# 1958 major college football rankings

Two human polls comprised the 1958 major 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.

## 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 1, at the end of the 1958 regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP would not release a post-bowl season final poll regularly until 1968.
| | Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 22 | Week 2 Sep 29 | Week 3 Oct 6 | Week 4 Oct 13 | Week 5 Oct 20 | Week 6 Oct 27 | Week 7 Nov 3 | Week 8 Nov 10 | Week 9 Nov 17 | Week 10 Nov 24 | Week 11 (Final) Dec 1 | |
| 1. | Ohio State (46) | Ohio State (0–0) (45) | Oklahoma (1–0) (66) | Auburn (2–0) (43) | Army (3–0) (77) | Army (4–0) (90) | LSU (6–0) (54) | LSU (7–0) (82) | LSU (8–0) (95) | LSU (9–0) (114) | LSU (10–0) (115) | LSU (10–0) (130) | 1. |
| 2. | Oklahoma (23) | Oklahoma (0–0) (12) | Auburn (1–0) (58) | Oklahoma (2–0) (24) | Auburn (3–0) (54) | Ohio State (4–0) (14) | Iowa (4–0–1) (33) | Iowa (5–0–1) (54) | Iowa (6–0–1) (52) | Auburn (7–0–1) (21) | Auburn (8–0–1) (5) | Iowa (7–1–1) (17) | 2. |
| 3. | Notre Dame (11) | Auburn (0–0) (18) | Ohio State (1–0) (23) | Army (2–0) (7) | Ohio State (3–0) (9) | LSU (5–0) (22) | Army (4–0–1) (20) | Army (5–0–1) (7) | Army (6–0–1) | Army (7–0–1) (12) | Oklahoma (8–1) (9) | Army (8–0–1) (13) | 3. |
| 4. | Michigan State (4) | Michigan State (0–0) | Michigan State (1–0) (3) | Notre Dame (2–0) (7) | Wisconsin (3–0) (16) | Texas (5–0) (2) | Auburn (4–0–1) (23) | Northwestern (5–1) | Auburn (6–0–1) (6) | Oklahoma (7–1) (22) | Iowa (7–1–1) (16) | Auburn (9–0–1) (9) | 4. |
| 5. | Auburn (9) | Notre Dame (0–0) (6) | Army (1–0) (5) | Ohio State (2–0) (6) | Michigan State (2–0–1) (4) | Auburn (3–0–1) (5) | Ohio State (4–0–1) (9) | Auburn (5–0–1) (7) | Wisconsin (5–1–1) | Wisconsin (6–1–1) | Army (7–0–1) (1) | Oklahoma (9–1) (10) | 5. |
| 6. | Ole Miss | TCU (1–0) (12) | Ole Miss (2–0) (2) | Wisconsin (2–0) (6) | Navy (3–0) (1) | Ole Miss (5–0) (4) | Ole Miss (6–0) (7) | Oklahoma (5–1) (8) | Oklahoma (6–1) (3) | Iowa (6–1–1) (4) | Wisconsin (7–1–1) (3) | Air Force (9–0–1) (2) | 6. |
| 7. | Navy | Pittsburgh (1–0) | Notre Dame (1–0) (2) | Ole Miss (3–0) (1) | Texas (4–0) (3) | Iowa (3–0–1) (13) | Oklahoma (5–1) (5) | Wisconsin (4–1–1) | Ole Miss (7–1) (2) | TCU (7–1) | TCU (8–1) | Wisconsin (7–1–1) (13) | 7. |
| 8. | TCU | Army (0–0) | Iowa (1–0) (15) | Clemson (3–0) (4) | Ole Miss (4–0) (2) | Northwestern (4–0) (3) | Wisconsin (3–1–1) | Purdue (5–1) | Purdue (5–1–1) | Purdue (6–1–1) (8) | Air Force (8–0–1) (1) | Ohio State (6–1–2) (3) | 8. |
| 9. | Army (1) | Ole Miss (1–0) | Wisconsin (1–0) (2) | Michigan State (1–0–1) (1) | LSU (4–0) (2) | Oklahoma (4–1) (1) | Colorado (5–0) (2) | Ole Miss (6–1) | TCU (6–1) | Air Force (7–0–1) | Ohio State (6–1–2) (4) | Syracuse (8–1) (1) | 9. |
| 10. | North Carolina (1) | Washington State (1–0) | Clemson (2–0) (2) | Pittsburgh (3–0) (2) | Clemson (4–0) (7) | Clemson (4–0) (5) | Purdue (4–1) | Air Force (5–0–1) | Air Force (6–0–1) | Syracuse (7–1) | Syracuse (8–1) (1) | TCU (8–2) | 10. |
| 11. | Texas | Mississippi State (0–0) | Mississippi State (1–0) | LSU (3–0) | Oklahoma (3–1) | Notre Dame (3–1) | Northwestern (4–1) | TCU (5–1) | North Carolina (6–2) (2) | Ohio State (5–1–2) (6) | Purdue (6–1–2) | Ole Miss (8–2) (2) | 11. |
| 12. | Oregon State (2) | Navy (0–0) | Pittsburgh (2–0) | Navy (2–0) | Notre Dame (2–1) (1) | Colorado (4–0) (1) | Pittsburgh (4–1–1) | Syracuse (5–1) (3) | Syracuse (6–1) | Florida (4–3–1) | Clemson (7–2) (1) | Clemson (8–2) (1) | 12. |
| 13. | Iowa | West Virginia (1–0) (2) | LSU (2–0) | Purdue (2–0) | Iowa (2–0–1) (1) | Wisconsin (3–1) | Air Force (4–0–1) | Rice (4–2) | Northwestern (5–2) | Ole Miss (7–2) | Ole Miss (7–2) | Purdue (6–1–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Wisconsin | Wisconsin (0–0) (2) | Purdue (1–0) | Michigan (1–0–1) (1) | Oregon (2–1) | Air Force (3–0–1) | Rice (4–2) | Notre Dame (4–2) | Pittsburgh (5–2–1) | Vanderbilt (5–1–3) | Florida (5–3–1) | Florida (6–3–1) | 14. |
| 15. | Mississippi State (1) | LSU (1–0) т | Navy (1–0) | Oregon (1–1) | Houston (3–0) (1) | Purdue (3–1) | Navy (4–1) | North Carolina (5–2) (1) | SMU (4–3) | Notre Dame (5–3) | Vanderbilt (5–1–3) | South Carolina (6–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Miami (FL) | Miami (FL) (0–0) т | Michigan (1–0) | Texas (3–0) | SMU (1–2) | TCU (4–1) | Texas (5–1) | Ohio State (4–1–1) (1) | Ohio State (4–1–2) | Clemson (6–2) | South Carolina (5–3) | California (7–3) | 16. |
| 17. | SMU (1) | Kentucky (1–0) (2) | SMU (0–1) (1) т | Iowa (1–0–1) | Northwestern (3–0) | Georgia Tech (3–1–1) | North Carolina (5–2) (1) | Clemson (5–1) | Rice (4–3) | North Carolina (6–3) (1) | California (7–3) | Notre Dame (6–4) (1) | 17. |
| 18. | Clemson | Florida (1–0) т | Texas (2–0) т | SMU (0–2) (1) | Florida (2–1) | Navy (3–1) | TCU (4–1) | Rutgers (6–0) (1) | Florida (3–3–1) | Mississippi State (3–5) | Notre Dame (5–4) | SMU (6–4) | 18. |
| 19. | Pittsburgh | South Carolina (1–0) т | Houston (1–0) | Colorado (2–0) т | Michigan (1–1–1) | Mississippi State (3–1) | Clemson (4–1) | Florida (2–3–1) | Rutgers (7–0) (1) | California (6–3) | Pittsburgh (5–3–1) | Oklahoma State (7–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Texas A&M | SMU (0–0) (3) | Vanderbilt (2–0) | Houston (2–0) т | TCU (3–1) | Michigan State (2–1–1) | Rutgers (5–0) (1) | SMU (3–3) | Georgia Tech (5–2–1) | Northwestern (5–3) | Rutgers (8–0) | Rutgers (8–1) (1) | 20. |
| | Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 22 | Week 2 Sep 29 | Week 3 Oct 6 | Week 4 Oct 13 | Week 5 Oct 20 | Week 6 Oct 27 | Week 7 Nov 3 | Week 8 Nov 10 | Week 9 Nov 17 | Week 10 Nov 24 | Week 11 (Final) Dec 1 | |
| | | Dropped: ClemsonIowaNorth CarolinaOregon StateTexasTexas A&M | Dropped: FloridaKentuckyMiami (FL)South CarolinaTCUWashington StateWest Virginia | Dropped: Mississippi StateVanderbilt | Dropped: ColoradoPittsburghPurdue | Dropped: FloridaHoustonMichiganOregonSMU | Dropped: Georgia TechMichigan StateMississippi StateNotre Dame | Dropped: ColoradoNavyPittsburghTexas | Dropped: ClemsonNotre Dame | Dropped: Georgia TechPittsburghRiceRutgersSMU | Dropped: Mississippi StateNorth CarolinaNorthwestern | Dropped: PittsburghVanderbilt | |

## Final Coaches Poll

The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 1. LSU received 29 of the 35 first-place votes; Iowa received four, and one each went to Army and Air Force.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | LSU | SEC | Won Sugar, 7–0 |
| 2 | Iowa | Big Ten | Won Rose, 38–12 |
| 3 | Army | Independent | none |
| 4 | Auburn | SEC | none |
| 5 | Oklahoma | Big Eight | Won Orange, 21–6 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | none |
| 7 | Ohio State | Big Ten | none |
| 8 | Air Force | Independent | Tied Cotton, 0–0 |
| 9 | TCU | Southwest | Tied Cotton, 0–0 |
| 10 | Syracuse | Independent | Lost Orange, 6–21 |
| 11 | Purdue | Big Ten | none |
| 12 | Ole Miss | SEC | Won Gator, 7–3 |
| 13 | Clemson | ACC | Lost Sugar, 0–7 |
| 14 | Notre Dame | Independent | none |
| 15 | Florida | SEC | Lost Gator, 3–7 |
| 16 | California | Pacific Coast | Lost Rose, 12–38 |
| 17 | Northwestern | Big Ten | none |
| 18 | SMU | Southwest | none |
* Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pacific Coast (later AAWU / Pac-8) conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl.
* The Ivy League has prohibited its members from participating in postseason football since the league was officially formed in 1954.

## Litkenhous Ratings

The final Litkenhous Ratings, released in December 1958, ranked over 650 teams. The top 50 teams as ranked by Litkenhous were:
1. LSU 2. Army 3. Oklahoma 4. Iowa 5. Wisconsin 6. Ole Miss 7. Syracuse 8. Purdue 9. TCU 10. Ohio State 11. Northwestern 12. SMU 13. Auburn 14. Notre Dame 15. Rice 16. Georgia 17. Florida 18. Penn State 19. Illinois 20. Air Force 21. Pittsburgh 22. Texas 23. North Carolina 24. Vanderbilt 25. Alabama 26. Washington State 27. Kentucky 28. Georgia Tech 29. Mississippi Southern 30. Arkansas 31. Oregon 32. Michigan State 33. Oklahoma State 34. Mississippi State 35. Houston 36. South Carolina 37. Trinity (TX) 38. USC 39. Minnesota 40. West Virginia 41. Florida State 42. Duke 43. Navy 44. Tulsa 45. Colorado 46. Tennessee 47. Texas East 48. Missouri 49. Indiana 50. California 73. Memphis State - 76.5 81. Chattanooga - 74.6