# 1973 NCAA Division I football rankings

Two human polls comprised the 1973 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I 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

| | Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 10 | Week 2 Sep 17 | Week 3 Sep 24 | Week 4 Oct 1 | Week 5 Oct 8 | Week 6 Oct 15 | Week 7 Oct 22 | Week 8 Oct 29 | Week 9 Nov 5 | Week 10 Nov 12 | Week 11 Nov 19 | Week 12 Nov 26 | Week 13 Dec 3 | Week 14 (Final) Jan | |
| 1. | USC (55) | USC (0–0) (49) | USC (1–0) (38) | USC (2–0) (36) | Ohio State (2–0) (35) | Ohio State (3–0) (41) | Ohio State (4–0) (39) | Ohio State (5–0) (35) | Ohio State (6–0) (36) | Ohio State (7–0) (35) | Ohio State (8–0) (35) | Ohio State (9–0) (34) | Alabama (10–0) (36) | Alabama (11–0) (34) | Notre Dame (11–0) (33) | 1. |
| 2. | Ohio State (2) | Nebraska (1–0) (8) | Nebraska (1–0) (8) | Nebraska (2–0) (12) | Nebraska (3–0) (10) | Nebraska (4–0) (9) | Alabama (5–0) (6) | Alabama (6–0) (12) | Alabama (7–0) (12) | Alabama (8–0) (14) | Alabama (8–0) (13) | Alabama (9–0) (16) | Oklahoma (9–0–1) (20) | Oklahoma (10–0–1) (16) | Ohio State (10–0–1) (11) | 2. |
| 3. | Texas (1) | Ohio State (0–0) (2) | Ohio State (1–0) (11) | Ohio State (1–0) (8) | Alabama (3–0) (6) | Alabama (4–0) (6) | Oklahoma (3–0–1) (8) | Oklahoma (4–0–1) (8) | Oklahoma (5–0–1) (9) | Oklahoma (6–0–1) (7) | Oklahoma (7–0–1) (10) | Oklahoma (8–0–1) (9) | Ohio State (9–0–1) (2) | Notre Dame (10–0) (2) | Oklahoma (10–0–1) (16) | 3. |
| 4. | Nebraska (2) | Texas (0–0) | Alabama (1–0) (2) | Michigan (2–0) (1) | USC (2–0–1) (3.5) | USC (3–0–1) (1) | Michigan (5–0) (1) | Michigan (6–0) (1) | Michigan (7–0) (1) | Michigan (8–0) (1) | Michigan (9–0) (1) | Michigan (10–0) (1) | Michigan (10–0–1) (1) | Ohio State (9–0–1) (2) | Alabama (11–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Michigan (2) | Michigan (0–0) (1) | Michigan (1–0) | Alabama (2–0) (1) | Michigan (3–0) (2) | Michigan (4–0) (1) | Penn State (5–0) (4) | Penn State (6–0) (4) | Notre Dame (6–0) | Notre Dame (7–0) (1) | Notre Dame (8–0) (1) | Notre Dame (8–0) (1) | Notre Dame (9–0) (2) | Michigan (10–0–1) (1) | Penn State (12–0) | 5. |
| 6. | Alabama | Alabama (0–0) | Texas (0–0) | Penn State (2–0) (2) | Oklahoma (1–0–1) (1.5) | Oklahoma (2–0–1) | USC (4–0–1) | USC (5–0–1) | Penn State (7–0) (4) | Penn State (8–0) (4) | Penn State (9–0) (1) | Penn State (10–0) (1) | Penn State (11–0) (2) | Penn State (11–0) (3) | Michigan (10–0–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Penn State (1) | Penn State (0–0) (1) | Penn State (1–0) (1) | Notre Dame (1–0) | Penn State (3–0) (3) | Penn State (4–0) (3) | Missouri (5–0) (1) | Missouri (6–0) (1) | LSU (7–0) | LSU (8–0) | LSU (8–0) | LSU (9–0) | USC (9–1–1) | USC (9–1–1) | Nebraska (9–2–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Notre Dame | Notre Dame (0–0) | Notre Dame (0–0) | Oklahoma (1–0) (1) | Notre Dame (2–0) | Tennessee (4–0) | Notre Dame (4–0) | Notre Dame (5–0) | Arizona State (7–0) | USC (6–1–1) | UCLA (8–1) | UCLA (9–1) | LSU (9–1) | Texas (8–2) | USC (9–2–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Tennessee | Tennessee (0–0) | Oklahoma (1–0) | Tennessee (2–0) | Tennessee (3–0) | Notre Dame (3–0) | LSU (5–0) | LSU (6–0) | USC (5–1–1) | UCLA (7–1) | USC (7–1–1) | USC (8–1–1) | Texas (8–2) | UCLA (9–2) | Arizona State (11–1) т | 9. |
| 10. | UCLA | Colorado (0–0) | Tennessee (1–0) | LSU (2–0) | LSU (3–0) | LSU (4–0) | Tennessee (5–0) | Nebraska (5–1) | UCLA (6–1) | Missouri (7–1) | Nebraska (7–1–1) | Nebraska (8–1–1) | UCLA (9–2) | Arizona State (10–1) | Houston (11–1) т | 10. |
| 11. | Colorado т | Oklahoma (0–0) | LSU (1–0) | Auburn (2–0) | Oklahoma State (3–0) | Arizona State (4–0) | Nebraska (4–1) | Arizona State (6–0) | Tennessee (6–1) | Nebraska (6–1–1) | Texas (6–2) | Texas (7–2) | Arizona State (10–1) | Texas Tech (10–1) | Texas Tech (11–1) | 11. |
| 12. | Oklahoma т | Auburn (0–0) | Auburn (1–0) | Oklahoma State (2–0) | Arizona State (3–0) | Missouri (4–0) | Arizona State (5–0) | Houston (6–0) | Missouri (6–1) | Texas Tech (7–1) | Texas Tech (8–1) | Texas Tech (9–1) | Texas Tech (10–1) | Nebraska (8–2–1) | UCLA (9–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Auburn | Arizona State (0–0) | Arizona State (1–0) | Arizona State (2–0) | Texas (1–1) | Texas (2–1) | UCLA (4–1) | UCLA (5–1) | Nebraska (5–1–1) | Texas (5–2) | Arizona State (8–1) | Arizona State (9–1) | Nebraska (8–2–1) | LSU (9–2) | LSU (9–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Arizona State | Florida (0–0) | NC State (2–0) | Texas (0–1) | Houston (3–0) | Houston (4–0) | Houston (5–0) | Tennessee (5–1) | Tulane (6–0) | Arizona State (7–1) | Missouri (7–2) | Houston (8–1) | Houston (9–1) | Houston (10–1) | Texas (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Florida | LSU (0–0) | Florida (1–0) | Houston (2–0) | Missouri (3–0) | UCLA (3–1) | Miami (FL) (3–1) | Tulane (5–0) | Texas Tech (6–1) | Houston (7–1) | Houston (8–1) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (11–0) | 15. |
| 16. | LSU | UCLA (0–1) | Houston (1–0) | Florida (2–0) | UCLA (2–1) | Miami (FL) (2–1) | Colorado (4–1) | Miami (OH) (6–0) | Miami (OH) (7–0) | Tennessee (6–2) | Tennessee (6–2) | NC State (7–3) | NC State (8–3) | NC State (8–3) | NC State (9–3) | 16. |
| 17. | NC State | NC State (2–0) | Oklahoma State (1–0) | UCLA (1–1) | Miami (FL) (2–0) | Colorado (3–1) | Tulane (4–0) | Kansas (4–2) | Colorado (5–2) | Miami (OH) (8–0) | Miami (OH) (9–0) | Tulane (8–1) | Kansas (7–3–1) | Tulane (9–2) | Missouri (8–4) | 17. |
| 18. | Houston | Houston (0–0) | UCLA (0–1) | Miami (FL) (1–0) | Colorado (2–1) | Tulane (3–0) | Kansas (4–1) | Texas Tech (5–1) | Houston (6–1) | Kansas (5–2–1) | Kansas (6–2–1) | Oklahoma State (5–2–2) | Maryland (8–3) | Maryland (8–3) | Kansas (7–4–1) | 18. |
| 19. | North Carolina | North Carolina (0–0) | Colorado (0–1) | NC State (2–1) | SMU (3–0) | Kansas (3–1) | Arizona (5–0) | Texas (3–2) | Auburn (5–2) т | Kent State (7–1) | Arizona (8–1) | Missouri (7–3) | Tennessee (7–3) | Kansas (7–3–1) | Tennessee (8–4) | 19. |
| 20. | Texas Tech | Texas Tech (0–0) | Bowling Green (1–0) тMissouri (1–0) т | Missouri (2–0) | West Virginia (3–0) | Miami (OH) (4–0) | Miami (OH) (5–0) | Richmond (6–0) | Texas (4–2) т | Pittsburgh (5–2–1) | NC State (6–3) | Kansas (6–3–1) тPittsburgh (6–3–1) т | Missouri (7–4) | Tennessee (8–3) | Maryland (8–4) тTulane (9–3) т | 20. |
| | Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 10 | Week 2 Sep 17 | Week 3 Sep 24 | Week 4 Oct 1 | Week 5 Oct 8 | Week 6 Oct 15 | Week 7 Oct 22 | Week 8 Oct 29 | Week 9 Nov 5 | Week 10 Nov 12 | Week 11 Nov 19 | Week 12 Nov 26 | Week 13 Dec 3 | Week 14 (Final) Jan | |
| | | None | Dropped: North CarolinaTexas Tech | Dropped: Bowling GreenColorado | Dropped: AuburnFloridaNC State | Dropped: Oklahoma StateSMUWest Virginia | Dropped: Texas | Dropped: ArizonaColoradoMiami (FL) | Dropped: KansasRichmond | Dropped: AuburnColoradoTulane | Dropped: Kent StatePittsburgh | Dropped: ArizonaTennessee | Dropped: Oklahoma StatePittsburghTulane | Dropped: Missouri | None | |

## Final Coaches Poll

This was the last season in which the final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December. Alabama received 21 of the 34 first-place votes; Oklahoma received nine, Ohio State two, Notre Dame one, and Michigan one.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Sugar, 23–24 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | Big Eight | none |
| 3 | Ohio State | Big Ten | Won Rose, 42–21 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | Independent | Won Sugar, 24–23 |
| 5 | Penn State | Independent | Won Orange, 16–9 |
| 6 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| 7 | USC | Pac-8 | Lost Rose, 21–42 |
| 8 | Texas | Southwest | Lost Cotton, 3–19 |
| 9 | UCLA | Pac-8 | none |
| 10 | Arizona State | WAC | Won Fiesta, 28–7 |
| 11 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Won Cotton, 19–3 |
| 11 | Texas Tech | Southwest | Won Gator, 28–19 |
| 13 | Houston | Independent | Won Bluebonnet, 47–7 |
| 14 | LSU | SEC | Lost Orange, 9–16 |
| 15 | Kansas | Big Eight | Lost Liberty, 18–31 |
| 15 | Tulane | Independent | Lost Bluebonnet, 7–47 |
| 17 | Miami (OH) | Mid-American | Won Tangerine, 16–7 |
| 18 | Maryland | ACC | Lost Peach, 16–17 |
| 19 | San Diego State | PCAA | none |
| 19 | Florida | SEC | Lost Tangerine, 7–16 |
* Prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pac-8 conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl.