1949 college football season

The 1949 college football season was the 81st season of intercollegiate football in the United States. It concluded with the top four teams undefeated and untied at the end of the regular season:

• Notre Dame compiled a perfect 10–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 360 to 86, and was the consensus national champion, receiving 172 of 208 first-place votes in the final Associated Press (AP) poll.^[2] The Irish led the country in total offense with an average of 434.8 yards per game.^[3] Key players included end Leon Hart (winner of the 1949 Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award); halfback Emil Sitko (712 rushing yards and a consensus All-American); and quarterback Bob Williams (led the country with an average of 159.1 passing yards per game).^[4]

• Oklahoma compiled an 11–0 record, won the Big 7 championship, and defeated LSU in the 1950 Sugar Bowl. The Sooners were ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll and were recognied as national champion by the Billingsley Report and College Football Researchers Association. The Sooners led the country in rushing defense, giving up an average of only 55.6 rushing yards per game.^[3] Head coach Bud Wilkinson won the Coach of the Year Award by the American Football Coaches Association. Darrell Royal was the team's starting quarterback.

• California (10–1) won the Pacific Coast Conference championship, went undefeated in the regular season, and was ranked No. 3 in the AP poll. The Bears lost to Ohio State in the 1950 Rose Bowl. Guard Rod Franz was a first-team All-American for three consecutive years from 1947 to 1949.

• Army went 9–0, outscored opponents by a total of 354 to 89, and won the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy as the best college team in the East. Army defeated No. 1 Michigan on October 8 and jumped to the No. 2 spot in the following poll. The Cadets ended their season ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll. Quarterback Arnold Galiffa completed 50 of 95 passes for 887 yards and was a consensus All-American.

Other notable teams with undefeated records included Pacific (11–0, AP No. 10) and Oregon College of Education (9–0). Morgan State (8–0) and Southern (10–0–1) were each recognized as black college national champion by at least one selector.

The major college individual statistical leaders for 1949 included Drake fullback Johnny Bright with 1,950 yards of total offense; Ole Miss fullback Kayo Dottley with 1,312 rushing yards; North Carolina end Art Weiner with 52 pass receptions; and Oklahoma halfback George Thomas with 114 points scored.^[3]