# 1947 college football season

The 1947 college football season finished with Notre Dame, Michigan, and Penn State all unbeaten and untied, but the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were the first place choice for 107 of the 142 voters in the final regular season AP poll in early December, and repeated as national champions. Michigan was selected for the top spot by six contemporary math systems.
Second-ranked Michigan met #8 USC in the Rose Bowl and won 49–0, while fourth-ranked Penn State was tied 13–13 by #3 SMU in the Cotton Bowl; Notre Dame didn't participate in the postseason for over four decades (until the 1969 season). A special post-bowl AP poll was conducted with Michigan and Notre Dame as the only options, and Michigan won by a vote of 226 to 119.
During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of the Associated Press poll of sportswriters (the United Press Coaches Poll started in 1950). The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions.

## Conference and program changes
### Conference changes

* Two conferences began play in 1947:
** Mid-American Conference – an active NCAA Division I FBS conference; formed by five members from Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
** Yankee Conference – an NCAA Division I–AA conference active through the 1997 season and one of the predecessors to the modern Colonial Athletic Association; formed by six members from around New England, many from the recently disbanded New England Conference.
* One conference played its final season in 1947:
** Indiana Intercollegiate Conference – conference active in football since the 1923 season.

### Membership changes

| School | 1946 Conference | 1947 Conference |
| Butler Bulldogs | Indiana Intercollegiate Conference | MAC |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | Independent | MAC |
| Connecticut Huskies | New England | Yankee |
| Maine Black Bears | New England | Yankee |
| Massachusetts Redmen | Independent | Yankee |
| New Hampshire Wildcats | New England | Yankee |
| Ohio Bobcats | Independent | MAC |
| Rhode Island State Rams | New England | Yankee |
| Vermont Catamounts | Independent | Yankee |
| Western Reserve Red Cats | Independent | MAC |

## Season chronology
### September

The Associated Press did not poll the writers until after the games of October 4. Among the five teams that had been ranked highest in 1946 (Notre Dame, Army, Georgia, UCLA and Illinois), Georgia opened on September 20 with a 34–7 win over Southern Mississippi and UCLA hosted Iowa the following Friday and won 22–7. The next day, September 27, Army beat Villanova 13–0, Illinois beat Pittsburgh 14–0, and Georgia beat Tennessee 27–0.

### October

On October 4 Notre Dame won at Pittsburgh 40–6. Army shut out visiting Colorado 47–0. Georgia beat Tulane in New Orleans, 20–0. UCLA lost at Northwestern 27–26. Illinois won at Iowa 35–12. When the first poll came out that Monday, Notre Dame was the favorite of a bare majority (52 of 103) of the voters, followed by No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Georgia Tech and No. 5 Army. Illinois was ranked 6th, Penn 7th, California 8th, Georgia 9th, and Vanderbilt 10th.
On October 11 No. 1 Notre Dame won at Purdue, 22–7. No. 2 Michigan beat Pittsburgh, 69–0. In Dallas, No. 3 Texas beat No. 15 Oklahoma 34–14. No. 4 Georgia Tech beat VMI, 20–0, for its third shutout in three starts. No. 5 Army and No. 6 Illinois met at Yankee Stadium in New York, and played to a 0–0 tie. In the next poll, Michigan and Notre Dame switched places at No. 1 and No. 2, while Texas stayed at No. 3. California, which won at Wisconsin 48–7, rose from eighth to fourth, with Georgia Tech falling to No. 5.
October 18 No. 1 Michigan won at Northwestern, 49–21. No. 2 Notre Dame shut out visiting Nebraska, 31–0. No. 3 Texas met Arkansas at a neutral location in Memphis, Tennessee, and won 21–6. No. 4 California beat Washington State, 21–6. No. 5 Georgia Tech defeated Auburn 27–7 to stay unbeaten, but was voted out of the Top Five. No. 6 Illinois, which beat No. 13 Minnesota 40–13, rose to fifth.
October 25 No. 1 Michigan stayed unbeaten, with a 13–6 win over Minnesota, as did No. 2 Notre Dame, which defeated Iowa, 21–0. No. 3 Texas beat Rice, 12–0. No. 4 California lost to No. 10 USC, 39–14. No. 5 Illinois lost at Purdue, 14–7. No. 8 Penn beat Navy, 21–0. The Irish rose to No. 1 in the next poll, with a 78–69 lead in votes over No. 2 Michigan. They were followed by No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn, and No. 5 USC.

### November

November 1 No. 1 Notre Dame and Navy met in Cleveland, with the Fighting Irish registering their third straight shutout, 27–0. No. 2 Michigan won at No. 11 Illinois, 14–7. In Dallas, No. 3 Texas (6–0–0) faced unbeaten (5–0–0) No. 8 Southern Methodist University, and the SMU Mustangs won 14–13. No. 4 Pennsylvania won at Princeton, 26–7, to stay unbeaten. In Seattle, No. 5 USC beat Washington 19–0. SMU and Texas exchanged places at No. 3 and No. 8, with the other top teams remaining the same.
November 8 No. 1 Notre Dame hosted No. 9 Army and won 27–7. No. 2 Michigan beat Indiana 35–0. No. 3 SMU won at Texas A&M, 13–0. No. 4 Pennsylvania beat No. 10 Virginia, 19–7, and moved up to No. 3 with SMU down to fourth. No. 5 USC beat Stanford, 14–0.
November 15 No. 1 Notre Dame had more points scored against it than at any other time in the season, but won at unranked Northwestern, 26–19. Meanwhile, No. 2 Michigan faced No. 9 Wisconsin in Madison and won 40–6, raising it back up to first place in the next poll. No. 3 Pennsylvania and No. 13 Army played to a 7–7 tie in Philadelphia. No. 4 SMU stayed unbeaten with a 14–6 win over Arkansas. No. 5 USC was idle. The next poll featured No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 SMU, No. 4 USC, and Penn State (which had just beaten Navy 20-7) at No. 5.
November 22 No. 1 Michigan closed its season at 9–0–0 with a 21–0 win over Ohio State, and accepted an invitation to meet No. 4 USC (which beat No. 18 UCLA 6–0) in the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, No. 3 SMU won 10–0 at Baylor, and No. 5 Penn State won at Pitt, 29–0. Both unbeaten, they accepted invitations to the Cotton Bowl Classic. No. 2 Notre Dame thrashed Tulane, 59–6 and yet again switched places with Michigan in the rankings. The Irish were restored to the top spot by the AP voters, with 97 first place votes to Michigan's 81.
November 29 No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Michigan, No. 4 USC, and No. 5 Penn State were idle. No. 3 SMU was tied in a game at TCU, 19–19, and fell to fourth with USC moving up to No. 3.
December 6 No. 1 Notre Dame (8–0–0) and No. 3 USC (7–0–1) met in Los Angeles, with the Irish cementing their hold on the No. 1 ranking, 38–7. No. 2 Michigan, No. 4 SMU and No. 5 Penn State had completed their regular seasons, with bowls to come. The final AP poll featured No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 SMU, No. 4 Penn State, and No. 5 Texas as the top teams.

## Conference standings
### Major conference standings

1947 Big Nine Conference football standings :
| 1947 Big Nine Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Michigan $ 6 –0 –010 –0 –0 Wisconsin 3 –2 –15 –3 –1 Minnesota 3 –3 –06 –3 –0 Illinois 3 –3 –05 –3 –1 Purdue 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Indiana 2 –3 –15 –3 –1 Iowa 2 –3 –13 –5 –1 Northwestern 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Ohio State 1 –4 –12 –6 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1947 Big Six Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Kansas + 4 –0 –18 –1 –2 No. 16 Oklahoma + 4 –0 –17 –2 –1 Missouri 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Nebraska 2 –3 –02 –7 –0 Iowa State 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Kansas State 0 –5 –00 –10 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from AP Poll | 1947 Border Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Texas Tech $ 4 –0 –06 –5 –0 Hardin–Simmons 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 West Texas State 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 Arizona 3 –2 –05 –4 –1 Texas Mines 3 –3 –15 –3 –1 Arizona State 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 New Mexico 1 –5 –14 –5 –1 New Mexico A&M 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Arizona State–Flagstaff 0 –4 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 Ivy Group football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Penn 4 –0 –07 –0 –1 Princeton 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Yale 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 No. 20 Columbia 2 –2 –07 –2 –0 Harvard 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Brown 1 –3 –04 –4 –1 Dartmouth 3 –4 –04 –4 –1 Cornell 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Rankings from AP Poll | 1947 Missouri Valley Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Tulsa $ 3 –0 –05 –5 –0 Wichita 2 –1 –07 –4 –0 Saint Louis 1 –1 –04 –6 –0 Drake 1 –3 –01 –7 –1 Oklahoma A&M 0 –2 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Mountain States Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Utah $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –1 Denver 3 –2 –15 –4 –1 Utah State 3 –3 –06 –5 –0 Colorado 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Colorado A&M 2 –3 –15 –4 –1 Wyoming 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 BYU 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 Pacific Coast Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 USC $ 6 –0 –07 –2 –1 No. 15 California 5 –1 –09 –1 –0 Oregon 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 UCLA 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Montana 2 –1 –07 –4 –0 Oregon State 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Washington 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Washington State 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Idaho 1 –4 –04 –4 –0 Stanford 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1947 Southeastern Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Ole Miss $ 6 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 10 Georgia Tech 4 –1 –010 –1 –0 No. 6 Alabama 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 Mississippi State 2 –2 –07 –3 –0 Georgia 3 –3 –07 –4 –1 Vanderbilt 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Tulane 2 –3 –22 –5 –2 LSU 2 –3 –15 –3 –1 Kentucky 2 –3 –08 –3 –0 Tennessee 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Auburn 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Florida 0 –3 –14 –5 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1947 Southern Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 14 William & Mary $ 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 9 North Carolina 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 South Carolina 4 –1 –16 –2 –1 No. 19 Duke 3 –1 –14 –3 –2 Washington and Lee 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Maryland 3 –2 –17 –2 –2 No. 17 NC State 3 –2 –15 –3 –1 VPI 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Davidson 3 –3 –16 –3 –1 Wake Forest 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 VMI 2 –3 –13 –5 –1 Clemson 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 The Citadel 1 –4 –03 –5 –0 Furman 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Richmond 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 George Washington 0 –4 –01 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll |
| 1947 Southwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 SMU $ 5 –0 –19 –0 –2 No. 5 Texas 5 –1 –010 –1 –0 No. 18 Rice 4 –2 –06 –3 –1 TCU 2 –3 –14 –5 –2 Arkansas 1 –4 –16 –4 –1 Texas A&M 1 –4 –13 –6 –1 Baylor 1 –5 –05 –5 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll |

### Major independents

1947 Eastern major college football independents records :
| 1947 Eastern major college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Penn State   –  9 –0 –1 No. 11 Army   –  5 –2 –2 Villanova   –  6 –3 –1 Boston University   –  5 –3 –0 Boston College   –  5 –4 –0 Holy Cross   –  4 –4 –2 Syracuse   –  3 –6 –0 Temple   –  3 –6 –0 NYU   –  2 –5 –1 Colgate   –  1 –5 –2 Duquesne   –  2 –8 –0 Fordham   –  1 –6 –1 Merchant Marine   –  2 –9 –0 Pittsburgh   –  1 –8 –0 Rankings from AP Poll | 1947 Midwestern major college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Notre Dame   –  9 –0 –0 Michigan State   –  7 –2 –0 Detroit   –  6 –4 –0 Marquette   –  4 –5 –0 Rankings from AP Poll | 1947 Southern major college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Virginia   –  7 –3 –0 West Virginia   –  6 –4 –0 Georgetown   –  3 –4 –1 Chattanooga   –  4 –6 –0 Miami (FL)   –  2 –7 –0 Navy   –  1 –7 –1 |
| 1947 Western major college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Nevada   –  7 –2 –0 San Francisco   –  7 –3 –0 Santa Clara   –  4 –4 –0 Saint Mary's   –  3 –7 –0 Portland   –  1 –7 –0 |

### Minor conferences

| Conference | Champion(s) | Record |
| California Collegiate Athletic Association | Pacific (CA) | 5–0 |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | Shaw | 6–0 |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Kansas State Teachers | 4–0–1 |
| College Conference of Illinois | North Central (IL) | 5–1 |
| Dakota-Iowa Athletic Conference | Buena Vista Westmar | 3–1–1 |
| Far Western Conference | Northern Branch College of Agriculture Southern Oregon College | 3–1 |
| Indiana Intercollegiate Conference | Butler | 4–0–1 |
| Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Upper Iowa | 5–0 |
| Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Ottawa (KS) | 6–0 |
| Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference | Louisiana Tech | 5–0 |
| Lone Star Conference | North Texas State Teachers | 6–0 |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Kalamazoo Hillsdale | 3–0–2 |
| Mid-American Conference | Cincinnati | 3–1 |
| Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference | Lawrence | 5–1 |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Macalester Saint Thomas (MN) | 4–0 |
| Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Missouri School of Mines | 4–1 |
| Nebraska College Conference | Chadron State Nebraska Wesleyan | 5–1–1 |
| New Mexico Intercollegiate Conference | Sul Ross | 5–0 |
| North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Iowa State Teachers (Northern Iowa) South Dakota | 4–0 |
| North Dakota College Athletic Conference | Valley City State | 6–1 |
| Ohio Athletic Conference | Denison | 5–0 |
| Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference | Southeastern State College (OK) | 5–0 |
| Pacific Northwest Conference | Willamette | 6–0 |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | Lock Haven State Teachers Mansfield State Teachers | 5–1–1 4–1–1 |
| Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | Montana State College | 1–0 |
| South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference | Northern State Teachers (SD) | 2–0 |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Redlands | 4–0 |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Florida A&M College | 5–0 |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Southern | 7–0 |
| State Teacher's College Conference of Minnesota | Bemidji State Teachers Moorhead State Teachers Winona State Teachers | 3–1 |
| Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Hardin–Simmons McMurry (TX) | 4–1 |
| Washington Intercollegiate Conference | Eastern Washington College Pacific Lutheran | 4–1 |
| Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference | North: River Falls State Teachers South: Milwaukee State Teachers | 4–0 4–0 |

### Minor conference standings

1947 Badger State Conference football standings :
| 1947 Badger State Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Mission House + 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Northwestern (WI) + 3 –1 –05 –3 –0 Milton 2 –2 –02 –6 –0 Wisconsin Tech 1 –3 –0 ? – ? – ? Wisconsin–Extension 1 –3 –02 –5 –0 + – Conference co-championsNorthwestern forfeited to Wisconsin Tech. | 1947 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Pacific (CA) $ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 San Jose State 3 –2 –09 –3 –0 Fresno State 2 –1 –23 –6 –2 San Diego State 2 –2 –17 –3 –1 Santa Barbara 1 –3 –14 –3 –1 Cal Poly 0 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Emporia State $ 4 –0 –17 –1 –1 Washburn 4 –1 –07 –1 –0 Southwestern (KS) 2 –2 –16 –2 –1 Fort Hays State 2 –2 –15 –3 –1 Pittsburg State 1 –3 –12 –7 –1 St. Benedict's 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 College Conference of Illinois football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T North Central (IL) $ 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Wheaton (IL) 4 –1 –07 –1 –1 Augustana (IL) 3 –1 –14 –2 –2 Carthage 3 –2 –05 –2 –1 Lake Forest 2 –2 –13 –4 –1 Millikin 2 –2 –13 –4 –1 Illinois Wesleyan 2 –2 –13 –5 –1 Elmhurst 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 Illinois College 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Shaw $ 6 –0 –010 –0 –0 No. 7 Virginia State 7 –1 –09 –1 –0 No. 4 Hampton 5 –1 –17 –2 –1 No. 11 Howard 6 –2 –16 –2 –1 No. 9 Morgan State 5 –2 –15 –2 –1 No. 14 West Virginia State 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 No. 19 Lincoln (PA) 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 Delaware State 4 –3 –04 –4 –0 Virginia Union 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Winston-Salem State 3 –3 –06 –3 –0 North Carolina A&T 1 –5 –11 –5 –1 North Carolina College 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Bluefield State 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 0 –5 –10 –5 –1 Johnson C. Smith 0 –2 –11 –5 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from the Pittsburgh Courier using the Dickinson Ratings System. | 1947 Dakota-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Western Union + 3 –1 –13 –2 –2 Buena Vista + 3 –1 –13 –5 –1 Huron 3 –2 –04 –3 –0 Dakota Wesleyan 2 –2 –13 –4 –1 Yankton 1 –2 –21 –4 –2 Sioux Falls 0 –4 –12 –5 –1 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1947 Far Western Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Southern Oregon + 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 Cal Aggies + 3 –1 –04 –5 –0 Humboldt State 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Chico State 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 San Francisco State 1 –3 –02 –5 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1947 Hoosier Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Indiana Central $ 6 –1 –07 –1 –0 Hanover 5 –1 –07 –1 –0 Franklin (IN) 5 –1 –06 –2 –0 Manchester (IN) 2 –3 –12 –5 –1 Earlham 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Canterbury 1 –4 –01 –6 –1 Anderson (IN) 0 –4 –11 –5 –2 Rose Poly 0 –4 –00 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Southern Illinois $ 3 –0 –17 –2 –1 Northern Illinois State 2 –1 –14 –3 –3 Illinois State Normal 1 –1 –24 –3 –2 Eastern Illinois 2 –2 –02 –6 –0 Western Illinois 0 –4 –04 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 Iowa Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Upper Iowa $ 5 –0 –06 –1 –0 Loras * 2 –0 –09 –0 –0 Western Union * 1 –0 –03 –2 –2 Central (IA) 5 –0 –17 –1 –1 Dubuque 4 –1 –05 –2 –0 Simpson (IA) 2 –1 –23 –4 –2 Iowa Wesleyan 3 –2 –15 –3 –1 Wartburg 3 –2 –14 –3 –1 Parsons 2 –4 –02 –6 –0 St. Ambrose * 0 –1 –05 –3 –0 Luther 0 –5 –11 –7 –1 Buena Vista 0 –5 –03 –5 –1 William Penn 0 –6 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion * – ineligible for conference title | 1947 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Ottawa $ 6 –0 –06 –2 –1 Baker 4 –1 –15 –3 –1 Bethany (KS) 4 –2 –04 –5 –0 Kansas Wesleyan 3 –2 –14 –4 –1 Bethel (KS) 1 –4 –12 –5 –1 College of Emporia 1 –4 –12 –6 –1 McPherson 0 –6 –01 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Louisiana Tech $ 5 –0 –05 –4 –0 Southwestern Louisiana 4 –1 –06 –2 –0 Northwestern State 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 2 –3 –03 –5 –1 Centenary 1 –4 –01 –9 –1 Louisiana College 0 –4 –01 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T North Texas State $ 6 –0 –010 –2 –0 East Texas State 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Southwest Texas State 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Trinity (TX) 3 –2 –15 –3 –2 Stephen F. Austin 2 –3 –13 –6 –1 Sam Houston State 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Houston 0 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Hillsdale + 3 –0 –27 –0 –2 Kalamazoo + 3 –0 –24 –1 –3 Hope 3 –1 –15 –2 –1 Alma 2 –2 –15 –3 –1 Adrian 1 –4 –03 –5 –0 Albion 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1947 Mid-American Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Cincinnati $ 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 Western Reserve 2 –1 –04 –5 –0 Butler 1 –3 –05 –3 –1 Ohio 1 –3 –03 –5 –1 Miami (OH) * 2 –0 –09 –0 –1 Western Michigan * 0 –1 –05 –4 –0 $ – Conference champion * – Miami and Western Michigan were not eligible to compete for the MAC championship because they did not schedule a full slate of games against MAC opponents. |
| 1947 Midwest Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Tennessee A&I $ 3 –0 –010 –0 –0 No. 12 Louisville Municipal 2 –0 –16 –1 –1 No. 2 Wilberforce State 3 –1 –011 –1 –0 No. 22 Kentucky State 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 No. 13 Lincoln (MO) 1 –3 –13 –4 –1 Wilberforce 0 –2 –00 –6 –1 Philander Smith 0 –3 –01 –9 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from the Pittsburgh Courier using the Dickinson Ratings System. | 1947 Midwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Lawrence $ 5 –1 –07 –1 –0 Cornell (IA) 4 –2 –16 –2 –1 Monmouth (IL) 3 –2 –05 –2 –1 Carleton 2 –2 –13 –3 –2 Knox 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Beloit 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Grinnell 3 –3 –03 –5 –0 Ripon 2 –3 –02 –5 –1 Coe 0 –6 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Macalester + 4 –0 –05 –0 –1 St. Thomas (MN) + 4 –0 –04 –3 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 4 –1 –07 –1 –1 St. Olaf 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Saint John's (MN) 3 –2 –03 –2 –0 Hamline 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Concordia (MN) 1 –4 –03 –4 –0 Saint Mary's (MN) 0 –4 –01 –6 –0 Augsburg 0 –5 –00 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1947 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Missouri Valley $ 4 –0 –012 –0 –0 Central (MO) 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Culver–Stockton 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 William Jewell 2 –2 –03 –6 –1 Tarkio 0 –4 –03 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Missouri Mines $ 4 –1 –04 –3 –0 SW Missouri State 3 –1 –17 –2 –1 NW Missouri State 2 –1 –25 –2 –2 Kirksville State 2 –3 –05 –3 –1 SE Missouri State 1 –3 –12 –6 –1 Central Missouri State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Minnesota Teachers College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Bemidji State + 3 –1 –04 –3 –0 Winona State + 3 –1 –04 –3 –1 Moorhead State 2 –2 –06 –2 –0 St. Cloud State 2 –2 –04 –3 –0 Duluth State 1 –3 –03 –4 –0 Mankato State 1 –3 –01 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1947 Montana Collegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Montana Normal $ 2 –0 –13 –1 –2 Eastern Montana 1 –1 –13 –1 –1 Carroll (MT) 1 –2 –02 –4 –0 Montana Mines 1 –2 –01 –3 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Nebraska College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Chadron State + 5 –1 –17 –1 –1 Nebraska Wesleyan + 5 –1 –17 –1 –1 Hastings 5 –2 –16 –2 –1 Doane 4 –2 –16 –2 –1 Kearney State 4 –3 –16 –3 –1 Peru State 3 –3 –23 –4 –2 Midland 1 –4 –22 –5 –2 Wayne State (NE) 0 –4 –30 –4 –3 York (NE) 0 –7 –02 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1947 New Mexico Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Sul Ross $ 5 –0 –07 –3 –0 Adams State 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 New Mexico Military 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Eastern New Mexico 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Panhandle A&M 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 New Mexico Teachers 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 New Mexico Highlands 0 –5 –02 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 North Central Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T South Dakota + 4 –0 –07 –2 –0 Iowa State Teachers + 4 –0 –05 –3 –1 South Dakota State 3 –1 –04 –5 –0 North Dakota 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Augustana (SD) 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Morningside 0 –4 –04 –4 –0 North Dakota State 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1947 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Valley City State $ 6 –1 –06 –1 –0 Minot State 4 –1 –06 –1 –0 Ellendale 4 –1 –05 –1 –0 Wahpeton Science 3 –2 –03 –4 –0 Bottineau 1 –2 –14 –2 –1 Jamestown 1 –3 –11 –5 –1 Dickinson State 0 –4 –10 –6 –2 Mayville State 0 –5 –10 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1947 North State Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Catawba $ 6 –0 –011 –1 –0 Appalachian State 6 –1 –09 –1 –0 Lenoir Rhyne 4 –3 –15 –4 –1 High Point 3 –3 –15 –4 –2 Guilford 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Western Carolina 2 –3 –03 –5 –1 Elon 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 East Carolina 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Atlantic Christian 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 Northwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Willamette $ 6 –0 –07 –2 –0 Pacific (OR) 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 College of Idaho 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Puget Sound 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Linfield 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 Whitman 1 –5 –11 –6 –1 British Columbia 1 –6 –01 –7 –0 Lewis & Clark 0 –3 –22 –3 –3 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Denison $ 6 –0 –09 –0 –0 Findlay 4 –0 –09 –1 –0 Heidelberg 6 –1 –07 –1 –0 John Carroll 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Toledo 3 –1 –09 –2 –0 Kent State 3 –1 –04 –4 –0 Baldwin–Wallace 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Ohio Wesleyan 4 –2 –06 –2 –1 Wittenberg 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 Muskingum 3 –3 –05 –3 –0 Kenyon 1 –1 –03 –4 –0 Wooster 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Mount Union 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Ohio Northern 2 –4 –02 –5 –1 Oberlin 1 –2 –03 –4 –1 Wilmington (OH) 1 –2 –02 –6 –0 Akron 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Ashland 1 –3 –03 –5 –0 Marietta 1 –3 –02 –5 –0 Otterbein 1 –4 –02 –6 –1 Capital 1 –6 –02 –6 –1 Case 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T SE Oklahoma State $ 5 –0 –07 –1 –1 Central State (OK) 3 –1 –17 –1 –1 Northeastern State 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 SW Oklahoma State 2 –2 –14 –3 –1 East Central 0 –4 –14 –5 –1 NW Oklahoma State 0 –4 –10 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T West Chester 3 –0 –010 –1 –0 Slippery Rock 3 –0 –04 –2 –1 Mansfield $ 4 –1 –15 –2 –1 Bloomsburg 5 –2 –06 –2 –0 Shippensburg 5 –2 –15 –2 –1 Lock Haven 4 –2 –17 –2 –1 Indiana (PA) 2 –2 –23 –3 –2 California (PA) 1 –2 –06 –1 –0 Edinboro 1 –2 –01 –6 –0 Kutztown 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Millersville 0 –5 –12 –5 –1 East Stroudsburg 0 –3 –03 –3 –0 Clarion 0 –4 –02 –5 –0 $ – Conference championWest Chester and Slippery Rock were ineligible for the conference title as they did not play the required four conference games. | 1947 Pioneer Conference (Illinois) football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Quincy (IL) $ 3 –0 –04 –3 –0 Shurtleff 2 –1 –06 –3 –0 Eureka 1 –2 –02 –5 –0 McKendree 0 –3 –00 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Montana State $ 1 –0 –04 –5 –0 Colorado College 2 –1 –04 –5 –0 Colorado State–Greeley 2 –1 –14 –4 –1 Colorado Mines 1 –2 –01 –7 –0 Western State (CO) 0 –2 –11 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 Smoky Mountain Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Carson–Newman $ 3 –0 –08 –1 –2 Milligan 2 –1 –05 –4 –1 Emory and Henry 1 –2 –02 –8 –1 Tusculum 0 –3 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1947 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T South Dakota Mines $ 3 –1 –04 –2 –2 Northern State 2 –1 –06 –3 –0 Black Hills 1 –1 –13 –4 –2 General Beadle 1 –2 –02 –5 –0 Southern State (SD) 0 –2 –10 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Southern California Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Redlands $ 4 –0 –06 –3 –0 Occidental 2 –1 –14 –3 –1 Pomona 1 –2 –13 –3 –1 Whittier 1 –2 –12 –6 –1 Caltech 0 –3 –11 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1947 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Florida A&M $ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 No. 10 South Carolina State 5 –0 –27 –1 –2 No. 15 Fort Valley State 4 –0 –17 –1 –1 No. 3 (small) LeMoyne 2 –1 –04 –1 –1 Tuskegee 3 –2 –16 –4 –1 No. 21 Clark (GA) 3 –2 –14 –3 –1 No. 18 Lane 2 –2 –06 –5 –0 Morehouse 3 –4 –03 –5 –0 Morris Brown 2 –4 –13 –7 –1 Knoxville 1 –2 –1- –- –- Alabama State 2 –5 –22 –6 –2 Fisk 1 –3 –1- –- –- No. 7 (small) Alabama A&M 1 –4 –13 –5 –1 Xavier (LA) 0 –2 –1- –- –- Benedict 0 –3 –22 –4 –3 $ – Conference championRankings from the Pittsburgh Courier using the Dickinson Ratings System. | 1947 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Southern $ 7 –0 –010 –2 –0 No. 17 Prairie View A&M 5 –2 –06 –6 –0 No. 16 Texas College 3 –1 –15 –2 –3 Bishop 3 –2 –23 –4 –3 No. 20 Wiley 3 –3 –14 –3 –2 Langston 2 –4 –12 –7 –1 Samuel Huston 1 –6 –03 –9 –0 Arkansas AM&N 0 –6 –12 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from the Pittsburgh Courier using the Dickinson Ratings System. | 1947 Texas Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T McMurry + 4 –1 –07 –3 –1 Hardin + 4 –1 –07 –4 –0 Abilene Christian 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Howard Payne 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Austin 2 –3 –02 –6 –1 Southwestern (TX) 0 –5 –03 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1947 Volunteer State Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Middle Tennessee $ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 Tennessee Tech 1 –1 –04 –7 –0 Union (TN) 1 –1 –05 –5 –0 Cumberland (TN) 0 –2 –15 –5 –1 Austin Peay 0 –2 –13 –6 –1 Milligan 0 –1 –05 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1947 Washington Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Pacific Lutheran + 4 –0 –17 –0 –2 Eastern Washington + 4 –0 –16 –1 –1 Western Washington 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Central Washington 2 –3 –03 –4 –0 Saint Martin's 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Whitworth 0 –5 –03 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1947 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Potomac State $ 6 –0 –26 –1 –2 West Liberty State 3 –0 –18 –0 –2 Fairmont State 4 –1 –04 –3 –1 West Virginia Tech 4 –2 –00 –5 –3 Davis & Elkins 4 –3 –04 –4 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 3 –2 –06 –2 –0 Morris Harvey 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Salem 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Glenville State 2 –5 –15 –3 –0 Concord 0 –5 –11 –6 –1 Shepherd 0 –6 –10 –6 –1 Marshall * 1 –0 –09 –3 –0 Bethany (WV) * 0 –2 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion * – Did not qualify for conference standings Ties did not count in conference standings. |
| 1947 Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division River Falls State x 4 –0 –07 –1 –0 Superior State 3 –1 –06 –1 –0 La Crosse State 2 –2 –03 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Stout Institute]] 1 –3 –01 –5 –2 [[{{{school}}}|Eau Claire State]] 0 –4 –02 –6 –0 Southern Division [[{{{school}}}|Milwaukee State]] x 4 –0 –06 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Stevens Point State]] 2 –2 –02 –5 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Whitewater State]] 1 –2 –12 –3 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Platteville State]] 1 –2 –11 –2 –2 [[{{{school}}}|Oshkosh State]] 1 –3 –03 –4 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions 0 | 1947 Yankee Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T New Hampshire $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0 Maine 2 –1 –06 –1 –0 Connecticut 1 –2 –02 –4 –0 Rhode Island State 1 –3 –03 –4 –0 Massachusetts 0 –1 –13 –4 –1 Vermont 0 –1 –13 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion |

### Non-major independents

1947 Eastern non-major college football independents records :
| 1947 Eastern non-major college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Muhlenberg   –  9 –1 –0 Buffalo   –  8 –1 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Hofstra]]   –  5 –3 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Tufts]]   –  5 –3 –0 Lehigh   –  5 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Franklin & Marshall]]   –  4 –3 –1 Springfield   –  4 –4 –0 CCNY   –  2 –5 –1 Bucknell   –  2 –7 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Carnegie Tech]]   –  0 –6 –0 Drexel   –  0 –8 –0 Rankings from AP Poll | 1947 Midwestern college football independents records Conf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Youngstown   –  8 –2 –0 Ball State   –  5 –1 –2 Ohio Wesleyan   –  6 –2 –1 Wayne   –  5 –2 –0 Dayton   –  6 –3 –0 Washington University   –  5 –3 –0 Bowling Green   –  5 –5 –0 Xavier   –  4 –4 –1 Central Michigan   –  2 –5 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Valparaiso]]   –  2 –5 –1 Michigan State Normal   –  1 –6 –0 Rankings from AP Poll | 1947 Southern college non-major football independents records Conf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Princess Anne   –  8 –0 –0 Grambling   –  10 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Sewanee]]   –  6 –1 –1 Memphis State   –  6 –2 –1 Texas State   –  9 –3 –0 Mississippi Southern   –  7 –3 –0 Oklahoma City   –  7 –3 –0 East Tennessee State   –  5 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Catholic University]]   –  3 –3 –0 Delaware   –  4 –4 –0 Tennessee Tech   –  4 –7 –0 CCUNC   –  1 –3 –0 Florida State   –  0 –5 –0 |
| 1947 Western non-major college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Pepperdine   –  9 –0 –0 Hawaii   –  8 –5 –0 Cal Poly San Dimas   –  4 –4 –1 [[{{{school}}}|La Verne]]   –  3 –4 –0 Idaho State   –  3 –5 –1 Loyola (CA)   –  3 –7 –0 |

## Bowl games
### Major bowls

| Bowl game | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| Rose Bowl | No. 2 Michigan | 49 | No. 8 USC | 0 |
| Sugar Bowl | No. 5 Texas | 27 | No. 6 Alabama | 7 |
| Orange Bowl | No. 10 Georgia Tech | 20 | No. 12 Kansas | 14 |
| Cotton Bowl Classic | No. 3 SMU | 13 | No. 4 Penn State | 13 |

### Other bowls

| Bowl game | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| Sun Bowl | Miami (OH) | 13 | Texas Tech | 12 |
| Gator Bowl | Georgia | 20 | Maryland | 20 |
| Tangerine Bowl | Catawba | 7 | Marshall | 0 |
| Dixie Bowl | Arkansas | 21 | No. 14 William & Mary | 19 |
| Raisin Bowl | Pacific (CA) | 26 | Wichita | 14 |
| Harbor Bowl | Hardin–Simmons | 53 | San Diego State | 0 |
| Salad Bowl | Nevada | 13 | North Texas State | 6 |
| Delta Bowl | No. 13 Ole Miss | 13 | TCU | 9 |
| Great Lakes Bowl | Kentucky | 24 | Villanova | 14 |
| Pineapple Bowl | Hawaii | 33 | Redlands | 32 |

## Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player
| Player | School | Position | Total |
| Johnny Lujack | Notre Dame | QB | 742 |
| Bob Chappuis | Michigan | HB | 555 |
| Doak Walker | SMU | HB | 196 |
| Charlie Conerly | Ole Miss | HB/QB | 186 |
| Harry Gilmer | Alabama | HB | 115 |
| Bobby Layne | Texas | QB | 75 |
| Chuck Bednarik | Penn | C | 65 |
| Bill Swiacki | Columbia | E | 61 |
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