1940 college football season

The 1940 college football season ended with the Gophers of the University of Minnesota being named the nation’s #1 team and national champion by the AP Poll, and the Stanford University Indians in second, with the two teams receiving 65 and 44 first place votes respectively. Each writer listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the twenty teams with the highest number of points. Minnesota, Stanford, Boston College, and Florida State all claim 1940 as a national championship season.

1940 college football season
First AP No. 1 of seasonCornell[1]
Number of bowls5
Champion(s)Minnesota (AP)
Boston College (various)
Tennessee (various)
Stanford (Helms, Poling)
HeismanTom Harmon, (halfback, Michigan)
football seasons

Conference and program changes

Conference changes
  • One conference began play during 1940:
  • One conference played its final season in 1940:

Membership changes
School1939 Conference1940 Conference
Chicago MaroonsBig TenDropped Program
St. Joseph's (PA) HawksIndependentDropped Program

September

September 28 Defending champion Texas A&M beat Texas A&I (later the university’s Kingsville campus), 26-0. Tennessee beat Mercer 49-0. USC and Washington State played to a 14-14 tie. Tulane lost to Boston College 27-7. Michigan won at California 41-0. Minnesota defeated Washington 19-14 in Minneapolis.

October

October 5 In San Antonio, Texas A&M beat Tulsa 41-6. Tennessee beat Duke 13-0. Cornell beat Colgate 34-0. Northwestern won at Syracuse, 40-0. Minnesota beat Nebraska 13-7. Michigan beat Michigan State 21-14.

October 12 Cornell won at Army 45-0. In Los Angeles, Texas A&M beat UCLA, 7-0, and was ranked 2nd in the AP poll that followed. Tennessee beat Chattanooga 53-0 and was fifth in the next poll. Northwestern beat Ohio State 6-3. Michigan won at Harvard 26-0.

October 19 #1 Cornell beat Syracuse 33-6. #2 Texas A&M beat TCU 21-7. #3 Michigan beat Illinois 28-0. #4 Northwestern won at Wisconsin 27-7. In Birmingham, #5 Tennessee beat Alabama, 27-12. In Columbus, #7 Minnesota beat #15 Ohio State 13-7. #6 Notre Dame beat Carnegie Tech 61-0.

October 26 #1 Cornell beat Ohio State 21-7. #2 Notre Dame won at Illinois 26-0. #3 Michigan beat Pennsylvania 14-0. #4 Texas A&M won at Baylor 14-7. #5 Tennessee beat Florida 14-0. #6 Minnesota beat Iowa 34-6.

November

November 2 #1 Cornell beat Columbia 27–0. #2 Notre Dame beat Army 7–0 at Yankee Stadium. #3 Michigan was idle. #4 Minnesota narrowly won at Northwestern, 13-12. #5 Texas A&M beat Arkansas 17-0. #7 Tennessee beat LSU 28-0.

November 9 #1 Cornell beat Yale 21-0, but dropped to second in the next poll. #2 Minnesota and #3 Michigan both unbeaten (5-0-0) met in Minneapolis, with the Gophers winning by one point, 7-6. #4 Texas A&M won at SMU 19-7. #5 Tennessee won at Rhodes College 41-0. #6 Stanford beat Washington 20-10 to advance its record to 7-0-0.

November 16 #1 Minnesota beat Purdue 33-6. #2 Cornell lost at Dartmouth 3-0. #3 Texas A&M beat Rice 25-0. #4 Stanford beat Oregon State 28-14. #5 Tennessee beat Virginia 41-14. #8 Boston College beat Georgetown 19-18 to extend its record to 8-0-0

November 23 #1 Minnesota closed its season with a 22-13 win at Wisconsin. #2 Texas A&M and #3 Stanford were idle. #4 Boston College beat Auburn 33-7. #5 Cornell. #7 Michigan won at Ohio State to close its season at 7-1-0.

On Thanksgiving Day #2 Texas A&M lost at Texas 7-0.

November 30 #3 Stanford closed its season with a 13-7 win at California. #4 Boston College defeated Holy Cross 7-0.

Conference standings

Major conference standings
1940 Big Six Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 7 Nebraska $ 5 –0 –0  8 –2 –0
Oklahoma 4 –1 –0  6 –3 –0
Missouri 3 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Iowa State 2 –3 –0  4 –5 –0
Kansas State 1 –4 –0  2 –7 –0
Kansas 0 –5 –0  2 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1940 Big Ten football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 1 Minnesota $ 6 –0 –0  8 –0 –0
No. 3 Michigan 3 –1 –0  7 –1 –0
No. 8 Northwestern 4 –2 –0  6 –2 –0
Ohio State 3 –3 –0  4 –4 –0
Wisconsin 3 –3 –0  4 –4 –0
Iowa 2 –3 –0  4 –4 –0
Indiana 2 –3 –0  3 –5 –0
Purdue 1 –4 –0  2 –6 –0
Illinois 0 –5 –0  1 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1940 Border Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Arizona State $ 3 –0 –1  7 –2 –2
Arizona 3 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Texas Mines 3 –1 –1  4 –4 –1
New Mexico 3 –2 –0  5 –4 –0
New Mexico A&M 1 –4 –0  3 –6 –0
Texas Tech 0 –1 –0  9 –1 –1
Arizona State–Flagstaff 0 –5 –0  2 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Middle Three Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 19 Lafayette $ 2 –0 –0  9 –0 –0
Rutgers 1 –1 –0  5 –3 –0
Lehigh 0 –2 –0  2 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1940 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Tulsa $ 4 –0 –0  7 –3 –0
Oklahoma A&M 4 –1 –0  6 –3 –1
Creighton 2 –2 –0  6 –2 –2
Drake 2 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
Washington University 1 –3 –0  3 –6 –0
Saint Louis 1 –3 –0  3 –6 –0
Washburn 0 –4 –0  4 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Mountain States Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Utah $ 5 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Denver 4 –1 –1  6 –2 –1
Colorado 4 –1 –1  5 –3 –1
BYU 2 –3 –1  2 –4 –2
Colorado A&M 1 –3 –2  3 –4 –2
Utah State 2 –4 –0  2 –5 –1
Wyoming 0 –5 –1  1 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 2 Stanford $ 7 –0 –0  10 –0 –0
No. 10 Washington 7 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Oregon State 4 –3 –1  5 –3 –1
Washington State 3 –4 –2  4 –4 –2
Oregon 3 –4 –1  4 –4 –1
California 3 –4 –0  4 –6 –0
USC 2 –3 –2  3 –4 –2
Montana 1 –2 –0  4 –4 –1
UCLA 1 –6 –0  1 –9 –0
Idaho 0 –4 –0  1 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1940 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Montana State 2 –1 –0  4 –4 –0
Colorado State–Greeley 1 –3 –0  2 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 4 Tennessee $ 5 –0 –0  10 –1 –0
No. 9 Mississippi State 4 –0 –1  10 –0 –1
Ole Miss 3 –1 –0  9 –2 –0
Alabama 4 –2 –0  7 –2 –0
Auburn 3 –2 –1  6 –4 –1
LSU 3 –3 –0  6 –4 –0
Georgia 2 –3 –1  5 –4 –1
Florida 2 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
Kentucky 1 –2 –2  5 –3 –2
Tulane 1 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
Vanderbilt 1 –5 –1  3 –6 –1
Georgia Tech 1 –5 –0  3 –7 –0
Sewanee 0 –1 –0  3 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1940 Southern Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Clemson $ 4 –0 –0  6 –2 –1
No. 18 Duke 4 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Wake Forest 4 –2 –0  7 –3 –0
William & Mary 2 –1 –1  6 –2 –1
North Carolina 3 –2 –0  6 –4 –0
Richmond 3 –2 –0  7 –3 –0
VMI 3 –2 –1  7 –2 –1
Furman 4 –3 –0  5 –4 –0
Washington and Lee 1 –1 –1  2 –7 –1
VPI 2 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
NC State 3 –5 –0  3 –6 –0
Maryland 0 –1 –1  2 –6 –1
South Carolina 1 –3 –0  3 –6 –0
Davidson 1 –5 –0  5 –5 –0
The Citadel 0 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1940 Southwest Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 6 Texas A&M 5 –1 –0  9 –1 –0
No. 16 SMU 5 –1 –0  8 –1 –1
Texas 4 –2 –0  8 –2 –0
Rice 4 –2 –0  7 –3 –0
TCU 2 –4 –0  3 –7 –0
Arkansas 1 –5 –0  4 –6 –0
Baylor 0 –6 –0  4 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Independents
1940 Eastern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 5 Boston College   –    11 –0 –0
Duquesne   –    7 –1 –0
No. 14 Penn   –    6 –1 –1
Penn State   –    6 –1 –1
No. 12 Fordham   –    7 –2 –0
No. 15 Cornell   –    6 –2 –0
Princeton   –    5 –2 –1
Columbia   –    5 –2 –2
Brown   –    6 –3 –1
Colgate   –    5 –3 –0
Harvard   –    3 –2 –3
Temple   –    4 –4 –1
Tufts   –    4 –4 –0
Villanova   –    4 –5 –0
Pittsburgh   –    3 –4 –1
Syracuse   –    3 –4 –1
Carnegie Tech   –    3 –5 –0
Manhattan   –    3 –6 –0
NYU   –    2 –7 –0
Yale   –    1 –7 –0
Army   –    1 –7 –1
Massachusetts State   –    1 –8 –0
Rankings from AP Poll
1940 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Wayne   –    4 –1 –3
Detroit   –    7 –2 –0
Notre Dame   –    7 –2 –0
Xavier   –    7 –3 –0
Ohio   –    5 –2 –2
Dayton   –    6 –3 –0
Cincinnati   –    5 –3 –1
Central Michigan   –    4 –3 –1
Marquette   –    4 –4 –0
Michigan State   –    3 –4 –1
Ohio Wesleyan   –    2 –4 –3
Akron   –    2 –5 –2
Western State (MI)   –    2 –5 –0
Michigan State Normal   –    1 –5 –1
Miami (OH)   –    0 –7 –1
1940 Southern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 17 Hardin–Simmons   –    9 –0 –0
No. 13 Georgetown   –    8 –2 –0
Navy   –    6 –2 –1
Delaware   –    5 –3 –0
Western Maryland   –    5 –3 –0
George Washington   –    5 –3 –1
Catholic University   –    4 –3 –1
West Virginia   –    4 –4 –1
East Carolina   –    3 –5 –0
Georgia Teachers   –    3 –5 –0
Oglethorpe   –    2 –6 –0
Oklahoma City   –    1 –7 –3
William & Mary Norfolk Division   –      –  
Rankings from AP Poll
1940 Western college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 11 Santa Clara   –    6 –1 –1
Cal Poly   –    6 –3 –0
Saint Mary's   –    5 –3 –0
Gonzaga   –    5 –4 –1
Nevada   –    4 –4 –1
Humboldt State   –    3 –4 –0
Idaho Southern Branch   –    3 –5 –0
San Francisco State   –    3 –5 –0
Loyola (CA)   –    3 –7 –0
Portland   –    2 –3 –1
Hawaii   –    2 –5 –0
San Francisco   –    1 –6 –1
La Verne   –    0 –6 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

Minor conferences
Conference Champion(s) Record
Alamo Conference West Texas State Teachers 2–0
California Collegiate Athletic Association San Jose State 3–0
Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association Morgan State College 6–0–1
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference St. Benedict's (KS) 4–0
Far Western Conference Pacific (OR) 2–0
Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Butler
Manchester College		 4–0
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Dubuque 7–0
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Kansas Wesleyan 5–1
Lone Star Conference North Texas State Teachers 4–0
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Albion 5–0
Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference Beloit 5–1–1
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Gustavus Adolphus 5–0
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Southwest Missouri State Teachers 5–0
Nebraska College Athletic Conference Doane
Hastings		 3–1
Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association Nebraska State Teachers 2–0–1
New Mexico Intercollegiate Conference Western New Mexico 3–0
North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Iowa State Teachers 5–0
North Dakota College Athletic Conference Mayville State 6–0
Northern Teachers Athletic Conference St. Cloud State Teachers 4–0
Ohio Athletic Conference Wittenberg 6–0
Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Oklahoma Baptist 6–1
Pacific Northwest Conference Willamette 4–0
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Indiana State Teachers
Millersville State Teachers		 7–1
4–0
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Colorado College 2–0–1
South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference Northern State Teachers 3–0
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Redlands 3–1
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Morris Brown 6–1
Southwestern Athletic Conference Langston
Southern		 5–1
Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference Abilene Christian
Howard Payne
Texas Western		 5–1
Washington Intercollegiate Conference Pacific Lutheran 4–0–1
Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference North: La Crosse Teachers
South: Whitewater State Teachers		 4–0
4–0

Minor conference standings
1940 Alamo Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
West Texas State $ 2 –0 –0  7 –3 –0
Texas A&I 1 –1 –0  6 –3 –0
St. Mary's (TX) 0 –2 –0  4 –6 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
San Jose State $ 3 –0 –0  11 –1 –0
Fresno State 1 –1 –1  9 –2 –1
San Diego State 1 –1 –1  5 –3 –1
Santa Barbara State 0 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Franklin & Marshall $ 3 –0 –0  7 –2 –0
Muhlenberg 2 –1 –0  4 –6 –0
Gettysburg 2 –2 –0  4 –4 –0
Drexel 1 –1 –0  2 –6 –0
Ursinus 0 –4 –0  1 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Pacific (CA) $ 2 –0 –0  4 –5 –0
Cal Aggies 2 –1 –0  4 –4 –1
Chico State 1 –2 –0  3 –3 –1
Humboldt State 0 –2 –0  3 –4 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Northern Illinois State 2 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
1940 Lone Star Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
North Texas State $ 4 –0 –0  6 –3 –0
Sam Houston State 3 –1 –0  8 –2 –0
East Texas State 2 –2 –0  4 –4 –0
Stephen F. Austin 1 –3 –0  4 –5 –0
Southwest Texas State 0 –4 –0  3 –5 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Albion $ 5 –0 –0  7 –1 –0
Alma 4 –1 –0  5 –2 –0
Hope 2 –2 –1  3 –3 –1
Hillsdale 2 –2 –1  2 –4 –1
Adrian 1 –4 –0  1 –7 –0
Kalamazoo 0 –5 –0  1 –6 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 New England Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
New Hampshire $ 2 –0 –0  5 –3 –0
Rhode Island State 2 –1 –0  5 –3 –0
Connecticut 1 –2 –0  4 –4} –0
Maine 1 –2 –0  1 –6 –0
Northeastern 0 –1 –0  2 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1940 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Southern +   –      –  
Langston +   –      –  
  • + – Conference co-champions
1940 Texas Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Abilene Christian + 5 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Texas Wesleyan + 5 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Howard Payne + 5 –1 –0  6 –4 –0
Austin 3 –2 –0  ? –? –?
Trinity (TX) 4 –3 –0  4 –5 –1
Southwestern (TX) 2 –5 –0  5 –6 –0
McMurry 1 –6 –0  1 –9 –0
Daniel Baker 0 –6 –0  0 –11 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions

Rankings
Main article: 1940 NCAA football rankings

Bowl games
Main article: 1940–41 NCAA football bowl games
Bowl game Winning team Losing team
Rose Bowl No. 2 Stanford 21 No. 7 Nebraska 13
Sugar Bowl No. 5 Boston College 19 No. 4 Tennessee 13
Orange Bowl No. 9 Mississippi State 14 No. 13 Georgetown 7
Cotton Bowl Classic No. 6 Texas A&M 20 No. 12 Fordham 12
Sun Bowl Western Reserve 26 Arizona State[2] 13

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2009-01-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. http://www.tempe.gov/museum/football/fbasu.htm#bulldogs Archived October 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
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