# 1964 NCAA University Division football rankings

Two human polls comprised the 1964 NCAA University Division 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 1964 regular season, a month before the bowls. The poll ranked only the top ten teams from 1962 through 1967.
| | 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. | Ole Miss (20) | Texas (2–0) (14) | Texas (3–0) (32) | Texas (4–0) (30) | Ohio State (4–0) (35) | Ohio State (5–0) (32) | Notre Dame (6–0) (29) | Notre Dame (7–0) (26) | Notre Dame (8–0) (34) | Notre Dame (9–0) (36) | Alabama (10–0) (341⁄2) | 1. |
| 2. | Oklahoma (15) | USC (2–0) (17) | Illinois (2–0) (6) | Ohio State (3–0) (7) | Notre Dame (4–0) (2) | Notre Dame (5–0) (6) | Ohio State (6–0) (11) | Alabama (8–0) (11) | Alabama (9–0) (9) | Alabama (9–0) (6) | Arkansas (10–0) (111⁄2) | 2. |
| 3. | Illinois (10) | Illinois (1–0) (7) | Alabama (3–0) (3) | Alabama (4–0) (2) | Alabama (5–0) (5) | Alabama (6–0) (8) | Alabama (7–0) (7) | Arkansas (8–0) (3) | Arkansas (9–0) (2) | Arkansas (10–0) (4) | Notre Dame (9–1) (6) | 3. |
| 4. | Texas | Alabama (2–0) (4) | Ohio State (2–0) | Notre Dame (3–0) (1) | Arkansas (5–0) (2) | Arkansas (6–0) (1) | Arkansas (7–0) (1) | Nebraska (8–0) | Nebraska (9–0) | Michigan (8–1) (1) | Michigan (8–1) (3) | 4. |
| 5. | Ohio State | Ohio State (1–0) (2) | Kentucky (3–0) (5) | Michigan (3–0) | Nebraska (5–0) | Nebraska (6–0) | Nebraska (7–0) | Texas (7–1) | Texas (8–1) | Texas (8–1) | Texas (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Alabama (1) | Navy (2–0) (1) | Notre Dame (2–0) | Nebraska (4–0) | Texas (4–1) | Texas (5–1) | Texas (6–1) | Michigan (6–1) | Michigan (7–1) | LSU (7–1–1) | Nebraska (9–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Washington (1) | Auburn (2–0) (2) | Michigan (2–0) (1) | Syracuse (3–1) | LSU (4–0) | Oregon (6–0) | Georgia Tech (7–0) | Ohio State (6–1) | Ohio State (7–1) | Nebraska (9–1) | LSU (7–1–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Auburn (1) | Michigan (1–0) | Nebraska (3–0) | Arkansas (4–0) | Syracuse (4–1) | Georgia Tech (6–0) | LSU (5–0–1) | Oregon State (7–1) (1) | LSU (6–1–1) | Oregon State (8–2) | Oregon State (8–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Syracuse | Notre Dame (1–0) | Arkansas (3–0) т | LSU (3–0) | Florida (4–0) | LSU (4–0–1) | Florida (5–1) | LSU (5–1–1) | Syracuse (7–2) | Ohio State (7–2) | Ohio State (7–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Navy | Washington (1–1) (1) | Michigan State (1–1) т | Florida State (4–0) | Florida State (5–0) | Florida (4–1) | Purdue (5–1) | Georgia Tech (7–1) | Oregon (7–1–1) | Florida State (8–1–1) | USC (7–3) | 10. |
| | 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: Ole MissOklahomaSyracuse | Dropped: AuburnNavyUSCWashington | Dropped: IllinoisKentuckyMichigan State | Dropped: Michigan | Dropped: Florida StateSyracuse | Dropped: Oregon | Dropped: FloridaPurdue | Dropped: Georgia TechOregon State | Dropped: OregonSyracuse | Dropped: Florida State | |

## Final Coaches Poll

The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 1. Alabama received 22 of the 35 first-place votes; Arkansas received seven, Notre Dame four, and Michigan two.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Orange, 17–21 |
| 2 | Arkansas | Southwest | Won Cotton, 10–7 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | Independent | none |
| 4 | Michigan | Big Ten | Won Rose, 34–7 |
| 5 | Texas | Southwest | Won Orange, 21–17 |
| 6 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Lost Cotton, 7–10 |
| 7 | LSU | SEC | Won Sugar, 13–10 |
| 8 | Oregon State | AAWU (Pac-8) | Lost Rose, 7–34 |
| 9 | Ohio State | Big Ten | none |
| 10 | USC | AAWU (Pac-8) | none |
| 11 | Florida State | Independent | Won Gator, 36–19 |
| 12 | Syracuse | Independent | Lost Sugar, 10–13 |
| 13 | Princeton | Ivy | none |
| 14 | Penn State | Independent | none |
| 14 | Utah | WAC | Won Liberty, 32–6 |
| 16 | Illinois | Big Ten | none |
| 16 | New Mexico | WAC | none |
| 18 | Tulsa | MVC | Won Bluebonnet, 14–7 |
| 18 | Missouri | Big Eight | none |
| 20 | Michigan State | Big Ten | none |
| 20 | Mississippi | SEC | Lost Bluebonnet, 7–14 |
* Notre Dame did not participate in bowl games from 1925 through 1968.
* Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and 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 following teams were ranked as the top 25 teams in the final Litkenhous Ratings, released in December 1964:
1. Alabama 2. Michigan 3. Notre Dame 4. Arkansas 5. Texas 6. USC 7. Florida State 8. Florida 9. Ohio State 10. Nebraska 11. Illinois 12. Utah 13. Tulsa 14. Purdue 15. Penn State 16. Syracuse 17. UCLA 18. Ole Miss 19. LSU 20. Michigan State 21. Utah State 22. Oregon State 23. Oregon 24. Minnesota 25. Oklahoma