1966 NCAA Division I-A football season

1966 NCAA University Division football season
Total # of teams	119
Preseason AP #1	Alabama Crimson Tide
Regular season	September 17 – December 3, 1966
Number of bowls	8
Bowl games	December 10, 1966 – January 2, 1967
Champions	Notre Dame Fighting Irish (AP, Coaches, NFF) Michigan State Spartans (NFF)
Heisman	Steve Spurrier, Florida QB
← 1965 College football seasons 1967 →

1966 AAWU football standings
	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
USC $	4	–	1	–	0	7	–	4	–	0
#5 UCLA	3	–	1	–	0	9	–	1	–	0
Oregon State	3	–	1	–	0	7	–	3	–	0
Washington	4	–	3	–	0	6	–	4	–	0
California	2	–	3	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
Oregon	1	–	3	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
Washington State	1	–	3	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
Stanford	1	–	4	–	0	5	–	5	–	0

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

1966 ACC football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Clemson $		6	–	1		6	–	4
NC State		5	–	2		5	–	5
Maryland		3	–	3		4	–	6
Virginia		3	–	3		4	–	6
Duke		2	–	3		5	–	5
Wake Forest		2	–	4		3	–	7
South Carolina		1	–	3		1	–	9
North Carolina		1	–	4		2	–	8

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

1966 Big 8 football standings
	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
#6 Nebraska $	6	–	1	–	0	9	–	2	–	0
Colorado	5	–	2	–	0	7	–	3	–	0
Missouri	4	–	2	–	1	6	–	3	–	1
Oklahoma	4	–	3	–	0	6	–	4	–	0
Oklahoma State	4	–	2	–	1	4	–	5	–	1
Iowa State	2	–	3	–	2	2	–	6	–	2
Kansas	0	–	6	–	1	2	–	7	–	1
Kansas State	0	–	6	–	1	0	–	9	–	1

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

1966 Big Ten football standings
	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
#2 Michigan State $	7	–	0	–	0	9	–	0	–	1
#7 Purdue	6	–	1	–	0	9	–	2	–	0
Michigan	4	–	3	–	0	6	–	4	–	0
Illinois	4	–	3	–	0	4	–	6	–	0
Minnesota	3	–	3	–	1	4	–	5	–	1
Ohio State	3	–	4	–	0	4	–	5	–	0
Northwestern	2	–	4	–	1	3	–	6	–	1
Wisconsin	2	–	4	–	1	3	–	6	–	1
Indiana	1	–	5	–	1	1	–	8	–	1
Iowa	1	–	6	–	0	2	–	8	–	0

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

1966 Ivy League football standings
	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
Dartmouth +	6	–	1	–	0	7	–	2	–	0
Harvard +	6	–	1	–	0	8	–	1	–	0
Princeton +	6	–	1	–	0	7	–	2	–	0
Cornell	4	–	3	–	0	6	–	3	–	0
Yale	3	–	4	–	0	4	–	5	–	0
Columbia	2	–	5	–	0	2	–	7	–	0
Penn	1	–	6	–	0	2	–	7	–	0
Brown	0	–	7	–	0	1	–	8	–	0

+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

1966 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
North Texas State $	3	–	1	–	0	8	–	2	–	0
Tulsa	3	–	1	–	0	6	–	4	–	0
Cincinnati	2	–	2	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
Louisville	1	–	3	–	0	6	–	4	–	0
Wichita State	1	–	3	–	0	2	–	8	–	0

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll

1966 SEC football standings
	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
#3 Alabama +	6	–	0	–	0	11	–	0	–	0
#4 Georgia +	6	–	0	–	0	10	–	1	–	0
Florida	5	–	1	–	0	9	–	2	–	0
Ole Miss	5	–	2	–	0	8	–	3	–	0
Tennessee	4	–	2	–	0	8	–	3	–	0
LSU	3	–	3	–	0	5	–	4	–	1
Kentucky	2	–	4	–	0	3	–	6	–	1
Auburn	1	–	5	–	0	4	–	6	–	0
Mississippi State	0	–	6	–	0	2	–	8	–	0
Vanderbilt	0	–	6	–	0	1	–	9	–	0

+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

1966 Southern Conference football standings
	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
East Carolina +	4	–	1	–	1	4	–	5	–	1
William & Mary +	4	–	1	–	1	5	–	4	–	1
West Virginia	3	–	1	–	1	3	–	5	–	2
George Washington	4	–	3	–	0	5	–	5	–	0
Davidson	2	–	3	–	0	4	–	5	–	0
The Citadel	3	–	5	–	0	4	–	6	–	0
Richmond	2	–	4	–	0	2	–	8	–	0
Furman	1	–	4	–	0	3	–	7	–	1
VMI	1	–	4	–	0	2	–	8	–	0

+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

1966 NCAA University Division independents football records
	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
#1 Notre Dame		–		–		9	–	0	–	1
Colgate		–		–		8	–	1	–	1
#8 Georgia Tech		–		–		9	–	2	–	0
Army		–		–		8	–	2	–	0
Dayton		–		–		8	–	2	–	0
Houston		–		–		8	–	2	–	0
Memphis		–		–		7	–	2	–	0
#9 Miami (FL)		–		–		8	–	2	–	1
VPI		–		–		8	–	2	–	1
Syracuse		–		–		8	–	3	–	0
Colorado State		–		–		7	–	3	–	0
New Mexico State		–		–		7	–	3	–	0
West Texas State		–		–		7	–	3	–	0
Villanova		–		–		6	–	3	–	0
Holy Cross		–		–		6	–	3	–	1
Southern Miss		–		–		6	–	4	–	0
UTEP		–		–		6	–	4	–	0
Rutgers		–		–		5	–	4	–	0
Tulane		–		–		5	–	4	–	1
Florida State		–		–		6	–	5	–	0
Buffalo		–		–		5	–	5	–	0
Penn State		–		–		5	–	5	–	0
Air Force		–		–		4	–	6	–	0
Boston College		–		–		4	–	6	–	0
Navy		–		–		4	–	6	–	0
Utah State		–		–		4	–	6	–	0
Xavier		–		–		4	–	6	–	0
Pacific		–		–		4	–	7	–	0
San Jose State		–		–		3	–	7	–	0
Pittsburgh		–		–		1	–	9	–	0

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1966 University Division football season was marked by some controversy as the year of "The Tie," a famous 10–10 game between the two top-ranked teams, Michigan State and Notre Dame on November 19. Both teams were crowned national champions by various organizations after the regular season concluded, and neither participated in bowl game. Alabama finished the regular season undefeated and was third in the AP poll, while Georgia was fourth. Alabama won to win the Sugar Bowl in dominant fashion. During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the major college football teams in the University Division, later known as Division I-A.

The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press (AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International) (UPI). In 1966, both services issued their final polls at the close of the regular season, but before teams competed in bowl games. The Associated Press presented the "AP Trophy" to the winner.

The AP poll in 1966 consisted of the votes of as many as 63 sportswriters, though not all of them voted in every poll. Those who cast votes would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. In the preseason poll for 1966, Alabama was slightly ahead of Michigan State in first place votes (15 vs. 12) and points.

The American Broadcasting Company began showing college football in color this season. By the NCAA rules, only 8 national and 5 regional telecasts were allowed during the season.

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