1938 NCAA Division IA Football Power Ratings

Return to the college football ratings index

Final power ratings for the 1938 season are listed below. Home field advantage for this year was .570 and the root for determining point spreads was 1.252.

The average home field advantage for this year is 2.67 points.

Some game locations are unknown and have been estimated. Research continues.

KEY: PR=Final power rating, PS=Pre-season power rating, SOS=strength of schedule.


Rank Team PR PS SOS PF PA Wins Losses Ties Pct Conference
1 Tennessee .980 .759 .721 26.64 1.45 11 0 0 1.000 SEC
2 Texas Christian .938 .768 .683 24.45 5.45 11 0 0 1.000 SWC
3 Duke .929 .811 .697 11.70 0.70 9 1 0 .900 Southern
4 Southern California .901 .614 .950 15.64 5.91 9 2 0 .818 PCC
5 Notre Dame .892 .743 .800 16.56 4.33 8 1 0 .889 Eastern Independent
6 Oklahoma .889 .627 .635 16.82 2.64 10 1 0 .909 Big 6
7 California .872 .787 .601 19.91 4.00 10 1 0 .909 PCC
8 Alabama .844 .863 .636 16.56 4.44 7 1 1 .833 SEC
9 Clemson .839 .570 .610 16.11 6.22 7 1 1 .833 Southern
10 Pittsburgh .829 .889 .709 21.30 5.90 8 2 0 .800 Eastern Independent
11 Villanova .797 .775 .324 26.89 5.56 8 0 1 .944 Eastern Independent
12 Tulane .793 .687 .661 21.10 5.30 7 2 1 .750 SEC
13 Fordham .788 .766 .529 20.67 3.33 6 1 2 .778 Northeast Independent
14 Texas Tech .784 .608 .312 26.09 5.00 10 1 0 .909 Border
15 Carnegie Tech .769 .500 .564 19.67 7.11 7 2 0 .778 Eastern Independent
16 Holy Cross .769 .616 .328 25.00 5.67 8 1 0 .889 Northeast Independent
17 North Carolina .766 .784 .662 13.00 4.11 6 2 1 .722 Southern
18 Mississippi .748 .594 .511 21.09 10.91 9 2 0 .818 SEC
19 Iowa State .747 .389 .545 13.89 7.11 7 1 1 .833 Big 6
20 Georgetown .743 .482 .192 23.13 3.25 8 0 0 1.000 South/West Independent
21 Santa Clara .738 .818 .617 12.13 3.25 6 2 0 .750 South/West Independent
22 St. Mary's .735 .648 .624 13.25 5.13 6 2 0 .750 South/West Independent
23 Louisiana State .727 .862 .614 16.00 8.30 6 4 0 .600 SEC
24 Minnesota .723 .717 .632 12.13 4.75 6 2 0 .750 Western
25 Baylor .718 .693 .526 16.50 8.90 7 2 1 .750 SWC
26 Utah .697 .565 .261 18.70 3.60 7 1 2 .800 Mountain States
27 Michigan .697 .386 .409 16.38 5.00 6 1 1 .813 Western
28 Northwestern .695 .541 .652 11.63 4.00 4 2 2 .625 Western
29 UCLA .683 .558 .605 18.08 8.83 7 4 1 .625 PCC
30 Vanderbilt .680 .669 .672 9.56 5.44 6 3 0 .667 SEC
31 Missouri .675 .473 .634 12.33 9.11 6 3 0 .667 Big 6
32 Virginia Military Institute .673 .450 .438 14.45 7.82 6 1 4 .727 Southern
33 Army .666 .678 .251 24.30 9.50 8 2 0 .800 Northeast Independent
34 Purdue .665 .561 .488 10.50 4.75 5 1 2 .750 Western
35 Oregon State .663 .558 .667 8.00 5.67 5 3 1 .611 PCC
36 Dartmouth .660 .727 .249 28.22 7.67 7 2 0 .778 Northeast Independent
37 Idaho .654 .429 .540 13.30 9.40 6 3 1 .650 PCC
38 Miami (Florida) .643 .409 .140 21.90 5.20 8 2 0 .800 South/West Independent
39 New Mexico .637 .397 .305 18.09 6.55 8 3 0 .727 Border
40 Southern Methodist .625 .637 .588 14.80 12.50 6 4 0 .600 SWC
41 Cornell .621 .485 .400 15.71 6.43 5 1 1 .786 Northeast Independent
42 Michigan State .620 .717 .429 14.78 6.56 6 3 0 .667 Eastern Independent
43 Auburn .618 .791 .799 11.00 8.80 4 5 1 .450 SEC
44 Detroit Mercy .612 .654 .435 14.90 8.20 6 4 0 .600 Eastern Independent
45 Texas A&M .609 .699 .630 15.22 7.89 4 4 1 .500 SWC
46 South Carolina .607 .475 .472 15.27 7.82 6 4 1 .591 Southern
47 New Mexico State .604 .555 .204 18.44 8.33 7 2 0 .778 Border
48 Boston College .598 .356 .160 20.67 9.67 6 1 2 .778 Northeast Independent
49 Rice .595 .711 .920 9.10 13.30 4 6 0 .400 SWC
50 Wisconsin .594 .419 .566 13.88 11.63 5 3 0 .625 Western
51 Drake .581 .551 .533 19.40 11.80 5 4 1 .550 MVC
52 Navy .579 .584 .475 14.00 6.67 4 3 2 .556 Eastern Independent
53 Georgia Tech .570 .661 .788 7.20 8.40 3 4 3 .450 SEC
54 Creighton .568 .306 .050 22.38 5.00 6 1 1 .813 MVC
55 Wake Forest .565 .410 .657 16.10 9.80 4 5 1 .450 Southern
56 Texas-El Paso .565 .432 .251 17.00 8.00 6 3 0 .667 Border
57 Washington .559 .719 .838 7.56 9.22 3 5 1 .389 PCC
58 Ohio State .558 .683 .490 14.88 8.13 4 3 1 .563 Western
59 Centenary .558 .620 .382 14.00 10.55 7 4 0 .636 South/West Independent
60 Georgia .555 .687 .519 14.50 14.30 5 4 1 .550 SEC
61 San Francisco .543 .481 .228 11.63 3.25 5 2 1 .688 South/West Independent
62 Oregon .543 .488 .853 7.67 15.33 4 5 0 .444 PCC
63 Montana .537 .558 .286 9.11 5.67 5 3 1 .611 PCC
64 Washington (Missouri) .535 .432 .226 24.20 9.40 6 3 1 .650 MVC
65 Kansas State .525 .487 .620 12.00 14.89 4 4 1 .500 Big 6
66 Syracuse .523 .452 .415 17.13 12.75 5 3 0 .625 Northeast Independent
67 Manhattan .523 .547 .366 10.33 7.78 5 4 0 .556 Northeast Independent
68 Arkansas .514 .739 .678 12.80 12.50 2 7 1 .250 SWC
69 Brown .513 .365 .283 25.38 16.13 5 3 0 .625 Northeast Independent
70 Tulsa .508 .644 .639 11.50 14.80 4 5 1 .450 MVC
71 Nebraska .497 .744 .684 7.56 9.33 3 5 1 .389 Big 6
72 Richmond .491 .407 .118 9.10 5.90 6 3 1 .650 Southern
73 Bucknell .491 .488 .349 11.38 9.75 5 3 0 .625 Eastern Independent
74 George Washington .484 .560 .373 9.11 9.11 5 4 0 .556 South/West Independent
75 Temple .484 .624 .819 9.70 17.00 3 6 1 .350 Eastern Independent
76 Kansas .483 .433 .749 14.67 18.78 3 6 0 .333 Big 6
77 Stanford .479 .654 .815 7.44 10.22 3 6 0 .333 PCC
78 Pennsylvania .470 .459 .302 11.13 7.25 3 2 3 .563 Eastern Independent
79 Washburn .466 .145 .086 17.78 17.78 6 3 0 .667 MVC
80 Virginia Tech .464 .457 .600 7.50 8.60 3 5 2 .400 Southern
81 Citadel .457 .460 .271 13.00 13.45 6 5 0 .545 Southern
82 Virginia .456 .282 .459 12.56 18.78 4 4 1 .500 South/West Independent
83 Duquesne .454 .650 .568 9.60 11.40 4 6 0 .400 Eastern Independent
84 Brigham Young .444 .488 .199 11.63 6.13 4 3 1 .563 Mountain States
85 West Virginia .443 .612 .503 9.80 11.70 4 5 1 .450 Eastern Independent
86 Denver .442 .551 .355 7.22 9.56 4 4 1 .500 Mountain States
87 Mississippi State .439 .606 .504 12.30 13.10 4 6 0 .400 SEC
88 Harvard .438 .516 .303 19.63 13.25 4 4 0 .500 Northeast Independent
89 North Carolina State .422 .513 .770 5.36 9.09 3 7 1 .318 Southern
90 Columbia .421 .486 .466 17.11 16.00 3 6 0 .333 Northeast Independent
91 Penn State .416 .495 .368 17.25 10.88 3 4 1 .438 Eastern Independent
92 Colorado .414 .665 .385 9.75 9.75 3 4 1 .438 Mountain States
93 Washington State .410 .590 .903 4.40 15.90 2 8 0 .200 PCC
94 Utah State .409 .484 .317 10.63 10.88 4 4 0 .500 Mountain States
95 Washington & Lee .405 .416 .200 7.44 6.33 4 4 1 .500 Southern
96 Davidson .404 .415 .580 7.00 16.30 4 6 0 .400 Southern
97 Florida .393 .489 .381 10.18 13.55 4 6 1 .409 SEC
98 New York University .393 .519 .276 13.50 10.50 4 4 0 .500 Northeast Independent
99 Princeton .392 .535 .319 14.63 13.38 3 4 1 .438 Eastern Independent
100 Loyola Marymount .389 .501 .246 13.89 11.22 4 5 0 .444 South/West Independent
101 Illinois .387 .461 .344 13.75 11.00 3 5 0 .375 Western
102 Arizona .379 .641 .555 8.33 16.22 3 6 0 .333 Border
103 Texas .376 .557 .903 5.78 18.00 1 8 0 .111 SWC
104 Colgate .372 .547 .652 5.57 9.00 2 5 0 .286 Northeast Independent
105 Kentucky .354 .552 .557 16.67 17.78 2 7 0 .222 SEC
106 St. Louis .349 .480 .240 7.40 10.10 3 5 2 .400 MVC
107 Furman .333 .566 .464 8.20 15.80 2 7 1 .250 Southern
108 Sewanee .293 .255 .663 6.56 23.67 1 8 0 .111 SEC
109 Marquette .293 .542 .754 4.38 15.25 1 7 0 .125 Eastern Independent
110 William & Mary .292 .312 .316 10.50 15.40 3 7 0 .300 Southern
111 Wyoming .291 .311 .406 8.25 18.38 2 5 1 .313 Mountain States
112 Yale .290 .669 .440 8.63 16.88 2 6 0 .250 Northeast Independent
113 Arizona State .290 .231 .153 9.89 10.89 3 6 0 .333 Border
114 Oklahoma State .270 .341 .491 7.50 17.80 2 8 0 .200 MVC
115 Indiana .263 .541 .555 2.63 8.38 1 6 1 .188 Western
116 Maryland .258 .614 .416 9.56 26.11 2 7 0 .222 Southern
117 Gonzaga .254 .409 .496 10.25 13.13 1 7 0 .125 South/West Independent
118 Colorado State .247 .306 .370 4.63 12.88 1 5 2 .250 Mountain States
119 Wild Card U .229 .235 .556 5.55 25.38 33 168 4 .171  
120 Iowa .229 .358 .437 5.75 16.88 1 6 1 .188 Western
121 Northern Arizona .225 .356 .171 12.67 20.22 2 6 1 .278 Border
122 Hampden-Sydney .194 .235 .170 7.50 17.88 2 6 0 .250 South/West Independent
123 Chicago .150 .260 .186 9.38 30.13 1 6 1 .188 Western

Conference PR PS SOS Wins Losses Ties Pct Teams
Big 6 .636 .526 .645 33 20 3 .616 6
PCC .630 .596 .706 54 40 5 .571 10
SWC .625 .686 .704 35 31 3 .529 7
SEC .615 .652 .618 69 52 8 .566 13
Eastern Independent .569 .618 .515 73 52 10 .578 15
Northeast Independent .541 .552 .366 70 43 5 .614 14
Southern .527 .511 .485 71 65 14 .520 15
South/West Independent .521 .495 .357 56 38 2 .594 11
Border .498 .460 .279 39 27 1 .590 7
Western .496 .493 .476 36 35 9 .506 10
MVC .468 .414 .323 32 29 6 .522 7
Mountain States .421 .481 .328 25 26 8 .492 7

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Last Updated on 09/15/13
By James Howell
Email: cfootball@jhowell.net