1968 NCAA University Division football rankings

none August 2023 December 2025 1968 Purdue Ohio State Two human polls comprised the 1968 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 November 2025 For the 1968 season, the AP Poll returned to ranking 20 teams per week, after ranking only 10 per week from 1961 to 1967. This was also the second time (first since 1965) that the final AP Poll was conducted in January after the completion of bowl season, rather than at the end of the regular season. The final poll would continue to be conducted after bowl season from this season forward. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 (Final) Aug 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 Purdue (14) USC (10) Notre Dame (3) Oklahoma Texas (3) Oregon State (2) Florida (1) Penn State Tennessee Alabama Ohio State Texas A&M Indiana Nebraska Minnesota UCLA Arizona State LSU Syracuse Miami (FL) Purdue (0–0) (14) USC (0–0) (8) Notre Dame (0–0) (2) Texas (0–0) (2) u Oklahoma (0–0) d Florida (0–0) u Alabama (0–0) (2) u Oregon State (0–0) d Ohio State (0–0) u Penn State (0–0) d Houston (1–0) npr Tennessee (0–0–1) d Texas A&M (0–0) d Nebraska (1–0) Indiana (0–0) d Minnesota (0–0) т td UCLA (0–0) т Georgia (0–0–1) npr Miami (FL) (0–0) u LSU (0–0) d Arizona State Syracuse Purdue (1–0) (25) Notre Dame (1–0) (19) u USC (1–0) (4) d Penn State (1–0) (1) u Florida (1–0) u Texas (0–0–1) d Alabama (1–0) UCLA (1–0) u Nebraska (2–0) u Houston (1–0–1) u Ohio State (0–0) d Kansas (1–0) npr Indiana (1–0) u LSU (1–0) u Miami (FL) (1–0) u Tennessee (0–0–1) d Minnesota (0–1) d Oregon State (0–1) (1) d Arizona State (1–0) npr Wyoming (1–1) npr Georgia Oklahoma Texas A&M Purdue (2–0) (42) USC (2–0) (2) u Penn State (2–0) (1) u Florida (2–0) u Notre Dame (1–1) d Ohio State (1–0) u Nebraska (3–0) u Kansas (2–0) u UCLA (2–0) d LSU (2–0) u Alabama (2–0) d Houston (1–0–1) d Miami (FL) (2–0) u Arizona State (2–0) u Tennessee (1–0–1) u Georgia (1–0–1) npr Texas A&M (1–1) npr California (2–0) npr Michigan State (2–0) npr Arkansas (2–0) npr Indiana Minnesota Oregon State Texas Wyoming Purdue (3–0) (35) USC (3–0) (1) Penn State (3–0) (1) Ohio State (2–0) u Notre Dame (2–1) Kansas (3–0) u Florida (3–0) d LSU (3–0) u Nebraska (3–0) d Tennessee (2–0–1) u Houston (2–0–1) u Michigan State (3–0) u Ole Miss (3–0) npr Arkansas (3–0) u Syracuse (2–1) npr California (3–0) u Georgia (2–0–1) d Stanford (3–0) npr Florida State (2–1) npr Oregon State (2–1) npr Alabama Arizona State Miami (FL) Texas A&M UCLA USC (4–0) (23) u Ohio State (3–0) (12) u Penn State (4–0) (3) Kansas (4–0) (4) u Purdue (3–1) d Notre Dame (3–1) d Florida (4–0) Tennessee (3–0–1) u Arkansas (4–0) u Georgia (3–0–1) u Syracuse (3–1) u Miami (FL) (3–1) npr Nebraska (3–1) d Stanford (3–1) u Texas Tech (3–0–1) npr Ole Miss (3–1) d Texas (2–1–1) npr Michigan (3–1) npr Indiana (3–1) npr LSU (3–1) т Missouri (3–1) т background-color:#FFE6E6 npr California Florida State Houston Michigan State Oregon State USC (5–0) (21) Ohio State (4–0) (15) Kansas (5–0) (5) u Penn State (4–0) (1) d Notre Dame (4–1) u Tennessee (4–0–1) u Purdue (4–1) d Georgia (4–0–1) u Miami (FL) (4–1) u Syracuse (3–1) u California (4–1) npr Michigan (4–1) u Texas (3–1–1) u Missouri (4–1) u Florida (4–1) d Arkansas (4–1) d Ole Miss (4–1) d LSU (4–1) u Texas Tech (3–0–2) d Florida State (3–1) npr Indiana Nebraska Stanford USC (5–0) (24) Ohio State (5–0) (12) Kansas (6–0) (6) Penn State (5–0) (1) Tennessee (4–0–1) u Purdue (5–1) u Georgia (5–0–1) u California (5–1) u Michigan (5–1) u Missouri (5–1) u Texas (4–1–1) u Notre Dame (4–2) d SMU (5–1) npr LSU (5–1) u Houston (3–1–1) npr Michigan State (4–2) npr Arkansas (5–1) d Florida State (4–1) u Ohio (6–0) npr Florida (4–1–1) d Miami (FL) Ole Miss Syracuse Texas Tech USC (6–0) (19) Ohio State (6–0) (14) Kansas (7–0) (10) Penn State (6–0) (1) Tennessee (5–0–1) (1) Purdue (6–1) Michigan (6–1) u Missouri (6–1) u Georgia (5–0–2) d Texas (5–1–1) u California (5–1–1) d Notre Dame (5–2) Houston (3–1–2) u Arkansas (6–1) u Oregon State (5–2) npr Ohio (7–0) u Michigan State (4–3) d Auburn (5–2) npr Wyoming (6–2) npr LSU (5–2) d Florida Florida State SMU USC (7–0) (32) Ohio State (7–0) (14) Penn State (7–0) (1) u Michigan (7–1) u Georgia (6–0–2) u Missouri (7–1) u Kansas (7–1) d Texas (6–1–1) u Notre Dame (6–2) u Arkansas (7–1) u Tennessee (5–1–1) d Auburn (6–2) u Oregon State (6–2) u Houston (4–1–2) d Purdue (6–2) d Alabama (6–2) npr Ohio (8–0) d California (5–2–1) d Indiana (6–2) npr Wyoming (6–2) d LSU Michigan State USC (8–0) (27) Ohio State (8–0) (7) Penn State (8–0) (2) Michigan (8–1) Georgia (7–0–2) (1) Texas (7–1–1) u Kansas (8–1) Tennessee (6–1–1) u Arkansas (8–1) u Notre Dame (7–2) d Houston (5–1–2) u Purdue (7–2) u Missouri (7–2) d Oklahoma (5–3) npr Alabama (7–2) u Oregon State (6–3) d Ohio (9–0) California (6–2–1) Auburn (6–3) d Wyoming (7–2) Indiana Ohio State (9–0) (21.5) u USC (9–0) (24.5) d Penn State (9–0) (3) Georgia (7–0–2) (1) u Kansas (9–1) u Texas (7–1–1) Tennessee (7–1–1) u Arkansas (9–1) u Notre Dame (7–2) u Houston (6–1–2) u Oklahoma (6–3) u Purdue (8–2) Michigan (8–2) d Oregon State (7–3) u Alabama (7–2) Missouri (7–3) d Ohio (10–0) Auburn (6–3) u Arizona (8–1) npr Arizona State (7–2) npr California Wyoming Ohio State (9–0) (34) USC (9–0–1) (2) Penn State (9–0) (3) Georgia (8–0–2) Texas (8–1–1) u Kansas (9–1) d Notre Dame (7–2–1) u Tennessee (8–1–1) d Arkansas (9–1) d Oklahoma (7–3) u Purdue (8–2) u Alabama (8–2) u Michigan (8–2) Oregon State (7–3) Ohio (10–0) u Missouri (7–3) Arizona State (8–2) u Houston (6–2–2) d Florida State (8–2) npr SMU (7–3) npr Arizona Auburn Ohio State (10–0) (44) nc Penn State (11–0) (2) u Texas (9–1–1) (2) u USC (9–1–1) d Notre Dame (7–2–1) u Arkansas (10–1) (1) u Kansas (9–2) d Georgia (8–1–2) d Missouri (8–3) u Purdue (8–2) u Oklahoma (7–4) d Michigan (8–2) u Tennessee (8–2–1) d SMU (8–3) u Oregon State (7–3) d Auburn (7–4) npr Alabama (8–3) d Houston (6–2–2) LSU (8–3) npr Ohio (10–1) d Arizona State Florida State Final Coaches Poll The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sP5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AvcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2494%2C849272 Bend Bulletin Oregon UPI Ohio State captures national grid crown December 3, 1968 6Ohio State received 28 of the 34 first-place votes; USC received four and Penn State two. Ranking Team Conference Bowl 1 Ohio State Big Ten Won Rose, 27–16 2 USC Pac-8 Lost Rose, 16–27 3 Penn State Independent Won Orange, 15–14 4 Georgia SEC Lost Sugar, 2–16 5 Texas Southwest Won Cotton, 36–13 6 Kansas Big Eight Lost Orange, 14–15 7 Tennessee SEC Lost Cotton, 13–36 8 Notre Dame Independent none 9 Arkansas Southwest Won Sugar, 16–2 10 Oklahoma Big Eight Lost Bluebonnet, 27–28 11 Purdue Big Ten none 12 Alabama SEC Lost Gator, 10–35 13 Oregon State Pac-8 none 14 Florida State Independent Lost Peach, 27–31 15 Michigan Big Ten none 16 SMU Southwest Won Bluebonnet, 28–27 17 Missouri Big Eight Won Gator, 35–1018 Ohio Mid-American Lost Tangerine, 42–49 Minnesota Big Tennone20 Houston Independent Stanford Pac-8 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. References * Category:College football rankings