Return to the college football ratings index
Final power ratings for the 1959 season are listed below. Home field advantage for this year was .547 and the root for determining point spreads was 1.087.
The average home field advantage for this year is 2.75 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 | Syracuse | .950 | .698 | .734 | 37.55 | 6.64 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Eastern Independent |
| 2 | Mississippi | .942 | .840 | .747 | 31.82 | 1.91 | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | SEC |
| 3 | Louisiana State | .887 | .783 | .848 | 14.91 | 4.55 | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | SEC |
| 4 | Georgia | .874 | .586 | .738 | 20.73 | 8.09 | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | SEC |
| 5 | Washington | .866 | .474 | .645 | 23.00 | 6.64 | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | AAWU |
| 6 | Texas | .854 | .685 | .811 | 19.64 | 8.73 | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | SWC |
| 7 | Penn State | .837 | .657 | .736 | 23.82 | 10.18 | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | Eastern Independent |
| 8 | Arkansas | .828 | .638 | .839 | 14.82 | 9.18 | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | SWC |
| 9 | Texas Christian | .818 | .760 | .909 | 15.36 | 6.82 | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | SWC |
| 10 | Wyoming | .797 | .626 | .392 | 28.70 | 6.20 | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | Skyline |
| 11 | Clemson | .791 | .700 | .563 | 25.91 | 9.36 | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | ACC |
| 12 | Southern California | .777 | .541 | .606 | 19.50 | 9.00 | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | AAWU |
| 13 | Auburn | .767 | .862 | .703 | 17.40 | 5.80 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | SEC |
| 14 | Oregon | .745 | .578 | .561 | 20.90 | 11.30 | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | South/West Independent |
| 15 | Alabama | .743 | .555 | .695 | 8.64 | 5.36 | 7 | 2 | 2 | .727 | SEC |
| 16 | Oklahoma | .739 | .894 | .704 | 23.40 | 14.60 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | Big 7 |
| 17 | Georgia Tech | .718 | .721 | .950 | 12.36 | 11.00 | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | SEC |
| 18 | Arizona State | .713 | .655 | .300 | 24.73 | 13.64 | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | Border |
| 19 | North Texas | .705 | .586 | .347 | 27.55 | 9.36 | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | MVC |
| 20 | Virginia Military Institute | .692 | .545 | .296 | 24.30 | 9.30 | 8 | 1 | 1 | .850 | Southern |
| 21 | Kansas | .678 | .505 | .748 | 16.30 | 13.40 | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | Big 7 |
| 22 | Tennessee | .676 | .686 | .820 | 11.20 | 11.80 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | SEC |
| 23 | New Mexico State | .676 | .311 | .405 | 32.73 | 14.36 | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | Border |
| 24 | Vanderbilt | .665 | .664 | .694 | 13.80 | 10.60 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | SEC |
| 25 | Southern Methodist | .664 | .666 | .829 | 14.70 | 13.30 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | SWC |
| 26 | Iowa State | .662 | .424 | .429 | 24.80 | 8.00 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | Big 7 |
| 27 | Pittsburgh | .660 | .639 | .797 | 14.70 | 16.40 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | Eastern Independent |
| 28 | UCLA | .660 | .619 | .746 | 16.90 | 15.00 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | AAWU |
| 29 | Wisconsin | .657 | .685 | .600 | 16.50 | 14.90 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | Big Ten |
| 30 | New Mexico | .654 | .467 | .439 | 26.00 | 13.50 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | Skyline |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | .652 | .364 | .285 | 21.67 | 8.22 | 7 | 1 | 1 | .833 | Ivy |
| 32 | Northwestern | .651 | .493 | .636 | 19.33 | 14.89 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | Big Ten |
| 33 | Missouri | .651 | .571 | .806 | 11.36 | 11.27 | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | Big 7 |
| 34 | Miami (Florida) | .645 | .565 | .728 | 14.00 | 14.00 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | South/West Independent |
| 35 | Purdue | .636 | .674 | .613 | 12.11 | 9.00 | 5 | 2 | 2 | .667 | Big Ten |
| 36 | Navy | .635 | .685 | .691 | 19.90 | 16.60 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | Eastern Independent |
| 37 | Kentucky | .634 | .651 | .913 | 14.00 | 10.70 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | SEC |
| 38 | Florida | .633 | .737 | .697 | 16.90 | 10.70 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | SEC |
| 39 | Washington State | .633 | .606 | .609 | 17.70 | 12.10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | South/West Independent |
| 40 | Air Force | .627 | .589 | .650 | 16.00 | 12.40 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | South/West Independent |
| 41 | Illinois | .615 | .540 | .604 | 12.33 | 10.33 | 5 | 3 | 1 | .611 | Big Ten |
| 42 | Notre Dame | .612 | .713 | .768 | 17.10 | 18.00 | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | Eastern Independent |
| 43 | Citadel | .611 | .354 | .233 | 20.70 | 14.20 | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | Southern |
| 44 | Oklahoma State | .607 | .654 | .549 | 18.10 | 15.10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | South/West Independent |
| 45 | Wake Forest | .601 | .433 | .545 | 21.80 | 17.80 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | ACC |
| 46 | South Carolina | .598 | .634 | .553 | 17.00 | 16.90 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | ACC |
| 47 | Baylor | .595 | .575 | .905 | 10.60 | 15.40 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | SWC |
| 48 | Iowa | .595 | .795 | .517 | 25.89 | 11.11 | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | Big Ten |
| 49 | Michigan State | .593 | .633 | .590 | 16.56 | 13.11 | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | Big Ten |
| 50 | North Carolina | .583 | .613 | .609 | 19.80 | 14.20 | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | ACC |
| 51 | Colorado | .577 | .670 | .691 | 14.40 | 17.70 | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | Big 7 |
| 52 | Army | .575 | .753 | .611 | 19.33 | 15.67 | 4 | 4 | 1 | .500 | Eastern Independent |
| 53 | Maryland | .566 | .569 | .673 | 18.40 | 18.80 | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | ACC |
| 54 | Colorado State | .558 | .474 | .521 | 12.30 | 14.70 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | Skyline |
| 55 | Tulane | .553 | .503 | .853 | 9.40 | 17.60 | 3 | 6 | 1 | .350 | SEC |
| 56 | Holy Cross | .548 | .558 | .428 | 14.20 | 16.00 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | Eastern Independent |
| 57 | Tulsa | .547 | .569 | .633 | 13.70 | 16.40 | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | MVC |
| 58 | Utah | .544 | .501 | .567 | 22.40 | 19.50 | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | Skyline |
| 59 | Harvard | .542 | .334 | .258 | 19.67 | 11.22 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | Ivy |
| 60 | Yale | .541 | .390 | .267 | 17.67 | 10.56 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | Ivy |
| 61 | Indiana | .534 | .456 | .519 | 15.78 | 11.67 | 4 | 4 | 1 | .500 | Big Ten |
| 62 | Boston College | .529 | .606 | .462 | 18.00 | 15.89 | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | Eastern Independent |
| 63 | Texas Tech | .526 | .441 | .673 | 13.90 | 15.80 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | South/West Independent |
| 64 | Cincinnati | .525 | .524 | .385 | 19.30 | 14.80 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | MVC |
| 65 | Dartmouth | .521 | .553 | .428 | 10.67 | 11.78 | 5 | 3 | 1 | .611 | Ivy |
| 66 | Virginia Tech | .513 | .479 | .287 | 22.20 | 17.80 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | Southern |
| 67 | Detroit Mercy | .506 | .421 | .271 | 19.90 | 13.90 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | Eastern Independent |
| 68 | Wichita State | .498 | .429 | .361 | 18.10 | 16.10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .550 | MVC |
| 69 | Stanford | .493 | .488 | .715 | 23.20 | 26.10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | AAWU |
| 70 | Texas A&M | .492 | .659 | .727 | 10.10 | 14.10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | SWC |
| 71 | Duke | .484 | .696 | .668 | 10.40 | 15.90 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | ACC |
| 72 | Florida State | .479 | .553 | .534 | 14.90 | 13.20 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | South/West Independent |
| 73 | Oregon State | .478 | .609 | .650 | 16.60 | 17.80 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | South/West Independent |
| 74 | Nebraska | .473 | .414 | .661 | 10.80 | 16.00 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | Big 7 |
| 75 | Michigan | .470 | .545 | .553 | 13.56 | 17.89 | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | Big Ten |
| 76 | Pacific | .463 | .562 | .310 | 14.67 | 13.00 | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | South/West Independent |
| 77 | Boston University | .463 | .438 | .521 | 11.33 | 16.67 | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | Eastern Independent |
| 78 | San Jose State | .458 | .394 | .583 | 19.20 | 27.80 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | South/West Independent |
| 79 | Rice | .458 | .690 | .899 | 8.60 | 19.70 | 1 | 7 | 2 | .200 | SWC |
| 80 | Ohio State | .456 | .753 | .626 | 9.22 | 12.67 | 3 | 5 | 1 | .389 | Big Ten |
| 81 | Utah State | .456 | .367 | .432 | 16.45 | 16.82 | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | Skyline |
| 82 | Hardin-Simmons | .455 | .566 | .684 | 15.40 | 24.40 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Border |
| 83 | Houston | .453 | .627 | .761 | 10.50 | 17.00 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | MVC |
| 84 | California | .447 | .545 | .854 | 11.50 | 22.30 | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | AAWU |
| 85 | Cornell | .441 | .411 | .329 | 12.22 | 15.11 | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | Ivy |
| 86 | Richmond | .440 | .369 | .311 | 18.10 | 14.40 | 4 | 5 | 1 | .450 | Southern |
| 87 | Rutgers | .423 | .467 | .050 | 14.67 | 13.44 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | Eastern Independent |
| 88 | Marquette | .411 | .301 | .581 | 17.20 | 21.40 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Eastern Independent |
| 89 | William & Mary | .406 | .338 | .354 | 14.00 | 15.50 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | Southern |
| 90 | Mississippi State | .403 | .660 | .858 | 10.67 | 22.00 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | SEC |
| 91 | Princeton | .402 | .523 | .300 | 13.78 | 10.78 | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | Ivy |
| 92 | Arizona | .399 | .334 | .440 | 11.80 | 21.10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | Border |
| 93 | West Virginia | .396 | .614 | .701 | 7.40 | 20.30 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Southern |
| 94 | Minnesota | .378 | .465 | .635 | 10.89 | 17.67 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | Big Ten |
| 95 | Brigham Young | .375 | .459 | .489 | 10.10 | 16.90 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Skyline |
| 96 | Texas-El Paso | .370 | .431 | .422 | 16.30 | 19.10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Border |
| 97 | North Carolina State | .342 | .489 | .706 | 11.70 | 20.10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 | ACC |
| 98 | Kansas State | .330 | .449 | .653 | 10.90 | 26.60 | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | Big 7 |
| 99 | Colgate | .326 | .317 | .556 | 12.78 | 29.78 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | Eastern Independent |
| 100 | Xavier | .316 | .299 | .184 | 15.50 | 22.70 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | Eastern Independent |
| 101 | Furman | .311 | .297 | .338 | 13.10 | 21.60 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Southern |
| 102 | Denver | .309 | .455 | .551 | 10.40 | 23.00 | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | Skyline |
| 103 | Wild Card U | .301 | .299 | .399 | 11.49 | 23.67 | 24 | 58 | 0 | .293 | |
| 104 | Brown | .275 | .439 | .367 | 5.67 | 15.44 | 2 | 6 | 1 | .278 | Ivy |
| 105 | Dayton | .275 | .299 | .263 | 7.70 | 14.90 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Eastern Independent |
| 106 | Columbia | .261 | .162 | .421 | 9.11 | 21.00 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | Ivy |
| 107 | West Texas A&M | .242 | .351 | .437 | 12.80 | 24.60 | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 | Border |
| 108 | Idaho | .239 | .426 | .614 | 7.90 | 29.30 | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 | South/West Independent |
| 109 | George Washington | .217 | .373 | .486 | 5.89 | 21.22 | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | Southern |
| 110 | Virginia | .216 | .372 | .716 | 8.00 | 39.30 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .000 | ACC |
| 111 | Davidson | .190 | .399 | .290 | 13.11 | 22.22 | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | Southern |
| 112 | Montana | .189 | .200 | .370 | 9.44 | 30.00 | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | Skyline |
| 113 | Villanova | .180 | .445 | .377 | 8.70 | 24.90 | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 | Eastern Independent |
| Conference | PR | PS | SOS | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct | Teams |
| SEC | .708 | .687 | .793 | 73 | 44 | 7 | .617 | 12 |
| SWC | .673 | .668 | .846 | 39 | 31 | 3 | .555 | 7 |
| AAWU | .649 | .533 | .714 | 28 | 22 | 1 | .559 | 5 |
| Big 7 | .587 | .561 | .670 | 36 | 35 | 0 | .507 | 7 |
| Big Ten | .559 | .604 | .589 | 46 | 40 | 5 | .533 | 10 |
| MVC | .546 | .547 | .497 | 27 | 22 | 2 | .549 | 5 |
| South/West Independent | .536 | .543 | .587 | 52 | 56 | 1 | .482 | 11 |
| ACC | .523 | .563 | .629 | 36 | 45 | 0 | .444 | 8 |
| Eastern Independent | .515 | .519 | .502 | 80 | 75 | 2 | .516 | 16 |
| Skyline | .485 | .444 | .470 | 38 | 42 | 0 | .475 | 8 |
| Border | .476 | .441 | .448 | 29 | 33 | 0 | .468 | 6 |
| Ivy | .454 | .397 | .332 | 37 | 32 | 3 | .535 | 8 |
| Southern | .420 | .419 | .366 | 38 | 48 | 2 | .443 | 9 |
This page has been accessed times since May 5, 1999.
Last Updated on 09/15/13
By James Howell
Email: cfootball@jhowell.net