The Poling System was a mathematical rating system used to rank college football teams.[1] Its selections were published in the Football Review Supplement and several newspapers.[1] The system was developed by Richard R. Poling, a native of Mansfield, Ohio who had played college football at Ohio Wesleyan University.

The Poling System is considered by the NCAA to have been a "major selector" of national championships for the years 1935–1984.[1]: 108 

Champions

The Poling System named contemporary champions from 1935 to 1984 and retroactively named champions from 1924 to 1934.[1]: 108–109, 111–114, 120 

Season Champion(s) Record Coach
1924 Notre Dame 10–0 Knute Rockne
1925 Alabama 10–0 Wallace Wade
1926 Alabama 9–0–1 Wallace Wade
1927 Georgia 9–1 George Cecil Woodruff
1928 Georgia Tech 10–0 William Alexander
1929 Notre Dame 9–0 Knute Rockne
1930 Notre Dame 10–0 Knute Rockne
1931 USC 10–1 Howard Jones
1932 USC 10–0 Howard Jones
1933 Michigan 7–0–1 Harry Kipke
1934 Alabama 10–0 Frank Thomas
1935 Minnesota 8–0 Bernie Bierman
1936 Minnesota 7–1 Bernie Bierman
1937 Pittsburgh 9–0–1 Jock Sutherland
1938 Tennessee 11–0 Robert Neyland
1939 Texas A&M 11–0 Homer Norton
1940[2][3] Stanford 10–0 Clark Shaughnessy
1941 Minnesota 8–0 Bernie Bierman
1942 Georgia 11–1 Wally Butts
1943 Notre Dame 9–1 Frank Leahy
1944 Army 9–0 Earl Blaik
1945 Army 9–0 Earl Blaik
1946 Army 9–0–1 Earl Blaik
Notre Dame 8–0–1 Frank Leahy
1947 Michigan 10–0 Fritz Crisler
1948 Michigan 9–0 Bennie Oosterbaan
1949 Notre Dame 10–0 Frank Leahy
1950 Princeton 9–0 Charley Caldwell
1951 Michigan State 9–0 Biggie Munn
1952 Georgia Tech 12–0 Bobby Dodd
1953 Notre Dame 9–0–1 Frank Leahy
1954 Ohio State 10–0 Woody Hayes
1955 Oklahoma 11–0 Bud Wilkinson
1956[4] Oklahoma 10–0 Bud Wilkinson
1957 Auburn 10–0 Ralph Jordan
1958 LSU 11–0 Paul Dietzel
1959 Syracuse 11–0 Ben Schwartzwalder
1960 Missouri 11–0 Dan Devine
1961 Ohio State 8–0–1 Woody Hayes
1962 USC 11–0 John McKay
1963 Texas 11–0 Darrell Royal
1964 Arkansas 11–0 Frank Broyles
1965 Michigan State 10–1 Duffy Daugherty
1966 Notre Dame 9–0–1 Ara Parseghian
1967 Oklahoma 10–1 Chuck Fairbanks
1968 Ohio State 10–0 Woody Hayes
1969 Texas 11–0 Darrell Royal
1970 Arizona State 11–0 Frank Kush
1971 Nebraska 13–0 Bob Devaney
1972 USC 12–0 John McKay
1973 Michigan 10–0–1 Bo Schembechler
Ohio State 10–0–1 Woody Hayes
1974 Oklahoma 11–0 Barry Switzer
1975 Ohio State 11–1 Woody Hayes
1976 Pittsburgh 12–0 Johnny Majors
1977 Notre Dame 11–1 Dan Devine
1978 Oklahoma 11–1 Barry Switzer
1979 Alabama 12–0 Paul "Bear" Bryant
1980 Georgia 12–0 Vince Dooley
1981[4] Clemson 12–0 Danny Ford
1982 Penn State 11–1 Joe Paterno
1983 Nebraska 12–1 Tom Osborne
1984 BYU 13–0 LaVell Edwards

References

  1. ^ a b c d National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2017). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I FBS Football Records. NCAA. pp. 108–109, 111–114. Retrieved December 7, 2017. Poling System (1935-84), a mathematical rating system for college football teams developed by Richard Poling from Mansfield, Ohio, a former football player at Ohio Wesleyan. Poling's football ratings were published annually in the Football Review Supplement and in various newspapers. Predated national champions from 1924 to 1934.
  2. ^ Poling, Richard R. (1941). "Top Teams of 1940". The 1940 Supplement of the Football Review. Mansfield, Ohio: Poling's Football Ratings. We predicted that STANFORD would beat NEBRASKA by from seven to ten points, and this game came home to us right – final score STANFORD 21 NEBRASKA 13. This game bore us out and thus made STANFORD NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS OF 1940. [...] No. 1 Stanford 45.06, No. 2 Minnesota 43.13, No 3. Boston College 43.0
  3. ^ Poling, Richard R. "Poling’s Football Review Supplement, 1940" (1941). John Gunn Sports Collection, Box: 422. Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History, William M. Randall Library, University of North Carolina Wilmington.
  4. ^ a b Poling, Richard R. (1981). "Poling's National Champions over the Years". Supplement for the 1981 Football Season. Mansfield, Ohio: Poling's Football Ratings — The 1981 Football Review.


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