| 1959 major college football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1959 |
| Bowl season | 1959–60 bowl games |
| PreseasonNo. 1 | |
| End of season champions | Syracuse |
| major college football rankings | |
Two human polls comprised the1959 major college football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow anational championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—theAP Poll and theCoaches Poll.
| 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 finalAP poll was released on December 7, at the end of the 1959 regular season, weeks before the major bowls.[1]
| Preseason Aug[2] | Week 1 Sep 21[3] | Week 2 Sep 28[4] | Week 3 Oct 5[5] | Week 4 Oct 12[6] | Week 5 Oct 19[7] | Week 6 Oct 26[8] | Week 7 Nov 2[9] | Week 8 Nov 9[10] | Week 9 Nov 16[11] | Week 10 Nov 23[12] | Week 11 Nov 30[13] | Week 12 (Final) Dec 7[14] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | LSU(60) | LSU (1–0)(64) | LSU (2–0)(48) | LSU (3–0)(69) | LSU (4–0)(83) | LSU (5–0)(68) | LSU (6–0)(71) | LSU (7–0)(132) | Syracuse (7–0)(111) | Syracuse (8–0)(126) | Syracuse (9–0)(121) | Syracuse (9–0)(95) | Syracuse (10–0)(134) | 1. |
| 2. | Oklahoma(48) | Oklahoma (0–0)(12) | Northwestern (1–0)(20) | Northwestern (2–0)(30) | Northwestern (3–0)(10) | Northwestern (4–0)(23) | Northwestern (5–0)(25) | Northwestern (6–0)(30) | Texas (8–0)(85) | Ole Miss (8–1)(68) | Ole Miss (8–1)(32) | Ole Miss (9–1)(49) | Ole Miss (9–1)(47) | 2. |
| 3. | Auburn(17) | Auburn (0–0)(6) | Ole Miss (2–0)(4) | Georgia Tech (3–0) | Texas (4–0)(10) | Texas (5–0)(8) | Ole Miss (6–0)(46) | Texas (7–0)(6) | LSU (7–1)(13) | LSU (8–1)(16) | LSU (9–1)(1) | LSU (9–1)(6) | LSU (9–1)(6) | 3. |
| 4. | SMU(6) | Ole Miss (1–0)(6) | Army (1–0) | Texas (3–0) | Georgia Tech (4–0)(6) | Ole Miss (5–0)(18) | Texas (6–0)(6) | Syracuse (6–0)(14) | USC (7–0)(14) | USC (8–0)(16) | Texas (8–1)(1) | Texas (9–1) | Texas (9–1)(1) | 4. |
| 5. | Army(4) | Clemson (1–0) | Iowa (1–0)(4) | Ole Miss (3–0)(2) | Ole Miss (4–0)(6) | USC (4–0)(12) | Syracuse (5–0)(11) | Ole Miss (6–1)(1) | Ole Miss (7–1)(14) | Texas (8–1)(1) | Wisconsin (7–2)(1) | Georgia (9–1)(2) | Georgia (9–1)(3) | 5. |
| 6. | Wisconsin(10) | SMU (0–0) | Clemson (2–0)(7) | USC (3–0)(9) | Purdue (2–0–1)(5) | Syracuse (4–0)(4) | USC (5–0)(6) | USC (6–0)(4) | Northwestern (6–1)(2) | Georgia (8–1)(6) | Georgia (8–1)(2) | Wisconsin (7–2)(15) | Wisconsin (7–2)(5) | 6. |
| 7. | Ohio State(2) | Army (0–0) | Georgia Tech (2–0) | Purdue (1–0–1) | USC (3–0)(7) | Auburn (3–1)(5) | Penn State (6–0)(6) | Penn State (7–0)(8) | Wisconsin (6–1)(19) | Penn State (8–1)(6) | USC (8–1) | TCU (8–2) | TCU (8–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Ole Miss(5) | Wisconsin (0–0) | Notre Dame (1–0)(1) | Tennessee (2–0) | Syracuse (3–0)(2) | Penn State (5–0)(3) | Auburn (4–1)(5) | Auburn (5–1)(3) | Auburn (6–1)(9) | Northwestern (6–2)(1) | TCU (7–2) | Washington (9–1)(2) | Washington (9–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Iowa(4) | TCU (1–0) | Tennessee (1–0) | Wisconsin (2–0) | Iowa (2–1)(5) | Georgia Tech (4–1) | Georgia Tech (5–1)(1) | Wisconsin (5–1)(2) | Tennessee (5–1–1)(4) | Wisconsin (6–2) | Washington (9–1)(4) | Arkansas (8–2) | Arkansas (8–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Northwestern(6) | Northwestern (0–0) | Texas (2–0) | Iowa (1–1) | Penn State (4–0)(4) | Arkansas (4–1)(1) | Wisconsin (4–1)(2) | Clemson (5–1)(2) | Penn State (7–1) | TCU (6–2) | Arkansas (8–2)(1) | Clemson (8–2) | Alabama (7–1–2)(5) | 10. |
| 11. | Purdue(2) | USC (1–0)(4) | USC (2–0)(1) | South Carolina (3–0)(3) | Auburn (2–1)(1) | Oregon (5–0)(1) | Purdue (3–1–1) | Georgia (6–1) | Clemson (6–1)(3) | Michigan State (5–3)(1) | Auburn (7–2) | Alabama (7–1–2)(6) | Clemson (8–2) | 11. |
| 12. | North Carolina(6) | Ohio State (0–0) | Wisconsin (1–0) | Syracuse (2–0)(1) | Arkansas (4–0) | Wisconsin (3–1) | Clemson (4–1)(2) | Washington (6–1) | Georgia (7–1)(2) | Auburn (6–2) | Miami (FL) (6–3)(5) | Illinois (5–3–1)(1) | Penn State (8–2) | 12. |
| 13. | TCU(2) | Iowa (0–0) т | Georgia (2–0) | Oklahoma (1–1)(2) | Illinois (2–1) | Illinois (3–1) | Yale (5–0)(1) | Tennessee (4–1–1) | Washington (7–1) | Arkansas (7–2) | Illinois (5–3–1) | USC (8–2) | Illinois (5–3–1) | 13. |
| 14. | South Carolina(4) | Navy (1–0) т | Ohio State (1–0) | Auburn (1–1) | Tennessee (2–1) | Purdue (2–1–1) | Georgia (5–1) | Purdue (3–1–2) | Oregon (7–1)(2) | Washington (8–1) | Clemson (7–2) | Penn State (8–2) | USC (8–2) | 14. |
| 15. | Air Force(1) | Texas (1–0) | Navy (2–0) | SMU (1–1) | Clemson (3–1) т | Iowa (2–2) | TCU (4–2) | Oregon (6–1) | Georgia Tech (6–2) | Oregon (8–1)(1) | Penn State (8–2) | Oklahoma (7–3) | Oklahoma (7–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Notre Dame(3) | Georgia Tech (1–0) | South Carolina (2–0) | Penn State (3–0)(2) | SMU (2–1) т | TCU (3–2) | Oregon (5–1) | Arkansas (5–2) | Iowa (4–3)(1) т | Iowa (5–3)(3) | Pittsburgh (6–4) | Wyoming (9–1) | Wyoming (9–1) | 16. |
| 17. | Texas | Georgia (1–0) | Auburn (0–1) | Florida (3–0) | Air Force (3–0) | Clemson (3–1) | Arkansas (4–2) т | TCU (5–2) | North Texas State (8–0) т | Alabama (5–1–2)(4) | Oklahoma (6–3) | UCLA (5–3–1) | Notre Dame (5–5) | 17. |
| 18. | Clemson(1) | Penn State (1–0)(2) | Air Force (1–0) | Air Force (2–0) | Washington (4–0) | Oklahoma (3–2) | Washington (5–1) т | Air Force (4–1–1) | TCU (5–2) | Miami (FL) (5–3) | Missouri (6–4)(2) | Florida (5–4–1) | Missouri (6–4) | 18. |
| 19. | Michigan State(1) | Florida (1–0) | Florida (2–0) | Arkansas (3–0) | Florida (3–0–1) | Yale (4–0)(1) | Oklahoma (4–2) | Georgia Tech (5–2) | Michigan State (4–3) | Clemson (6–2) | Alabama (6–1–2)(1) | Notre Dame (5–5) | Florida (5–4–1) | 19. |
| 20. | Syracuse | South Carolina (1–0) | Syracuse (1–0) | Illinois (1–1) | Pittsburgh (3–1) | Ohio State (2–0) | Tennessee (3–1–1) | North Texas State (7–0) | Arkansas (6–2) | Tennessee (5–2–1) | UCLA (4–3–1) | Missouri (6–4) | Pittsburgh (6–4) | 20. |
| Preseason Aug[2] | Week 1 Sep 21[3] | Week 2 Sep 28[4] | Week 3 Oct 5[5] | Week 4 Oct 12[6] | Week 5 Oct 19[7] | Week 6 Oct 26[8] | Week 7 Nov 2[9] | Week 8 Nov 9[10] | Week 9 Nov 16[11] | Week 10 Nov 23[12] | Week 11 Nov 30[13] | Week 12 (Final) Dec 7[14] | ||
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The finalUPICoaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 8.[15]
Syracuse received 31 of the 35 first-place votes; Mississippi received three and Washington one.[16]
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse | Independent | WonCotton, 23–14 |
| 2 | Ole Miss | SEC | WonSugar, 21–0 |
| 3 | LSU | SEC | LostSugar, 0–21 |
| 4 | Texas | Southwest | LostCotton, 14–23 |
| 5 | Georgia | SEC | WonOrange, 14–0 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | LostRose, 8–44 |
| 7 | Washington | AAWU | WonRose, 44–8 |
| 8 | TCU | Southwest | LostBluebonnet, 7–23 |
| 9 | Arkansas | Southwest | WonGator, 14–7 |
| 10 | Penn State | Independent | WonLiberty, 7–0 |
| 11 | Clemson | ACC | WonBluebonnet, 23–7 |
| 12 | Illinois | Big Ten | none |
| 13 | Alabama | SEC | LostLiberty, 0–7 |
| USC | AAWU | none | |
| 15 | Auburn | SEC | |
| 16 | Michigan State | Big Ten | |
| 17 | Oklahoma | Big Eight | |
| 18 | Notre Dame | Independent | |
| 19 | Florida | SEC | |
| Pittsburgh | Independent | ||
| Missouri | Big Eight | LostOrange, 0–14 |
The finalLitkenhous Ratings were released in December 1959. The top 25 teams according to Litkenhous were:
1.Syracuse (11-0) - 111.0
2.Ole Miss (10-1) - 110.5
3.LSU (9-2) - 105.1
4.TCU (8-3) - 102.4
5.Texas (9-2) - 102.0
6.Auburn (7-3) - 100.8
7.Georgia (10-1) - 100.2
8.Northwestern (6-3) - 98.1
9.Iowa (5-4) - 97.9
10.Purdue (5-2-2) - 96.7
11.Michigan State (5-4) - 96.5
12.USC (8-2) -96.6
13.Arkansas (9-2) - 96.3
14.Washington (10-1) - 96.2
15.Wisconsin (7-3) - 95.8
16.Penn State (9-2) - 95.2
17. Georgia Tech - 94.9
18. Illinois - 94.7
19. Oklahoma - 04.7
20. Clemson - 94.3
21. Indiana - 93.7
22. Kentucky - 93.6
23. SMU - 93.0
24. Florida - 92.9
25. UCLA - 91.5