1978 Week 5 College Football Team Rankings

September 26, 1978By PowerUpRankings.com • Posted in 1978 Season Tags: • No Comments

1978 rankings calculated with the Classic formula (Ken's 2016-based hybrid, applied retroactively); records, NOW and game results come from James Howell's historical college football score archive.

entries per pageSearch:

Rank	Change	Rating	Team	Conf	Record	Win %	Place	NOW	Game Status
1	36	0.827	Purdue (PURDUE)	B10	2–0	1.000	1	+2	Beat Ohio 24–0
2	15	0.869	Penn State (PENN STATE)	IND FBSI	4–0	1.000	1	+5	Beat SMU 26–21
3	0	0.926	Oklahoma (OKLAHOMA)	IND B8	3–0	1.000	1	+3	Beat Rice 66–7
4	24	0.963	USC	PAC	3–0	1.000	1	+3	Beat Alabama 24–14
5	2	0.992	Mississippi State (MISSISSIPPI STATE)	SEC	3–0	1.000	1	+5	Beat Memphis 44–14
6	4	0.997	Maryland (MARYLAND)	ACC	3–0	1.000	1	+3	Beat North Carolina 21–20
7	-3	1.000	Alabama (ALABAMA)	SEC	2–1	0.667	37	+4	Lost to USC 14–24
8	18	1.053	Duke (DUKE)	ACC	2–0	1.000	1	+2	Beat South Carolina 16–12
9	27	1.104	LSU	SEC	2–0	1.000	1	+2	Beat Wake Forest 13–11
10	-9	1.136	Clemson (CLEMSON)	ACC	1–1	0.500	60	+2	Lost to Georgia 0–12
11	1	1.140	Texas (TEXAS)	IND SWC	2–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Wyoming 17–3
12	2	1.159	Arkansas (ARKANSAS)	IND SWC	2–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Oklahoma State 19–7
13	17	1.229	NC State (NORTH CAROLINA STATE)	ACC	3–0	1.000	1	+3	Beat West Virginia 29–15
14	25	1.274	Georgia (GEORGIA)	SEC	2–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Clemson 12–0
15	4	1.274	Texas A&M (TEXAS A & M)	IND SWC	2–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Boston College 37–2
16	5	1.277	Ball State (BALL STATE)	MAC	3–0	1.000	1	+2	Beat Toledo 20–0
17	26	1.279	William & Mary (WILLIAM & MARY)	IND FBSI	3–0	1.000	1	+3	Beat Villanova 21–17
18	28	1.287	Washington State (WASHINGTON STATE)	PAC	3–0	1.000	1	+2	Beat Arizona State 51–26
19	33	1.335	Northwestern State (NORTHWESTERN STATE)	IND FBSI	3–0	1.000	1	+3	Beat Mcneese State 10–7
20	18	1.361	Iowa State (IOWA STATE)	IND B8	3–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Iowa 31–0
21	26	1.398	Tennessee Chattanooga (TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA)	IND SOCON	3–0	1.000	1	+2	Beat Marshall 27–23
22	28	1.406	Holy Cross (HOLY CROSS)	IND FBSI	3–0	1.000	1	+2	Beat Air Force 35–18
23	4	1.417	Pittsburgh (PITTSBURGH)	IND FBSI	2–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Temple 20–12
24	8	1.424	Auburn (AUBURN)	SEC	2–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Virginia Tech 18–7
25	57	1.453	Texas Tech (TEXAS TECH)	IND SWC	1–1	0.500	60	+2	Beat Arizona 41–26
26	5	1.472	Colorado (COLORADO)	IND B8	3–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat San José State 22–7
27	-14	1.519	Navy (NAVY)	IND FBSI	2–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat UConn 30–0
28	17	1.521	Nebraska (NEBRASKA)	IND B8	2–1	0.667	37	+2	BYE
29	-14	1.531	Michigan (MICHIGAN)	B10	2–0	1.000	1	0	Beat Notre Dame 28–14
30	34	1.543	Yale (YALE)	IND IVY	1–0	1.000	1	0	Beat Brown 21–0
31	-7	1.555	Tulsa (TULSA)	IND MVC	4–0	1.000	1	+2	Beat Kansas State 24–14
32	-10	1.562	Florida State (FLORIDA STATE)	IND FBSI	3–0	1.000	1	0	Beat Miami 31–21
33	9	1.622	App State (APPALACHIAN STATE)	IND SOCON	3–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Richmond 24–19
34	7	1.622	Wisconsin (WISCONSIN)	B10	2–0	1.000	1	0	Beat Northwestern 28–7
35	24	1.630	Dartmouth (DARTMOUTH)	IND IVY	1–0	1.000	1	0	Beat Pennsylvania 31–21
36	17	1.657	Utah State (UTAH STATE)	IND PCAA	3–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Fresno State 45–22
37	24	1.678	Kentucky (KENTUCKY)	SEC	1–0–1	0.750	35	0	Beat Baylor 25–21
38	19	1.694	Columbia (COLUMBIA)	IND IVY	1–0	1.000	1	0	Beat Harvard 21–19
39	-31	1.710	Arizona State (ARIZONA STATE)	PAC	2–1	0.667	37	+2	Lost to Washington State 26–51
40	25	1.766	North Texas (NORTH TEXAS)	IND FBSI	3–1	0.750	35	+3	Beat New Mexico State 22–21
41	10	1.773	UL Monroe (LOUISIANA MONROE)	IND FBSI	3–0	1.000	1	+1	Beat Northern Illinois 27–10
42	-17	1.828	SMU	IND SWC	2–1	0.667	37	+1	Lost to Penn State 21–26
43	-8	1.893	North Carolina (NORTH CAROLINA)	ACC	1–1	0.500	60	+2	Lost to Maryland 20–21
44	50	1.952	Ohio State (OHIO STATE)	B10	1–1	0.500	60	+1	Beat Minnesota 27–10
45	13	1.957	Cornell (CORNELL)	IND IVY	0–0–1	0.500	60	0	Tied Princeton 14–14
46	17	1.957	Princeton (PRINCETON)	IND IVY	0–0–1	0.500	60	0	Tied Cornell 14–14
47	1	1.997	Stanford (STANFORD)	PAC	2–1	0.667	37	+1	Beat Illinois 35–10
48	-39	2.014	Mcneese State (MCNEESE STATE)	IND SLC	2–1	0.667	37	+2	Lost to Northwestern State 7–10
49	47	2.035	Louisville (LOUISVILLE)	IND FBSI	2–1	0.667	37	+1	Beat Cincinnati 28–14
50	-6	2.038	Villanova (VILLANOVA)	IND FBSI	2–1	0.667	37	+2	Lost to William & Mary 17–21
51	-49	2.073	South Carolina (SOUTH CAROLINA)	IND FBSI	1–1–1	0.500	60	+1	Lost to Duke 12–16
52	-47	2.238	Cincinnati (CINCINNATI)	IND FBSI	1–1	0.500	60	+1	Lost to Louisville 14–28
53	47	2.291	New Mexico (NEW MEXICO)	IND WAC	2–1	0.667	37	+1	Beat UNLV 24–0
54	25	2.295	Missouri (MISSOURI)	IND B8	2–1	0.667	37	0	Beat Ole Miss 45–14
55	25	2.352	Indiana (INDIANA)	B10	1–1	0.500	60	+1	Beat Washington 14–7
56	-2	2.391	Temple (TEMPLE)	IND FBSI	1–2	0.333	86	+2	Lost to Pittsburgh 12–20
57	-23	2.391	Air Force (AIR FORCE)	IND FBSI	2–1	0.667	37	+1	Lost to Holy Cross 18–35
58	52	2.498	California (CALIFORNIA)	PAC	2–1	0.667	37	0	Beat Pacific 24–6
59	-43	2.498	New Mexico State (NEW MEXICO STATE)	IND MVC	2–1	0.667	37	+1	Lost to North Texas 21–22
60	49	2.585	Vanderbilt (VANDERBILT)	SEC	1–1	0.500	60	+1	Beat Furman 17–10
61	20	2.592	Michigan State (MICHIGAN STATE)	B10	1–1	0.500	60	0	Beat Syracuse 49–21
62	44	2.602	Hawai'i (HAWAII)	IND FBSI	1–1	0.500	60	+1	BYE
63	-14	2.649	Virginia Tech (VIRGINIA TECH)	IND FBSI	1–2	0.333	86	+1	Lost to Auburn 7–18
64	3	2.703	Bowling Green (BOWLING GREEN)	MAC	2–1	0.667	37	0	Beat Grand Valley State 49–3
65	10	2.708	BYU	IND WAC	2–1	0.667	37	-1	Beat Colorado State 32–6
66	11	2.760	Louisiana Tech (LOUISIANA TECH)	IND SLC	1–1	0.500	60	0	Beat Texas Arlington 28–21
67	48	2.824	Southern Illinois (SOUTHERN ILLINOIS)	IND MVC	2–1	0.667	37	0	Beat West Texas A&M 17–3
68	31	2.907	Miami (OH) (MIAMI (OH))	MAC	1–2	0.333	86	+1	Beat Western Michigan 7–3
69	-29	2.909	Ohio (OHIO)	MAC	1–1	0.500	60	+1	Lost to Purdue 0–24
70	-47	2.914	Arizona (ARIZONA)	PAC	2–1	0.667	37	-1	Lost to Texas Tech 26–41
71	-11	2.921	Harvard (HARVARD)	IND IVY	0–1	0.000	114	0	Lost to Columbia 19–21
72	-43	2.923	Iowa (IOWA)	B10	1–1	0.500	60	0	Lost to Iowa State 0–31
73	1	2.955	Baylor (BAYLOR)	IND SWC	0–2	0.000	114	0	Lost to Kentucky 21–25
74	37	2.964	Wichita State (WICHITA STATE)	IND MVC	2–1	0.667	37	-1	Beat Idaho 28–6
75	-5	2.978	Southern Miss (SOUTHERN MISS)	IND FBSI	2–1	0.667	37	0	BYE
76	-65	3.014	UCLA	PAC	2–1	0.667	37	-1	Lost to Kansas 24–28
77	-1	3.133	Marshall (MARSHALL)	IND SOCON	1–2	0.333	86	0	Lost to Tennessee Chattanooga 23–27
78	-60	3.166	Central Michigan (CENTRAL MICHIGAN)	MAC	2–1	0.667	37	+2	Lost to Alcorn State 16–24
79	5	3.197	Miami (MIAMI)	IND FBSI	0–2	0.000	114	0	Lost to Florida State 21–31
80	-18	3.197	Pennsylvania (PENNSYLVANIA)	IND IVY	0–1	0.000	114	0	Lost to Dartmouth 21–31
81	-48	3.202	Western Michigan (WESTERN MICHIGAN)	MAC	2–1	0.667	37	-2	Lost to Miami (OH) 3–7
82	8	3.234	East Carolina (EAST CAROLINA)	IND FBSI	2–2	0.500	60	0	Beat Louisiana 38–9
83	-77	3.284	Ole Miss (MISSISSIPPI)	SEC	1–1	0.500	60	0	Lost to Missouri 14–45
84	32	3.292	Citadel (CITADEL)	IND SOCON	2–1	0.667	37	0	Beat Virginia Military Institute 14–3
85	-19	3.292	Wyoming (WYOMING)	IND WAC	1–1	0.500	60	0	Lost to Texas 3–17
86	31	3.306	Arkansas State (ARKANSAS STATE)	IND SLC	1–3	0.250	105	+1	Beat Drake 10–0
87	4	3.356	Rutgers (RUTGERS)	IND FBSI	1–1	0.500	60	0	Beat Bucknell 27–13
88	-17	3.491	Memphis (MEMPHIS)	IND FBSI	1–2	0.333	86	0	Lost to Mississippi State 14–44
89	-1	3.491	West Virginia (WEST VIRGINIA)	IND FBSI	1–2	0.333	86	0	Lost to NC State 15–29
90	42	3.516	Houston (HOUSTON)	IND SWC	1–1	0.500	60	-1	Beat Utah 42–25
91	-35	3.577	Brown (BROWN)	IND IVY	0–1	0.000	114	0	Lost to Yale 0–21
92	16	3.738	TCU	IND SWC	1–1	0.500	60	-1	Beat Oregon 14–10
93	36	3.762	Kansas (KANSAS)	IND B8	1–2	0.333	86	0	Beat UCLA 28–24
94	30	3.800	Georgia Tech (GEORGIA TECH)	IND FBSI	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Beat Tulane 27–17
95	-75	3.853	Minnesota (MINNESOTA)	B10	1–1	0.500	60	-1	Lost to Ohio State 10–27
96	-18	3.905	Drake (DRAKE)	IND MVC	2–2	0.500	60	-3	Lost to Arkansas State 0–10
97	15	3.926	Kent State (KENT STATE)	MAC	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Beat Illinois State 34–3
98	-3	3.968	Rice (RICE)	IND SWC	0–3	0.000	114	0	Lost to Oklahoma 7–66
99	-2	4.011	Fresno State (FRESNO STATE)	IND PCAA	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Lost to Utah State 22–45
100	28	4.019	Virginia (VIRGINIA)	ACC	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Beat Army 21–17
101	-33	4.092	Washington (WASHINGTON)	PAC	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Lost to Indiana 7–14
102	17	4.121	Lamar (LAMAR)	IND SLC	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Beat Stephen F. Austin 20–18
103	11	4.122	Wake Forest (WAKE FOREST)	ACC	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Lost to LSU 11–13
104	-49	4.138	Utah (UTAH)	IND WAC	1–1	0.500	60	-1	Lost to Houston 25–42
105	18	4.141	Oklahoma State (OKLAHOMA STATE)	IND B8	0–3	0.000	114	-1	Lost to Arkansas 7–19
106	-1	4.151	Virginia Military Institute (VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE)	IND SOCON	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Lost to Citadel 3–14
107	-6	4.302	Kansas State (KANSAS STATE)	IND B8	0–3	0.000	114	-1	Lost to Tulsa 14–24
108	13	4.315	San José State (SAN JOSE STATE)	IND PCAA	1–2	0.333	86	-1	Lost to Colorado 7–22
109	22	4.388	Notre Dame (NOTRE DAME)	IND FBSI	0–2	0.000	114	-1	Lost to Michigan 14–28
110	-38	4.561	Colorado State (COLORADO STATE)	IND WAC	0–2	0.000	114	-1	Lost to BYU 6–32
111	-22	4.630	Northern Illinois (NORTHERN ILLINOIS)	MAC	0–2	0.000	114	-1	Lost to UL Monroe 10–27
112	-9	4.706	West Texas A&M (WEST TEXAS A&M)	IND MVC	1–3	0.250	105	-2	Lost to Southern Illinois 3–17
113	-11	4.763	Oregon (OREGON)	PAC	0–3	0.000	114	-1	Lost to TCU 10–14
114	-45	4.887	Army (ARMY)	IND FBSI	1–1	0.500	60	-2	Lost to Virginia 17–21
115	-30	4.889	Boston College (BOSTON COLLEGE)	IND FBSI	0–2	0.000	114	-1	Lost to Texas A&M 2–37
116	-23	4.947	Syracuse (SYRACUSE)	IND FBSI	0–3	0.000	114	-1	Lost to Michigan State 21–49
117	8	5.001	Richmond (RICHMOND)	IND FBSI	0–4	0.000	114	-3	Lost to App State 19–24
118	-11	5.062	Illinois (ILLINOIS)	B10	0–2–1	0.167	111	-1	Lost to Stanford 10–35
119	-1	5.089	UTEP	IND WAC	1–3	0.250	105	-3	Beat San Diego State 31–24
120	-22	5.361	Tulane (TULANE)	IND FBSI	0–3	0.000	114	-2	Lost to Georgia Tech 17–27
121	6	5.423	Long Beach State (LONG BEACH STATE)	IND PCAA	1–1	0.500	60	0	BYE
122	-30	5.545	Northwestern (NORTHWESTERN)	B10	0–2–1	0.167	111	-1	Lost to Wisconsin 7–28
123	-10	5.610	Furman (FURMAN)	IND SOCON	1–2	0.333	86	-2	Lost to Vanderbilt 10–17
124	-2	5.649	Oregon State (OREGON STATE)	PAC	0–2–1	0.167	111	-2	Tied Tennessee 13–13
125	-42	5.683	Florida (FLORIDA)	SEC	0–1	0.000	114	-1	BYE
126	-39	5.787	Tennessee (TENNESSEE)	SEC	0–1–1	0.250	105	-1	Tied Oregon State 13–13
127	-23	5.829	Indiana State (INDIANA STATE)	IND MVC	1–2	0.333	86	-4	Lost to Eastern Michigan 8–27
128	-8	6.098	Louisiana (LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE)	IND SLC	0–3	0.000	114	-3	Lost to East Carolina 9–38
129	5	6.417	Eastern Michigan (EASTERN MICHIGAN)	MAC	1–3	0.250	105	-1	Beat Indiana State 27–8
130	-57	6.512	San Diego State (SAN DIEGO STATE)	IND WAC	0–2	0.000	114	-3	Lost to UTEP 24–31
131	-5	6.846	Toledo (TOLEDO)	MAC	0–3	0.000	114	-3	Lost to Ball State 0–20
132	1	7.445	Texas Arlington (TEXAS-ARLINGTON)	IND SLC	0–4	0.000	114	-7	Lost to Louisiana Tech 21–28
133	3	7.548	UNLV	IND FBSI	0–3	0.000	114	-1	Lost to New Mexico 0–24
134	-4	8.166	CAL State Fullerton (CAL STATE FULLERTON)	IND PCAA	1–2	0.333	86	0	Lost to CAL Poly SAN Luis Obispo 27–41
135	3	8.169	Western Carolina (WESTERN CAROLINA)	IND SOCON	1–3	0.250	105	-2	Beat Elon 17–7
136	-50	8.377	Colgate (COLGATE)	IND FBSI	0–2	0.000	114	0	Lost to Lehigh 7–38
137	0	8.492	Pacific (PACIFIC)	IND PCAA	0–3	0.000	114	-2	Lost to California 6–24
138	-3	9.494	Illinois State (ILLINOIS STATE)	IND FBSI	0–3	0.000	114	-3	Lost to Kent State 3–34