1954 college football season

1954 college football season
Preseason AP No. 1Notre Dame[1]
Number of bowls7
Champion(s)Ohio State (AP)
UCLA (UPI, FWAA)
HeismanAlan Ameche (fullback, Wisconsin)
← 1953 · football seasons · 1955 →

The 1954 college football season was the 86th season of intercollegiate football in the United States. It saw three major college teams finish unbeaten and untied:

  • Ohio State compiled a 10–0 record in its fourth season under Woody Hayes and defeated USC in the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press (AP) poll and No. 2 in the final United Press (UP) coaches poll. Halfback Howard Cassady was named the team's most valuable player.
  • UCLA compiled a 9–0 record in its sixth season under Red Sanders. The Bruins were ranked No. 1 in the UP poll and No. 2 in the AP poll. The Bruins were also ranked No. 1 by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Despite winning the Pacific Coast Conference championship, UCLA did not play in the Rose Bowl due to a "no repeat" rule (UCLA having played in the game the prior year).[2]
  • Oklahoma compiled a 10–0 record in its 10th season under Bud Wilkinson and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP and UP polls. The Sooners ranked seventh nationally in total offense (382.7 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (186.3 yards per game). The 1954 season was part of a 47-game winning streak that ran from October 10, 1953, to November 9, 1957.

California played all three of the undefeated teams. They lost in week 1 to Oklahoma in Berkeley 27-13, they lost in week 3 to Ohio State in Columbus 21-13, and they lost in week 7 to UCLA in Berkeley 27-6.

Wisconsin fullback Alan Ameche won the Heisman Trophy, and Navy end Ron Beagle won the Maxwell Award. Individual statistical leaders in major college football included Arizona tailback Art Luppino with 1,359 rushing yards and 166 points scored, Oregon quarterback George Shaw with 1,536 yards of total offense, California quarterback Paul Larson with 1,537 passing yards, and California end Jim Hanifan with 44 receptions.

Small college teams with perfect seasons included Omaha (10–0 Tangerine Bowl champion), Juniata (three consecutive undefeated seasons), Trinity (CT) (consecutive perfect seasons), and Whitworth (part of a 21-game winning streak).

  1. ^ "1954 Preseason AP Football Poll". CollegePollArchive.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  2. ^ "Missing Memories : '54 Bruins Might Have Been Best Ever, but They Didn't Reach the Rose Bowl - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. November 14, 1994.