# 1953 college football rankings

Two human polls comprised the 1953 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 November 30, at the end of the 1953 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 28 | Week 2 Oct 5 | Week 3 Oct 12 | Week 4 Oct 19 | Week 5 Oct 26 | Week 6 Nov 2 | Week 7 Nov 9 | Week 8 Nov 16 | Week 9 Nov 23 | Week 10 (Final) Nov 30 | |
| 1. | Notre Dame (84) | Notre Dame (1–0) (71) | Notre Dame (2–0) (84) | Notre Dame (2–0) (74) | Notre Dame (3–0) (51) | Notre Dame (4–0) (82) | Notre Dame (5–0) (90) | Notre Dame (6–0) (79) | Notre Dame (7–0) (93) | Maryland (10–0) (154) | Maryland (10–0) (187) | 1. |
| 2. | Michigan State (24) | Michigan State (1–0) (6) | Michigan State (2–0) (15) | Michigan State (3–0) (14) | Michigan State (4–0) (31) | Maryland (6–0) (18) | Maryland (7–0) (21) | Maryland (8–0) (24) | Maryland (9–0) (42) | Notre Dame (7–0–1) (47) | Notre Dame (8–0–1) (141) | 2. |
| 3. | Georgia Tech (24) | Maryland (2–0) (5) | Ohio State (2–0) (11) | Maryland (4–0) (21) | Maryland (5–0) (27) | Baylor (5–0) (2) | Baylor (6–0) (7) | Illinois (6–0–1) (4) | Michigan State (7–1) (3) | Michigan State (8–1) (8) | Michigan State (8–1) (8) | 3. |
| 4. | UCLA (12) | Michigan (1–0) (3) | Maryland (3–0) (8) | UCLA (4–0) (8) | Georgia Tech (4–0–1) (3) | Illinois (4–0–1) | Illinois (5–0–1) | Michigan State (6–1) (1) | Oklahoma (6–1–1) (3) | Oklahoma (7–1–1) (9) | Oklahoma (8–1–1) (10) | 4. |
| 5. | Alabama (18) | UCLA (2–0) (3) | Michigan (2–0) (4) | Michigan (3–0) | Michigan (4–0) | West Virginia (5–0) (15) | Michigan State (5–1) | Georgia Tech (6–1–1) | UCLA (7–1) | UCLA (8–1) (4) | UCLA (8–1) (1) | 5. |
| 6. | Oklahoma (3) | Ohio State (1–0) (2) | UCLA (3–0) (2) | Georgia Tech (3–0–1) | Baylor (4–0) (1) | Michigan State (4–1) | Georgia Tech (5–1–1) | Oklahoma (5–1–1) (1) | Texas (6–3) | Illinois (7–1–1) | Rice (8–2) (2) | 6. |
| 7. | Ohio State (3) | USC (2–0) (1) | USC (3–0) (2) | Duke (4–0) (3) | Illinois (3–0–1) (1) | USC (5–0–1) | West Virginia (6–0) (10) | UCLA (6–1) | Illinois (6–1–1) | Texas (6–3) | Illinois (7–1–1) | 7. |
| 8. | USC | Oklahoma (0–1) | Duke (3–0) (4) | Baylor (3–0) | West Virginia (4–0) (12) | Georgia Tech (4–1–1) | Oklahoma (4–1–1) (1) | West Virginia (7–0) (11) | Wisconsin (6–2) (2) | Rice (7–2) | Georgia Tech (7–2–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Maryland (1) | Georgia Tech (1–0–1) | Baylor (2–0) | Illinois (2–0–1) | Oklahoma (2–1–1) | Oklahoma (3–1–1) (1) | UCLA (6–1) (1) | Baylor (6–1) | USC (6–1–1) | Iowa (5–3–1) (6) | Iowa (5–3–1) (10) | 9. |
| 10. | Duke (2) | Baylor (1–0) | Georgia Tech (2–0–1) | West Virginia (3–0) (9) | Navy (3–0–1) | UCLA (5–1) (1) | Duke (6–1) | Texas (5–3) | Rice (6–2) | Georgia Tech (7–2–1) | West Virginia (8–1) (14) | 10. |
| 11. | Texas | Mississippi State (2–0) (1) | Rice (2–0) | Rice (3–0) | USC (4–0–1) | SMU (3–1) | Stanford (5–2) (1) | Ole Miss (7–1) (2) | Alabama (5–1–3) (1) | West Virginia (8–1) (17) | Texas (7–3) | 11. |
| 12. | Rice | Duke (2–0) (1) | West Virginia (2–0) (5) | Oklahoma (1–1–1) (1) | UCLA (4–1) | Rice (4–1) | Ole Miss (6–1) (1) | USC (6–1–1) | Georgia Tech (6–2–1) | Wisconsin (6–2–1) | Texas Tech (10–1) | 12. |
| 13. | Navy | West Virginia (1–0) (4) | Mississippi State (3–0) (3) | USC (3–0–1) | SMU (2–1) | Duke (5–1) | Minnesota (3–3) | Kentucky (5–2–1) (1) | Kentucky (6–2–1) (3) | Kentucky (7–2–1) (5) | Alabama (6–2–3) (1) | 13. |
| 14. | California | Rice (1–0) | LSU (2–0–1) | Navy (2–0–1) | LSU (3–0–2) | Minnesota (2–3) | Kentucky (4–2–1) | Duke (6–1–1) | Auburn (6–1–1) (1) | Texas Tech (9–1) | Army (7–1–1) | 14. |
| 15. | Florida | Ole Miss (2–0) | Texas (2–1) | Pittsburgh (1–1–1) | Texas A&M (4–0–1) (1) | Army (4–1) | Auburn (4–1–1) | Minnesota (4–3) | Duke (6–1–1) | South Carolina (7–2) | Wisconsin (6–2–1) | 15. |
| 16. | West Virginia | Wisconsin (1–0) | Oklahoma (0–1–1) | California (3–1) | Duke (4–1) т | Michigan (4–1) (1) | Ohio State (5–1) | Rice (5–2) т | Stanford (6–3) | Auburn (7–1–1) (1) | Kentucky (7–2–1) (3) | 16. |
| 17. | Pittsburgh т | Texas (1–1) | Pittsburgh (0–1–1) | Ohio State (2–1) т | Kentucky (2–2–1) т | Stanford (4–2) | Michigan (5–1) т | Stanford (5–3) т | Texas Tech (8–1) | Baylor (7–2) | Auburn (7–2–1) | 17. |
| 18. | Tennessee т | Georgia (2–0) | Northwestern (2–0) | Mississippi Southern (4–0) (1) т | Pittsburgh (1–2–1) | Ole Miss (5–1) | USC (5–1–1) т | Tennessee (4–2–1) | South Carolina (6–2) | Army (6–1–1) | Duke (7–2–1) | 18. |
| 19. | Princeton | LSU (1–0–1) | Holy Cross (2–0) | Auburn (2–0–1) | Mississippi Southern (5–0) | Kentucky (3–2–1) | Texas (4–3) | Texas Tech (7–1) | West Virginia (7–1) (1) | Stanford (6–3–1) | Stanford (6–3–1) | 19. |
| 20. | Baylor | Holy Cross (1–0) | Penn (2–0) тMississippi Southern (3–0) т | Mississippi State (3–0–1) | Stanford (3–2) | Navy (3–1–1) | Alabama (3–1–3) | Auburn (5–1–1) | Iowa (5–3) (1) | USC (6–2–1) | Michigan (6–3) (1) | 20. |
| | Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 28 | Week 2 Oct 5 | Week 3 Oct 12 | Week 4 Oct 19 | Week 5 Oct 26 | Week 6 Nov 2 | Week 7 Nov 9 | Week 8 Nov 16 | Week 9 Nov 23 | Week 10 (Final) Nov 30 | |
| | | Dropped: AlabamaCaliforniaFloridaNavyPittsburghPrincetonTennessee | Dropped: GeorgiaOle MissWisconsin | Dropped: Holy CrossLSUNorthwesternPennTexas | Dropped: AuburnCaliforniaMississippi StateOhio StateRice | Dropped: LSUPittsburghMississippi SouthernTexas A&M | Dropped: ArmyNavyRiceSMU | Dropped: AlabamaMichiganOhio State | Dropped: BaylorMinnesotaOle MissTennessee | Dropped: AlabamaDuke | Dropped: BaylorSouth CarolinaUSC | |

## Final Coaches Poll

The final UP Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on November 30. Maryland received 20 of the 35 first-place votes; Notre Dame received thirteen, and one each went to Michigan State and UCLA.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | Maryland | ACC | Lost Orange, 0–7 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | Independent | none |
| 3 | Michigan State | Big Ten | Won Rose, 28–20 |
| 4 | UCLA | Pacific Coast | Lost Rose, 20–28 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | Big Seven | Won Orange, 7–0 |
| 6 | Rice | Southwest | Won Cotton, 28–6 |
| 7 | Illinois | Big Ten | none |
| 8 | Texas | Southwest | none |
| 9 | Georgia Tech | SEC | Won Sugar, 42–19 |
| 10 | Iowa | Big Ten | none |
| 11 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Cotton, 6–26 |
| 12 | Texas Tech | Border | Won Gator, 35–13 |
| 13 | West Virginia | Southern | Lost Sugar, 19–42 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | none |
| 15 | Kentucky | SEC | none |
| 16 | Army | Independent | none |
| 17 | Stanford | Pacific Coast | none |
| 18 | Duke | ACC | none |
| 19 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| 20 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 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.

## Litkenhous Ratings

The Litkenhous Ratings released in mid-December 1953 provided numerical rankings to over 683 college football programs. The top 50 ranked teams were:
1. Notre Dame (9-0-1) - 110.4 2. Maryland (10-1) - 108.5 3. Oklahoma (9-1-1) - 107.3 4. Rice (9-2) - 106.8 5. Michigan State (9-1) - 103.9 6. Wisconsin (6-2-1) - 103.7 7. Iowa (5-3-1) - 103.4 8. UCLA (8-2) - 102.8 9. Illinois (7-1-1) - 102.5 10. Texas Tech (11-1) - 101.7 11. Ole Miss (7-2-1) - 100.9 12. Michigan (6-3) - 100.3 13. Texas (7-3) - 99.4 14. Georgia Tech (9-2-1) - 98.9 15. Kentucky (7-2-1) - 98.2 16. Auburn (7-3-1) - 97.7 17. Mississippi State (5-2-3) - 97.1 18. Baylor (7-3) - 97.1 19. Ohio State (6-3) - 96.0 20. West Virginia (8-2) - 94.9 21. SMU (5-5) - 94.7 22. Minnesota (4-4-1) - 94.5 23. LSU (5-3-3) - 94.3 24. Marquette (6-3-1) - 94.0 25. Florida (3-5-2) - 93.9 26. Stanford (6-3-1) - 93.8 27. Penn State (6-3) - 93.6 28. Duke (7-2-1) - 93.5 29. California (4-4-2) - 92.2 30. Cincinnati (9-1) - 92.2 31. Alabama (6-3-3) - 92.1 32. Miami (FL) (4-5) - 92.1 33. Army (7-1-1) - 91.9 34. USC (6-3-1) - 91.9 35. Syracuse (5-3-1) - 91.8 36. Tennessee (6-4-1) - 91.3 37. Missouri (6-4) - 90.2 38. Navy (4-3-2) - 89.6 39. Purdue (2-7) - 89.5 40. TCU (3-7) - 89.5 41. Arkansas (3-7) - 89.2 42. Texas A&M (4-5-1) - 89.0 43. Oklahoma A&M (7-3) - 88.2 44. Houston (4-4-1) - 88.1 45. Northwestern (3-6) - 88.1 46. Kansas State (6-3-1) - 87.8 47. Miami (OH) (7-1-1) - 87.4 48. Pittsburgh (3-5-1) - 86.7 49. Detroit (6-4) - 85.6 50. Penn (3-5-1) - 85.2 51. Fordham (4-5) - 85.0 52. Colorado (6-4) - 84.2 53. Boston University (5-3-1) - 83.8 54. South Carolina (7-3) - 83.8 55. East Texas (10-0-1) - 83.6 56. Indiana (2-7) - 82.9 57. Mississippi Southern (9-2) - 82.6 58. Arizona (4-5-1) - 82.5 59. Utah (8-2) - 82.2 60. Nebraska (3-6-1) - 81.7 61. Oregon (4-5-1) - 81.2 62. Washington (3-6-1) - 81.2 63. Wyoming (5-4-1) - 81.2 64. Georgia (3-8) - 81.1 65. Tulane (1-8-1) - 80.6 66. Holy Cross (5-5) - 80.4 67. Kansas (2-8) - 79.9 68. North Carolina (4-6) - 79.6 69. Pacific (4-4-2) - 77.6 70. Texas Western (8-2) - 77.5 71. Trinity (TX) (8-1) - 76.4 72. Boston College (5-3-1) - 76.1 73. Wichita (4-4-1) - 75.9 74. Utah State (8-3) - 75.6 75. Clemson (3-5-1) - 75.3 76. Cal. P.N. - 75.2 77. Colorado A&M (4-5) - 75.2 78. Villanova (4-6) - 74.6 79. Washington State (4-6) - 74.6 80. Tyler JC - 74.4 81. Harvard (6-2) - 73.8 82. Hardin–Simmons (6-5) - 73.6 83. Pasadena CC - 73.5 84. North Texas (3-6-1) - 73.1 85. Vanderbilt (3-7) - 72.8 86. Cornell (4-3-2) - 72.6 87. Tulsa (3-7) - 72.2 88. Delaware (7-1) - 72.0 89. Arizona State (4-5-1) - 71.7 90. Yale (5-2-2) - 70.9 91. New Mexico (5-3-1) - 70.7 92. Ohio (6-2-1) - 70.7 93. Colgate (3-4-2) - 70.6 94. Oregon State (3-6) - 69.9 95. Columbia (4-5) - 69.8 96. Sam Houston (9-1) - 69.8 97. Memphis State (6-4) - 69.6 98. Iowa State (2-7) - 69.5 99. Chattanooga (3-7) - 69.3 100. Dartmouth (2-7) - 69.3

## HBCU rankings

The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1953 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was largely segregated. The rankings were published on December 19:
* 1. Prairie View A&M (12–0)
* 2. Florida A&M (10–1)
* 3. Tennessee A&I (8–0–1)
* 4. Lincoln (MO) (8–0–1)
* 5. Maryland State (7–1)
* 6. Southern (9–2)
* 7. North Carolina College (5–3)
* 8. Virginia State (5–3–1)
* 9. Morgan State (6–2)
* 10. Texas Southern (7–3)
* 11. West Virginia State (6–3)
* 12. Grambling (8–2)
The Associated Negro Press also published rankings on December 25:
* 1. Prairie View A&M (12–0)
* 2. Tennessee A&I (8–0–1)
* 3. Lincoln (MO) (8–0–1)
* 4. Florida A&M (10–1)
* 5. Southern (9–2)
* 6. Maryland State (7–1)
* 7. North Carolina College (5–3)
* 8. Virginia State (5–3–1)
* 9. Texas Southern (7–3)
* 10. South Carolina State (6–3)