1967 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1967 college football season was the last one in which college football's champion was crowned before the bowl games. During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as Division I-A and now as Division I FBS. The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press
(AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International
) (UPI). In 1967, both AP and UPI issued their final polls at the close of the regular season, but before teams competed in bowl games. The Associated Press presented the "AP Trophy" to the winner.
The AP poll in 1967 consisted of the votes of as many as xx sportswriters, though not all of them voted in every poll. Those who cast votes would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined.
, followed by the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide
, the #3 Michigan State Spartans
, #4 Texas
, and #5 Miami
. Pacific-8 (still officially called the AAWU until the following season) teams USC and UCLA were 7 and 8, and Big 8 champ Colorado was 10th. Alabama's SEC rivals, Georgia and Tennessee were 6th and 9th, respectively.
September 16 The AAWU began its season a week ahead of most of the other conferences. #7 USC beat Washington State 49-0 in a Friday night game at Los Angeles, and the next day, #8 UCLA hosted #9 Tennessee and won 20-16. California beat Oregon 21-13 in advance of its game against #1 Notre Dame. USC reached the Top Five in the next poll, while Miami dropped to 8th before it had played a game. The poll was 1.Notre Dame 2.Alabama 3.Michigan State 4.USC 5.Texas
On September 23, #1 Notre Dame
hosted the California Golden Bears and won 41-8. At Birmingham, #2 Alabama
played to a 37-37 tie with Florida State. #3 Michigan State
lost at home to the Houston Cougars
37-7, and proved the preseason prognosticators wrong on its way to a 3-7-0 finish. The big matchup was in L.A. between #4 USC and
#5 Texas
. The Trojans won 17-13. Alabama and Michigan State fell out of the Top Five. #6 UCLA
, which had beaten the Panthers at Pittsburgh 40-8, rose to fourth and #7 Georgia, following a 30-0 home win against Mississippi State, reached fifth. The next poll was 1.Notre Dame 2.USC 3.Houston 4.UCLA 5.Georgia
In a Friday night game, #3 Houston
rolled over Wake Forest at home, 50-6. September 30, in West Lafayette, Indiana, #1 Notre Dame
lost at #10 Purdue
, 28-21. #2 USC won at Michigan State 21-17. In a game at Spokane, #4 UCLA
trampled Washington State, 51-23, and #5 Georgia won at Clemson 24-17. Notre Dame fell from the Top 5 in the next poll and USC took the lead, followed by 2.Houston 3.UCLA 4.Purdue 5.Georgia
#2 Houston Cougars
, who had come from nowhere to reach a top ranking, lost at home to unranked North Carolina State, 16-6. #3 UCLA
edged Penn State 17-15. In a Big Ten matchup, #4 Purdue
beat Northwestern 25-16, and #5 Georgia shut out South Carolina at home, 21-0. In South Bend, #6 Notre Dame
crushed Iowa 56-6 to reach the Top Five as it prepared to face #1 USC. The next poll was: 1.USC 2.Purdue 3.Georgia 4.UCLA 5.Notre Dame
October 14 In South Bend, the #1 USC Trojans played the #5 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame
and won 24-7. Over in Columbus, #2 Purdue
beat Ohio State 41-6. #3 Georgia lost to Mississippi at Jackson, 29-20. #4 UCLA
beat California at home, 37-14. Taking the place of the Irish and Georgia in the Top Five were #6 Colorado
, which had beaten Missouri 23-9, and #9 N.C. State
, which won at Maryland 31-9. The poll was 1.USC 2.Purdue 3.UCLA 4.Colorado 5.North Carolina State
October 21 #1 USC beat the Washington Huskies in Seattle, 23-6, for its sixth straight win. The Trojans' cross-town rival, #3 UCLA
was also 6-0-0, beating Stanford at home in Los Angeles, 21-16. #2 Purdue
lost its first game of the season, falling to visiting Oregon State
, 22-14. #4 Colorado
won at Nebraska 21-16, and #5 N.C. State
hosted Wake Forest and won 24-7. #6 Alabama
and #7 Tennessee
squared off in Birmingham, with the Tennessee Volunteers beating the Crimson Tide, 24-13. The Vols would win the SEC championship ahead of Alabama, but accepted an invitation to the Orange Bowl rather than the Sugar Bowl. In the next poll, USC was the unanimous choice for #1, with all 37 first place votes. The rankings were:
1.USC (all 37 votes) 2.UCLA 3.Colorado 4.Tennessee 5.NC State
October 28 #1 USC continued winning, hosting Oregon with a 28-6 score, while #2 UCLA
was idle. #3 Colorado
lost to visiting Oklahoma State 10-7. #4 Tennessee
narrowly beat LSU at home, 17-14, and #5 N.C. State
beat Duke 28-7. Replacing Colorado in the Top Five was #6 Georgia
which won at Kentucky 31-7. The poll: 1.USC 2.UCLA 3.Tennessee 4.NC State 5.Georgia
stayed unbeaten, but was tied by visiting Oregon State
16-16. #3 Tennessee
visited Tampa and beat the Spartans, 38-0. #4 N.C. State
won at Virginia 30-8. The #5 Georgia Bulldogs
narrowly lost at Houston 15-14. #6 Purdue
, which had won at Illinois 42-9, returned to the Top Five.
1.USC 2.Tennessee 3.NC State 4.UCLA 5.Purdue
November 11: #1 USC finally lost, falling in the rain and mud at Oregon State
3-0. As it turned out, Oregon State, who ended the season 7-2-1, beat USC when it was #1, Purdue when it was #2, and tied UCLA when it was #2. #2 Tennessee
beat Tulane 35-14. #3 N.C. State
lost at Penn State 13-8. #4 UCLA
shut out the visiting Washington Huskies, 48-0, and #5 Purdue
beat Minnesota 41-12. UCLA took USC's place at the top, leapfrogging Tennessee, who the Bruins had beaten earlier in the year. Tennessee remained #2, and USC fell to fourth. Purdue rose to third and Purdue's rival, #6 Indiana
, rose to fifth after winning at Michigan State 14-13.
1.UCLA 2.Tennessee 3.Purdue 4.USC 5.Indiana
November 18: In Los Angeles, the #1 UCLA Bruins
and the #4 USC Trojans met at the Coliseum in the 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game
. USC reclaimed its place at the top, edging UCLA 21-20 to win the Pac-8 title (6-1 vs. 4-1-1 for Oregon State and UCLA). #2 Tennessee
faced Mississippi in Memphis and won 20-7. #3 Purdue
beat Michigan State 21-7, but #5 Indiana
lost to Minnesota 33-7. #7 Oklahoma
, which had beaten Kansas 14-10 at home, took I.U.'s place in the Top Five.
1.USC 2.Tennessee 3.Purdue 4.UCLA 5.Oklahoma
November 25 In the final week of games before the final polls, #1 USC had completed its season at 9-1-0, qualified for the Rose Bowl, and was in no danger of losing again. #2 Tennessee
won at Kentucky 17-7.
The Indiana Hoosiers
, who had fallen out of the Top Ten, made their way back in when they beat #3 Purdue
at home in Bloomington. There was a three-way tie in Big Ten Conference play. Not only were Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota each 6-1-0, Indiana beat Purdue, Purdue beat Minnesota, and Minnesota beat Indiana. The Indiana Hoosiers, with the better overall record (9-1 vs. 8-2 and 8-2), qualified for the Rose Bowl. #4 UCLA
, without injured Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban and little motivation after their heartbreaking loss to USC the week before, lost a meaningless game to Syracuse
32-14, and #5 Oklahoma
beat Nebraska 21-14. #6 Notre Dame
, which had won a Friday night game at Miami, 24-22, returned to the top five with unranked Indiana
. In the final poll, USC was tops in both the AP and UPI polls, and was awarded the AP Trophy. Wyoming
, which was the only major team to go unbeaten (10-0-0) was at 6th place.
The final regular season poll was 1.USC 2.Tennessee 3.Oklahoma 4.Indiana 5.Notre Dame 6.Wyoming 7.Oregon State 8.Alabama 9.Purdue 10.UCLA.
On December 2, #3 Alabama
played Auburn in its annual game
at Birmingham
and won 7-3, and #3 Oklahoma
won over Oklahoma State, 38-14 as Big 8 champion, and got the bid for the Orange Bowl.
Ironically, Oregon State played 3 teams that were ranked 1st or 2nd when they played them (UCLA, USC, and Purdue) and went 2-0-1 in those games. But an early season 13-6 loss to Washington kept them out of the Rose Bowl.
The final poll was 1. USC 2. Oklahoma 3. Oregon State 4. Notre Dame 5. Indiana 6. Purdue 7. Texas A & M 8. UCLA 9. Tennessee 10. Alabama
San Diego State was voted the #1 "small college" football team (equivalent to today's Division I-AA) in the polls conducted by AP and UPI, and North Dakota State was second The Aztecs then announced that they would play major college ball
Other bowls:
#1. The North Dakota State Bison
were ranked #2. San Diego State then went on to defeat San Francisco State 34-6 in the Camellia Bowl
.
In the NAIA championship game, the Fairmont State Falcons
defeated the Eastern Washington Savages
28-21 (EWU's team became the Eagles in 1973).
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
) (UPI). In 1967, both AP and UPI issued their final polls at the close of the regular season, but before teams competed in bowl games. The Associated Press presented the "AP Trophy" to the winner.
The AP poll in 1967 consisted of the votes of as many as xx sportswriters, though not all of them voted in every poll. Those who cast votes would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined.
September
In the preseason poll released on September 11, 1967, first place went to the defending champion Notre Dame Fighting IrishNotre 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...
, followed by the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
, the #3 Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, #4 Texas
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...
, and #5 Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
. Pacific-8 (still officially called the AAWU until the following season) teams USC and UCLA were 7 and 8, and Big 8 champ Colorado was 10th. Alabama's SEC rivals, Georgia and Tennessee were 6th and 9th, respectively.
September 16 The AAWU began its season a week ahead of most of the other conferences. #7 USC beat Washington State 49-0 in a Friday night game at Los Angeles, and the next day, #8 UCLA hosted #9 Tennessee and won 20-16. California beat Oregon 21-13 in advance of its game against #1 Notre Dame. USC reached the Top Five in the next poll, while Miami dropped to 8th before it had played a game. The poll was 1.Notre Dame 2.Alabama 3.Michigan State 4.USC 5.Texas
On September 23, #1 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...
hosted the California Golden Bears and won 41-8. At Birmingham, #2 Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
played to a 37-37 tie with Florida State. #3 Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
lost at home to the Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
37-7, and proved the preseason prognosticators wrong on its way to a 3-7-0 finish. The big matchup was in L.A. between #4 USC and
#5 Texas
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...
. The Trojans won 17-13. Alabama and Michigan State fell out of the Top Five. #6 UCLA
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
, which had beaten the Panthers at Pittsburgh 40-8, rose to fourth and #7 Georgia, following a 30-0 home win against Mississippi State, reached fifth. The next poll was 1.Notre Dame 2.USC 3.Houston 4.UCLA 5.Georgia
In a Friday night game, #3 Houston
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
rolled over Wake Forest at home, 50-6. September 30, in West Lafayette, Indiana, #1 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...
lost at #10 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
, 28-21. #2 USC won at Michigan State 21-17. In a game at Spokane, #4 UCLA
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
trampled Washington State, 51-23, and #5 Georgia won at Clemson 24-17. Notre Dame fell from the Top 5 in the next poll and USC took the lead, followed by 2.Houston 3.UCLA 4.Purdue 5.Georgia
October
October 7 #1 USC beat Stanford at home, 30-0. The#2 Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
, who had come from nowhere to reach a top ranking, lost at home to unranked North Carolina State, 16-6. #3 UCLA
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
edged Penn State 17-15. In a Big Ten matchup, #4 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Northwestern 25-16, and #5 Georgia shut out South Carolina at home, 21-0. In South Bend, #6 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...
crushed Iowa 56-6 to reach the Top Five as it prepared to face #1 USC. The next poll was: 1.USC 2.Purdue 3.Georgia 4.UCLA 5.Notre Dame
October 14 In South Bend, the #1 USC Trojans played the #5 Fighting Irish of 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...
and won 24-7. Over in Columbus, #2 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Ohio State 41-6. #3 Georgia lost to Mississippi at Jackson, 29-20. #4 UCLA
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
beat California at home, 37-14. Taking the place of the Irish and Georgia in the Top Five were #6 Colorado
1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1967 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 245 points while the defense allowed 113 points. Led by head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes competed in the Bluebonnet...
, which had beaten Missouri 23-9, and #9 N.C. State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
, which won at Maryland 31-9. The poll was 1.USC 2.Purdue 3.UCLA 4.Colorado 5.North Carolina State
October 21 #1 USC beat the Washington Huskies in Seattle, 23-6, for its sixth straight win. The Trojans' cross-town rival, #3 UCLA
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
was also 6-0-0, beating Stanford at home in Los Angeles, 21-16. #2 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
lost its first game of the season, falling to visiting Oregon State
1967 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 1967 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the 1967 NCAA college football season. The Beavers ended this season with seven wins, two losses, and a tie. The Beavers scored 187 points and allowed 137 points...
, 22-14. #4 Colorado
1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1967 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 245 points while the defense allowed 113 points. Led by head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes competed in the Bluebonnet...
won at Nebraska 21-16, and #5 N.C. State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
hosted Wake Forest and won 24-7. #6 Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
and #7 Tennessee
1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1967 college football season. The Volunteers offense scored 283 points while the defense allowed 141 points. Led by head coach Doug Dickey, the Volunteers won the Southeastern Conference and competed in the...
squared off in Birmingham, with the Tennessee Volunteers beating the Crimson Tide, 24-13. The Vols would win the SEC championship ahead of Alabama, but accepted an invitation to the Orange Bowl rather than the Sugar Bowl. In the next poll, USC was the unanimous choice for #1, with all 37 first place votes. The rankings were:
1.USC (all 37 votes) 2.UCLA 3.Colorado 4.Tennessee 5.NC State
October 28 #1 USC continued winning, hosting Oregon with a 28-6 score, while #2 UCLA
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
was idle. #3 Colorado
1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1967 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 245 points while the defense allowed 113 points. Led by head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes competed in the Bluebonnet...
lost to visiting Oklahoma State 10-7. #4 Tennessee
1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1967 college football season. The Volunteers offense scored 283 points while the defense allowed 141 points. Led by head coach Doug Dickey, the Volunteers won the Southeastern Conference and competed in the...
narrowly beat LSU at home, 17-14, and #5 N.C. State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
beat Duke 28-7. Replacing Colorado in the Top Five was #6 Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
which won at Kentucky 31-7. The poll: 1.USC 2.UCLA 3.Tennessee 4.NC State 5.Georgia
November
November 4: #1 USC beat California at Berkeley, 31-12, to extend its record to 8-0-0. #2 UCLA1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
stayed unbeaten, but was tied by visiting Oregon State
1967 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 1967 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the 1967 NCAA college football season. The Beavers ended this season with seven wins, two losses, and a tie. The Beavers scored 187 points and allowed 137 points...
16-16. #3 Tennessee
1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1967 college football season. The Volunteers offense scored 283 points while the defense allowed 141 points. Led by head coach Doug Dickey, the Volunteers won the Southeastern Conference and competed in the...
visited Tampa and beat the Spartans, 38-0. #4 N.C. State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
won at Virginia 30-8. The #5 Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
narrowly lost at Houston 15-14. #6 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
, which had won at Illinois 42-9, returned to the Top Five.
1.USC 2.Tennessee 3.NC State 4.UCLA 5.Purdue
November 11: #1 USC finally lost, falling in the rain and mud at Oregon State
1967 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 1967 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the 1967 NCAA college football season. The Beavers ended this season with seven wins, two losses, and a tie. The Beavers scored 187 points and allowed 137 points...
3-0. As it turned out, Oregon State, who ended the season 7-2-1, beat USC when it was #1, Purdue when it was #2, and tied UCLA when it was #2. #2 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 ....
beat Tulane 35-14. #3 N.C. State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
lost at Penn State 13-8. #4 UCLA
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
shut out the visiting Washington Huskies, 48-0, and #5 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Minnesota 41-12. UCLA took USC's place at the top, leapfrogging Tennessee, who the Bruins had beaten earlier in the year. Tennessee remained #2, and USC fell to fourth. Purdue rose to third and Purdue's rival, #6 Indiana
1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University in the 1967 college football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:-Awards and honors:*John Pont, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year*John Pont, Paul Bear Bryant Award...
, rose to fifth after winning at Michigan State 14-13.
1.UCLA 2.Tennessee 3.Purdue 4.USC 5.Indiana
November 18: In Los Angeles, the #1 UCLA Bruins
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
and the #4 USC Trojans met at the Coliseum in the 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game
1967 USC vs. UCLA football game
The 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game was an American College Football game played in the 1967 College Football Season on November 18, 1967. The University of California at Los Angeles, 7–0–1 and ranked Number 1, with senior quarterback Gary Beban as a Heisman Trophy candidate, played the University...
. USC reclaimed its place at the top, edging UCLA 21-20 to win the Pac-8 title (6-1 vs. 4-1-1 for Oregon State and UCLA). #2 Tennessee
1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1967 college football season. The Volunteers offense scored 283 points while the defense allowed 141 points. Led by head coach Doug Dickey, the Volunteers won the Southeastern Conference and competed in the...
faced Mississippi in Memphis and won 20-7. #3 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Michigan State 21-7, but #5 Indiana
1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University in the 1967 college football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:-Awards and honors:*John Pont, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year*John Pont, Paul Bear Bryant Award...
lost to Minnesota 33-7. #7 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...
, which had beaten Kansas 14-10 at home, took I.U.'s place in the Top Five.
1.USC 2.Tennessee 3.Purdue 4.UCLA 5.Oklahoma
November 25 In the final week of games before the final polls, #1 USC had completed its season at 9-1-0, qualified for the Rose Bowl, and was in no danger of losing again. #2 Tennessee
1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1967 college football season. The Volunteers offense scored 283 points while the defense allowed 141 points. Led by head coach Doug Dickey, the Volunteers won the Southeastern Conference and competed in the...
won at Kentucky 17-7.
The Indiana Hoosiers
1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University in the 1967 college football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:-Awards and honors:*John Pont, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year*John Pont, Paul Bear Bryant Award...
, who had fallen out of the Top Ten, made their way back in when they beat #3 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
at home in Bloomington. There was a three-way tie in Big Ten Conference play. Not only were Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota each 6-1-0, Indiana beat Purdue, Purdue beat Minnesota, and Minnesota beat Indiana. The Indiana Hoosiers, with the better overall record (9-1 vs. 8-2 and 8-2), qualified for the Rose Bowl. #4 UCLA
1967 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1967 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the 1967 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Bruins offense scored 284 points while the defense allowed 161 points.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:...
, without injured Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban and little motivation after their heartbreaking loss to USC the week before, lost a meaningless game to Syracuse
1967 Syracuse Orangemen football team
The 1967 Syracuse Orangemen team represented Syracuse University in the 1967 NCAA University Division college football season.-Regular season:...
32-14, and #5 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...
beat Nebraska 21-14. #6 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 had won a Friday night game at Miami, 24-22, returned to the top five with unranked Indiana
1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University in the 1967 college football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:-Awards and honors:*John Pont, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year*John Pont, Paul Bear Bryant Award...
. In the final poll, USC was tops in both the AP and UPI polls, and was awarded the AP Trophy. Wyoming
1967 Wyoming Cowboys football team
The 1967 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1967 NCAA football season. The Cowboys offense scored 289 points while the defense allowed 119 points. Led by head coach Lloyd Eaton, the Cowboys competed in the 1968 Sugar Bowl...
, which was the only major team to go unbeaten (10-0-0) was at 6th place.
The final regular season poll was 1.USC 2.Tennessee 3.Oklahoma 4.Indiana 5.Notre Dame 6.Wyoming 7.Oregon State 8.Alabama 9.Purdue 10.UCLA.
On December 2, #3 Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
played Auburn in its annual game
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
at Birmingham
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
and won 7-3, and #3 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 over Oklahoma State, 38-14 as Big 8 champion, and got the bid for the Orange Bowl.
Ironically, Oregon State played 3 teams that were ranked 1st or 2nd when they played them (UCLA, USC, and Purdue) and went 2-0-1 in those games. But an early season 13-6 loss to Washington kept them out of the Rose Bowl.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Bowl Games
In the final AP poll, 9-1-0 USC had been the top choice of the writers for the AP Trophy, with 36 of the 49 first place votes, and Tennessee followed with 11. Though there was no #1 vs. #2 matchup, the Rose and Orange bowls featured the four top-ranked teams, with #1 USC meeting #4 Indiana at Pasadena, and #2 Tennessee facing #3 Oklahoma at Miami. The Sugar Bowl, at that time, did not automatically get the SEC champion. Ultimately, the New Orleans game featured the Wyoming Cowboys, 10-0-0 in Western Athletic Conference play, against the LSU Tigers. LSU had finished behind Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Georgia in the Southeastern Conference and was 6th out of ten teams. But LSU justified their selection by knocking off Wyoming, 20-13. In the Cotton Bowl, unranked Texas A&M upset #8 Alabama 20-16. USC then went out and claimed the national title with a 14-3 over Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Effectively eliminated from finishing #1 after USC's win, #2 Tennessee went out and lost in the Orange Bowl to #3 Oklahoma, 26-24.The final poll was 1. USC 2. Oklahoma 3. Oregon State 4. Notre Dame 5. Indiana 6. Purdue 7. Texas A & M 8. UCLA 9. Tennessee 10. Alabama
San Diego State was voted the #1 "small college" football team (equivalent to today's Division I-AA) in the polls conducted by AP and UPI, and North Dakota State was second The Aztecs then announced that they would play major college ball
| BOWL | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROSE | #1 USC Trojans | 14 | #4 Indiana Hoosiers 1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team The 1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University in the 1967 college football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:-Awards and honors:*John Pont, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year*John Pont, Paul Bear Bryant Award... |
3 |
| ORANGE | #3 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... |
26 | #2 Tennessee Volunteers 1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team The 1967 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1967 college football season. The Volunteers offense scored 283 points while the defense allowed 141 points. Led by head coach Doug Dickey, the Volunteers won the Southeastern Conference and competed in the... |
24 |
| SUGAR | LSU Tigers LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
20 | #6 Wyoming Cowboys 1967 Wyoming Cowboys football team The 1967 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1967 NCAA football season. The Cowboys offense scored 289 points while the defense allowed 119 points. Led by head coach Lloyd Eaton, the Cowboys competed in the 1968 Sugar Bowl... |
13 |
| COTTON 1968 Cotton Bowl Classic The 1968 Cotton Bowl Classic, part of the 1967 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1968, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Southwest Conference as conference champions... |
Texas A & M Aggies 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... |
20 | #8 Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama Crimson Tide football |TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team... |
16 |
Other bowls:
| BOWL | Location | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUN | El Paso | Texas Western UTEP Miners football The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl... 14 |
Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels football The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs... 7 |
| GATOR | Jacksonville | Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions football under Joe Paterno (as an Independent) Joe Paterno is a former head coach of Penn State Nittany Lions football. Paterno served as head coach from the retirement of Rip Engle after the 1965 season until he was fired on November 9, 2011, in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal. His teams play their home games at Beaver Stadium in... 17 |
Florida State Florida State Seminoles football The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... 17 |
| TANGERINE | Orlando | UT-Martin 25 | West Chester West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, about miles west of Philadelphia. It is one of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . West Chester was ranked 69th in the Master's Universities ... 8 |
| BLUEBONNET | Houston | Colorado 1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team The 1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1967 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 245 points while the defense allowed 113 points. Led by head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes competed in the Bluebonnet... 31 |
Miami (Fla.) Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... 21 |
| LIBERTY | Memphis | N.C. State NC State Wolfpack football The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.... 14 |
Georgia 7 |
Other champions
NCAA member schools outside the University Division were ranked in the "small college poll", taken by both the UPI (coaches) and AP (a panel of writers). Most of these schools became members of Division II or Division III when the NCAA reorganized in 1973, although a number have moved to either the current Division I FCS or FBS. In 1967, both services ranked the San Diego State AztecsSan Diego State Aztecs football
The San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
#1. The North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State Bison football
The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. From 2004 to 2007, the Bison were members of the Great West Football...
were ranked #2. San Diego State then went on to defeat San Francisco State 34-6 in the Camellia Bowl
Camellia Bowl
- 1948, Lafayette, Louisiana :The Camellia Bowl was a post-season major college football bowl game played at McNaspy Stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana, on December 30, 1948 between Hardin-Simmons University and the University of Wichita ....
.
In the NAIA championship game, the Fairmont State Falcons
Fairmont State University
Fairmont State University is a public university located in Fairmont, West Virginia, USA. Enrollment of the university is about 7,700 and offers masters degrees in business, education, teaching, criminal justice and nursing in addition to 90 baccalaureate and 50 associate degrees...
defeated the Eastern Washington Savages
Eastern Washington Eagles football
The Eastern Washington Eagles football team represents Eastern Washington University in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
28-21 (EWU's team became the Eagles in 1973).