1974 NCAA Division I football rankings

none August 2023 December 2025 1974 Oklahoma Oklahoma (AP)USC (Coaches) Two human polls comprised the 1974 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. 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 November 2025 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 (Final) Aug Sep 9 Sep 16 Sep 23 Sep 30 Oct 7 Oct 14 Oct 21 Oct 28 Nov 4 Nov 11 Nov 18 Nov 25 Dec 2 Jan Oklahoma (23) Ohio State (14) Notre Dame (13) Alabama (6) USC (1) Michigan (1) Nebraska Penn State LSU Texas Houston UCLA Pittsburgh Maryland Arizona State Tennessee Arizona NC State Arkansas Texas A&M Oklahoma (0–0) (22) Notre Dame (1–0) (17) u Alabama (0–0) (5) u Ohio State (0–0) (9) d USC (0–0) (1) Michigan (0–0) Nebraska (0–0) Penn State (0–0) LSU (0–0) Texas (0–0) Arizona State (1–0) u UCLA (0–0–1) Pittsburgh (0–0) Maryland (0–0) Tennessee (0–0) u NC State (0–0) u Arizona (0–0) Missouri (0–0) npr Houston (0–1) d Arkansas (0–0) т Stanford (0–0) т background-color:#FFE6E6 npr Texas A&M Notre Dame (1–0) (19) u Ohio State (1–0) (17) u Oklahoma (1–0) (18) d Nebraska (1–0) (10) u Alabama (1–0) (4) d Michigan (1–0) LSU (1–0) u Penn State (1–0) Texas (1–0) u Arkansas (1–0) u Arizona State (1–0) UCLA (0–0–1) USC (0–1) d Maryland (0–1) NC State (1–0) т tu Pittsburgh (1–0) т d Arizona (1–0) т t Tennessee (0–0–1) т d Houston (1–1) т t Stanford (0–1) т u Missouri Ohio State (2–0) (23) u Notre Dame (2–0) (26) d Oklahoma (1–0) (8) Alabama (2–0) (4) u Michigan (2–0) u Texas (2–0) u Arizona State (2–0) u Pittsburgh (2–0) u Texas A&M (2–0) npr Nebraska (1–1) d Wisconsin (2–0) npr Oklahoma State (2–0) npr NC State (2–0) u Tennessee (1–0–1) u Arizona (2–0) u Illinois (2–0) npr LSU (1–1) d USC (0–1) d Penn State (1–1) d Miami (FL) (1–0) npr Arkansas Houston Maryland Stanford UCLA Ohio State (3–0) (25 1 5) Oklahoma (2–0) (24 1 5) u Alabama (3–0) (3 1 5) u Michigan (3–0) (4 1 5) u Texas A&M (3–0) (1 1 5) u Nebraska (2–1) u Notre Dame (2–1) d NC State (3–0) u USC (1–1) u Texas Tech (2–0–1) npr Auburn (3–0) npr Arizona (3–0) u Florida (3–0) npr Illinois (3–0) u Penn State (2–1) u Miami (FL) (2–0) u Pittsburgh (2–1) d Arizona State (2–1) d Texas (2–1) d Arkansas (2–1) npr LSU Oklahoma State Tennessee Wisconsin Ohio State (4–0) (33) Oklahoma (3–0) (24) Alabama (4–0) (1) Michigan (4–0) (2) Nebraska (3–1) u Notre Dame (3–1) u USC (2–1) u Florida (4–0) u Texas Tech (3–0–1) u Auburn (4–0) (1) u NC State (4–0) d Arizona (4–0) Wisconsin (3–1) npr Arkansas (3–1) u Penn State (3–1) Texas A&M (3–1) d Texas (3–1) u Arizona State (3–1) Kansas (3–1) npr Miami (OH) (3–0–1) npr Illinois Miami (FL) Pittsburgh Ohio State (5–0) (51) Oklahoma (4–0) (5) Michigan (5–0) (1) u Alabama (5–0) (1) d Auburn (5–0) (1) u USC (3–1) u Notre Dame (4–1) d Texas A&M (4–1) u Arizona (5–0) u NC State (5–0) u Penn State (4–1) u Nebraska (3–2) d Kansas (4–1) u Florida (4–1) d Arizona State (3–1) u Texas (3–2) u Texas Tech (3–1–1) d Maryland (3–2) npr Miami (OH) (4–0–1) u Tulane (4–0) npr Arkansas Wisconsin Ohio State (6–0) (50) Oklahoma (5–0) (8) Michigan (6–0) (1) Alabama (6–0) (1) Auburn (6–0) (1) USC (4–1) Notre Dame (5–1) Texas A&M (5–1) Nebraska (4–2) u Penn State (5–1) u Texas Tech (4–1–1) u Florida (5–1) u Texas (4–2) u Arizona State (4–1) u Maryland (4–2) u Arizona (5–1) d NC State (5–1) d Tulane (5–0) u Miami (OH) (5–0–1) California (5–1) npr Kansas Ohio State (7–0) (45) Oklahoma (6–0) (14) Michigan (7–0) (2) Alabama (7–0) (1) Auburn (7–0) (1) USC (5–1) Notre Dame (6–1) Texas A&M (6–1) Nebraska (5–2) Penn State (6–1) Florida (6–1) u Texas (5–2) u Texas Tech (5–1–1) d Arizona State (5–1) Maryland (5–2) Miami (OH) (6–0–1) u Mississippi State (6–1) npr UCLA (4–1–2) npr Temple (6–0) npr San Diego State (5–1) т Wisconsin (4–3) т npr Arizona California NC State Tulane Ohio State (8–0) (49) Oklahoma (7–0) (10) Alabama (8–0) (2) u Michigan (8–0) (1) d Texas A&M (7–1) u Florida (7–1) u Penn State (7–1) u Notre Dame (7–1) d Nebraska (6–2) Auburn (7–1) d USC (5–1–1) d Texas (6–2) Miami (OH) (7–0–1) u Maryland (5–3) u Houston (6–2) npr Arizona State (5–2) d Oklahoma State (4–3) npr California (5–2–1) npr Pittsburgh (6–2) т tnpr Texas Tech (5–2–1) т d Mississippi State San Diego State Temple UCLA Wisconsin Oklahoma (8–0) (48) u Alabama (9–0) (10) u Michigan (9–0) (4) u Ohio State (8–1) d Notre Dame (7–1) u Nebraska (7–2) u Auburn (8–1) u USC (6–1–1) u Florida (7–2) d Texas A&M (7–2) d Penn State (7–2) d Miami (OH) (8–0–1) u Maryland (6–3) u Houston (6–2) u Michigan State (5–3–1) npr NC State (7–2) npr Pittsburgh (7–2) u Oklahoma State (5–3) d California (6–2–1) d Texas Tech (6–2–1) d Arizona State Texas Oklahoma (9–0) (45) Alabama (10–0) (9) Michigan (10–0) (8) Ohio State (9–1) Notre Dame (8–1) Nebraska (8–2) Auburn (9–1) USC (7–1–1) Texas A&M (8–2) u Penn State (8–2) u Maryland (7–3) u Miami (OH) (9–0–1) NC State (8–2) u Michigan State (6–3–1) u Houston (7–2) d Baylor (6–3) npr Texas (7–3) npr Pittsburgh (7–3) d California (7–2–1) Florida (7–3) d Oklahoma State Texas Tech Oklahoma (10–0) (49) Alabama (10–0) (10) Ohio State (10–1) u Michigan (10–1) d Notre Dame (9–1) USC (8–1–1) u Auburn (9–1) Texas A&M (8–2) u Nebraska (8–3) d Penn State (8–2) Maryland (8–3) Miami (OH) (9–0–1) NC State (9–2) Michigan State (7–3–1) Houston (8–2) Baylor (7–3) Texas (7–3) Pittsburgh (7–3) Wisconsin (7–4) npr BYU (7–3–1) npr California Florida Oklahoma (11–0) (49) Alabama (11–0) (12) Ohio State (10–1) Michigan (10–1) USC (9–1–1) u Auburn (9–2) u Penn State (9–2) u Nebraska (8–3) u Notre Dame (9–2) d Maryland (8–3) u Texas (8–3) u Baylor (8–3) u NC State (9–2) Michigan State (7–3–1) Miami (OH) (9–0–1) d Texas A&M (8–3) d BYU (7–3–1) u Florida (8–3) npr Arizona (9–2) npr Pittsburgh (7–4) т Wisconsin (7–4) т d Houston Oklahoma (11–0) (51) nc USC (10–1–1) (6) u Michigan (10–1) (2) u Ohio State (10–2) d Alabama (11–1) d Notre Dame (10–2) u Penn State (10–2) Auburn (10–2) (1) d Nebraska (9–3) d Miami (OH) (10–0–1) u NC State (9–2–1) u Michigan State (7–3–1) u Maryland (8–4) d Baylor (8–4) d Florida (8–4) u Texas A&M (8–3) Mississippi State (9–3) т tnpr Texas (8–4) т d Houston (8–3–1) npr Tennessee (7–3–2) npr Arizona BYU Pittsburgh Wisconsin Final Coaches Poll For the first time, the final UPI Coaches Poll was released after the bowl games, on January 2, 1975.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g0BSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f3kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4994%2C1763399 St. Petersburg Times Florida UPI picks USC January 3, 1975 1-C https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zQ5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NUMNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2946%2C1312397 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI UPI college football ratings January 3, 1975 14 USC received 27 of the 34 first-place votes; Michigan received four and Alabama three. Ranking Team Conference Bowl 1 USC Pac-8 Won Rose, 18–17 2 Alabama SEC Lost Orange, 11–13 3 Ohio State Big Ten Lost Rose, 17–18 4 Notre Dame Independent Won Orange, 13–11 5 Michigan Big Ten none 6 Auburn SEC Won Gator, 27–3 7 Penn State Independent Won Cotton, 41–20 8 Nebraska Big Eight Won Sugar, 13–10 9 NC State ACC Tied Bluebonnet, 31–31 10 Miami (OH) Mid-American Won Tangerine, 21–10 11 Houston Independent Tied Bluebonnet, 31–31 12 Florida SEC Lost Sugar, 10–13 13 Maryland ACC Lost Liberty, 3–7 14 Baylor Southwest Lost Cotton, 21–4015 Texas A&M Southwest none Tennessee SEC Won Liberty, 7–3 17 Mississippi State SEC Won Sun, 26–24 18 Michigan State Big Tennone 19 Tulsa MVC Only 19 teams received votes Teams on probation were ineligible for the Coaches' poll, most notably Oklahoma (11–0). Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pac-8 conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl. In the preceding poll in early December, Alabama was first, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and Auburn; Notre Dame was eighth.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RUFSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=V3kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3484%2C4217154 St. Petersburg Times Florida UPI UPI Top 20 December 4, 1974 2Chttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LkVGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BOkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2005%2C809845 Schenectady Gazette New York AP, UPI Top-ranked Sooners await bowls December 4, 1974 40 References * Category:College football rankings