1957 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1957 college football season saw two different national champions. Auburn University
was ranked first in the AP writers' poll taken at season's end, while Ohio State University
was first in the UPI coaches' poll. Auburn was ineligible for a bowl game, however, having been placed on probation indefinitely by the Southeastern Conference, after having paid two high school players US$
500 apiece. During the 20th century, the NCAA
had no playoff for the college football
teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions. The AP poll in 1957 consisted of the votes of as many as 360 sportswriters. The UPI poll was taken of a panel of 35 coaches. In both cases, the voters would give their opinion of the ten best teams, and under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. The top teams played on New Year's Day in the four major postseason bowl games: the Rose Bowl
(near Los Angeles
at Pasadena
), the Sugar Bowl
(New Orleans
), the Orange Bowl
(Miami
), and the Cotton Bowl Classic (Dallas
).
of Oklahoma University -- who had won 40 consecutive games in '53, '54, '55, and '56-- were the first place choice for 127 of 174 writers casting votes, followed by Texas A&M
, Michigan State, Minnesota and Tennessee
. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
On Friday, September 20, the United States Air Force Academy
, founded two years earlier, fielded its first college football team. The Falcons made their debut at UCLA and lost, 47-0. They would finish their first season 3-6-1. On September 21, #1 Oklahoma
won at Pittsburgh 26-0. #2 Texas A&M
beat Maryland 21-13 in a game at Dallas
. #3 Michigan State, #4 Minnesota, and #5 Tennessee
had not yet begun their seasons. #11 Georgia Tech, which beat Kentucky 13-0 rose to third, while #12 Navy
, which had won at Boston College
46-6, rose to fifth. The first AP poll was 1.Oklahoma, 2.Texas A & M, 3.Georgia Tech, 4.Michigan State, and 5.Navy.
September 28 - #1 Oklahoma was idle. #2 Texas A&M won at Texas Tech
21-0 and #3 Georgia Tech played to a 0-0 tie with SMU. #4 Michigan State beat Indiana 54-0. #5 Navy beat visiting William & Mary 33-6. #6 Minnesota, which beat Washington, 46-7, and #7 Duke, which had beaten Virginia 40-0, rose to 3rd and 4th place. The poll was 1.Oklahoma, 2.Michigan State, 3.Minnesota, 4.Duke, and 5.Texas A & M.
October 12 - A crowd of 75,504 watched in Dallas as #1 Oklahoma had a difficult time with unranked Texas; the Longhorns picked off four of Walter Fondren's passes and the score was 7-7 at the half before the Sooners preserved their winning streak 21-7 in a game that wasn't pretty. At the same time, #2 Michigan State won handily at Michigan 35-6, leading the AP voters to re-evaluate. #3 Texas A&M won at home in College Station, TX, beating Houston
28-6. #4 Minnesota won at Northwestern
41-6. #5 Duke narrowly beat Rice in Houston, 7-6. The Spartans took over the #1 spot in the next poll: 1.Michigan State, 2.Oklahoma, 3.Texas A & M, 4.Minnesota, and 5.Duke.
On October 19 #1 Michigan State lost to Purdue 20-13 and fell out of the top five. #2 Oklahoma, which beat Kansas 47-0, reclaimed the top spot. #3 Texas A&M won at TCU 7-0. #4 Minnesota lost at Illinois 34-14. #5 Duke beat Wake Forest
, 34-7. #9 Auburn, which beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta 3-0, rose to 5th place in the polls. The poll: 1.Oklahoma, 2.Texas A & M, 3.Iowa, 4.Duke, and 5.Auburn.
October 26 - #1 Oklahoma edged Colorado 14-13, and lost the top spot again, despite being 5-0-0. #2 Texas A&M beat Baylor
14-0, and replaced the Sooners in the next poll. #3 Iowa
, which won at Northwestern 6-0, rose to 3rd. #4 Duke went to neighboring Raleigh to play North Carolina State, and ended with a 14-14 tie. #5 Auburn won at Houston 48-7. #7 Notre Dame
, which beat Pittsburgh 13-7, rose to fifth. The poll: 1.Texas A & M, 2.Oklahoma, 3.Iowa, 4.Auburn, and 5.Notre Dame.
November 9 - #1 Texas A&M beat SMU 19-6. #2 Oklahoma won at Missouri 39-14. #3 Auburn beat Mississippi State 15-7 in Birmingham. #4 Michigan State beat Notre Dame 34-6. #5 Iowa beat Minnesota 44-20. The poll remained unchanged.
November 16 - #1 Texas A&M lost to Rice in Houston, 7-6. The #2 Oklahoma Sooners had not lost a game since September 26, 1953, had won 47 consecutive games, and had a record of 7-0-0 when they hosted Notre Dame. The Irish, 4-2-0 and on a losing streak, were an 18-point underdog coming into Norman. The Sooners, who had scored in 123 consecutive games (dating back to 1945), were unable to reach the end zone, but had held off the Irish on two goal line stands. In the final minutes, Notre Dame was on the 3-yard line on fourth down, when Dick Lynch
"crossed up the Sooners" and ran around right end for a touchdown. Oklahoma's desperate passing drive at game's end was stopped by a Notre Dame interception, and the crowd of 62,000 was stunned into silence... and then stood up and applauded for both the Sooners and the Irish. The previous defeat, more than four years earlier, had been at the hands of Notre Dame as well. Final score: Notre Dame 7, Oklahoma 0. #3 Auburn beat Georgia 6-0 at Columbus, Georgia
while #4 Michigan State beat Minnesota 42-13. #5 Iowa lost in Columbus to #6 Ohio State, 17-13. The 7-1-0 Buckeyes rose to third, while the 6-1-1 Hawkeyes fell to 8th. #8 Mississippi
, which beat Tennessee 14-7 in Memphis, rose to 5th. The poll: 1.Michigan State, 2.Auburn, 3.Ohio State, 4.Texas A&M, and 5.Mississippi.
November 23 - #1 Michigan State closed its season with a 27-0 win over (3-5-1) Kansas State, but fell to 3rd. #2 Auburn, on probation, won at Florida State 29-7. As the only unbeaten (9-0-0) school among the majors, Auburn was voted #1 in the AP poll. #3 Ohio State, which wrapped up its season with a win at Michigan 31-14, was #1 in the UPI poll. #4 Texas A&M lost to Texas 7-9. #5 Mississippi was idle. #6 Oklahoma, who won at Nebraska 53-6, returned to the Top Five. The poll: 1.Auburn, 2.Ohio State, 3.Michigan State, 4.Texas A&M, and 5.Oklahoma.
Thanksgiving Day saw Bear Bryant
's #4 Texas A&M team lose to the Texas Longhorns, 9-7. On November 30, #1 Auburn beat Alabama 40-0 at their annual meeting in Birmingham to close its season 10-0-0. Alabama finished its season at 2-7-1. Bryant, who had transformed the Aggies from a 1-9-0 team (1953) to a contender, would accept a job as head coach at the University of Alabama at season's end. #2 Ohio State and #3 Michigan State were both 8-1-0 in the regular season, but Ohio State was 7-0-0 in Big Ten play, compared to the 5-1-0 Spartans, and got the Rose Bowl bid. #5 Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State 53-6. #8 Navy, which won the Army-Navy game
in Philadelphia, 14-0, finished with an 8-1-1 record, a bid to meet Rice in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and a fifth place finish in the final poll. The services were split as to the national champion. The AP Trophy went to the Auburn Tigers, the choice of a majority of writers for #1, and the only major college program to finish unbeaten (Arizona State, then a lesser power, also finished 10-0-0). Auburn, however, was on probation and was ineligible for a bowl. The UPI coaches poll awarded #1 to the Rose Bowl bound, 8-1-0, Ohio State Buckeyes. Both Auburn and Ohio State are recognized in the NCAA Football Guidebook as unofficial national champions for 1957. The final AP poll was: 1.Auburn, 2.Ohio State, 3.Michigan State, 4.Oklahoma, and 5.Navy, while the UPI poll was 1.Ohio State, 2.Auburn, 3.Michigan State, 4.Oklahoma, and 5.Iowa.
(320/53) which was an NAIA team, followed by Middle Tennessee State
(241/40) and Auburn
(207/28). The remaining undefeated teams had fewer than 10 wins. Three undefeated teams each had nine, eight, seven, and six wins.
Gorillas edged the Hillsdale College
Chargers, 27-26, in the second annual title game. The NAIA rankings had Middle Tennessee
(10-0-0) first and East Texas State
(8-1-0) second at season's end.
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
was ranked first in the AP writers' poll taken at season's end, while Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
was first in the UPI coaches' poll. Auburn was ineligible for a bowl game, however, having been placed on probation indefinitely by the Southeastern Conference, after having paid two high school players US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
500 apiece. During the 20th century, the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
had no playoff for the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions. The AP poll in 1957 consisted of the votes of as many as 360 sportswriters. The UPI poll was taken of a panel of 35 coaches. In both cases, the voters would give their opinion of the ten best teams, and under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. The top teams played on New Year's Day in the four major postseason bowl games: the Rose Bowl
1958 Rose Bowl
The 1958 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1958. In the game, the 44th Rose Bowl, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks by a score of 10–7...
(near Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
), the Sugar Bowl
1958 Sugar Bowl
The 1958 edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the seventh ranked Ole Miss Rebels and the eleventh ranked Texas Longhorns.In the first quarter, Ole Miss running back Raymond Brown scored on a 1 yard touchdown run as the Rebels took a 6-0 lead. He would finish the game with 157 yards rushing on 15...
(New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
), the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
(Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
), and the Cotton Bowl Classic (Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
).
September
In the preseason poll released on September 16, 1957, the defending champion SoonersOklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
of Oklahoma University -- who had won 40 consecutive games in '53, '54, '55, and '56-- were the first place choice for 127 of 174 writers casting votes, followed by Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
, Michigan State, Minnesota and Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
On Friday, September 20, the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
, founded two years earlier, fielded its first college football team. The Falcons made their debut at UCLA and lost, 47-0. They would finish their first season 3-6-1. On September 21, #1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at Pittsburgh 26-0. #2 Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
beat Maryland 21-13 in a game at Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. #3 Michigan State, #4 Minnesota, and #5 Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
had not yet begun their seasons. #11 Georgia Tech, which beat Kentucky 13-0 rose to third, while #12 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
, which had won at Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
46-6, rose to fifth. The first AP poll was 1.Oklahoma, 2.Texas A & M, 3.Georgia Tech, 4.Michigan State, and 5.Navy.
September 28 - #1 Oklahoma was idle. #2 Texas A&M won at Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
21-0 and #3 Georgia Tech played to a 0-0 tie with SMU. #4 Michigan State beat Indiana 54-0. #5 Navy beat visiting William & Mary 33-6. #6 Minnesota, which beat Washington, 46-7, and #7 Duke, which had beaten Virginia 40-0, rose to 3rd and 4th place. The poll was 1.Oklahoma, 2.Michigan State, 3.Minnesota, 4.Duke, and 5.Texas A & M.
October
October 5 - #1 Oklahoma beat Iowa State 40-14. #2 Michigan State won at California 19-0. #3 Minnesota, beat visiting Purdue, 21-17. #4 Duke beat Maryland 14-0. #5 Texas A&M won at Missouri 28-0. The poll was 1.Oklahoma, 2.Michigan State, 3.Texas A & M, 4.Minnesota, and 5.Duke.October 12 - A crowd of 75,504 watched in Dallas as #1 Oklahoma had a difficult time with unranked Texas; the Longhorns picked off four of Walter Fondren's passes and the score was 7-7 at the half before the Sooners preserved their winning streak 21-7 in a game that wasn't pretty. At the same time, #2 Michigan State won handily at Michigan 35-6, leading the AP voters to re-evaluate. #3 Texas A&M won at home in College Station, TX, beating Houston
1957 Houston Cougars football team
The 1957 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the 1957 college football season as a member of the NCAA's University Division. It was the 12th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by first-year...
28-6. #4 Minnesota won at Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
41-6. #5 Duke narrowly beat Rice in Houston, 7-6. The Spartans took over the #1 spot in the next poll: 1.Michigan State, 2.Oklahoma, 3.Texas A & M, 4.Minnesota, and 5.Duke.
On October 19 #1 Michigan State lost to Purdue 20-13 and fell out of the top five. #2 Oklahoma, which beat Kansas 47-0, reclaimed the top spot. #3 Texas A&M won at TCU 7-0. #4 Minnesota lost at Illinois 34-14. #5 Duke beat Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, 34-7. #9 Auburn, which beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta 3-0, rose to 5th place in the polls. The poll: 1.Oklahoma, 2.Texas A & M, 3.Iowa, 4.Duke, and 5.Auburn.
October 26 - #1 Oklahoma edged Colorado 14-13, and lost the top spot again, despite being 5-0-0. #2 Texas A&M beat Baylor
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
14-0, and replaced the Sooners in the next poll. #3 Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, which won at Northwestern 6-0, rose to 3rd. #4 Duke went to neighboring Raleigh to play North Carolina State, and ended with a 14-14 tie. #5 Auburn won at Houston 48-7. #7 Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, which beat Pittsburgh 13-7, rose to fifth. The poll: 1.Texas A & M, 2.Oklahoma, 3.Iowa, 4.Auburn, and 5.Notre Dame.
November
November 2 - #1 Texas A&M got past host Arkansas, 7-6. #2 Oklahoma won at Kansas State 13-0. #3 Iowa played Michigan to a 21-21 tie. #4 Auburn beat Florida 13-0. #5 Notre Dame lost to visiting Navy, 20-6. #6 Michigan State, which won at Wisconsin 21-7, rose to fifth. The poll: 1.Texas A & M, 2.Oklahoma, 3.Auburn, 4.Michigan State, and 5.Iowa.November 9 - #1 Texas A&M beat SMU 19-6. #2 Oklahoma won at Missouri 39-14. #3 Auburn beat Mississippi State 15-7 in Birmingham. #4 Michigan State beat Notre Dame 34-6. #5 Iowa beat Minnesota 44-20. The poll remained unchanged.
November 16 - #1 Texas A&M lost to Rice in Houston, 7-6. The #2 Oklahoma Sooners had not lost a game since September 26, 1953, had won 47 consecutive games, and had a record of 7-0-0 when they hosted Notre Dame. The Irish, 4-2-0 and on a losing streak, were an 18-point underdog coming into Norman. The Sooners, who had scored in 123 consecutive games (dating back to 1945), were unable to reach the end zone, but had held off the Irish on two goal line stands. In the final minutes, Notre Dame was on the 3-yard line on fourth down, when Dick Lynch
Dick Lynch
Richard Dennis "Dick" Lynch was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants. He was a one-time Pro Bowler in 1963, when he led the NFL in interceptions...
"crossed up the Sooners" and ran around right end for a touchdown. Oklahoma's desperate passing drive at game's end was stopped by a Notre Dame interception, and the crowd of 62,000 was stunned into silence... and then stood up and applauded for both the Sooners and the Irish. The previous defeat, more than four years earlier, had been at the hands of Notre Dame as well. Final score: Notre Dame 7, Oklahoma 0. #3 Auburn beat Georgia 6-0 at Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
while #4 Michigan State beat Minnesota 42-13. #5 Iowa lost in Columbus to #6 Ohio State, 17-13. The 7-1-0 Buckeyes rose to third, while the 6-1-1 Hawkeyes fell to 8th. #8 Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
, which beat Tennessee 14-7 in Memphis, rose to 5th. The poll: 1.Michigan State, 2.Auburn, 3.Ohio State, 4.Texas A&M, and 5.Mississippi.
November 23 - #1 Michigan State closed its season with a 27-0 win over (3-5-1) Kansas State, but fell to 3rd. #2 Auburn, on probation, won at Florida State 29-7. As the only unbeaten (9-0-0) school among the majors, Auburn was voted #1 in the AP poll. #3 Ohio State, which wrapped up its season with a win at Michigan 31-14, was #1 in the UPI poll. #4 Texas A&M lost to Texas 7-9. #5 Mississippi was idle. #6 Oklahoma, who won at Nebraska 53-6, returned to the Top Five. The poll: 1.Auburn, 2.Ohio State, 3.Michigan State, 4.Texas A&M, and 5.Oklahoma.
Thanksgiving Day saw Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
's #4 Texas A&M team lose to the Texas Longhorns, 9-7. On November 30, #1 Auburn beat Alabama 40-0 at their annual meeting in Birmingham to close its season 10-0-0. Alabama finished its season at 2-7-1. Bryant, who had transformed the Aggies from a 1-9-0 team (1953) to a contender, would accept a job as head coach at the University of Alabama at season's end. #2 Ohio State and #3 Michigan State were both 8-1-0 in the regular season, but Ohio State was 7-0-0 in Big Ten play, compared to the 5-1-0 Spartans, and got the Rose Bowl bid. #5 Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State 53-6. #8 Navy, which won the Army-Navy game
Army-Navy Game
The Army–Navy Game is an an American college football rivalry game between the teams of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. The USMA team, "Army", and the USNA team, "Navy", each represent their services' oldest...
in Philadelphia, 14-0, finished with an 8-1-1 record, a bid to meet Rice in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and a fifth place finish in the final poll. The services were split as to the national champion. The AP Trophy went to the Auburn Tigers, the choice of a majority of writers for #1, and the only major college program to finish unbeaten (Arizona State, then a lesser power, also finished 10-0-0). Auburn, however, was on probation and was ineligible for a bowl. The UPI coaches poll awarded #1 to the Rose Bowl bound, 8-1-0, Ohio State Buckeyes. Both Auburn and Ohio State are recognized in the NCAA Football Guidebook as unofficial national champions for 1957. The final AP poll was: 1.Auburn, 2.Ohio State, 3.Michigan State, 4.Oklahoma, and 5.Navy, while the UPI poll was 1.Ohio State, 2.Auburn, 3.Michigan State, 4.Oklahoma, and 5.Iowa.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Bowl games
| Bowl | Home team | Score | Away team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Bowl 1958 Sugar Bowl The 1958 edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the seventh ranked Ole Miss Rebels and the eleventh ranked Texas Longhorns.In the first quarter, Ole Miss running back Raymond Brown scored on a 1 yard touchdown run as the Rebels took a 6-0 lead. He would finish the game with 157 yards rushing on 15... |
#7 Mississippi Rebels | 39 | #11 Texas Longhorns Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
7 |
| Rose Bowl 1958 Rose Bowl The 1958 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1958. In the game, the 44th Rose Bowl, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks by a score of 10–7... |
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes | 10 | Oregon Ducks Oregon Ducks football The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the... |
7 |
| Orange Bowl Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009... |
#4 Oklahoma Sooners | 48 | #16 Duke Blue Devils | 21 |
| Cotton Bowl Classic | #5 Navy Midshipmen | 20 | #8 Rice Owls Rice Owls football The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:... |
7 |
Final results
Sixteen college football teams finished the 1957 season with unbeaten and untied records. The Arizona State Sun Devils, with a 10-0-0 record, had the greatest point differential among the four teams with 10 wins. The Sun Devils scored 396 points while allowing only 66. Second was Pittsburg of KansasPittsburg State Gorillas football
The Pittsburg State Gorillas football team represents Pittsburg State University in collegiate level football. The Pittsburg State football team was formed in 1908, competes in NCAA Division II and is affiliated with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association...
(320/53) which was an NAIA team, followed by Middle Tennessee State
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represents Middle Tennessee State University in NCAA Division I FBS football competition. The Blue Raiders, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, play their home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.Rick Stockstill has...
(241/40) and Auburn
1957 Auburn Tigers football team
The 1957 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1957 college football season. Coached by Ralph "Shug" Jordan, Auburn went 10–0 and was awarded national title AP Poll, even though they were on probation and did not participate in a bowl game. Ohio State was named the...
(207/28). The remaining undefeated teams had fewer than 10 wins. Three undefeated teams each had nine, eight, seven, and six wins.
| Rank | AP | UPI |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Auburn | Ohio State |
| 2. | Ohio State | Auburn |
| 3. | Michigan State | Michigan State |
| 4. | Oklahoma | Oklahoma |
| 5. | Navy | Iowa |
| 6. | Iowa | Navy |
| 7. | Mississippi | Rice |
| 8. | Rice | Mississippi |
| 9. | Texas A&M | Notre Dame |
| 10. | Notre Dame | Texas A&M |
| 11. | Texas | Texas |
| 12. | Arizona State | Arizona State |
| 13. | Tennessee | Army |
| 14. | Mississippi St. | Duke |
| 15. | N.C. State | Wisconsin |
| 16. | Duke | Tennessee |
| 17. | Florida | Oregon |
| 18. | Army | Clemson |
| 19. | Wisconsin | UCLA |
| 20. | VMI | N.C. State |
Other champions
In 1958, the NAIA ranked its member teams in a poll, and also held a championship game. In St. Petersburg, Florida, the first annual "Holiday Bowl" (unrelated to the San Diego NCAA Division I bowl) was played to match the finalists in the NAIA playoffs. The Pittsburg State Teachers' CollegePittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...
Gorillas edged the Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
Chargers, 27-26, in the second annual title game. The NAIA rankings had Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
(10-0-0) first and East Texas State
Texas A&M University–Commerce
Texas A&M University–Commerce is a state university located in Commerce, Texas and a member of the Texas A&M University System, the second largest university within the system behind Texas A&M University in College Station....
(8-1-0) second at season's end.