1939 college football season

American college football season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1939 college football season concluded with the Aggies of The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A&M) being named as the national champions by the voters in the Associated Press writers' poll. Led by consensus All-American fullback John Kimbrough, the Aggies went undefeated at 11–0 and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 212 to 31, with the defense allowing just 54 first downs and 763 yards all season, or 1.71 yards per play. On New Year's Day, Texas A&M defeated Tulane, 14–13 in the Sugar Bowl.

First AP No. 1 of seasonPittsburgh
Number of bowls5
Champion(s)Texas A&M[a]
USC[b]
Cornell[c]
HeismanIowa halfback Nile Kinnick
Quick facts First AP No. 1 of season, Number of bowls ...
1939 college football season
Wallace Wade Stadium during the 1939 Duke-UNC game
First AP No. 1 of seasonPittsburgh
Number of bowls5
Champion(s)Texas A&M[a]
USC[b]
Cornell[c]
HeismanIowa halfback Nile Kinnick
← 1938 Â·
football seasons
· 1940 â†’
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The Volunteers of the University of Tennessee were 10–0 and unscored upon in the regular season. For the second straight year, they finished second in the AP Poll (the final poll in this era came out before postseason bowl games). In the 1940 Rose Bowl, the Volunteers faced the University of Southern California, who scored two touchdowns to defeat them, 14–0. One of that year's seven contemporary math system selectors,[1] Frank Dickinson, named 8–0–2 USC as his No. 1 choice. In 2004, USC decided to recognize this selection to claim a share of the 1939 title.[2][3]

The 1939 Cornell Big Red finished 8–0 and was selected by one (Litkenhous System) of the six other contemporary math systems as its No. 1 team. The remaining five chose Texas A&M.[1]

The first AP Poll of the season was taken after four weeks of play, starting with October 16. 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.

Conference and program changes

Conferences

Programs

More information School, 1938 Conference ...
School1938 Conference1939 Conference
DePaul Blue DemonsIndependentDropped Program
Grinnell PioneersIndependentMissouri Valley
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September

September 30 Defending champion TCU lost at UCLA, 6–2, on September 29, and finished 3–7–0. Tennessee won at N.C. State, 13–0. Duke beat Davidson 26–6. Oklahoma and SMU played to a 7–7 tie. Notre Dame beat Purdue 3–0. Tulane edged Clemson 7–6. Fordham defeated Waynesburg 34–7 in the first-ever televised football game.

October

October 7 Tennessee beat Sewanee 40–0. Duke defeated Colgate 37–0. Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech 17–14. Tulane beat Auburn 12–0. Oklahoma won at Northwestern, 23–0.

October 14 Pittsburgh beat Duke 14–13. Tennessee won at Chattanooga, 28–0. Notre Dame edged SMU, 20–19. Tulane beat Fordham 7–0. Oklahoma beat Texas 24–12. The first AP Poll of the year listed Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tulane, and Tennessee as the top five.

October 21 No. 1 Pittsburgh lost to cross-town rival Duquesne, 21–13. In Cleveland, No. 2 Notre Dame defeated Navy, 14–7. No. 3 Oklahoma beat Kansas 27–7, but still fell to sixth in the next AP Poll. No. 4 Tulane and visiting No. 14 North Carolina played to a 14–14 tie. No. 5 Tennessee continued shutting out its opponents, beating No. 8 Alabama 21–0. No. 6 Michigan visited the Windy City and handed the University of Chicago an 85–0 defeat. No. 9 Texas A&M reached 5–0–0 with a 20–6 win over TCU. No. 10 Ohio State won at Minnesota, 23–20. The AP selected Tennessee, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas A&M, and Ohio State as its top five.

October 28 No. 1 Tennessee defeated Mercer, 17–0. In Pittsburgh, No. 2 Notre Dame edged Carnegie Tech, 7–6. No. 3 Michigan beat Yale 27–7. No. 4 Ohio State lost to No. 7 Cornell, 23–14. No. 5 Texas A&M beat Baylor 20–0. Nebraska defeated Kansas State in the second televised football game 25–9. In the next AP Poll, Tennessee remained at No. 1, while Michigan and Cornell moved ahead of Notre Dame (the Irish were 5–0–0, but each win was by a touchdown or less) and Texas A&M stayed at No. 5.

November

November 4 No. 1 Tennessee won at No. 18 LSU, 20–0. No. 2 Michigan lost at unranked Illinois, 16–7. No. 3 Cornell beat Columbia 13–7. At Yankee Stadium, No. 4 Notre Dame beat Army 14–0. No. 5 Texas A&M won at Arkansas 27–0. No. 7 USC beat No. 11 Oregon State 19–7 in Portland. The next AP Poll was No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 USC, and No. 5 Cornell.

November 11 No. 1 Tennessee shut out The Citadel, 34–0. No. 2 Texas A&M defeated No. 13 SMU 6–2. No. 3 Notre Dame, after several close calls in previous games, finally lost at unranked Iowa, 7–6. No. 4 USC beat Stanford 20–12. No. 5 Cornell narrowly beat Colgate 14–12. No. 6 Oklahoma won at Kansas State 13–10. Tennessee and Texas A&M remained first and second in the next poll, followed by USC, Cornell, and Oklahoma.

November 18 No. 1 Tennessee extended its shutout streak, beating Vanderbilt 13–0. Having outscored its opposition, 186–0, Tennessee had a record of 8–0–0, but fell to second in the poll that followed. Their replacement in the top spot was No. 2 Texas A&M, which won at Rice 19–0. No. 3 USC was idle. No. 4 Cornell won at No. 20 Dartmouth, 35–6, to stay unbeaten, and they swapped spots with USC in the next poll. No. 5 Oklahoma lost at No. 12 Missouri, 7–6. No. 6 Tulane beat Columbia 25–0 to move into fifth place.

In the next poll, Texas A&M—which had gotten none of the first place votes the week before—was first, with 38 votes. Tennessee, which had had 66 of the 85 No. 1 votes the week before, had 33 on the new round of ballots, and finished second. There were 20 for Cornell, and 11 for USC.

November 25 No. 1 Texas A&M and No. 2 Tennessee were idle. In Philadelphia, No. 3 Cornell closed its season with a 26–0 win over Penn, to finish unbeaten and untied at 8–0–0. No. 4 USC won at No. 7 Notre Dame, 20–12. No. 5 Tulane beat Sewanee 52–0. In the next round of voting, Texas A&M and USC tied for first place, with 939 points apiece. Cornell led all teams with 34 first-place votes (A&M received 27 and USC 25), but their 909 overall points put them in third place. Tennessee fell to No. 4 and Tulane remained at No. 5.

On Thanksgiving Day, which fell on November 30 in 1939, No. 1 Texas A&M beat Texas 20–0 to complete a 10–0–0 season, and No. 4 Tennessee won at Kentucky, 19–0. Two days later, December 2, No. 1 USC beat Washington 9–7. No. 5 Tulane beat LSU 33–20. Texas A&M now stood alone in first place, followed by No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 USC, No. 4 Cornell, and No. 5 Tulane.

December 9 No. 1 Texas A&M had finished its season and accepted a bid to the Sugar Bowl. No. 2 Tennessee beat Auburn 7–0. No. 3 USC and No. 9 UCLA played to a 0–0 tie. No. 4 Cornell and No. 5 Tulane had both completed their seasons, and the top five remained unchanged.

Conference standings

Major conference standings

More information Conf., Overall ...
1939 Big Six Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 6 Missouri $5–0–08–2–0
No. 18 Nebraska4–1–07–1–1
No. 19 Oklahoma3–2–06–2–1
Kansas1–4–02–6–0
Iowa State1–4–02–7–0
Kansas State1–4–04–5–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1939 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 15 Ohio State $5–1–06–2–0
No. 9 Iowa4–1–16–1–1
No. 20 Michigan3–2–06–2–0
Purdue2–1–23–3–2
Northwestern3–2–13–4–1
Illinois3–3–03–4–1
Minnesota2–3–13–4–1
Indiana2–3–02–4–2
Wisconsin0–5–11–6–1
Chicago0–3–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1939 Border Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Arizona State $4–0–08–2–1
New Mexico4–2–08–2–0
Texas Tech2–1–05–5–1
Texas Mines3–2–05–4–0
Arizona1–2–06–4–0
New Mexico A&M1–4–03–6–0
Arizona State–Flagstaff0–4–01–6–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Mountain States Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Colorado $5–1–05–3–0
Utah4–1–16–1–2
Denver3–2–15–3–1
BYU2–2–25–2–2
Utah State2–3–13–4–1
Colorado A&M2–4–02–7–0
Wyoming0–5–10–7–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 USC $5–0–28–0–2
No. 7 UCLA5–0–36–0–4
Oregon State6–1–19–1–1
Washington4–4–04–5–1
Oregon3–3–13–4–1
Washington State3–5–04–5–0
Montana1–2–03–6–0
California2–5–03–7–0
Stanford0–6–11–7–1
Idaho0–3–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1939 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 Tennessee +6–0–010–1–0
No. 16 Georgia Tech +6–0–08–2–0
No. 5 Tulane +5–0–08–1–1
Mississippi State3–2–08–2–0
Ole Miss2–2–07–2–0
Kentucky2–2–16–2–1
Auburn3–3–15–5–1
Alabama2–3–15–3–1
Georgia1–3–05–6–0
LSU1–5–04–5–0
Vanderbilt1–6–02–7–1
Florida0–3–15–5–1
Sewanee0–3–03–5–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
1939 Southern Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 8 Duke $5–0–08–1–0
No. 12 Clemson4–0–09–1–0
William & Mary2–0–16–2–1
North Carolina5–1–08–1–1
VMI3–1–16–3–1
Richmond3–1–17–1–2
Furman3–3–05–4–0
Wake Forest3–3–07–3–0
NC State2–4–02–8–0
Washington and Lee1–2–03–4–1
South Carolina1–3–03–6–1
VPI1–4–14–5–1
Davidson1–7–02–7–0
Maryland0–1–02–7–0
The Citadel0–4–03–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1939 Southwest Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Texas A&M $6–0–011–0–0
Baylor4–2–07–3–0
SMU4–2–06–3–1
Texas3–3–05–4–0
Arkansas2–3–14–5–1
TCU1–5–03–7–0
Rice0–5–11–9–1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
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Independents

More information Conf., Overall ...
1939 Eastern college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Cornell â€“ 8–0–0
No. 10 Duquesne â€“ 8–0–1
Swarthmore â€“ 6–0–1
Scranton â€“ 7–0–2
Princeton â€“ 7–1–0
La Salle â€“ 6–1–1
Penn State â€“ 5–1–2
No. 11 Boston College â€“ 9–2–0
No. 17 Fordham â€“ 6–2–0
Villanova â€“ 6–2–0
Boston University â€“ 5–3–0
Brown â€“ 5–3–1
Dartmouth â€“ 5–3–1
Hofstra â€“ 4–3–0
NYU â€“ 5–4–0
Pittsburgh â€“ 5–4–0
Harvard â€“ 4–4–0
Manhattan â€“ 4–4–0
Penn â€“ 4–4–0
Syracuse â€“ 3–3–2
Vermont â€“ 3–3–2
Tufts â€“ 3–4–1
Yale â€“ 3–4–1
Army â€“ 3–4–2
Bucknell â€“ 3–5–0
Carnegie Tech â€“ 3–5–0
Providence â€“ 3–5–0
Columbia â€“ 2–4–2
Massachusetts State â€“ 2–5–2
Colgate â€“ 2–5–1
Temple â€“ 2–7–0
CCNY â€“ 1–7–0
Buffalo â€“ 0–7–0
Rankings from AP Poll
1939 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Central Michigan â€“ 8–1–0
No. 13 Notre Dame â€“ 7–2–0
Michigan Tech â€“ 3–1–1
Ohio â€“ 6–3–0
Detroit â€“ 5–3–1
Akron â€“ 5–4–0
Cincinnati â€“ 4–3–2
Ohio Wesleyan â€“ 5–4–1
Marquette â€“ 4–4–0
Michigan State â€“ 4–4–1
Dayton â€“ 4–4–1
Michigan State Normal â€“ 3–3–1
Wayne â€“ 4–5–0
Xavier â€“ 3–5–1
Western State Teachers â€“ 2–6–1
Miami (OH) â€“ 1–7–1
Rankings from AP Poll
1939 Southern college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Georgetown â€“ 7–0–1
Catholic University â€“ 8–1–1
Hardin–Simmons â€“ 7–1–1
George Washington â€“ 5–3–0
Virginia â€“ 5–4–0
Georgia Teachers â€“ 5–5–0
Oklahoma City â€“ 4–4–2
Roanoke â€“ 4–4–0
Delaware State â€“ 2–2–0
William & Mary Norfolk â€“ 4–5–0
Navy â€“ 3–5–1
West Virginia â€“ 2–6–1
Western Maryland â€“ 1–6–0
Delaware â€“ 1–7–0
East Carolina â€“ 0–8–0
1939 Western college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
San Diego Marines â€“ 11–0–0
No. T–14 Santa Clara â€“ 5–1–3
Gonzaga â€“ 6–2–0
Humboldt State â€“ 5–2–0
Idaho Southern Branch â€“ 5–2–0
Cal Poly â€“ 4–4–1
San Francisco â€“ 4–3–3
La Verne â€“ 3–3–0
Saint Mary's â€“ 3–4–1
Hawaii â€“ 3–6–0
Loyola (CA) â€“ 2–6–1
San Francisco State â€“ 2–4–2
Portland â€“ 1–5–1
Rankings from AP Poll
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Minor conferences

More information Conference, Champion(s) ...
Conference Champion(s) Record
Alamo Conference Texas A&I
West Texas State Teachers		 1–0–1
California Collegiate Athletic Association San Jose State 3–0
Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association Virginia State College 7–0–1
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Wichita 4–0–1
Far Western Conference Nevada 3–0
Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Butler 4–0
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Central (IA)
Upper Iowa		 5–2
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Ottawa (KS) 5–0–1
Lone Star Conference North Texas State Teachers 4–0
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Albion 6–0
Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference DeSales (OH) 4–0
Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference Knox
Ripon		 3–1–1
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Saint Thomas (MN) 4–0–1
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Northwest Missouri State Teachers 5–0
Nebraska College Athletic Conference Hastings 3–0–1
Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association Nebraska State Normal 3–0
North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota State College		 4–1
North Dakota College Athletic Conference North Dakota Science 6–0
Northern Teachers Athletic Conference Winona State Teachers 4–0
Ohio Athletic Conference Muskingum 6–0
Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Central State Teachers (OK) 5–1
Pacific Northwest Conference Pacific (OR) 3–0–2
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Slippery Rock State Teachers 5–0
South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference Northern State Teachers 3–1–1
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Whittier 3–0–1
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Alabama State College 5–1–2
Southwestern Athletic Conference Langston 5–0–1
Texas Conference Abilene Christian
St. Edward's (TX)		 5–1
Washington Intercollegiate Conference Eastern Washington College
Pacific Lutheran		 2–0–1
Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference North: La Crosse Teachers
South: Milwaukee State Teachers		 3–1
4–0
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Minor conference standings

More information Conf., Overall ...
1939 Alabama Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Troy State $3–0–07–4–0
Snead2–0–12–3–2
Marion3–2–04–4–0
Livingston State2–2–04–5–0
St. Bernard0–3–02–4–0
Jacksonville State0–3–10–8–2
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Alamo Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Texas A&I +2–0–16–1–3
West Texas State +2–0–15–3–1
St. Mary's (TX)1–2–05–4–2
Sul Ross0–3–00–7–1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1939 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
San Jose State $3–0–013–0–0
Fresno State1–1–010–1–0
Santa Barbara State1–2–05–4–1
San Diego State0–2–02–7–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wichita $4–0–15–3–2
Emporia State3–2–06–3–0
St. Benedict's3–2–05–3–0
Pittsburg State2–1–23–4–2
Fort Hays State1–3–12–5–2
Southwestern (KS)0–5–01–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Virginia State $7–0–17–1–1
Bluefield State4–1–34–1–4
Johnson C. Smith4–2–07–2–0
Lincoln (PA)4–1–16–1–1
North Carolina A&T3–2–24–2–3
North Carolina College4–3–05–4–0
Hampton3–3–13–3–1
Morgan State2–3–23–3–2
Virginia Union3–4–05–4–0
Shaw3–5–03–5–0
Saint Paul's (VA)2–6–02–6–0
Howard0–6–01–6–0
St. Augustine's0–3–01–3–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Dixie Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Southwestern (TN)2–0–03–5–1
Loyola (LA) $3–1–05–5–0
Mississippi College3–1–16–1–1
Chattanooga2–1–15–2–1
Millsaps2–1–14–3–2
Birmingham–Southern2–3–13–5–1
Howard (AL)2–3–13–6–1
Mercer1–3–03–7–0
Spring Hill0–4–11–7–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Gettysburg $3–0–16–2–1
Muhlenberg2–1–06–4–0
Franklin & Marshall1–1–15–3–1
Drexel0–1–13–5–1
Ursinus0–3–12–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Fresno State2–0–010–1–1
Nevada $3–1–05–4–0
Pacific (CA)2–2–06–6–1
Chico State1–2–02–4–2
Cal Aggies0–3–04–4–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Fresno State was ineligible for the conference championship because they only played two league games.
1939 Illinois College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Illinois Wesleyan $2–0–04–4–0
Knox (IL)2–0–16–1–1
Monmouth (IL)1–0–16–2–2
Illinois College1–0–16–1–1
Wheaton (IL)1–0–12–4–2
Bradley2–1–06–1–2
Lake Forest2–2–05–2–0
Augustana (IL)2–2–04–4–0
North Central0–3–02–4–1
Millikin0–5–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Western Illinois $3–0–15–1–1
Illinois State Normal3–0–24–2–3
Northern Illinois State3–1–05–2–1
Carthage2–1–02–6–1
Eastern Illinois2–2–14–3–1
Elmhurst1–4–01–6–1
Eureka0–2–00–7–0
Southern Illinois0–4–00–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Butler $4–0–07–0–1
Ball State5–1–06–2–0
Manchester4–1–07–1–0
Rose Poly3–1–15–3–1
Earlham5–2–05–2–0
Saint Joseph's (IN)2–1–04–3–0
DePauw3–2–14–3–1
Hanover3–3–04–4–0
Wabash2–3–13–5–1
Central Normal1–3–02–4–0
Valparaiso1–3–02–6–0
Franklin (IN)1–7–01–7–0
Evansville0–4–11–6–1
Indiana State0–3–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Central (IA) +5–2–07–2–0
Upper Iowa +5–2–05–2–0
St. Ambrose2–0–06–1–1
Dubuque4–2–04–4–0
Iowa Wesleyan3–2–15–3–1
Parsons3–2–15–3–1
Loras4–3–04–5–0
Western Union2–2–06–2–1
Penn (IA)2–2–23–3–2
Luther2–3–03–5–0
Simpson (IA)1–5–01–8–0
Buena Vista0–4–11–5–1
Wartburg0–4–10–5–1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1939 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Ottawa $5–0–16–1–1
Bethany (KS)3–2–13–5–1
Baker2–2–23–4–2
Kansas Wesleyan2–2–22–3–4
College of Emporia2–3–12–5–2
McPherson1–3–24–3–2
Bethel (KS)1–4–13–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Lone Star Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
North Texas State $4–0–06–1–0
Sam Houston State2–1–16–2–2
East Texas State2–2–07–3–0
Stephen F. Austin1–3–03–4–2
Southwest Texas State0–3–13–5–2
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Albion $6–0–07–1–0
Hillsdale5–1–06–1–0
Hope3–2–14–2–2
Kalamazoo3–3–03–5–0
Alma2–3–12–5–1
Adrian1–5–02–6–0
Olivet0–6–01–7–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
DeSales (OH) $4–0–06–0–0
Lawrence Tech2–2–04–4–0
Ferris Institute2–2–02–6–0
Assumption (ON)2–2–0?–?–?
St. Mary's (MI)0–4–00–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Middle Three Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Rutgers $2–0–07–1–1
Lafayette1–1–04–5–0
Lehigh0–2–03–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Midwest Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wilberforce $4–1–05–2–0
Kentucky State3–1–06–1–0
Lincoln (MO)2–2–04–3–0
West Virginia State2–2–02–3–1
Tennessee State1–2–04–3–1
Louisville Municipal0–4–01–4–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Midwest Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Knox +3–1–16–1–1
Ripon +3–1–13–1–2
Cornell (IA)4–2–07–2–0
Monmouth (IL)2–2–26–2–2
Carleton3–3–04–3–0
Beloit2–3–14–3–1
Coe2–3–12–5–2
Grinnell2–3–03–5–1
Lawrence1–4–02–5–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1939 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
St. Thomas (MN) $4–0–16–1–1
Saint Mary's (MN)4–1–05–2–0
Macalester2–1–34–1–3
Gustavus Adolphus3–2–06–2–0
Saint John's (MN)3–2–05–2–0
St. Olaf1–3–12–4–1
Concordia (MN)0–3–22–4–2
Hamline0–5–11–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Missouri Valley +3–1–07–1–0
Culver–Stockton +3–1–04–4–0
William Jewell2–2–03–5–0
Central (MO)1–3–02–5–1
Tarkio1–3–01–7–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1939 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Maryville (MO) $5–0–09–0–0
Springfield (MO)3–1–17–1–1
Missouri Mines3–2–05–4–0
Warrensburg1–2–23–3–3
Cape Girardeau1–3–15–3–1
Kirksville0–5–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Washington University $4–1–06–3–1
Oklahoma A&M3–1–05–4–1
Tulsa2–1–14–5–1
Drake2–3–05–5–0
Saint Louis1–2–15–3–2
Creighton2–4–04–5–0
Washburn1–3–06–4–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Montana Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Montana Mines $3–0–03–2–0
Carroll (MT)2–1–03–4–0
Billings Polytechnic1–2–02–3–0
Montana Normal0–3–0?–?–?
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Nebraska College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Hastings *3–0–16–3–1
Midland2–0–24–1–4
Doane2–2–04–4–0
Nebraska Wesleyan1–3–02–7–0
York (NE)0–3–12–4–3
  • * The conference title was declared vacant after the season because Hastings used an ineligible player.
1939 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Peru State $3–0–07–1–1
Chadron State2–1–04–3–1
Wayne State (NE)1–2–03–5–1
Kearney State0–3–03–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 New England Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Maine $3–0–05–2–0
Connecticut1–1–05–3–0
New Hampshire1–1–03–5–0
Rhode Island State1–2–03–4–1
Northeastern0–2–00–6–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 North Central Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
South Dakota State +4–1–07–2–0
North Dakota +4–1–05–3–0
South Dakota +4–1–04–5–0
Iowa State Teachers3–1–05–3–1
Omaha1–3–03–5–0
Morningside1–5–02–6–0
North Dakota Agricultural0–5–01–6–1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1939 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Wahpeton $6–0–06–1–0
Ellendale5–1–05–2–0
Mayville State5–2–05–3–0
Valley City State2–4–02–5–0
Jamestown1–3–12–5–1
Dickinson State1–3–11–4–1
Bottineau0–3–2?–?–?
Minot State0–4–20–6–2
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 North State Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Appalachian State +3–0–17–1–2
Lenoir Rhyne +4–0–26–1–3
Elon4–2–05–5–0
Catawba2–1–16–2–2
High Point2–4–04–6–0
Western Carolina0–4–11–6–1
Guilford0–4–11–7–1
  • + – Conference co-champions
1939 Northern Teachers College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Winona State $4–0–07–1–0
Duluth State3–1–05–1–1
Moorhead State3–1–04–3–1
Bemidji State1–3–13–3–1
Mankato State0–2–20–4–2
St. Cloud State0–4–12–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Pacific (OR) $3–0–23–2–2
Willamette3–1–13–4–2
Whitman3–2–04–3–0
Linfield2–3–02–7–0
Puget Sound1–3–01–5–1
College of Idaho0–3–14–4–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Muskingum $7–0–08–1–0
Toledo1–0–07–3–0
Capital5–1–05–2–0
Case3–1–06–2–0
Bowling Green3–1–16–1–1
Findlay3–1–14–2–1
Denison5–2–06–2–0
John Carroll2–1–07–1–0
Wittenberg4–2–05–3–0
Ohio Northern5–3–05–3–0
Marietta2–3–04–3–0
Mount Union2–3–13–5–1
Wooster2–4–02–6–0
Baldwin–Wallace1–2–06–2–0
Heidelberg2–5–01–8–0
Ashland1–3–02–4–0
Kent State1–3–13–4–1
Oberlin0–3–03–4–1
Kenyon0–3–00–6–1
Otterbein0–7–00–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Central State (OK) $5–1–05–3–0
Oklahoma Baptist4–2–08–2–0
East Central4–2–07–2–0
SE Oklahoma State3–2–15–5–1
SW Oklahoma State2–3–12–5–3
NW Oklahoma State1–5–02–6–0
Northeastern State1–5–02–7–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Pennsylvania State Teachers Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Slippery Rock $5–0–08–0–0
West Chester3–0–03–3–3
Clarion2–0–15–1–1
Lock Haven5–1–05–4–0
Indiana (PA)4–2–24–2–2
Mansfield3–2–04–3–0
East Stroudsburg3–2–03–5–0
Shippensburg3–3–13–3–1
Kutztown2–3–05–3–0
California (PA)1–3–01–7–0
Millersville1–4–02–5–0
Edinboro0–5–01–6–0
Bloomsburg0–7–00–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Colorado Mines $4–0–08–0–0
Colorado State–Greeley3–1–04–4–0
Western State (CO)1–2–02–5–1
Montana State0–2–02–7–0
Colorado College0–3–02–5–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Smoky Mountain Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Carson–Newman $4–1–24–3–2
Milligan4–2–06–3–0
East Tennessee State Teachers4–2–05–3–0
Maryville (TN)2–3–14–5–1
Cumberland (TN)1–5–02–7–0
Tusculum0–5–00–7–1
Appalachian State *2–0–07–1–2
King *3–2–17–3–1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * Appalachian State and King were ruled ineligible for conference competition.
1939 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Augustana (SD) $5–0–06–2–0
Northern State3–1–15–1–1
Yankton3–1–14–3–1
Huron3–3–04–4–0
South Dakota Mines2–2–03–4–0
Dakota Wesleyan2–3–02–5–0
Sioux Falls2–3–02–6–0
Spearfish1–3–03–4–0
Southern Normal1–4–02–5–0
Eastern Normal0–2–00–4–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Southern California Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Whittier $3–0–18–2–1
Pomona2–1–14–3–1
Occidental2–2–03–5–0
Redlands2–2–03–7–0
Caltech0–4–02–6–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Louisiana Normal $7–0–011–0–0
Tennessee Tech4–0–06–3–1
Mississippi College3–0–06–1–1
Miami (FL)2–0–05–5–0
Rollins5–1–010–1–0
Western Kentucky State Teachers5–1–17–1–1
Mississippi State Teachers4–1–04–2–3
Murray State4–1–14–4–1
Newberry3–1–14–1–4
Presbyterian3–1–24–3–2
Georgetown (KY)2–1–14–4–1
Eastern Kentucky3–2–06–3–0
Union (TN)3–2–07–2–0
Morehead State2–2–06–2–0
Louisville1–1–15–2–1
Union (KY)1–1–13–3–1
Oglethorpe3–3–13–4–1
Centre1–1–11–5–2
Centenary1–1–02–9–1
Louisiana Tech3–4–05–6–0
West Tennessee State Teachers3–4–03–8–0
Troy State2–3–07–4–0
SW Louisiana2–3–03–5–1
Stetson2–4–23–5–2
Louisiana College2–5–04–6–1
Middle Tennessee State Teachers1–5–11–6–1
Erskine1–5–01–9–0
Delta State1–6–01–9–0
Wofford0–2–31–5–3
Tampa0–3–12–7–1
Jacksonville State0–3–10–8–2
Transylvania0–7–01–8–0
Emory and Henry0–0–07–2–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Alabama State $5–1–26–2–2
Florida A&M5–2–07–2–1
Xavier (LA)4–2–05–5–0
Lane2–2–14–3–1
Morris Brown5–2–27–2–2
Morehouse3–2–14–3–1
Tuskegee2–6–03–7–0
South Carolina State3–3–14–3–1
Knoxville3–4–14–4–1
Clark (GA)2–4–03–4–0
Fisk0–5–00–7–0
Benedict2–1–05–2–1
LeMoyne2–3–03–4–1
Talladega1–2–01–3–1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Standings were based on Dickinson System ratings. Benedict, LeMoyne, and Talladega were not rated.
1939 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Langston $5–0–17–0–1
Prairie View3–2–15–2–1
Arkansas AM&N3–2–16–3–1
Bishop2–2–23–2–2
Wiley3–3–06–5–0
Southern1–4–14–5–1
Texas College1–5–01–6–1
  • $ – Conference champion
1939 Texas Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Abilene Christian +5–1–06–2–1
St. Edward's +5–1–06–3–0
Trinity (TX)4–1–26–3–2
Howard Payne4–2–15–4–1
Texas Wesleyan2–2–14–5–2
Southwestern (TX)3–3–03–5–0
Daniel Baker3–4–04–6–0
McMurry1–6–01–6–0
Austin0–7–00–10–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1939 Washington Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Pacific Lutheran +2–1–07–1–0
Eastern Washington +2–1–05–3–0
Central Washington1–2–05–2–0
Western Washington1–2–05–2–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1939 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
West Liberty State $5–0–08–2–0
Glenville State6–2–16–2–1
Concord3–1–14–4–1
Morris Harvey2–2–15–3–1
New River State2–3–00–3–4
Potomac State1–3–02–5–1
West Virginia Wesleyan1–3–01–8–0
Salem1–5–21–6–2
Fairmont State1–5–02–6–0
Shepherd0–4–01–6–0
Marshall *3–0–09–2–0
Davis & Elkins *3–0–05–4–1
Bethany (WV) *1–1–13–3–1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Did not qualify for conference standings
    Ties did not count in conference standings.
1939 Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
La Crosse State x3–1–03–4–0
Superior State2–1–15–1–2
Eau Claire State2–2–02–5–0
Stout Institute1–2–11–5–1
River Falls State1–3–03–4–0
Southern Division
Milwaukee State x4–0–05–1–1
Whitewater State3–1–05–1–0
Platteville State2–2–04–2–0
Stevens Point State1–3–02–6–0
Oshkosh State0–4–01–5–0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Close

Rankings

Main article: 1939 college football rankings

Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player

More information Player, School ...
PlayerSchoolPositionTotal
Nile KinnickIowaHB651
Tom HarmonMichiganHB405
Paul ChristmanMissouriQB391
George CafegoTennesseeHB296
Close

Bowl games

Main article: 1939–40 NCAA football bowl games
Cotton Bowl
More information Bowl game, Winning team ...
Bowl game Winning team Losing team
Rose Bowl No. 3 USC 14 No. 2 Tennessee 0
Sugar Bowl No. 1 Texas A&M 14 No. 5 Tulane 13
Orange Bowl No. 16 Georgia Tech 21 No. 6 Missouri 7
Cotton Bowl Classic No. 12 Clemson 6 No. 11 Boston College 3
Sun Bowl Arizona State 0 Catholic University 0
Close

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    per AP poll, Boand System, Dunkel System, Houlgate System, Poling System, Williamson System, Berryman QPRS, Billingsley Report, College Football Researchers Association, DeVold System, Helms Athletic Foundation, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin Ratings Elo chess method
  2. [b]
    per Dickinson System
  3. [c]
    per Litkenhous Ratings and Sagarin Ratings Predictor method

References

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