Two human polls comprised the 1970 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.
| 1970 NCAA University Division football rankings | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1970 |
| Bowl season | 1970–71 bowl games |
| Preseason No. 1 | |
| End of season champions | |
Legend
edit| 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
editThis section needs more citations. (November 2025) |
| Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 14 | Week 2 Sep 21 | Week 3 Sep 28 | Week 4 Oct 5 | Week 5 Oct 12 | Week 6 Oct 19 | Week 7 Oct 26 | Week 8 Nov 2 | Week 9 Nov 9 | Week 10 Nov 16 | Week 11 Nov 23 | Week 12 Nov 30 | Week 13 Dec 7 | Week 14 Jan[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ohio State (19) | Ohio State (0–0) (24) | Ohio State (0–0) (14) | Ohio State (1–0) (25) | Ohio State (2–0) (27) | Ohio State (3–0) (20) | Ohio State (4–0) (19) | Texas (5–0) (15) | Texas (6–0) (20) | Notre Dame (7–0) (23) | Texas (8–0) (26) | Texas (8–0) (20) | Texas (9–0) (23) | Texas (10–0) (30) | Nebraska (11–0–1) (39) | 1. |
| 2. | Texas (7) | Texas (0–0) (6) | Texas (1–0) (16) | Texas (2–0) (14) | Texas (3–0) (6) | Texas (4–0) (13) | Texas (4–0) (9) | Ohio State (5–0) (16) | Notre Dame (6–0) (12) | Texas (7–0) (13) | Notre Dame (8–0) (7) | Ohio State (9–0) (14) | Ohio State (9–0) (12) | Ohio State (9–0) (10) | Notre Dame (10–1) (8) | 2. |
| 3. | USC (6) | USC (1–0) (7) | Stanford (2–0) (1) | Stanford (3–0) (1) | Notre Dame (3–0) | Notre Dame (4–0) (4) | Notre Dame (5–0) (4) | Notre Dame (5–0) (4) | Ohio State (6–0) (5) | Ohio State (7–0) (3) | Nebraska (9–0–1) (5) | Nebraska (10–0–1) (6) | Nebraska (10–0–1) (5) | Nebraska (10–0–1) (2) | Texas (10–1) (3) | 3. |
| 4. | Arkansas (1) | Stanford (1–0) | Penn State (1–0) (2) | Notre Dame (2–0) | USC (3–0–1) (3) | Ole Miss (4–0) (1) | Nebraska (5–0–1) (1) | Nebraska (6–0–1) (1) | Nebraska (7–0–1) | Nebraska (8–0–1) (3) | Michigan (9–0) (6) | Notre Dame (9–0) (3) | Arkansas (9–1) | Tennessee (10–1) | Tennessee (11–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Ole Miss (1) | Ole Miss (0–0) (1) | Ole Miss (1–0) (1) | USC (2–0–1) (1) | Ole Miss (3–0) (1) | Nebraska (4–0–1) (1) | Michigan (5–0) (1) | Michigan (6–0) (1) | Michigan (7–0) (2) | Michigan (8–0) (3) | Ohio State (8–0) (1) | Arkansas (9–1) | Tennessee (9–1) | LSU (9–2) | Ohio State (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Notre Dame | Notre Dame (0–0) | Notre Dame (1–0) | Nebraska (2–0–1) | Nebraska (3–0–1) | Michigan (4–0) (1) | Auburn (5–0) (1) | Stanford (6–1) | Stanford (7–1) (1) | Stanford (8–1) | Arkansas (8–1) | LSU (7–2) | Notre Dame (9–1) | Notre Dame (9–1) | Arizona State (11–0) (2) | 6. |
| 7. | Penn State (1) | Penn State (0–0) (1) | USC (1–0–1) (2) | Ole Miss (2–0) | Michigan (3–0) (1) | Air Force (5–0) | Air Force (6–0) (1) | Air Force (7–0) (1) | Arkansas (6–1) | Arkansas (7–1) | LSU (7–1) | Tennessee (8–1) | Michigan (9–1) | Michigan (9–1) | LSU (9–3) | 7. |
| 8. | Michigan | Michigan (0–0) (1) | Nebraska (1–0–1) | Colorado (2–0) | Air Force (4–0) | Auburn (4–0) | Stanford (5–1) | Arkansas (5–1) | Tennessee (6–1) | Auburn (7–1) | Tennessee (7–1) | Michigan (9–1) | LSU (8–2) | Arizona State (10–0) (2) | Stanford (9–3) | 8. |
| 9. | Nebraska | Nebraska (1–0) | Missouri (2–0) | Michigan (2–0) (1) | Auburn (3–0) | Stanford (4–1) | Arkansas (4–1) | Tennessee (5–1) | Air Force (8–0) | LSU (6–1) | Arizona State (8–0) (1) | Arizona State (9–0) (2) | Arizona State (9–0) (2) | Arkansas (9–2) | Michigan (9–1) | 9. |
| 10. | Stanford | Missouri (1–0) | Michigan (1–0) (1) | Air Force (3–0) | Arkansas (3–1) | Arkansas (4–1) | USC (4–1–1) | LSU (5–1) | Auburn (6–1) | Tennessee (7–1) | Air Force (9–1) | Ole Miss (7–1) | Auburn (8–2) | Auburn (8–2) | Auburn (9–2) | 10. |
| 11. | Missouri | Arkansas (0–1) | Houston (1–0) | Arkansas (2–1) | West Virginia (4–0) | USC (3–1–1) | Tennessee (4–1) | Arizona State (6–0) | LSU (5–1) | Arizona State (7–0) (1) | Stanford (8–2) | Auburn (7–2) | Air Force (9–2) | Air Force (9–2) | Arkansas (9–2) | 11. |
| 12. | LSU | LSU (0–0) | Arkansas (1–1) | Auburn (2–0) | Stanford (3–1) | Arizona State (4–0) | Arizona State (5–0) | Auburn (5–1) | Arizona State (6–0) | Ole Miss (6–1) | Ole Miss (7–1) | Air Force (9–2) | Stanford (8–3) | Stanford (8–3) | Toledo (12–0) | 12. |
| 13. | Houston | Kansas State (1–0) | Florida (2–0) | UCLA (3–0) | Georgia Tech (4–0) | Colorado (3–1) | Ole Miss (4–1) | Ole Miss (5–1) | Ole Miss (5–1) | Air Force (8–1) | Auburn (7–2) | Stanford (8–3) | Georgia Tech (8–3) | Georgia Tech (8–3) | Georgia Tech (9–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Kansas State | Florida (1–0) | Oklahoma (2–0) | West Virginia (3–0) | Arizona State (3–0) | Tennessee (3–1) | LSU (4–1) | San Diego State (6–0) | San Diego State (7–0) | San Diego State (8–0) | San Diego State (9–0) | Dartmouth (9–0) | Toledo (11–0) | Dartmouth (9–0) | Dartmouth (9–0) | 14. |
| 15. | Florida | Houston (0–0) | UCLA (2–0) | Georgia Tech (3–0) | UCLA (3–1) | LSU (3–1) | Houston (3–1) | Pittsburgh (5–1) | Toledo (8–0) | Dartmouth (7–0) | Toledo (10–0) | Toledo (11–0) | Dartmouth (9–0) | Toledo (11–0) | USC (6–4–1) | 15. |
| 16. | Alabama | UCLA (1–0) | West Virginia (2–0) | Penn State (1–1) | Missouri (3–1) | Georgia Tech (4–1) | UCLA (4–2) | Oregon (5–2) | UCLA (5–3) | Toledo (9–0) | Dartmouth (8–0) | Georgia Tech (7–3) | Ole Miss (7–2) | USC (6–4–1) | Air Force (9–3) | 16. |
| 17. | South Carolina | West Virginia (1–0) | Tennessee (1–0) | Alabama (2–1) | Colorado (2–1) | Texas Tech (4–1) | San Diego State (6–0) | Missouri (4–3) | Dartmouth (6–0) | UCLA (5–3) | Georgia Tech (7–3) | Penn State (7–3) | USC (6–4–1) | Houston (8–3) | Tulane (8–4) | 17. |
| 18. | UCLA | Oklahoma (1–0) | Colorado (1–0) | Arizona State (2–0) | North Carolina (4–0) | Missouri (3–2) | Pittsburgh (4–1) | USC (4–2–1) | Houston (3–2) | USC (5–3–1) | Northwestern (5–4) | Northwestern (6–4) | Penn State (7–3) | Penn State (7–3) | Penn State (7–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Arizona State | Georgia (0–0) | Georgia Tech (2–0) | North Carolina (3–0) | LSU (2–1) | Houston (2–1) т | Colorado (3–2) т | UCLA (4–3) | Alabama (5–3) | Oregon (6–3) | Texas Tech (8–2) | Colorado (6–4) | Northwestern (6–4) | Texas Tech (8–3) | Houston (8–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Arizona State (0–0) | Air Force (2–0) | Missouri (2–1) | Tennessee (2–1) | UCLA (3–2) т | Toledo (6–0) т | Northwestern (3–3) | Syracuse (4–3) | Kansas State (6–3) | Penn State (6–3) | Washington (6–4) | Oklahoma (7–4) | Oklahoma (7–4) |
| 20. | |
| Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 14 | Week 2 Sep 21 | Week 3 Sep 28 | Week 4 Oct 5 | Week 5 Oct 12 | Week 6 Oct 19 | Week 7 Oct 26 | Week 8 Nov 2 | Week 9 Nov 9 | Week 10 Nov 16 | Week 11 Nov 23 | Week 12 Nov 30 | Week 13 Dec 7 | Week 14 Jan[1] | ||
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| Dropped: Texas Tech |
Coaches Poll
edit| Week 1 Sep 21 | Week 2 Sep 28 | Week 3 Oct 5 | Week 4 Oct 12 | Week 5 Oct 19 | Week 6 Oct 26 | Week 7 Nov 2 | Week 8 Nov 9 | Week 9 Nov 16 | Week 10 Nov 23 | Week 11 Nov 30 | Week 12 Dec 7[2][3] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Texas (1–0) (22) | Texas (10–0) (25) | 1. | ||||||||||
| 2. | Ohio State (0–0) (1) | Ohio State (9–0) (6) | 2. | ||||||||||
| 3. | Penn State (1–0) | Nebraska (9–0–1) | Nebraska (9–0–1) | Nebraska (10–0–1) (2) | 3. | ||||||||
| 4. | Stanford (1–0) (1) | Nebraska (4–0–1) | Nebraska (5–0–1) | Nebraska (6–0–1) | Nebraska (7–0–1) | Nebraska (8–0–1) | Nebraska (9–0–1) | Tennessee (10–1) | 4. | ||||
| 5. | USC (1–0–1) (1) | Nebraska (1–0–1) | Notre Dame (9–1) | 5. | |||||||||
| 6. | Missouri (2–0) (1) | Nebraska (2–0–1) | LSU (9–2) | 6. | |||||||||
| 7. | Ole Miss (1–0) | Michigan (9–1) | 7. | ||||||||||
| 8. | Nebraska (1–0–1) | Arizona State (10–0) | 8. | ||||||||||
| 9. | Notre Dame (1–0) | Auburn (8–2) | 9. | ||||||||||
| 10. | Michigan (1–0) | Stanford (8–3) | 10. | ||||||||||
| 11. | Houston (1–0) | Air Force (9–2) | 11. | ||||||||||
| 12. | UCLA (2–0) | Arkansas (9–2) | 12. | ||||||||||
| 13. | Oklahoma (2–0) | Missouri (3–1) | Houston (8–3) | 13. | |||||||||
| 14. | Tennessee (1–0) | Dartmouth (9–0) | 14. | ||||||||||
| 15. | Florida (2–0) | Oklahoma (7–4) | 15. | ||||||||||
| 16. | Purdue (1–0) т | Colorado (6–4) | 16. | ||||||||||
| 17. | Colorado (1–0) т | Georgia Tech (8–3) т | 17. | ||||||||||
| 18. | Arkansas (1–1) | Toledo (11–0) т | 18. | ||||||||||
| 19. | Auburn (1–0) т | Penn State (7–3) т | 19. | ||||||||||
| 20. |
| USC (6–4–1) т | 20. | ||||||||||
| Week 1 Sep 21 | Week 2 Sep 28 | Week 3 Oct 5 | Week 4 Oct 12 | Week 5 Oct 19 | Week 6 Oct 26 | Week 7 Nov 2 | Week 8 Nov 9 | Week 9 Nov 16 | Week 10 Nov 23 | Week 11 Nov 30 | Week 12 Dec 7[4][5] | ||
| None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | Dropped:
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The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December. Two coaches on the 35-member board did not submit votes. Texas received 25 of the 33 first place votes; Ohio State received six and Nebraska two.
References
edit- 1 2 Thomas, Ben (January 5, 1971). "Nebraska wins the vote as nation's best college club". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. p. 3B.
- ↑ "UPI Poll". Reading Eagle. December 8, 1970. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ↑ "UPI Poll". The Bulletin. December 8, 1970. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ↑ "UPI Poll". Reading Eagle. December 8, 1970. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ↑ "UPI Poll". The Bulletin. December 8, 1970. Retrieved May 3, 2026.