1940 college football season
| 1940 college football season | ||
|---|---|---|
Duke v North Carolina game at Kenan Memorial Stadium | ||
| First AP No. 1 of season | Cornell | |
| Number of bowls | 5 | |
| Champion(s) | Minnesota (AP) Stanford (Poling, Williamson) Tennessee (Dunkel) | |
| Heisman | Tom Harmon, (halfback, Michigan) | |
| ||
The 1940 college football season was the 72nd season of intercollegiate football in the United States. Competition included schools from the Big Ten Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Six Conference, the Southern Conference, the Southwestern Conference, and numerous smaller conferences and independent programs.
The teams ranked highest in the final Associated Press poll in December 1940 were:
- Minnesota - Led by head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled an 8–0 record, won the Big Ten championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 154 to 71. Halfback George Franck was a consensus All-American and placed third in the Heisman Trophy voting. Minnesota was selected as national champions by the Associated Press (AP) poll.
- Stanford - Led by head coach Clark Shaughnessy, the Indians compiled a perfect 10–0 record, including a victory over No. 7 Nebraska in the 1941 Rose Bowl. Stanford was selected as national champions by the Poling System and Williamson System and retroactively by the Helms Athletic Foundation and Billingsley Report.
- Michigan - The Wolverines compiled a 7–1 record with its only loss coming against Minnesota by a 7–6 score. Halfback Tom Harmon won the Heisman Trophy.
- Tennessee - Led by head coach Robert Neyland, the Volunteers compiled a 10–0 regular season record but lost to Boston College in the Sugar Bowl. Tennessee was selected as national champions by the Dunkel System.
- Boston College - In their final season under head coach Frank Leahy, the Eagles compiled a perfect 11–0 record, including a victory over Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl, to lay claim to a national championship.
The year's statistical leaders included Al Ghesquiere of Detroit with 958 rushing yards, Johnny Knolla of Creighton with 1,420 yards of total offense, Johnny Supulski of Manhattan with 1,190 passing yards, Hank Stanton of Arizona with 820 receiving yards, and Tom Harmon with 117 points scored.