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1940 college football rankings

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FieldValue
season1940
champions[Minnesota](1940-minnesota-golden-gophers-football-season)
[Stanford](1940-stanford-cardinal-football-team)
[Tennessee](1940-tennessee-volunteers-football-team)

Stanford Tennessee

Several major systems have determined the 1940 college football rankings. 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 Minnesota the season's champion. However, three rankings consider Stanford the champion, and two consider Tennessee the champion.

  • AP poll: Minnesota
  • Berryman QPRS: Minnesota
  • Billingsley Report: Stanford
  • Boand System: Minnesota
  • College Football Researchers Association: Minnesota
  • DeVold System: Minnesota
  • Dickinson System: Minnesota
  • Dunkel System: Tennessee
  • Helms Athletic Foundation: Stanford
  • Houlgate System: Minnesota
  • Litkenhous Ratings: Minnesota
  • National Championship Foundation: Minnesota
  • Poling System: Stanford
  • Sagarin Ratings Elo chess method: Minnesota
  • Sagarin Ratings Predictor method: Minnesota
  • Williamson System: Tennessee 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

Legend

Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

The final AP Poll was released on December 2, at the end of the 1940 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968. |Week1-1 = Cornell (2–0) (90) |Week1-2 = Texas A&M (3–0) (25) |Week1-3 = Michigan (3–0) (26) |Week1-4 = Northwestern (2–0) (1) |Week1-5 = Tennessee (3–0) (7) |Week1-6 = Notre Dame (2–0) (5) |Week1-7 = Minnesota (2–0) (2) |Week1-8 = Boston College (3–0) |Week1-9 = Penn (2–0) |Week1-10 = Stanford (3–0) |Week1-11 = Fordham (2–0) |Week1-12 = Clemson (4–0) |Week1-13 = Ole Miss (4–0) |Week1-14 = Texas (3–0) |Week1-15 = Ohio State (2–1) |Week1-16 = Washington (2–1) |Week1-17 = USC (1–0–2) |Week1-18 = Oregon State (2–0–1) |Week1-19 = Washington State (2–0–1) |Week1-20 = Iowa (2–0) |Week2-1 = Cornell (3–0) (83) |Week2-1-Color = |Week2-2 = Notre Dame (3–0) (30) |Week2-2-Color = u |Week2-3 = Michigan (4–0) (18) |Week2-3-Color = |Week2-4 = Texas A&M (4–0) (15) |Week2-4-Color = d |Week2-5 = Tennessee (4–0) (6) |Week2-5-Color = |Week2-6 = Minnesota (3–0) (8) |Week2-6-Color = u |Week2-7 = Northwestern (3–0) |Week2-7-Color = d |Week2-8 = Penn (3–0) |Week2-8-Color = u |Week2-9 = Stanford (4–0) |Week2-9-Color = u |Week2-10 = Boston College (4–0) |Week2-10-Color = d |Week2-11 = Fordham (3–0) |Week2-11-Color = |Week2-12 = Texas (4–0) |Week2-12-Color = u |Week2-13 = Clemson (4–0) (1) |Week2-13-Color = d |Week2-14 = Ole Miss (5–0) (1) |Week2-14-Color = d |Week2-15 = Georgetown (4–0) |Week2-15-Color = npr |Week2-16 = Washington (3–1) |Week2-16-Color = |Week2-17 = USC (2–0–2) |Week2-17-Color = |Week2-18 = Nebraska (2–1) |Week2-18-Color = npr |Week2-19 = SMU (3–0–1) |Week2-19-Color = npr |Week2-20 = Columbia (3–0) |Week2-20-Color = npr |Week3-1 = Cornell (4–0) (81.5) |Week3-1-Color = |Week3-2 = Notre Dame (4–0) (40.5) |Week3-2-Color = |Week3-3 = Michigan (5–0) (16) |Week3-3-Color = |Week3-4 = Minnesota (4–0) (13) |Week3-4-Color = u |Week3-5 = Texas A&M (5–0) (9) |Week3-5-Color = d |Week3-6 = Stanford (5–0) |Week3-6-Color = u |Week3-7 = Tennessee (5–0) |Week3-7-Color = d |Week3-8 = Northwestern (4–0) (1) |Week3-8-Color = d |Week3-9 = Boston College (5–0) (2) |Week3-9-Color = u |Week3-10 = Clemson (5–0) (2) т |Week3-10-Color = tu |Week3-11 = Georgetown (5–0) (2) т |Week3-11-Color = u |Week3-12 = Nebraska (3–1) |Week3-12-Color = u |Week3-13 = Washington (4–1) |Week3-13-Color = u |Week3-14 = Navy (5–0) |Week3-14-Color = npr |Week3-15 = Penn (3–1) т |Week3-15-Color = td |Week3-16 = SMU (3–0–1) т |Week3-16-Color = u |Week3-17 = Detroit (5–0) |Week3-17-Color = npr |Week3-18 = Duke (3–1) т |Week3-18-Color = tnpr |Week3-19 = Penn State (4–0) т |Week3-19-Color = npr |Week3-20 = |Week3-20-Color = npr |Week4-1 = Cornell (5–0) (119) |Week4-1-Color = |Week4-2 = Minnesota (5–0) (18) |Week4-2-Color = u |Week4-3 = Michigan (5–0) (11) |Week4-3-Color = |Week4-4 = Texas A&M (6–0) (14) |Week4-4-Color = u |Week4-5 = Tennessee (6–0) (11) |Week4-5-Color = u |Week4-6 = Stanford (6–0) (3) |Week4-6-Color = |Week4-7 = Notre Dame (5–0) |Week4-7-Color = d |Week4-8 = Boston College (6–0) (2) |Week4-8-Color = u |Week4-9 = Georgetown (6–0) |Week4-9-Color = u |Week4-10 = Northwestern (4–1) |Week4-10-Color = d |Week4-11 = Washington (4–1) |Week4-11-Color = u |Week4-12 = Duke (4–1) т |Week4-12-Color = tu |Week4-13 = Nebraska (4–1) т |Week4-13-Color = |Week4-14 = SMU (4–0–1) |Week4-14-Color = u |Week4-15 = Penn (4–1) |Week4-15-Color = |Week4-16 = Penn State (5–0) |Week4-16-Color = u |Week4-17 = Fordham (4–1) |Week4-17-Color = npr |Week4-18 = Lafayette (6–0) |Week4-18-Color = npr |Week4-19 = Mississippi State (5–0–1) т |Week4-19-Color = tu |Week4-20 = Santa Clara (3–1–1) т |Week4-20-Color = u |Week5-1 = Minnesota (6–0) (55.33) |Week5-1-Color = u |Week5-2 = Cornell (6–0) (45.33) |Week5-2-Color = d |Week5-3 = Texas A&M (7–0) (31.33) |Week5-3-Color = u |Week5-4 = Stanford (7–0) (12) |Week5-4-Color = u |Week5-5 = Tennessee (7–0) (2) |Week5-5-Color = |Week5-6 = Michigan (5–1) |Week5-6-Color = d |Week5-7 = Notre Dame (6–0) |Week5-7-Color = |Week5-8 = Boston College (7–0) |Week5-8-Color = |Week5-9 = Georgetown (7–0) |Week5-9-Color = |Week5-10 = Northwestern (5–1) |Week5-10-Color = |Week5-11 = Nebraska (5–1) |Week5-11-Color = u |Week5-12 = Duke (5–1) (2) |Week5-12-Color = |Week5-13 = Fordham (5–1) |Week5-13-Color = u |Week5-14 = Alabama (5–1) |Week5-14-Color = npr |Week5-15 = Mississippi State (6–0–1) |Week5-15-Color = u |Week5-16 = Santa Clara (3–1–1) |Week5-16-Color = u |Week5-17 = Ole Miss (7–1) т |Week5-17-Color = tnpr |Week5-18 = Washington (4–2) т |Week5-18-Color = d |Week5-19 = Oregon State (5–1–1) |Week5-19-Color = npr |Week5-20 = |Week5-20-Color = d |Week6-1 = Minnesota (7–0) (68) |Week6-1-Color = |Week6-2 = Texas A&M (8–0) (59) |Week6-2-Color = u |Week6-3 = Stanford (8–0) (24) |Week6-3-Color = u |Week6-4 = Boston College (8–0) (12) |Week6-4-Color = u |Week6-5 = Cornell (6–1) (6) |Week6-5-Color = d |Week6-6 = Tennessee (8–0) (3) |Week6-6-Color = d |Week6-7 = Michigan (6–1) |Week6-7-Color = d |Week6-8 = Nebraska (6–1) |Week6-8-Color = u |Week6-9 = Georgetown (7–1) |Week6-9-Color = |Week6-10 = Northwestern (5–2) |Week6-10-Color = |Week6-11 = Ole Miss (8–1) |Week6-11-Color = u |Week6-12 = Penn (5–1–1) |Week6-12-Color = npr |Week6-13 = Washington (5–2) |Week6-13-Color = u |Week6-14 = Notre Dame (6–1) |Week6-14-Color = d |Week6-15 = Fordham (5–1) |Week6-15-Color = d |Week6-16 = Mississippi State (7–0–1) |Week6-16-Color = d |Week6-17 = Alabama (6–1) |Week6-17-Color = d |Week6-18 = SMU (5–1–1) |Week6-18-Color = u |Week6-19 = Santa Clara (4–1–1) |Week6-19-Color = d |Week6-20 = |Week6-20-Color = npr |Week7-1 = Minnesota (8–0) (88) |Week7-1-Color = |Week7-2 = Texas A&M (8–0) (41) |Week7-2-Color = |Week7-3 = Stanford (8–0) (15) |Week7-3-Color = |Week7-4 = Boston College (9–0) (15) |Week7-4-Color = |Week7-5 = Michigan (7–1) (3) |Week7-5-Color = u |Week7-6 = Tennessee (9–0) (8) |Week7-6-Color = |Week7-7 = Northwestern (6–2) |Week7-7-Color = u |Week7-8 = Nebraska (7–1) |Week7-8-Color = |Week7-9 = Georgetown (8–1) |Week7-9-Color = |Week7-10 = Penn (6–1–1) |Week7-10-Color = u |Week7-11 = Mississippi State (8–0–1) |Week7-11-Color = u |Week7-12 = Washington (6–2) |Week7-12-Color = u |Week7-13 = Cornell (6–2) |Week7-13-Color = d |Week7-14 = Fordham (6–1) |Week7-14-Color = u |Week7-15 = Santa Clara (5–1–1) |Week7-15-Color = u |Week7-16 = SMU (6–1–1) |Week7-16-Color = u |Week7-17 = Alabama (7–1) |Week7-17-Color = |Week7-18 = Lafayette (9–0) т |Week7-18-Color = tnpr |Week7-19 = Texas Tech (8–0–1) т |Week7-19-Color = u |Week7-20 = |Week7-20-Color = npr |Week8-1 = Minnesota (8–0) (65) |Week8-1-Color = nc |Week8-2 = Stanford (9–0) (44) |Week8-2-Color = u |Week8-3 = Michigan (7–1) (5) |Week8-3-Color = u |Week8-4 = Tennessee (10–0) (10) |Week8-4-Color = u |Week8-5 = Boston College (10–0) (7) |Week8-5-Color = d |Week8-6 = Texas A&M (8–1) (1) |Week8-6-Color = d |Week8-7 = Nebraska (8–1) |Week8-7-Color = u |Week8-8 = Northwestern (6–2) |Week8-8-Color = d |Week8-9 = Mississippi State (8–0–1) (1) |Week8-9-Color = u |Week8-10 = Washington (7–2) |Week8-10-Color = u |Week8-11 = Santa Clara (6–1–1) |Week8-11-Color = u |Week8-12 = Fordham (7–1) |Week8-12-Color = u |Week8-13 = Georgetown (8–1) |Week8-13-Color = d |Week8-14 = Penn (6–1–1) |Week8-14-Color = d |Week8-15 = Cornell (6–2) |Week8-15-Color = d |Week8-16 = SMU (7–1–1) |Week8-16-Color = |Week8-17 = Hardin-Simmons (8–0) |Week8-17-Color = u |Week8-18 = Duke (7–2) |Week8-18-Color = u |Week8-19 = Lafayette (9–0) |Week8-19-Color = d :A. Only 19 teams received votes in the final poll.

Boand System

The final Boand System rankings (also known as "Azzi Ratem") were released after the bowl games in early January 1941. Boand's final rankings were as follows:

  1. Minnesota (86.4)

  2. Stanford (83.1)

  3. Boston College (83.0)

  4. Michigan (81.8)

  5. Texas A&M (80.3)

  6. Tennessee (80.2)

  7. Mississippi State (79.6)

  8. SMU (76.9)

  9. Northwestern (76.9)

  10. Penn (76.2)

  11. Texas (76.1)

  12. Nebraska (76.0)

Dickinson System

The final Dickinson System rankings released in December 1940 were as follows:

  1. Minnesota (29.55)

  2. Michigan (26.16)

  3. Stanford (25.84)

  4. Tennessee (25.76)

  5. Texas A&M (25.74)

  6. Penn (24.78)

  7. Mississippi State (24.28)

  8. SMU (23.82)

  9. Texas (23.33)

  10. Nebraska (23.12)

  11. Northwestern (22.51)

  12. Boston College (22.14)

Dunkel System

The final Dunkel System rankings released in December 1940 were as follows:

  1. Tennessee

  2. Minnesota

  3. Michigan

  4. Boston College

  5. Stanford

  6. Washington

  7. Mississippi State

  8. Northwestern

  9. Texas A&M

  10. Georgetown

  11. SMU

  12. Texas

  13. LSU

  14. Penn

  15. Santa Clara

  16. Cornell

  17. Duke

  18. Fordham

  19. Nebraska

  20. Oregon

Litkenhous Ratings

The final Litkenhous Ratings released in December 1940 provided numerical rankings to 697 college football programs. The top 100 ranked teams were:

  1. Minnesota

  2. Tennessee

  3. Michigan

  4. Northwestern

  5. Penn

  6. Stanford

  7. Cornell

  8. Boston College

  9. Texas A&M

  10. Washington

  11. Duke

  12. Georgetown

  13. Texas

  14. Santa Clara

  15. Nebraska

  16. Mississippi State

  17. Fordham

  18. Ohio State

  19. SMU

  20. Notre Dame

  21. Rice

  22. Michigan State

  23. Ole Miss

  24. Alabama

  25. Iowa

  26. Indiana

  27. Wisconsin

  28. Tulane

  29. Purdue

  30. Pittsburgh

  31. Auburn

  32. Oregon

  33. LSU

  34. Marshall

  35. Temple

  36. Oregon State

  37. Missouri

  38. Detroit

  39. Baylor

  40. California

  41. USC

  42. TCU

  43. Colgate

  44. Kentucky

  45. Oklahoma

  46. Navy

  47. North Carolina

  48. Duquesne

  49. Saint Mary's

  50. Tulsa

  51. Harvard

  52. Penn State

  53. Georgia

  54. Clemson

  55. Hardin–Simmons

  56. Villanova

  57. Wake Forest

  58. Princeton

  59. Georgia Tech

  60. UCLA

  61. Columbia

  62. Illinois

  63. Vanderbilt

  64. Florida

  65. Syracuse

  66. Utah

  67. Arkansas

  68. Colorado

  69. Lafayette

  70. Texas Tech

  71. Washington State

  72. Dartmouth

  73. Manhattan

  74. San Jose State

  75. Holy Cross

  76. Arizona

  77. Denver

  78. Chattanooga

  79. Mississippi College

  80. Oklahoma A&M

  81. Furman

  82. Marquette

  83. NC State

  84. San Diego Marines

  85. VMI

  86. North Texas State Teachers

  87. William & Mary

  88. Boston University

  89. San Francisco

  90. Dayton

  91. Creighton

  92. Southwest Missouri State

  93. George Washington

  94. Gonzaga

  95. West Virginia

  96. Rollins

  97. Virginia

  98. VPI

  99. Eastern Kentucky

  100. Rutgers

Williamson System

The final Williamson System rankings for 1940 were as follows:

  1. Stanford

  2. Boston College

  3. Minnesota

  4. Michigan

  5. Mississippi State

  6. Tennessee

  7. Texas A&M

  8. Santa Clara

  9. Fordham

  10. Nebraska

  11. SMU

  12. Washington

  13. Penn

  14. Northwestern

  15. Georgetown

  16. Alabama

  17. Ole Miss

  18. Duke

  19. Duquesne

  20. Saint Mary's (CA)

  21. Cornell

  22. Rice

  23. Notre Dame

  24. Texas

  25. Navy

  26. Oklahoma

  27. LSU

  28. Syracuse

  29. Columbia

  30. Auburn

  31. Ohio State

  32. Colgate

  33. Pittsburgh

  34. Hardin-Simmons

  35. Missouri

  36. Wisconsin

  37. Penn State

  38. Tulane

  39. Indiana

  40. Arizona State

Notes

References

References

  1. (2017). "Football Bowl Subdivision Records".
  2. (January 3, 1941). "Azzi Ratem Puts Huskers 12th in Final Ranking". Evening World-Herald.
  3. (December 10, 1940). "Dickinson Ranks Minnesota Top Football Team of 1940". Winston-Salem Journal.
  4. (December 5, 1940). "Sittin' In". The Des Moines Register.
  5. Dr. E. E. Litkenhous. (December 19, 1940). "Final 1940 Litkenhous Ratings". The Boston Globe.
  6. Paul Williamson. (January 5, 1941). "Stanford Gets Top Grid Rating: Eagles Given Second Berth; Gophers Next". The Shreveport Times.
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