# 1946 college football rankings

One human poll comprised the 1946 college 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. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| | National champion |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| (Italics) | Number of first place votes |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## AP Poll

The final AP Poll was released on December 2, at the end of the 1946 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.
| | Week 1 Oct 7 | Week 2 Oct 14 | Week 3 Oct 21 | Week 4 Oct 28 | Week 5 Nov 4 | Week 6 Nov 11 | Week 7 Nov 18 | Week 8 Nov 25 | Week 9 (Final) Dec 2 | |
| 1. | Texas (3–0) (69+1⁄3) | Army (4–0) (63) | Army (5–0) (112+1⁄4) | Army (6–0) (104) | Army (7–0) (64) | Army (7–0–1) (75) | Army (8–0–1) (58) | Army (8–0–1) (72) | Notre Dame (8–0–1) (104+1⁄2) | 1. |
| 2. | Army (3–0) (21+1⁄3) | Notre Dame (2–0) (31) | Notre Dame (3–0) (21+1⁄4) | Notre Dame (4–0) (61) | Notre Dame (5–0) (51) | Notre Dame (5–0–1) (49) | Notre Dame (6–0–1) (16) | Notre Dame (7–0–1) (38) | Army (9–0–1) (52+1⁄2) | 2. |
| 3. | Notre Dame (1–0) (15+1⁄3) | Texas (4–0) (38) | Texas (5–0) (13+1⁄4) | Penn (4–0) (4) | Georgia (6–0) (6) | Georgia (7–0) (12) | Georgia (8–0) (8) | Georgia (9–0) (5) | Georgia (10–0) (23) | 3. |
| 4. | Michigan (2–0) | UCLA (3–0) (5) | Tennessee (4–0) (6) | UCLA (5–0) (1) | UCLA (6–0) (3) | UCLA (7–0) (7) | UCLA (8–0) (5) | UCLA (9–0) (5) | UCLA (10–0) (2) | 4. |
| 5. | UCLA (2–0) (1) | Michigan (2–1) | UCLA (4–0) (2) | Georgia (5–0) (1) | Rice (5–1) | Penn (5–1) | Illinois (6–2) | Illinois (7–2) | Illinois (7–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Alabama (3–0) | Penn (2–0) (2) | Penn (3–0) (1⁄4) | Northwestern (4–0–1) | Texas (6–1) | Texas (7–1) | Georgia Tech (7–1) | Michigan (6–2–1) | Michigan (6–2–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Penn (1–0) (1) | Alabama (4–0) | Georgia (4–0) | Texas (5–1) | Tennessee (5–1) | Georgia Tech (6–1) | Tennessee (7–1) | Georgia Tech (8–1) (1) | Tennessee (9–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Georgia (2–0) т | Georgia (3–0) | Michigan (2–1–1) т | Rice (4–1) | Georgia Tech (5–1) | Tennessee (6–1) | Michigan (5–2–1) | Tennessee (8–1) (1) | LSU (9–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Tennessee (2–0) т | Tennessee (3–0) | Northwestern (3–0–1) т | North Carolina (4–0–1) | Penn (4–1) | Illinois (5–2) | LSU (7–1) | LSU (8–1) | North Carolina (8–1–1) | 9. |
| 10. | Northwestern (2–0) | Northwestern (3–0) | North Carolina (3–0–1) | Tennessee (4–1) | Illinois (5–2) | Michigan (4–2–1) | USC (5–2) | Arkansas (6–2–1) | Rice (8–2) | 10. |
| 11. | Columbia (2–0) | Columbia (3–0) | Alabama (4–1) | Illinois (4–2) | Michigan (3–2–1) | LSU (6–1) | Arkansas (6–2–1) | North Carolina (7–1–1) | Georgia Tech (8–2) | 11. |
| 12. | Illinois (2–1) | LSU (3–0) | NC State (4–0) | Wake Forest (4–1) | Ohio State (3–1–2) | USC (5–2) | Rice (6–2) | Yale (7–1–1) | Yale (7–1–1) | 12. |
| 13. | LSU (2–0) | Oklahoma (1–2) | Duke (2–2) | Michigan (2–2–1) | Wake Forest (5–1) | Ohio State (4–1–2) | Penn (5–2) | Rice (7–2) | Penn (6–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Ohio State (1–0) | Arkansas (3–0–1) | Oklahoma (2–2) | Oklahoma (3–2) | USC (4–2) | Rice (5–2) | North Carolina (6–1–1) | Penn (5–2) | Oklahoma (7–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Yale (2–0) | North Carolina (2–0–1) | Georgia Tech (3–1) | Alabama (5–1) | Wisconsin (4–2) | North Carolina (5–1–1) | Yale (6–1–1) | Delaware (9–0) (2) | Texas (8–2) (1) | 15. |
| 16. | St. Mary's (2–0) | Rice (2–1) | Rice (3–1) | Georgia Tech (4–1) | Oklahoma (4–2) | Iowa (5–3) | Delaware (8–0) | USC (5–3) | Arkansas (6–3–1) | 16. |
| 17. | Stanford (2–0) | Duke (1–2) | Iowa (4–1) | Harvard (5–0) (1) | North Carolina (4–1–1) т | Arkansas (5–2–1) | Texas (7–2) | Boston College (6–2) т | Tulsa (9–1) | 17. |
| 18. | Arkansas (2–0–1) | Indiana (2–2) | William & Mary (4–1) | Wisconsin (3–2) | Northwestern (4–1–1) т | Yale (5–1–1) | Oklahoma (6–2) | Oklahoma (6–3) т | NC State (8–2) | 18. |
| 19. | Kentucky (3–0) т | William & Mary (3–1) | Oregon (3–0–1) | Duke (2–3) | LSU (5–1) | Holy Cross (3–4) | Muhlenberg (8–0) т | Mississippi State (8–1) | Delaware (9–0) | 19. |
| 20. | NC State (2–0) т | Tulsa (4–0) тWisconsin (3–1) т | Harvard (4–0) | Indiana (3–3) | NC State (5–1) | Duke (3–4) | Tulsa (8–1) т | Texas (7–2) | Indiana (6–3) (1) | 20. |
| | Week 1 Oct 7 | Week 2 Oct 14 | Week 3 Oct 21 | Week 4 Oct 28 | Week 5 Nov 4 | Week 6 Nov 11 | Week 7 Nov 18 | Week 8 Nov 25 | Week 9 (Final) Dec 2 | |
| | | Dropped: IllinoisKentuckyNC StateOhio StateSt. Mary'sStanfordYale | Dropped: ArkansasColumbiaIndianaLSUTulsaWisconsin | Dropped: IowaNC StateOregonWilliam & Mary | Dropped: AlabamaDukeHarvardIndiana | Dropped: NC StateNorthwesternOklahomaWake ForestWisconsin | Dropped: DukeHoly CrossIowaOhio State | Dropped: MuhlenbergTulsa | Dropped: USCMississippi StateBoston College | |

## Litkenhous Ratings

The final Litkenhous Ratings released in December 1946 provided numerical rankings to more than 500 college and military football programs. The top 100 ranked teams were:
1. Notre Dame (8–0–1) 2. Army (9–0–1) 3. Michigan (6–2–1) 4. Georgia (11–0) 5. Rice (9–2) 6. Illinois (8–2) 7. Texas (8–2) 8. Penn (6–2) 9. LSU (9–1–1) 10. Mississippi State (8–2) 11. Georgia Tech (9–2)
12. Tennessee (9–2) 13. North Carolina (8–2–1) 14. Kentucky (7–3) 15. Oklahoma (8–3) 16. UCLA (10–1) 17. Northwestern (4–4–1) 18. Iowa (5–4) 19. Indiana (6–3) 20. Duke (4–5) 21. Yale (7–1–1) 22. Alabama (7–4) 23. Tulsa (9–1) 24. Penn State (6–2) 25. Ohio State (4–3–2) 26. Vanderbilt (5–4) 27. Minnesota (5–4) 28. Arkansas (6–3–2) 29. Wisconsin (4–5) 30. William & Mary (8–2) 31. Oklahoma City (10–1) 32. Navy (1–8) 33. Tulane (3–7) 34. Wake Forest (6–3) 35. NC State (8–3) 36. Columbia (6–3) 37. USC (6–4) 38. Cornell (5–3–1) 39. Miami (FL) (8–2) 40. Texas A&M (4–6) 41. SMU (4–5–1) 42. Cincinnati (9–2) 43. Pittsburgh (3–5–1) 44. Boston College (6–3) 45. Ole Miss (2–7) 46. Harvard (7–2) 47. Villanova (6–4) 48. Purdue (2–6–1) 49. Rutgers (7–2) 50. Miami (OH) (7–3) 51. Michigan State (5–3–1) 52. TCU (2–7–1) 53. Colgate (4–4) 54. Stanford (6–3–1) 55. Holy Cross 56. Hardin-Simmons (11–0) 57. Princeton (3–5) 58. Texas Tech 59. Nevada (7–2) 60. Oklahoma A&M (3–7–1) 61. Detroit (6–4) 62. Oregon State (7–1–1) 63. Syracuse (4–5) 64. Mississippi Southern (7–3) 65. Chattanooga (5–5) 66. Temple (2–4–2) 67. Nebraska 68. Marquette (4–5) 69. Auburn (4–6) 70. Washington (5–4) 71. West Virginia (5–5) 72. Saint Mary's (6–3) 73. Ohio (6–3) 74. Virginia (4–4–1) 75. Baylor (1–8) 76. Kansas (7–2–1) 77. Missouri (5–4–1) 78. Louisiana Tech (7–3) 79. California (2–7) 80. Clemson (4–5) 81. Dartmouth 82. Delaware (10–0) 83. Virginia Tech (3–4–3) 84. Florida (0–9) 85. Iowa State Teachers (4–1–2) 86. San Francisco (3–6) 87. Southwestern Louisiana (6–4) 88. St. Bonaventure (6–2) 89. Washington State (1–6–1) 90. Central Michigan (6–2) 91. Utah State (7–2–1) 92. Northwestern Louisiana 93. Utah (8–3) 94. Arizona (4–4–2) 95. Georgetown (5–3) 96. Dayton (6–3) 97. Western Michigan (5–2–1) 98. Bowling Green (5–3) 99. Oregon (4–4–1) 100. Southwestern (TX) (5–4–1) 101. Brown (3–5–1) 102. Muhlenberg (9–1) 103. George Washington (4–3) 104. Missouri Valley (10–0) 105. Richmond (6–2–2) 106. Baldwin-Wallace (4–2–2) 107. VMI (4–5–1) 108. Maryland (3–6) 109. San Jose State (9–1–1) 110. South Carolina (2–4–3) 111. Washington & Lee (2–6) 112. Denver (5–5–1) 113. Wichita (5–5) 114. Boston University (5–2–1) 115. Hawaii (8–2) 116. Saint Louis (4–6) 117. Bucknell (3–6) 118. Minot 119. Otterbein (7–1) 120. Santa Clara (2–5–1) 121. Morehead (KY) 122. Canisius (4–3–1) 123. New Hampshire (6–1–1) 124. California (PA) (9–0) 125. Southwestern Louisiana (6–4) 126. Bradley (7–2) 127. Connecticut (4–3–1) 128. Toledo (6–2–2) 129. Western Reserve (4–3–2) 130. Ohio Wesleyan 131. Youngstown (7–1) 132. Abilene Christian (8–1–1) 133. Butler (7–1) 134. Catawba (10–2) 135. St. Norbert (8–0) 136. Murray (KY) 137. Wesleyan (7–0) 138. Clarkson 139. Eastern Kentucky 140. Colorado (5–4–1) 141. Kent State (6–2) 142. Davidson (4–5) 143. Niagara (6–2) 144. Furman (2–8) 145. Lawrence (6–1–1) 146. Cape Girardeau 147. Wayne (4–5) 148. Santa Monica 149. Compton 150. Ottawa (7–1–1)

## Pittsburgh Courier

The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1946 teams from historically black colleges and universities using the Dickinson System in an era when college football was largely segregated. The rankings were published on December 7.
* 1. Tennessee A&I (10–1)
* 2. Morgan State (8–0)
* 3. Tuskegee (10–2)
* 4. Wilberforce (5–2–2)
* 5. Lane (8–2)
* 6. Arkansas A&M (8–2–1)
* 7. Southern (9–2–1), Lincoln (MO) (5–3–1)
* 8. Florida A&M (6–4–1)
* 9. Prairie View A&M (6–2–2)
* 10. West Virginia State (6–3–1)
* 11. Allen (8–2)
* 12. Bethune-Cookman (8–1–1), Wiley (6–3–1), Xavier (LA) (4–2)
* 13. Texas College (5–4–1)
* 14. South Carolina State (5–3–1)
* 15. Fisk (4–2–1)
* 16. North Carolina College (7–3), Howard (6–3), Morris Brown (4–3–1), Louisville Municipal (5–2)
* 17. Benedict (5–4)
* 18. Clark (3–4), North Carolina A&T (3–5), Bluefield State (4–4–1), Houston College (2–3–2)
* 19. Shaw (5–3–1), Kentucky State (5–4)
* 20. Lincoln (PA) (5–3), Alabama State (4–4–1)
* 21. LeMoyne–Owen (3–4)
* 22. Morehouse (1–3–3), Hampton (4–4), Virginia Union (3–4–1), Langston (2–6)
* 23. Alabama A&M (3–4–1), Huston (2–4–2)
* 24. Tillotson (2–5)
* 25. Bishop (3–2–1), Dillard (3–3)
* 26. Grambling (6–6)