# 1968 NCAA University Division football rankings

Two human polls comprised the 1968 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

For the 1968 season, the AP Poll returned to ranking 20 teams per week, after ranking only 10 per week from 1961 to 1967. This was also the second time (first since 1965) that the final AP Poll was conducted in January after the completion of bowl season, rather than at the end of the regular season. The final poll would continue to be conducted after bowl season from this season forward.
| | Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 16 | Week 2 Sep 23 | Week 3 Sep 30 | Week 4 Oct 7 | Week 5 Oct 14 | Week 6 Oct 21 | Week 7 Oct 28 | Week 8 Nov 4 | Week 9 Nov 11 | Week 10 Nov 18 | Week 11 Nov 25 | Week 12 Dec 2 | Week 13 (Final) Jan | |
| 1. | Purdue (14) | Purdue (0–0) (14) | Purdue (1–0) (25) | Purdue (2–0) (42) | Purdue (3–0) (35) | USC (4–0) (23) | USC (5–0) (21) | USC (5–0) (24) | USC (6–0) (19) | USC (7–0) (32) | USC (8–0) (27) | Ohio State (9–0) (21.5) | Ohio State (9–0) (34) | Ohio State (10–0) (44) | 1. |
| 2. | USC (10) | USC (0–0) (8) | Notre Dame (1–0) (19) | USC (2–0) (2) | USC (3–0) (1) | Ohio State (3–0) (12) | Ohio State (4–0) (15) | Ohio State (5–0) (12) | Ohio State (6–0) (14) | Ohio State (7–0) (14) | Ohio State (8–0) (7) | USC (9–0) (24.5) | USC (9–0–1) (2) | Penn State (11–0) (2) | 2. |
| 3. | Notre Dame (3) | Notre Dame (0–0) (2) | USC (1–0) (4) | Penn State (2–0) (1) | Penn State (3–0) (1) | Penn State (4–0) (3) | Kansas (5–0) (5) | Kansas (6–0) (6) | Kansas (7–0) (10) | Penn State (7–0) (1) | Penn State (8–0) (2) | Penn State (9–0) (3) | Penn State (9–0) (3) | Texas (9–1–1) (2) | 3. |
| 4. | Oklahoma | Texas (0–0) (2) | Penn State (1–0) (1) | Florida (2–0) | Ohio State (2–0) | Kansas (4–0) (4) | Penn State (4–0) (1) | Penn State (5–0) (1) | Penn State (6–0) (1) | Michigan (7–1) | Michigan (8–1) | Georgia (7–0–2) (1) | Georgia (8–0–2) | USC (9–1–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Texas (3) | Oklahoma (0–0) | Florida (1–0) | Notre Dame (1–1) | Notre Dame (2–1) | Purdue (3–1) | Notre Dame (4–1) | Tennessee (4–0–1) | Tennessee (5–0–1) (1) | Georgia (6–0–2) | Georgia (7–0–2) (1) | Kansas (9–1) | Texas (8–1–1) | Notre Dame (7–2–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Oregon State (2) | Florida (0–0) | Texas (0–0–1) | Ohio State (1–0) | Kansas (3–0) | Notre Dame (3–1) | Tennessee (4–0–1) | Purdue (5–1) | Purdue (6–1) | Missouri (7–1) | Texas (7–1–1) | Texas (7–1–1) | Kansas (9–1) | Arkansas (10–1) (1) | 6. |
| 7. | Florida (1) | Alabama (0–0) (2) | Alabama (1–0) | Nebraska (3–0) | Florida (3–0) | Florida (4–0) | Purdue (4–1) | Georgia (5–0–1) | Michigan (6–1) | Kansas (7–1) | Kansas (8–1) | Tennessee (7–1–1) | Notre Dame (7–2–1) | Kansas (9–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Penn State | Oregon State (0–0) | UCLA (1–0) | Kansas (2–0) | LSU (3–0) | Tennessee (3–0–1) | Georgia (4–0–1) | California (5–1) | Missouri (6–1) | Texas (6–1–1) | Tennessee (6–1–1) | Arkansas (9–1) | Tennessee (8–1–1) | Georgia (8–1–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Tennessee | Ohio State (0–0) | Nebraska (2–0) | UCLA (2–0) | Nebraska (3–0) | Arkansas (4–0) | Miami (FL) (4–1) | Michigan (5–1) | Georgia (5–0–2) | Notre Dame (6–2) | Arkansas (8–1) | Notre Dame (7–2) | Arkansas (9–1) | Missouri (8–3) | 9. |
| 10. | Alabama | Penn State (0–0) | Houston (1–0–1) | LSU (2–0) | Tennessee (2–0–1) | Georgia (3–0–1) | Syracuse (3–1) | Missouri (5–1) | Texas (5–1–1) | Arkansas (7–1) | Notre Dame (7–2) | Houston (6–1–2) | Oklahoma (7–3) | Purdue (8–2) | 10. |
| 11. | Ohio State | Houston (1–0) | Ohio State (0–0) | Alabama (2–0) | Houston (2–0–1) | Syracuse (3–1) | California (4–1) | Texas (4–1–1) | California (5–1–1) | Tennessee (5–1–1) | Houston (5–1–2) | Oklahoma (6–3) | Purdue (8–2) | Oklahoma (7–4) | 11. |
| 12. | Texas A&M | Tennessee (0–0–1) | Kansas (1–0) | Houston (1–0–1) | Michigan State (3–0) | Miami (FL) (3–1) | Michigan (4–1) | Notre Dame (4–2) | Notre Dame (5–2) | Auburn (6–2) | Purdue (7–2) | Purdue (8–2) | Alabama (8–2) | Michigan (8–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Indiana | Texas A&M (0–0) | Indiana (1–0) | Miami (FL) (2–0) | Ole Miss (3–0) | Nebraska (3–1) | Texas (3–1–1) | SMU (5–1) | Houston (3–1–2) | Oregon State (6–2) | Missouri (7–2) | Michigan (8–2) | Michigan (8–2) | Tennessee (8–2–1) | 13. |
| 14. | Nebraska | Nebraska (1–0) | LSU (1–0) | Arizona State (2–0) | Arkansas (3–0) | Stanford (3–1) | Missouri (4–1) | LSU (5–1) | Arkansas (6–1) | Houston (4–1–2) | Oklahoma (5–3) | Oregon State (7–3) | Oregon State (7–3) | SMU (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Minnesota | Indiana (0–0) | Miami (FL) (1–0) | Tennessee (1–0–1) | Syracuse (2–1) | Texas Tech (3–0–1) | Florida (4–1) | Houston (3–1–1) | Oregon State (5–2) | Purdue (6–2) | Alabama (7–2) | Alabama (7–2) | Ohio (10–0) | Oregon State (7–3) | 15. |
| 16. | UCLA | Minnesota (0–0) т | Tennessee (0–0–1) | Georgia (1–0–1) | California (3–0) | Ole Miss (3–1) | Arkansas (4–1) | Michigan State (4–2) | Ohio (7–0) | Alabama (6–2) | Oregon State (6–3) | Missouri (7–3) | Missouri (7–3) | Auburn (7–4) | 16. |
| 17. | Arizona State | UCLA (0–0) т | Minnesota (0–1) | Texas A&M (1–1) | Georgia (2–0–1) | Texas (2–1–1) | Ole Miss (4–1) | Arkansas (5–1) | Michigan State (4–3) | Ohio (8–0) | Ohio (9–0) | Ohio (10–0) | Arizona State (8–2) | Alabama (8–3) | 17. |
| 18. | LSU | Georgia (0–0–1) | Oregon State (0–1) (1) | California (2–0) | Stanford (3–0) | Michigan (3–1) | LSU (4–1) | Florida State (4–1) | Auburn (5–2) | California (5–2–1) | California (6–2–1) | Auburn (6–3) | Houston (6–2–2) | Houston (6–2–2) | 18. |
| 19. | Syracuse | Miami (FL) (0–0) | Arizona State (1–0) | Michigan State (2–0) | Florida State (2–1) | Indiana (3–1) | Texas Tech (3–0–2) | Ohio (6–0) | Wyoming (6–2) | Indiana (6–2) | Auburn (6–3) | Arizona (8–1) | Florida State (8–2) | LSU (8–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Miami (FL) | LSU (0–0) | Wyoming (1–1) | Arkansas (2–0) | Oregon State (2–1) | LSU (3–1) тMissouri (3–1) т | Florida State (3–1) | Florida (4–1–1) | LSU (5–2) | Wyoming (6–2) | Wyoming (7–2) | Arizona State (7–2) | SMU (7–3) | Ohio (10–1) | 20. |
| | Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 16 | Week 2 Sep 23 | Week 3 Sep 30 | Week 4 Oct 7 | Week 5 Oct 14 | Week 6 Oct 21 | Week 7 Oct 28 | Week 8 Nov 4 | Week 9 Nov 11 | Week 10 Nov 18 | Week 11 Nov 25 | Week 12 Dec 2 | Week 13 (Final) Jan | |
| | | Dropped: Arizona StateSyracuse | Dropped: GeorgiaOklahomaTexas A&M | Dropped: IndianaMinnesotaOregon StateTexasWyoming | Dropped: AlabamaArizona StateMiami (FL)Texas A&MUCLA | Dropped: CaliforniaFlorida StateHoustonMichigan StateOregon State | Dropped: IndianaNebraskaStanford | Dropped: Miami (FL)Ole MissSyracuseTexas Tech | Dropped: FloridaFlorida StateSMU | Dropped: LSUMichigan State | Dropped: Indiana | Dropped: CaliforniaWyoming | Dropped: ArizonaAuburn | Dropped: Arizona StateFlorida State | |

## Final Coaches Poll

The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December. Ohio State received 28 of the 34 first-place votes; USC received four and Penn State two.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | Ohio State | Big Ten | Won Rose, 27–16 |
| 2 | USC | Pac-8 | Lost Rose, 16–27 |
| 3 | Penn State | Independent | Won Orange, 15–14 |
| 4 | Georgia | SEC | Lost Sugar, 2–16 |
| 5 | Texas | Southwest | Won Cotton, 36–13 |
| 6 | Kansas | Big Eight | Lost Orange, 14–15 |
| 7 | Tennessee | SEC | Lost Cotton, 13–36 |
| 8 | Notre Dame | Independent | none |
| 9 | Arkansas | Southwest | Won Sugar, 16–2 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | Big Eight | Lost Bluebonnet, 27–28 |
| 11 | Purdue | Big Ten | none |
| 12 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Gator, 10–35 |
| 13 | Oregon State | Pac-8 | none |
| 14 | Florida State | Independent | Lost Peach, 27–31 |
| 15 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| 16 | SMU | Southwest | Won Bluebonnet, 28–27 |
| 17 | Missouri | Big Eight | Won Gator, 35–10 |
| 18 | Ohio | Mid-American | Lost Tangerine, 42–49 |
| 18 | Minnesota | Big Ten | none |
| 20 | Houston | Independent | none |
| 20 | Stanford | Pac-8 | none |
* 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.