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1966 NCAA University Division football rankings
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| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| season | 1966 |
| preseason_number_1 | [Alabama](1966-alabama-crimson-tide-football-team) |
| champions | [Notre Dame](1966-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-team) |
Two human polls comprised the 1966 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
| Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
|---|
AP Poll
The final AP Poll was released in early December, at the end of the 1966 regular season. In the previous season, the final poll was released in January for the first time, after the bowl games, but not in 1966 or 1967.
The AP Poll ranked only the top ten teams from 1962 through 1967.
|Week1-1 = Alabama (15) |Week1-2 = Michigan State (12) |Week1-3 = Nebraska (2) |Week1-4 = UCLA (6) |Week1-5 = Arkansas |Week1-6 = Notre Dame |Week1-7 = Syracuse |Week1-8 = Purdue |Week1-9 = USC |Week1-10 = Tennessee |Week2-1 = Michigan State (1–0) (12) |Week2-1-Color = u |Week2-2 = UCLA (1–0) (13) |Week2-2-Color = u |Week2-3 = Alabama (0–0) (10) |Week2-3-Color = d |Week2-4 = Nebraska (1–0) |Week2-4-Color = d |Week2-5 = USC (1–0) (2) |Week2-5-Color = u |Week2-6 = Arkansas (1–0) (1) |Week2-6-Color = d |Week2-7 = Purdue (1–0) |Week2-7-Color = u |Week2-8 = Notre Dame (0–0) (1) |Week2-8-Color = d |Week2-9 = Michigan (1–0) (1) |Week2-9-Color = npr |Week2-10 = Baylor (1–0) (1) |Week2-10-Color = npr |Week3-1 = Michigan State (2–0) (22) |Week3-1-Color = |Week3-2 = UCLA (2–0) (11) |Week3-2-Color = |Week3-3 = Alabama (1–0) (2) |Week3-3-Color = |Week3-4 = Notre Dame (1–0) (2) |Week3-4-Color = u |Week3-5 = USC (2–0) (1) |Week3-5-Color = |Week3-6 = Nebraska (2–0) |Week3-6-Color = d |Week3-7 = Arkansas (2–0) (1) |Week3-7-Color = d |Week3-8 = Michigan (2–0) (1) |Week3-8-Color = u |Week3-9 = Georgia Tech (2–0) |Week3-9-Color = npr |Week3-10 = Tennessee (1–0) |Week3-10-Color = npr |Week4-1 = Michigan State (3–0) (20) |Week4-1-Color = |Week4-2 = UCLA (3–0) (7) |Week4-2-Color = |Week4-3 = Notre Dame (2–0) (8) |Week4-3-Color = u |Week4-4 = Alabama (2–0) (3) |Week4-4-Color = d |Week4-5 = Arkansas (3–0) (2) |Week4-5-Color = u |Week4-6 = USC (3–0) (1) |Week4-6-Color = d |Week4-7 = Nebraska (3–0) |Week4-7-Color = d |Week4-8 = Tennessee (2–0) |Week4-8-Color = u |Week4-9 = Georgia Tech (3–0) |Week4-9-Color = |Week4-10 = Florida (3–0) |Week4-10-Color = npr |Week5-1 = Michigan State (4–0) (18) |Week5-1-Color = |Week5-2 = Notre Dame (3–0) (15) |Week5-2-Color = u |Week5-3 = Alabama (3–0) (4) |Week5-3-Color = u |Week5-4 = UCLA (4–0) (2) |Week5-4-Color = d |Week5-5 = USC (4–0) (1) |Week5-5-Color = u |Week5-6 = Nebraska (4–0) |Week5-6-Color = u |Week5-7 = Georgia Tech (4–0) |Week5-7-Color = u |Week5-8 = Florida (4–0) |Week5-8-Color = u |Week5-9 = Purdue (3–1) |Week5-9-Color = npr |Week5-10 = Baylor (3–1) |Week5-10-Color = npr |Week6-1 = Notre Dame (4–0) (31) |Week6-1-Color = u |Week6-2 = Michigan State (5–0) (10) |Week6-2-Color = d |Week6-3 = UCLA (5–0) (3) |Week6-3-Color = u |Week6-4 = Alabama (4–0) (2) |Week6-4-Color = d |Week6-5 = USC (5–0) (1) |Week6-5-Color = |Week6-6 = Georgia Tech (5–0) |Week6-6-Color = u |Week6-7 = Nebraska (5–0) |Week6-7-Color = d |Week6-8 = Florida (5–0) |Week6-8-Color = |Week6-9 = Purdue (4–1) |Week6-9-Color = |Week6-10 = Oklahoma (4–0) |Week6-10-Color = npr |Week7-1 = Notre Dame (5–0) (32) |Week7-1-Color = |Week7-2 = Michigan State (6–0) (5) |Week7-2-Color = |Week7-3 = UCLA (6–0) (2) |Week7-3-Color = |Week7-4 = Alabama (5–0) (1) |Week7-4-Color = |Week7-5 = USC (6–0) (1) |Week7-5-Color = |Week7-6 = Georgia Tech (6–0) |Week7-6-Color = |Week7-7 = Florida (6–0) |Week7-7-Color = u |Week7-8 = Nebraska (6–0) |Week7-8-Color = d |Week7-9 = Arkansas (5–1) |Week7-9-Color = npr |Week7-10 = Wyoming (6–0) |Week7-10-Color = npr |Week8-1 = Notre Dame (6–0) (39) |Week8-1-Color = |Week8-2 = Michigan State (7–0) (6) |Week8-2-Color = |Week8-3 = UCLA (7–0) (3) |Week8-3-Color = |Week8-4 = Alabama (6–0) (1) |Week8-4-Color = |Week8-5 = Georgia Tech (7–0) |Week8-5-Color = u |Week8-6 = Nebraska (7–0) |Week8-6-Color = u |Week8-7 = Florida (7–0) |Week8-7-Color = |Week8-8 = Arkansas (6–1) |Week8-8-Color = u |Week8-9 = USC (6–1) |Week8-9-Color = d |Week8-10 = Tennessee (4–2) |Week8-10-Color = npr |Week9-1 = Notre Dame (7–0) (32) |Week9-1-Color = |Week9-2 = Michigan State (8–0) (10) |Week9-2-Color = |Week9-3 = Alabama (7–0) |Week9-3-Color = u |Week9-4 = Nebraska (8–0) |Week9-4-Color = u |Week9-5 = Georgia Tech (8–0) |Week9-5-Color = |Week9-6 = Arkansas (7–1) (1) |Week9-6-Color = u |Week9-7 = USC (7–1) |Week9-7-Color = u |Week9-8 = UCLA (7–1) |Week9-8-Color = d |Week9-9 = Georgia (7–1) |Week9-9-Color = npr |Week9-10 = Tennessee (5–2) |Week9-10-Color = |Week10-1 = Notre Dame (8–0) (35) |Week10-1-Color = |Week10-2 = Michigan State (9–0) (6) |Week10-2-Color = |Week10-3 = Alabama (8–0) (1) |Week10-3-Color = |Week10-4 = Nebraska (9–0) |Week10-4-Color = |Week10-5 = Georgia Tech (9–0) |Week10-5-Color = |Week10-6 = Arkansas (8–1) (1) |Week10-6-Color = |Week10-7 = USC (7–1) |Week10-7-Color = |Week10-8 = UCLA (8–1) |Week10-8-Color = |Week10-9 = Georgia (8–1) |Week10-9-Color = |Week10-10 = Purdue (7–2) |Week10-10-Color= npr |Week11-1 = Notre Dame (8–0–1) (37) |Week11-1-Color = |Week11-2 = Michigan State (9–0–1) (27) |Week11-2-Color = |Week11-3 = Alabama (8–0) (8) |Week11-3-Color = |Week11-4 = Nebraska (9–0) (1) |Week11-4-Color = |Week11-5 = Georgia Tech (9–0) |Week11-5-Color = |Week11-6 = UCLA (9–1) |Week11-6-Color = u |Week11-7 = Georgia (8–1) |Week11-7-Color = u |Week11-8 = Purdue (8–2) |Week11-8-Color = u |Week11-9 = Florida (8–1) |Week11-9-Color = npr |Week11-10 = USC (7–2) |Week11-10-Color= d |Week12-1 = Notre Dame (9–0–1) (40) |Week12-1-Color = |Week12-2 = Michigan State (9–0–1) (10) |Week12-2-Color = |Week12-3 = Alabama (9–0) (7) |Week12-3-Color = |Week12-4 = Georgia (9–1) |Week12-4-Color = u |Week12-5 = UCLA (9–1) |Week12-5-Color = u |Week12-6 = Nebraska (9–1) |Week12-6-Color = d |Week12-7 = Purdue (8–2) |Week12-7-Color = u |Week12-8 = Georgia Tech (9–1) |Week12-8-Color = d |Week12-9 = Miami (FL) (7–2–1) |Week12-9-Color = npr |Week12-10 = SMU (8–2) |Week12-10-Color= npr |Week13-1 = Notre Dame (9–0–1) (41) |Week13-1-Color = nc |Week13-2 = Michigan State (9–0–1) (8) |Week13-2-Color = |Week13-3 = Alabama (10–0) (7) |Week13-3-Color = |Week13-4 = Georgia (9–1) |Week13-4-Color = |Week13-5 = UCLA (9–1) |Week13-5-Color = |Week13-6 = Nebraska (9–1) |Week13-6-Color = |Week13-7 = Purdue (8–2) |Week13-7-Color = |Week13-8 = Georgia Tech (9–1) |Week13-8-Color = |Week13-9 = Miami (FL) (7–2–1) |Week13-9-Color = |Week13-10 = SMU (8–2) |Week13-10-Color=
Final Coaches Poll
The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in late November. Notre Dame received twenty of the 35 first-place votes; Michigan State received ten, Alabama four, and UCLA one.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Notre Dame](1966-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-team) | Independent | *none* |
| 2 | [Michigan State](1966-michigan-state-spartans-football-team) | Big Ten | |
| 3 | [Alabama](1966-alabama-crimson-tide-football-team) | SEC | **Won** [Sugar](1967-sugar-bowl), 34–7 |
| 4 | [Georgia](1966-georgia-bulldogs-football-team) | SEC | **Won** [Cotton](1966-cotton-bowl-classic-december), 24–9 |
| 5 | [UCLA](1966-ucla-bruins-football-team) | AAWU (Pac-8) | *none* |
| 6 | [Purdue](1966-purdue-boilermakers-football-team) | Big Ten | **Won** [Rose](1967-rose-bowl), 14–13 |
| 7 | [Nebraska](1966-nebraska-cornhuskers-football-team) | Big Eight | Lost [Sugar](1967-sugar-bowl), 7–34 |
| 8 | [Georgia Tech](1966-georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-football-team) | Independent | Lost [Orange](1967-orange-bowl), 12–27 |
| 9 | [SMU](1966-smu-mustangs-football-team) | Southwest | Lost [Cotton](1966-cotton-bowl-classic-december), 9–24 |
| 10 | [Miami (FL)](1966-miami-hurricanes-football-team) | Independent | **Won** [Liberty](1966-liberty-bowl), 14–7 |
| 11 | [Florida](1966-florida-gators-football-team) | SEC | **Won** [Orange](1967-orange-bowl), 27–12 |
| 12 | [Mississippi](1966-ole-miss-rebels-football-team) | SEC | Lost [Bluebonnet](1966-bluebonnet-bowl), 0–19 |
| 13 | [Arkansas](1966-arkansas-razorbacks-football-team) | Southwest | *none* |
| 14 | [Tennessee](1966-tennessee-volunteers-football-team) | SEC | **Won** [Gator](1966-gator-bowl), 18–12 |
| 15 | [Wyoming](1966-wyoming-cowboys-football-team) | WAC | **Won** [Sun](1966-sun-bowl), 28–20 |
| 16 | [Syracuse](1966-syracuse-orangemen-football-team) | Independent | Lost [Gator](1966-gator-bowl), 12–18 |
| 17 | Houston | Independent | *none* |
| 18 | [USC](1966-usc-trojans-football-team) | AAWU (Pac-8) | Lost [Rose](1967-rose-bowl), 13–14 |
| 19 | [Oregon State](1966-oregon-state-beavers-football-team) | AAWU (Pac-8) | *none* |
| 20 | [Virginia Tech](1966-vpi-gobblers-football-team) | Independent | Lost [Liberty](1966-liberty-bowl), 7–14 |
- Notre Dame did not participate in bowl games from 1925 through 1968.
- Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pac-8 conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl.
- Big Ten champion Michigan State was barred from participation in the Rose Bowl due to the conference's no-repeat rule, in effect from 1946 through 1971.
- The Ivy League has prohibited its members from participating in postseason football since the league was officially formed in 1954.
References
References
- (December 6, 1967). "Polls give No. 1 nod to Notre Dame". Eugene Register-Guard.
- Meyers, Jeff. (November 29, 1966). "Notre Dame is No. 1 in final UPI balloting". Reading Eagle.
- (November 29, 1966). "Irish ride USC win to 1st". Eugene Register-Guard.
- (November 29, 1966). "Notre Dame named national champions". Bend Bulletin.
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