1939 college football rankings

none August 2023 December 2025 1939 Texas A&Mper AP poll, Boand System, Dunkel System, Houlgate System, Poling System, Williamson System, Berryman QPRS, Billingsley Report, College Football Researchers Association, DeVold System, Helms Athletic Foundation, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin Ratings Elo chess methodUSCper Dickinson SystemCornellper Litkenhous Ratings and Sagarin Ratings Predictor method Various selection methods comprised 1939 college football rankings, including the AP Poll. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, did not itself bestow a national championship. Champions (by ranking) The AP Poll and most other rankings consider Texas A&M the season's champion. The Dickinson System considers USC the season's champion. Litkenhous Ratings and the Sagarin Ratings Predictor method consider Cornell to have been the season's chamnpion.Football Bowl Subdivision Records http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2017/FBS.pdf NCAA 112 2017 July 29, 2025 AP poll: Texas A&M Berryman QPRS: Texas A&M Billingsley Report: Texas A&M Boand System: Texas A&M College Football Researchers Association: Texas A&M DeVold System Texas A&M Dickinson System: USC Dunkel System: Texas A&M Helms Athletic Foundation: Texas A&M Houlgate System: Texas A&M Litkenhous Ratings: Cornell National Championship Foundation: Texas A&M Poling System: Texas A&M Sagarin Ratings Elo chess method: Texas A&M Sagarin Ratings Predictor method: Cornell Williamson System: Texas A&M Note: AP Poll, Boand System, Dickinson System, Dunkel System, Houlgate System, Litkenhous Ratings, Poling System, and Williamson System were given contemporarily. All other methods were given retroactively. AP Poll November 2025 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 The final AP Poll was released on December 11, at the end of the 1939 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (Final) Oct 16 Oct 23 Oct 30 Nov 6 Nov 13 Nov 20 Nov 27 Dec 4 Dec 11 Pittsburgh (3–0) (25) Notre Dame (3–0) (16) Oklahoma (2–0–1) (10) Tulane (3–0) (14) Tennessee (3–0) (26.5) Michigan (2–0) (10) USC (2–0–1) Alabama (3–0) (2.5) Texas A&M (4–0) (5) Ohio State (2–0) (11) Oregon (2–0–1) (2) Cornell (2–0) (1) Duke (2–1) North Carolina (4–0) Carnegie Tech (3–0) Nebraska (2–0–1) Ole Miss (3–0) SMU (1–1–1) Baylor (3–0) St. Mary's (2–0) Tennessee (4–0) (83) u Notre Dame (4–0) (12) Michigan (3–0) (8) u Ohio State (3–0) (5) u Texas A&M (5–0) (6) u Oklahoma (3–0–1) (2) d Cornell (3–0) (1) u USC (2–0–1) d Tulane (3–0–1) (1) d Nebraska (3–0–1) u Duquesne (4–0) npr Duke (3–1) u North Carolina (4–0–1) u Ole Miss (4–0) u Oregon State (4–0) npr Penn (3–0) npr SMU (2–1–1) u Pittsburgh (3–1) d NYU (3–1) npr Alabama (3–1) d Baylor Carnegie Tech Oregon St. Mary's Tennessee (5–0) (67) Michigan (4–0) (20) u Cornell (4–0) (18) u Notre Dame (5–0) (12) d Texas A&M (6–0) (6) Oklahoma (4–0–1) (2) USC (3–0–1) (1) u Tulane (4–0–1) (1) u North Carolina (5–0–1) (1) u Nebraska (4–0–1) Oregon State (5–0) u Duke (4–1) Duquesne (5–0) d Ohio State (3–1) d Kentucky (5–0) npr SMU (2–1–1) u NYU (4–1) u LSU (4–1) npr Alabama (4–1) т tu UCLA (4–0–1) т npr Ole Miss Penn Pittsburgh Tennessee (6–0) (81) Texas A&M (7–0) (6) u Notre Dame (6–0) (11) u USC (4–0–1) (5) u Cornell (5–0) (1) d Oklahoma (5–0–1) (3) Tulane (4–0–1) u North Carolina (6–0–1) (1) u Ohio State (4–1) u Michigan (4–1) d UCLA (5–0–1) u Duquesne (6–0) u SMU (3–1–1) u Dartmouth (5–0–1) npr Duke (5–1) d Santa Clara (3–1–2) npr NYU (5–1) Kentucky (5–0–1) d Ole Miss (5–1) npr Alabama (4–1–1) d LSU Nebraska Oregon State Tennessee (7–0) (66) Texas A&M (8–0) USC (5–0–1) (10) u Cornell (6–0) (3) u Oklahoma (6–0–1) (2) u Tulane (5–0–1) (2) u North Carolina (7–0–1) (1) u Ohio State (5–1) u Notre Dame (6–1) d Duquesne (7–0) u UCLA (5–0–1) Missouri (6–1) npr Duke (6–1) u Santa Clara (4–1–2) u Iowa (5–1) npr Clemson (6–1) (1) npr SMU (3–2–1) d Holy Cross (6–1) npr Oregon State (6–1) npr Dartmouth (5–1–1) т Minnesota (2–3–1) т background-color:#FFE6E6 npr Alabama Kentucky Michigan Ole Miss NYU Texas A&M (9–0) (38) u Tennessee (8–0) (33) d Cornell (7–0) (20) u USC (5–0–1) (11) d Tulane (6–0–1) (3) u Ohio State (6–1) (1) u Notre Dame (7–1) u Duke (7–1) (2) u Iowa (6–1) (1) u Missouri (7–1) u Holy Cross (7–1) u Duquesne (7–0) d UCLA (5–0–2) d Oklahoma (6–1–1) d Clemson (7–1) (1) u Georgetown (7–0–1) npr North Carolina (7–1–1) т td Santa Clara (4–1–3) т d Georgia Tech (5–2) т tnpr Princeton (6–1) т npr Dartmouth Minnesota Oregon State SMU Texas A&M (9–0) (27) т tw USC (6–0–1) (25) т u Cornell (8–0) (34) Tennessee (8–0) (18) d Tulane (7–0–1) (4) Duquesne (8–0) u Duke (8–1) (2) u Missouri (8–1) u Iowa (6–1–1) Holy Cross (7–1) u Notre Dame (7–2) d Ohio State (6–2) d UCLA (5–0–3) Clemson (8–1) (1) u Michigan (6–2) npr North Carolina (7–1–1) u Georgetown (7–0–1) d Nebraska (7–1–1) npr San Jose State (12–0) npr Santa Clara (5–1–3) d Georgia Tech Oklahoma Princeton Texas A&M (10–0) (28) Tennessee (9–0) (19) u USC (7–0–1) (18) d Cornell (8–0) (15) d Tulane (8–0–1) (5) Duke (8–1) (1) u Missouri (8–1) u Iowa (6–1–1) u UCLA (6–0–3) u Duquesne (8–0–1) d Notre Dame (7–2) Ohio State (6–2) Georgia Tech (7–2) npr Boston College (9–1) npr Clemson (8–1) (1) d Santa Clara (5–1–3) u Nebraska (7–1–1) u Fordham (6–2) т tnpr San Jose State (13–0) т u Georgetown (7–0–1) d Holy Cross Michigan North Carolina Texas A&M (10–0) (55) nc Tennessee (10–0) (26) USC (7–0–2) (9) Cornell (8–0) (16) Tulane (8–0–1) Missouri (8–1) u UCLA (6–0–4) u Duke (8–1) (2) d Iowa (6–1–1) d Duquesne (8–0–1) Boston College (9–1) u Clemson (8–1) u Notre Dame (7–2) d Santa Clara (5–1–3) u Ohio State (6–2) d Georgia Tech (8–2) d Fordham (6–2) u Nebraska (7–1–1) d Oklahoma (6–2–1) npr Michigan (6–2) npr Georgetown San Jose State Boand System The Boand System rankings (also known as "Azzi Ratem") were the only ratings released after the bowl games. Released in early January 1940, Boand's final rankings were as follows:Azzi Ratem Calls Aggies No. 1 Team Lexington Herald-Leader January 2, 1940 7 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123278547/azzi-ratem-calls-aggies-no-1-team/ Newspapers.com 15em 1. Texas A&M 2. Cornell 3. USC 4. Tulane 5. Duke 6. Tennessee 7. Georgia Tech 8. Clemson 9. Notre Dame 10. UCLA Dickinson System The Dickinson System rankings released in December 1939 were as follows:Dickinson Rates Southern Cal Tops: Orange Fifth Behind Aggies, Cornell, Wave The Nashville Tennessean December 12, 1939 12 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123266538/dickinson-rates-southern-cal-tops/ Newspapers.comTo Dickinson, Trojans Best: Strength of Rivals Decides Ratings Evening World-Herald December 12, 1939 17 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123266153/to-dickinson-trojans-best-strength-of/ Newspapers.com 15em 1. USC (25.73) 2. Texas A&M (25.43) 3. Cornell (25.26) 4. Tulane (23.61) 5. Tennessee (22.61) 6. Notre Dame (22.59) 7. Michigan (22.50) 8. Duke (22.34) 9. Missouri (22.29) 10. UCLA (21.91) 11. Iowa (21.02) . Duquesne . Georgia Tech . Ohio State . Princeton . Santa Clara Litkenhous Ratings The final Litkenhous Ratings released in December 1939 provided numerical rankings to more than 600 college football programs. The top 100 ranked teams were:Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth E. E. Litkenhous Johnson City Sunday Press December 31, 1939 11 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123000367/vols-second-in-final-litkenhous-grid/ Newspapers.com 15em 1. Cornell 2. Tennessee 3. Texas A&M 4. Tulane 5. Ohio State 6.Duke 7. North Carolina 8. Oklahoma 9. Minnesota 10. USC 11. Holy Cross 12. SMU 13. Fordham 14. Georgia Tech 15. Missouri 16. Michigan 17. Ole Miss 18. Boston College 19. Mississippi State 20. Clemson 21. Notre Dame 22. Alabama 23. Nebraska 24. Princeton 25. Santa Clara 26. Iowa 27. Kentucky 28. Wake Forest 29. Dartmouth 30. Northwestern 31. Duquesne 32. Villanova 33. Purdue 34. UCLA 35. Pittsburgh 36. Baylor 37. San Jose State 38. LSU 39. Auburn 40. Utah 41. Columbia 42. Georgetown 43. Texas 44. Detroit 45. 46. Arkansas 47. TCU 48. Penn 49. NYU 50. Oregon 51. Penn State 52. North Texas 53. Oregon State 54. Catholic Univ. 55. Carnegie Tech 56. Navy 57. Harvard 58. Colgate 59. Fresno State 60. Butler 61. Kansas State 62. Brown 63. Illinois 64. Marshall 65. Arizona State 66. Marquette 67. Saint Mary's (CA) 68. VMI 69. Georgia 70. Rice 71. Temple 72. Scranton 73. Yale 74. Michigan State 75. Syracuse 76. Richmond 77. Virginia 78. Wisconsin 79. George Washington 80. Gonzaga 81. Washington Univ. 82. Washington 83. Manhattan 84. Vanderbilt 85. Hardin–Simmons 86. Canisius 87. La Salle 88. Miami (FL) 89. Furman 90. Texas Tech 91. Army 92. San Francisco 93. Colorado Mines 94. Bucknell 95. Florida 96. San Diego Marines 97. Lafayette 98. Rollins 99. Oklahoma A&M 100. Tulsa Williamson System The Williamson System rankings released in December 1939 were as follows:Texas Aggies Ranked Nation's Top The Atlanta Constitution Paul Williamson December 8, 1941 26 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123188995/texas-aggies-ranked-nations-top/ Newspapers.com 15em 1. Texas A&M 2. Tulane 3. Cornell 4. Tennessee 5. USC 6. Clemson 7. Duke 8. Missouri 9. Nebraska 10. Iowa 11. Boston College 12. Notre Dame 13. Georgia Tech 14. Princeton 15. UCLA 16. Oregon State 17. Alabama 18. Duquesne 19. Fordham 20. Penn 21. Oklahoma 22. SMU 23. Ohio State 24. Pittsburgh 25. Santa Clara 26. North Carolina 27. Purdue 28. Kentucky 29. Northwestern 30. Auburn 31. Mississippi State 32. Minnesota 33. Baylor 34. Villanova 35. Ole Miss 36. Michigan 37. St. Anselm 38. LSU 39. Catholic Univ. 40. Georgetown 41. Detroit 42. Holy Cross 43. San Jose State 44. Washington Univ. 45. Manhattan 46. Arkansas 47. Wake Forest 48. Texas 49. Oregon 50. Indiana See also 1939 College Football All-America Team Notes References * Category:College football rankings