1963 NCAA University Division football rankings
Season1963
Bowl season1963–64 bowl games
Preseason No. 1
USC
End of season championsTexas
NCAA University Division football rankings
← 1962
1964 →

Two human polls comprised the 1963 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

The final AP Poll was released on December 9,[1] at the end of the 1963 regular season, weeks before the bowls. (The season had been extended due to postponements after the assassination of President Kennedy.)
The poll ranked only the top ten teams from 1962 through 1967.

Preseason
Aug[2]		Week 1
Sep 23[3]		Week 2
Sep 30[4]		Week 3
Oct 7[5]		Week 4
Oct 14[6]		Week 5
Oct 21[7]		Week 6
Oct 28[8]		Week 7
Nov 4[9]		Week 8
Nov 11[10]		Week 9
Nov 18[11]		Week 10
Nov 25[12]		Week 11
Dec 2[13]		Week 12 (Final)
Dec 9[14]
1.USC (34)USC (1–0) (23)Oklahoma (2–0) (36)Oklahoma (2–0) (40)Texas (4–0) (51)Texas (5–0) (50)Texas (6–0) (49)Texas (7–0) (45)Texas (8–0) (48)Texas (9–0) (45)Texas (9–0) (20)Texas (10–0) (42)Texas (10–0) (34)1.
2.Ole Miss (9)Alabama (1–0) (16)Alabama (2–0) (9)Texas (3–0) (5)Wisconsin (3–0) (5)Wisconsin (4–0) (3)Illinois (4–0–1) (1)Illinois (5–0–1) (4)Navy (7–1) (4)Navy (8–1) (6)Navy (8–1) (2)Navy (8–1) (8)Navy (9–1) (10)2.
3.Alabama (5)Oklahoma (1–0) (2)Texas (2–0) (2)Alabama (3–0) (4)Pittsburgh (3–0)Pittsburgh (4–0)Ole Miss (4–0–1)Ole Miss (5–0–1) (1)Ole Miss (6–0–1)Ole Miss (7–0–1)Ole Miss (7–0–1)Illinois (7–1–1)Illinois (7–1–1)3.
4.OklahomaTexas (1–0)Northwestern (2–0) (1) тNavy (3–0) (3)Ohio State (2–0–1)Illinois (3–0–1)Navy (5–1) (1)Navy (6–1) (1)Michigan State (5–1–1) (1)Michigan State (6–1–1)Michigan State (6–1–1)Pittsburgh (8–1) (1)Pittsburgh (9–1) (5)4.
5.TexasNavy (1–0) (3)Wisconsin (2–0) (1) тWisconsin (2–0) (1)Ole Miss (2–0–1)Ole Miss (3–0–1)Auburn (5–0)Auburn (6–0) (2)Oklahoma (6–1)Pittsburgh (7–1)Pittsburgh (7–1)Auburn (9–1)Auburn (9–1)5.
6.NorthwesternWisconsin (1–0)Navy (2–0) (2)Pittsburgh (3–0) (1)Oklahoma (2–1)Alabama (4–1)Oklahoma (4–1)Oklahoma (5–1)Pittsburgh (6–1)Oklahoma (7–1)Alabama (7–1)Nebraska (9–1)Nebraska (9–1)6.
7.WisconsinNorthwestern (1–0) (5)Georgia Tech (2–0) (2)USC (2–1)Illinois (2–0–1)Oklahoma (3–1)Alabama (5–1)Alabama (6–1)Alabama (6–1)Alabama (7–1)Nebraska (9–1)Ole Miss (7–0–2)Ole Miss (7–0–2)7.
8.ArkansasArkansas (1–0)USC (1–1)Ohio State (2–0)Georgia Tech (3–1)Auburn (5–0)Wisconsin (4–1)Pittsburgh (5–1)Illinois (5–1–1)Illinois (6–1–1)Illinois (6–1–1)Oklahoma (8–2)Alabama (8–2)8.
9.NavyGeorgia Tech (1–0)Pittsburgh (2–0)Penn State (3–0)Alabama (3–1)Northwestern (4–1)Ohio State (3–1–1)Michigan State (4–1–1)Auburn (6–1)Auburn (7–1)Auburn (8–1)Alabama (7–2)Michigan State (6–2–1)9.
10.
Pittsburgh (1–0) (2)Ole Miss (1–0–1)Ole Miss (2–0–1)
  • Navy (3–1) т
  • Northwestern (3–1) т
Navy (4–1)Pittsburgh (4–1)Ohio State (4–1–1)Nebraska (7–1)Nebraska (8–1)Oklahoma (7–2)Michigan State (6–2–1)Oklahoma (8–2)10.
Preseason
Aug[2]		Week 1
Sep 23[3]		Week 2
Sep 30[4]		Week 3
Oct 7[5]		Week 4
Oct 14[6]		Week 5
Oct 21[7]		Week 6
Oct 28[8]		Week 7
Nov 4[9]		Week 8
Nov 11[10]		Week 9
Nov 18[11]		Week 10
Nov 25[12]		Week 11
Dec 2[13]		Week 12 (Final)
Dec 9[14]
Dropped:
  • Ole Miss
  • Ohio State
  • Washington
Dropped:
  • Arkansas
Dropped:
  • Georgia Tech
  • Northwestern
Dropped:
  • Penn State
  • USC
Dropped:
  • Georgia Tech
  • Ohio State
Dropped:
  • Northwestern
Dropped:
  • Wisconsin
Dropped:
  • Ohio State
NoneNoneNoneNone

Final Coaches Poll

The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 3. [15]
Texas received 31 of the 35 first-place votes and Navy received the other four.[16]

Ranking Team Conference Bowl
1 Texas Southwest Won Cotton, 28–6
2 Navy Independent Lost Cotton, 6–28
3 Pittsburgh Independent none
4 Illinois Big Ten Won Rose, 17–7
5 Nebraska Big Eight Won Orange, 13–7
6 Auburn SEC Lost Orange, 7–13
7 Mississippi SEC Lost Sugar, 7–12
8 Oklahoma Big Eight none
9 Alabama SEC Won Sugar, 12–7
10 Michigan State Big Ten none
11 Mississippi State SEC Won Liberty, 16–12
12 Syracuse Independent none
13 Arizona State WAC
14 Memphis State Independent
15 Washington AAWU Lost Rose, 7–17
16 Penn State Independent none
USC AAWU
Missouri Big Eight
19 North Carolina ACC Won Gator, 35–0
20 Baylor Southwest Won Bluebonnet, 14–7

[16]

Litkenhous Ratings

The following teams were ranked as the top 25 teams in the final Litkenhous Ratings, released in December 1963: [17]

1. Texas
2. Ole Miss
3. Navy
4. Illinois
5. Pittsburgh
6. Michigan State
7. Auburn
8. Alabama
9. Syracuse
10. USC
11. Nebraska
12. Baylor
13. Georgia Tech
14. Oklahoma
15. Arkansas
16. Air Force
17. Mississippi State
18. Washington
19. Michigan
20. Northwestern
21. Ohio State
22. Oregon
23. LSU
25. Missouri
25. Rice

References

  1. ^ "Texas crowned grid champ in final AP poll". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 10, 1964. p. 28.
  2. ^ "1963 Preseason AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "September 23, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "September 30, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "October 7, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  6. ^ "October 14, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  7. ^ "October 21, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  8. ^ "October 28, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "November 4, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "November 11, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  11. ^ "November 18, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  12. ^ "November 25, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  13. ^ "December 2, 1963 AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  14. ^ "1963 Final AP Football Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  15. ^ "Texas ends frustration, gains national football title". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). December 3, 1963. p. 6.
  16. ^ a b "Longhorns named as UPI grid champs". Sarasota Herald. (Florida). UPI. December 3, 1963. p. 12.
  17. ^ "Texas Wins Lit Title". The Courier-Journal. December 5, 1963. p. II-22 – via Newspapers.com.


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