Final NCAA football standings for 1973
| Atlantic Coast Conference | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #16 North Carolina State | 9 | 3 | 0 | 396 | 251 | Won 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 197 | 93 | Lou Holtz | 
| #20 Maryland | 8 | 4 | 0 | 335 | 141 | Lost 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 173 | 50 | Jerry Claiborne | 
| Clemson | 5 | 6 | 0 | 231 | 263 | Lost 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 147 | 129 | Jimmy "Red" Parker | 
| Virginia | 4 | 7 | 0 | 199 | 300 | Lost 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 122 | 161 | Don Lawrence | 
| Duke | 2 | 8 | 1 | 132 | 204 | Won 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 58 | 99 | Mike McGee | 
| North Carolina | 4 | 7 | 0 | 242 | 266 | Lost 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 150 | 159 | Bill Dooley | 
| Wake Forest | 1 | 9 | 1 | 73 | 326 | Lost 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 194 | Chuck Mills | 
| Big Ten Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #2 Ohio State | 10 | 0 | 1 | 413 | 64 | Won 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 307 | 37 | Woody Hayes | 
| #6 Michigan | 10 | 0 | 1 | 330 | 68 | Tied 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 245 | 58 | Bo Schembechler | 
| Minnesota | 7 | 4 | 0 | 260 | 295 | Won 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 193 | 199 | Cal Stoll | 
| Illinois | 5 | 6 | 0 | 164 | 157 | Lost 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 127 | 109 | Bob Blackman | 
| Purdue | 5 | 6 | 0 | 200 | 213 | Won 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 147 | 162 | Alex Agase | 
| Michigan State | 5 | 6 | 0 | 114 | 164 | Won 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 69 | 108 | Denny Stolz | 
| Northwestern | 4 | 7 | 0 | 188 | 299 | Won 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 162 | 220 | John Pont | 
| Wisconsin | 4 | 7 | 0 | 216 | 237 | Lost 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 138 | 161 | John Jardine | 
| Indiana | 2 | 9 | 0 | 151 | 271 | Lost 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 96 | 228 | Lee Corso | 
| Iowa | 0 | 11 | 0 | 140 | 401 | Lost 11 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 94 | 296 | Frank Lauterbur | 
| Big Eight Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #3 Oklahoma | 10 | 0 | 1 | 400 | 133 | Won 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 275 | 79 | Barry Switzer | 
| #7 Nebraska | 9 | 2 | 1 | 306 | 163 | Won 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 148 | 110 | Tom Osborne | 
| #18 Kansas | 7 | 4 | 1 | 253 | 220 | Lost 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 117 | 134 | Don Fambrough | 
| #17 Missouri | 8 | 4 | 0 | 219 | 152 | Won 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 93 | 107 | Al Onofrio | 
| Oklahoma State | 5 | 4 | 2 | 303 | 186 | Lost 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 132 | 146 | Jim Stanley | 
| Colorado | 5 | 6 | 0 | 240 | 250 | Lost 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 116 | 163 | Eddie Crowder | 
| Kansas State | 5 | 6 | 0 | 176 | 260 | Won 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 107 | 223 | Vince Gibson | 
| Iowa State | 4 | 7 | 0 | 245 | 236 | Lost 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 124 | 150 | Earle Bruce | 
| Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| San Diego State | 9 | 1 | 1 | 321 | 129 | Won 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 98 | 45 | Claude Gilbert | 
| San Jose State | 5 | 4 | 2 | 193 | 173 | Won 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 96 | 60 | Darryl Rogers | 
| Pacific | 7 | 2 | 1 | 279 | 110 | Won 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 83 | 40 | Chester Caddas | 
| Fresno State | 2 | 9 | 0 | 148 | 286 | Won 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 121 | J.R. Boone | 
| Long Beach State | 1 | 9 | 1 | 124 | 199 | Lost 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 66 | Jim Strangeland | 
| Ivy League | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| Dartmouth | 6 | 3 | 0 | 184 | 119 | Won 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 175 | 99 | Jake Crouthamel | 
| Harvard | 7 | 2 | 0 | 224 | 157 | Lost 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 184 | 150 | Joseph Restic | 
| Pennsylvania | 6 | 3 | 0 | 239 | 160 | Won 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 198 | 124 | Harry Gamble | 
| Yale | 6 | 3 | 0 | 213 | 140 | Won 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 176 | 95 | Carmen Cozza | 
| Brown | 4 | 3 | 1 | 183 | 163 | Won 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 163 | 143 | John Anderson | 
| Cornell | 3 | 5 | 1 | 170 | 154 | Lost 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 128 | 126 | Jack Musick | 
| Columbia | 1 | 7 | 1 | 58 | 274 | Lost 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 56 | 246 | Frank Navarro | 
| Princeton | 1 | 8 | 0 | 127 | 233 | Lost 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 76 | 173 | Bob Casciola | 
| Missouri Valley Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| Tulsa | 6 | 5 | 0 | 258 | 193 | Lost 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 204 | 76 | F.A. Dry | 
| North Texas | 5 | 5 | 1 | 153 | 243 | Lost 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 131 | 80 | Hayden Fry | 
| Louisville | 5 | 6 | 0 | 172 | 148 | Won 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 87 | 60 | T.W. Alley | 
| New Mexico State | 5 | 6 | 0 | 244 | 299 | Lost 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 148 | 123 | Jim Bradley | 
| Wichita State | 4 | 7 | 0 | 165 | 280 | Won 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 117 | 145 | Bob Seaman | 
| Drake | 2 | 9 | 0 | 132 | 269 | Lost 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 66 | 140 | Jack Wallace | 
| West Texas A&M | 2 | 9 | 0 | 115 | 310 | Lost 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 68 | 197 | Gene Mayfield | 
| Mid-America Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #15 Miami (Ohio) | 11 | 0 | 0 | 223 | 76 | Won 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 101 | 33 | Bill Mallory | 
| Kent State | 9 | 2 | 0 | 300 | 131 | Won 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 157 | 65 | Don James | 
| Bowling Green State | 7 | 3 | 0 | 266 | 209 | Won 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 118 | 131 | Don Nehlen | 
| Ohio University | 5 | 5 | 0 | 156 | 231 | Won 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 61 | 103 | Bill Hess | 
| Western Michigan | 6 | 5 | 0 | 190 | 218 | Lost 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 68 | 132 | William Doolittle | 
| Toledo | 3 | 8 | 0 | 229 | 288 | Lost 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 108 | 149 | John Murphy | 
| Pac Eight Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #8 Southern California | 9 | 2 | 1 | 322 | 202 | Lost 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 240 | 124 | John McKay | 
| #12 UCLA | 9 | 2 | 0 | 470 | 199 | Lost 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 302 | 104 | Pepper Rodgers | 
| Stanford | 7 | 4 | 0 | 244 | 240 | Won 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 181 | 161 | Jack Christiansen | 
| Washington State | 5 | 6 | 0 | 250 | 290 | Won 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 179 | 190 | Jim Sweeney | 
| California | 4 | 7 | 0 | 245 | 380 | Lost 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 168 | 272 | Mike White | 
| Oregon | 2 | 9 | 0 | 205 | 239 | Lost 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 151 | 130 | Dick Enright | 
| Oregon State | 2 | 9 | 0 | 166 | 293 | Won 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 113 | 159 | Dee Andros | 
| Washington | 2 | 9 | 0 | 218 | 376 | Lost 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 128 | 322 | Jim Owens | 
| Southeastern Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #4 Alabama | 11 | 1 | 0 | 477 | 113 | Lost 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 268 | 70 | Paul "Bear" Bryant | 
| #13 Louisiana State | 9 | 3 | 0 | 267 | 169 | Lost 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 156 | 72 | Charles McClendon | 
| Mississippi | 6 | 5 | 0 | 202 | 177 | Won 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 124 | 137 | Billy Kinard, John Vaught | 
| #19 Tennessee | 8 | 4 | 0 | 291 | 247 | Lost 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 127 | 136 | Bill Battle | 
| Georgia | 7 | 4 | 1 | 224 | 166 | Won 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 128 | 114 | Vince Dooley | 
| Florida | 7 | 5 | 0 | 187 | 187 | Lost 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 82 | 141 | Doug Dickey | 
| Kentucky | 5 | 6 | 0 | 226 | 196 | Lost 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 148 | 130 | Fran Curci | 
| Auburn | 6 | 6 | 0 | 170 | 193 | Lost 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 73 | 140 | Ralph "Shug" Jordan | 
| Mississippi State | 4 | 5 | 2 | 219 | 255 | Lost 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 133 | 205 | Bob Tyler | 
| Vanderbilt | 5 | 6 | 0 | 181 | 262 | Lost 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 87 | 181 | Steve Sloan | 
| Southern Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| East Carolina | 9 | 2 | 0 | 352 | 151 | Won 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 262 | 41 | Sonny Randle | 
| Richmond | 8 | 2 | 0 | 298 | 112 | Won 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 169 | 61 | Frank Jones | 
| William & Mary | 6 | 5 | 0 | 278 | 288 | Lost 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 123 | 126 | Jim Root | 
| Furman | 7 | 4 | 0 | 255 | 181 | Lost 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 115 | 80 | Art Baker | 
| Appalachian State | 3 | 7 | 1 | 164 | 255 | Lost 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 69 | 80 | Jim Brakefield | 
| Virginia Military | 3 | 8 | 0 | 118 | 316 | Won 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 81 | 164 | Bob Thalman | 
| Citadel | 3 | 8 | 0 | 137 | 250 | Lost 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 66 | 179 | Bobby Ross | 
| Davidson | 2 | 8 | 0 | 125 | 321 | Won 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 86 | 240 | Dave Fagg | 
| Southwestern Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #14 Texas | 8 | 3 | 0 | 367 | 162 | Lost 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 295 | 71 | Darrell Royal | 
| #11 Texas Tech | 11 | 1 | 0 | 342 | 187 | Won 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 193 | 115 | Jim Carlen | 
| Rice | 5 | 6 | 0 | 153 | 223 | Won 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 117 | 137 | Al Conover | 
| Southern Methodist | 6 | 4 | 1 | 259 | 228 | Won 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 131 | 182 | Dave Smith | 
| Arkansas | 5 | 5 | 1 | 124 | 184 | Lost 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 77 | 104 | Frank Broyles | 
| Texas A&M | 5 | 6 | 0 | 292 | 231 | Lost 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 167 | 156 | Emory Bellard | 
| Texas Christian | 3 | 8 | 0 | 189 | 290 | Lost 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 100 | 187 | Billy Tohill | 
| Baylor | 2 | 9 | 0 | 192 | 359 | Lost 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 109 | 237 | Grant Teaff | 
| Western Athletic Conference | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #9 Arizona State | 11 | 1 | 0 | 519 | 171 | Won 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 373 | 118 | Frank Kush | 
| Arizona | 8 | 3 | 0 | 286 | 213 | Lost 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 194 | 125 | Jim Young | 
| Utah | 7 | 5 | 0 | 385 | 344 | Lost 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 247 | 176 | Bill Meek | 
| Brigham Young | 5 | 6 | 0 | 334 | 248 | Won 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 221 | 181 | Lavell Edwards | 
| New Mexico | 4 | 7 | 0 | 257 | 287 | Won 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 196 | 215 | Rudy Feldman | 
| Wyoming | 4 | 7 | 0 | 248 | 290 | Lost 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 151 | 173 | Fritz Shurmur | 
| Colorado State | 5 | 6 | 0 | 250 | 333 | Lost 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 127 | 200 | Sark Arslanian | 
| Texas-El Paso | 0 | 11 | 0 | 142 | 544 | Lost 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 69 | 390 | Tommy Hudspeth | 
| Major Independents | 
|  | CONFERENCE GAMES | 
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|  | CONFERENCE GAMES |  | 
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|  | W | L | T | PF | PA | STRK | W | L | T | PF | PA | COACH(ES) | 
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| #5 Penn State | 12 | 0 | 0 | 447 | 129 | Won 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Joe Paterno | 
| #1 Notre Dame | 11 | 0 | 0 | 382 | 89 | Won 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ara Parseghian | 
| #9 Houston | 11 | 1 | 0 | 363 | 142 | Won 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bill Yeoman | 
| Temple | 9 | 1 | 0 | 353 | 167 | Won 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Wayne Hardin | 
| #20 Tulane | 9 | 3 | 0 | 228 | 194 | Lost 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bennie Ellender | 
| Tampa | 8 | 3 | 0 | 254 | 144 | Won 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Dennis Fryzel | 
| Memphis | 8 | 3 | 0 | 264 | 167 | Won 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fred Pancoast | 
| Boston College | 7 | 4 | 0 | 311 | 174 | Won 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Joe Yukica | 
| South Carolina | 7 | 4 | 0 | 347 | 261 | Won 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Paul Dietzel | 
| Utah State | 7 | 4 | 0 | 230 | 202 | Lost 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Phil Krueger | 
| Southern Mississippi | 6 | 4 | 1 | 227 | 166 | Won 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | P.W. "Bear" Underwood | 
| Air Force | 6 | 4 | 0 | 223 | 239 | Lost 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ben Martin | 
| Northern Illinois | 6 | 5 | 0 | 327 | 270 | Lost 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jerry Ippoliti | 
| Rutgers | 6 | 5 | 0 | 245 | 208 | Lost 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Frank Burns | 
| Pittsburgh | 6 | 5 | 1 | 225 | 211 | Lost 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Johnny Majors | 
| West Virginia | 6 | 5 | 0 | 212 | 266 | Won 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bobby Bowden | 
| Colgate | 5 | 5 | 0 | 295 | 264 | Won 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Neil Wheelwright | 
| Lamar | 5 | 5 | 0 | 130 | 152 | Won 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |  | 
| Dayton | 5 | 5 | 1 | 158 | 206 | Lost 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ron Marciniak | 
| Xavier | 5 | 5 | 1 | 191 | 376 | Won 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Thomas Cecchini | 
| Holy Cross | 5 | 6 | 0 | 221 | 221 | Lost 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ed Doherty | 
| Georgia Tech | 5 | 6 | 0 | 192 | 211 | Lost 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bill Fulcher | 
| Miami (Florida) | 5 | 6 | 0 | 163 | 240 | Lost 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Peter Elliot | 
| Texas-Arlington | 4 | 6 | 0 | 170 | 295 | Won 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | John Symank | 
| Cincinnati | 4 | 7 | 0 | 210 | 109 | Lost 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tony Mason | 
| Navy | 4 | 7 | 0 | 221 | 234 | Won 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | George Welsh | 
| Idaho | 4 | 7 | 0 | 261 | 319 | Won 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Don Robbins | 
| Marshall | 4 | 7 | 0 | 212 | 288 | Lost 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jack Lengyel | 
| Tennessee-Chattanooga | 4 | 7 | 0 | 131 | 241 | Won 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Joe Morrison | 
| Southern Illinois | 3 | 7 | 1 | 267 | 296 | Lost 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Dick Towers | 
| Villanova | 3 | 8 | 0 | 153 | 212 | Lost 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Louis Ferry | 
| Virginia Tech | 2 | 9 | 0 | 223 | 380 | Lost 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Charlie Coffey | 
| Syracuse | 2 | 9 | 0 | 129 | 288 | Lost 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ben Schwartzwalder | 
| Louisiana-Lafayette | 0 | 10 | 0 | 75 | 275 | Lost 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Russ Faulkinberry | 
| Army | 0 | 10 | 0 | 67 | 382 | Lost 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tom Cahill | 
| Florida State | 0 | 11 | 0 | 98 | 331 | Lost 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Larry Jones |