia Tech (5–1–1) npr UCLA (4–1–1) npr Missouri (4–2–1) npr Kentucky (5–2) npr Florida LSU Purdue Texas Michigan State (8–0) (32) Arkansas (8–0) (14) Nebraska (8–0) (4) Notre Dame (6–1) (1) Alabama (6–1–1) USC (5–1–1) UCLA (5–1–1) u Tennessee (4–0–2) npr Missouri (5–2–1) Kentucky (6–2) Georgia Tech Michigan State (9–0) (31) Arkansas (9–0) (15) Nebraska (9–0) (2) Notre Dame (7–1) Alabama (7–1–1) USC (6–1–1) UCLA (6–1–1) Missouri (6–2–1) u Texas Tech (8–1) npr Florida (6–2) npr Kentucky Tennessee Michigan State (10–0) (34) Arkansas (10–0) (9) Nebraska (9–0) UCLA (7–1–1) u Alabama (7–1–1) Notre Dame (7–2) d Missouri (7–2–1) u USC (6–2–1) d Tennessee (5–1–2) npr Texas Tech (8–2) d Florida Michigan State (10–0) (35) Arkansas (10–0) (10) Nebraska (10–0) Alabama (8–1–1) (1) u UCLA (7–1–1) d Missouri (7–2–1) u Tennessee (6–1–2) u USC (7–2–1) Notre Dame (7–2–1) d Texas Tech (8–2) Alabama (9–1–1) (37) nc Michigan State (10–1) (18) d Arkansas (10–1) (1) d UCLA (8–2–1) (1) u Nebraska (10–1) d Missouri (8–2–1) Tennessee (8–1–2) LSU (8–3) npr Notre Dame (7–2–1) USC (7–2–1) d Texas Tech Final Coaches Poll The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in late November.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Na4hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uZoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1658%2C8887140 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI UPI final ratings November 30, 1965 23Michigan State received 28 of the 35 first-place votes; Arkansas received five and Nebraska two.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WJ4VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UgsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1232%2C5728197 Bend Bulletin Oregon UPI Spartans voted national title November 30, 1965 6 Ranking Team Conference Bowl 1 Michigan State Big Ten Lost Rose, 12–14 2 Arkansas Southwest Lost Cotton, 7–14 3 Nebraska Big Eight Lost Orange, 28–39 4 Alabama SEC Won Orange, 39–28 5 UCLA AAWU (Pac-8) Won Rose, 14–12 6 Missouri Big Eight Won Sugar, 20–18 7 Tennessee SEC Won Bluebonnet, 27–6 8 Notre Dame Independentnone 9 USC AAWU (Pac-8) 10 Texas Tech Southwest Lost Gator, 21–31 11 Ohio State Big Ten none 12 Florida SEC Lost Sugar, 18–20 13 Purdue Big Ten none 14 LSU SEC Won Cotton, 14–7 15 Georgia SEC none 16 Tulsa MVC Lost Bluebonnet, 6–27 17 Mississippi SEC Won Liberty, 13–7 18 Kentucky SECnone 19 Syracuse Independent 20 Colorado Big Eight 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. Litkenhouse 1. Michigan State - 114.0 2. Arkansas - 107.2 3. Nebraska - 104.8 4. Notre Dame 5. UCLA - 104.2 6. USC - 104.0 7. Alabama - 104.1 8. Purdue - 101.5 9. Tennessee - 101.1 10. Illinois - 100.1 11. Florida - 99.4 12. Missouri - 98.7 13. Ole Miss - 97.6 16. Ohio State 20. Michigan References * Category:College football rankings