1944 college football season
The 1944 college football season was the 76th 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.
| 1944 college football season | ||
|---|---|---|
| First AP No. 1 of season | Notre Dame | |
| Number of bowls | 5 | |
| Champion(s) | Army (AP) | |
| Heisman | Les Horvath (halfback/quarterback, Ohio State) | |
| ||
The season was played at the height of World War II, starting less than three months after the Normandy landings and as battles raged throughout Europe and the Pacific. As in 1943, the Associated Press poll included service teams, drawn from flight schools and training centers which were preparing men for fighting in the war. Half of the final top 20 teams were composed of service teams, in addition to the Army and Navy service academies. Many colleges that had suspended their programs in 1943 returned to competition in 1944, including the entire SEC.
The teams ranked highest in the final Associated Press poll in December 1944 were:
| Rank | Team | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army | 9–0 | Voted No. 1 by 95 of 121 writers in the final AP poll. Halfback Glenn Davis led nation with 120 points scored and finished second in Heisman voting. Fullback Doc Blanchard finished third in Heisman voting. Davis and Blanchard were consensus All-Americans. The Cadets ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring offense (56.0 points per game), No. 2 in total offense (430.8 yards per game), and No. 4 in total defense (129.1 yards per game). |
| 2 | Ohio State | 9–0 | Big Ten champion. Halfback/quarterback Les Horvath won the 1944 Heisman Trophy. Horvath, guard Bill Hackett, and end Jack Dugger were consensus All-Americans. Retroactively selected national champion by National Championship Foundation and Sagarin Ratings. |
| 3 | Randolph Field | 9–0 | Texas air field team featuring Glenn Dobbs, Bill Dudley, Pete Layden. Ranked No. 2 nationally in total defense (110.8 yards per game) and scoring offense (42.3 points per game) and No. 3 in total offense (377.0 yards per game). Defeated Second Air Force in Treasury Bond Bowl. |
| 4 | Navy | 6–3 | Tackle Don Whitmire and halfback Bob Jenkins finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in Heisman Trophy voting. Whitmire and guard Ben Chase were consensus All-Americans. Ranked No. 2 nationally in rushing defense (allowing only 53.8 yards per game). |
| 5 | Bainbridge NTS | 10–0 | Naval training center in Maryland. Players included Charlie Justice |
| 6 | Iowa Pre-Flight | 10–1 | Navy pre-flight school at University of Iowa. |
| 7 | USC | 7–0–2 | PCC champion. Shut out victory over Tennessee in 1945 Rose Bowl. Tackle John Ferraro was a consensus All-American. |
| 8 | Michigan | 8–2 | Fullback Don Lund team MVP. Tackle Milan Lazetich a second-team All-American. |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 8–2 | Halfback Bob Kelly finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. Halfback Creighton Miller was a consensus All-American. |
| 10 | March Field | 7–2–2 | Fourth Air Force base in Riverside, California. |
The year's statistical leaders included Bob Fenimore of Oklahoma A&M with 1,758 yards of total offense, Wayne Williams of Minnesota with 911 rushing yards, Paul Rickards of Pittsburgh with 997 passing yards, Reid Moseley of Georgia with 424 receiving yards, and Glenn Davis of Army with 120 points scored.