Some Facts About the AP Poll

[LordJeffBuck]

The Associated Press (AP) poll is generally considered to be the most prestigious selector of national championships for Division 1-A (Bowl Subdivision) college football teams. The AP pollsters are a group of 65 sports writers and broadcasters from around the country; Ohio's representatives are Kirk Herbstreit (WBNS), Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer), and Matt McCoy (WTVN).

The first AP poll was conducted in 1934. After a one-year hiatus, the poll resumed in 1936, and it has been in continuous existence ever since then.

[LordJeffBuck]

In the 73 seasons of the poll, only 27 teams have won the AP national championship:

Eight Titles
Notre Dame (1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988)

Seven Titles
Oklahoma (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000)

Six Titles
Alabama (1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992)

Five Titles
Minnesota (1934, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960)
Southern Cal (1962, 1967, 1972, 2003, 2004)
Miami (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001)

Four Titles
Ohio State (1942, 1954, 1968, 2002)
Nebraska (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995)

Three Titles
Texas (1963, 1969, 2005)

Two Titles
Pittsburgh (1937, 1976)
Army (1944, 1945)
Michigan (1948, 1997)
Tennessee (1951, 1998)
Louisiana State (1958, 2007)
Penn State (1982, 1986)
Florida State (1993, 1999)
Florida (1996, 2006)

One Title
Texas Christian (1938)
Texas A+M (1939)
Michigan State (1952)
Maryland (1953)
Auburn (1957)
Syracuse (1959)
Georgia (1980)
Clemson (1981)
Brigham Young (1984)
Colorado (1990)

Three teams have won an AP national title in four different decades: Notre Dame (40's, 60's, 70', 80's); Oklahoma (50's, 70's, 80's, 00's); and Ohio State (40's, 50's, 60's, 00's).

[LordJeffBuck]

Led by Notre Dame, independent schools have won over one-quarter of the AP titles (19 total). The SEC leads all conferences with 14, followed by the Big 8/Big 12 (13), the Big Ten (11), the PAC 8/PAC 10 (5), the ACC (4), the Big East (2), and the WAC (1); the now-defunct SWC claims four championships.

Independent
Notre Dame (1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988)
Miami (1983, 1987, 1989)
Pittsburgh (1937, 1976)
Army (1944, 1945)
Penn State (1982, 1986)
Michigan State (1952)
Syracuse (1959)

Southeastern Conference
Alabama (1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992)
Tennessee (1951, 1998)
Louisiana State (1958, 2007)
Florida (1996, 2006)
Auburn (1957)
Georgia (1980)

Big 8/Big 12 Conference
Oklahoma (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000)
Nebraska (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995)
Colorado (1990)
Texas (2005)

Big Ten Conference
Minnesota (1934, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960)
Ohio State (1942, 1954, 1968, 2002)
Michigan (1948, 1997)

PAC 8/PAC 10 Conference
Southern Cal (1962, 1967, 1972, 2003, 2004)

Atlantic Coast Conference
Florida State (1993, 1999)
Maryland (1953)
Clemson (1981)

Southwest Conference
Texas (1963, 1969)
Texas Christian (1938)
Texas A+M (1939)

Big East
Miami (1991, 2001)

Western Athletic Conference
Brigham Young (1984)

Only three teams that are not currently part of the BCS system have won AP titles: Texas Christian (1938); Army (1944, 1945); and Brigham Young (1984).

[LordJeffBuck]

If it seems like Ohio State has had several near misses, then you'd be right - the Buckeyes have finished second place in the AP poll a record seven times (1944, 1957, 1961, 1973, 1996, 1998, and 2006). In only one of those seven seasons (2006) did Ohio State have a chance to play for the national title against the eventual AP champion; in the other six cases, the pollsters denied the Buckeyes the number one slot, despite the fact that the Buckeyes finished each season with a quality win (in 1944 and 1961 versus Michigan, no bowl game; in 1957, 1973, and 1996 in the Rose Bowl; and in 1998 in the Sugar Bowl). In 1944, the Buckeyes were perfect, and in 1961 and 1973 they were undefeated with one tie; in each case, a team with a perfect record won the AP crown (Army in 1944, Alabama in 1961, Notre Dame in 1973).

Ohio State has more top-two finishes (11) than any team except for Notre Dame with 13 (eight titles, five seconds).

Ohio State has never finished third in the AP poll; Oklahoma has a record ten third-place finishes (1954, 1967, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1987, 2003, 2004).

[LordJeffBuck]

Michigan has the most top-ten finishes in the AP poll, with 37; however, the Wolverines have only two titles (1948, 1997) and two second-place finishes (1947, 1985), and only eleven other top-five seasons. Next in line for top-ten finishes are Notre Dame (35), Oklahoma (35), Alabama (33), Ohio State (30), Nebraska (29), Southern Cal (25), Texas (24), Tennessee (23), and Penn State (22).

Oklahoma has the most top-five finishes, with 28. Notre Dame is next with 22, followed by Ohio State (21), Alabama (19), Texas (18), and Southern Cal (17).

Florida State has 15 top-five seasons, including a record fourteen straight from 1987 to 2000. Only once has Florida State finished in the AP top-ten without also finishing in the top-five: in 1979, the Seminoles finished sixth.

[LordJeffBuck]

From 1968 on, the AP released its final poll after the bowl games. Prior to that time, the final poll was released prior to the bowl games, with the exception of the 1965 season. On five occasions, the pre-bowl AP national champion went on to lose its subsequent bowl game, thereby tarnishing the title:

1950: Oklahoma lost the Sugar Bowl to Kentucky, 13-7
1951: Tennessee lost the Sugar Bowl to Maryland, 28-13
1953: Maryland lost the Orange Bowl to Oklahoma, 7-0
1960: Minnesota lost the Rose Bowl to Washington, 17-7
1964: Alabama lost the Orange Bowl to Texas, 21-17

For the years listed above, the generally accepted post-bowl national champions are Tennessee (1950); Maryland (1951); Notre Dame (1953); Mississippi (1960); and Arkansas (1964).

After Alabama's bowl game melt down in 1964, the AP crowned its first post-bowl champion in 1965. Ironically, the 1965 regular season champion - Michigan State - lost the Rose Bowl to UCLA, thereby allowing Alabama to claim the crown after the #4 Crimson Tide beat #2 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

Since the coaches poll began in 1950, there have been eleven "split" titles:

1954: Ohio State (AP); UCLA (coaches)
1957: Auburn (AP); Ohio State (coaches)
1965: Alabama (AP); Michigan State (coaches)
1970: Nebraska (AP); Texas (coaches)
1973: Notre Dame (AP); Alabama (coaches)
1974: Oklahoma (AP); Southern Cal (coaches)
1978: Alabama (AP); Southern Cal (coaches)
1990: Colorado (AP); Georgia Tech (coaches)
1991: Miami (AP); Washington (coaches)
1997: Michigan (AP); Nebraska (coaches)
2003: Southern Cal (AP); Louisiana State (coaches)

Southern Cal and Alabama have both been involved in three split titles, while Ohio State and Nebrska have two each.