| Season: | 1934 |
The 1934 college football season rankings included a poll of leading newspapers conducted by the Associated Press (AP), a poll of 250 sports writers conducted by the committee responsible for awarding the Toledo Cup to the nation's top college football team, and the Boand and Dickinson Systems, mathematical systems operated by William F. Boand and Frank G. Dickinson. The four ranking systems were unanimous in selecting the undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers as the national champion. Professor Dickinson gave the nod to Minnesota even though one-loss Pittsburgh received a higher mathematical score.
In mid-November 1934, the Associated Press published the results of its poll of the country's leading newspapers.[1] The results of the poll were as follows:
| Rank | Team | Points | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota (8–0) | 635 | 50 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Stanford (9–1–1) | 468 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 16.5 | 12.5 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 3 | Alabama (10–0) | 438.5 | 5.5 | 11.5 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | Pittsburgh (8–1) | 420 | 1 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 5 | Princeton (7–1) | 300.5 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5-1/2 | |
| 6 | Illinois (7–1) | 183.5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 3-1/2 | |
| 7 | Navy (8–1) | 182 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | |
| 8 | Colgate (7–1) | 181.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3-1/2 | |
| 9 | Ohio State (7–1) | 170.5 | 0 | 3 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| 10 | Syracuse (6–2) | 130.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 5-1/2 | |
| 11 | Santa Clara (7–2–1) | 119 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 12 | Rice (9–1–1) | 106 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 11 | |
| 13 | LSU (7–2–2) | 52 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | |
| 14 | Army (7–3) | 44 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | |
| 15 | Temple (7–1–2) | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
The Toledo Cup was based on ballots submitted by a national committee of 250 sports writers. The process was overseen by a committee including Westbrook Pegler, Avery Brundage, Gustavus Kirby, Lynn St. John, Wilbur C. Smith, Stewart Edward White, and Theodore Roosevelt Jr.. In preliminary polling in December 1934, the results were as follows:
1. Minnesota (8–0) - 840 points
2. Alabama (10–0) - 361-1/4 points
3. Pittsburgh (8–1) - 281 points
4. Stanford (9–1–1) - 134-1/2 points
5. Ohio State (7–1) - 62 points
6. Temple (7–1–2) - 7 points
7. Colgate (7–1) - 6 points
8. LSU (7–2–2) - 4 points
9. Wisconsin (4–4) - 3 points
10. (tie) Princeton (7–1), Washington (6–1–1) - 1 point each
[2]
In final polling in January 1935, the results were as follows:
1. Minnesota - 224 votes
2. Alabama - 23 votes
[3]
The Boand System was a mathematical ranking system developed by William F. Boand and sometimes billed as the "Azzi Ratem" (as I rate 'em) system. Boand typically updated his rankings after the bowl games, but his post-bowl rankings have not been found. His final pre-bowl rankings released in mid-December 1934 were as follows:
1. Minnesota - 150 points
2. Pittsburgh - 147 points
3. Stanford - 137 points
3. Alabama - 137 points
5. Navy - 135 points
6. Ohio State - 132 points
6. Rice - 132 points
8. Temple - 127 points
9. Colgate - 125 points
10. Tennessee - 123 points
11. Columbia - 122 points
12. Tulane - 121 points
13. Illinois - 120 points
13. Texas - 120 points
15. Notre Dame - 118 points
15. LSU - 118 points
17. Washington - 117 points
[4]
The Dickinson System was a mathematical rating system devised by University of Illinois economics professor Frank G. Dickinson. For the first time, Professor Dickinson declared a team as national champion even though it did not receive the highest point total in his mathematical calculations. Professor Dickinson justified the departure based on a provision in his "code" providing that an undefeated team should be rated higher than a defeated team, regardless of the point standing. Dickinson's final ratings were as follows:
1. Minnesota (8–0) - 23.51 points
2. Pittsburgh (8–1) - 24.19 points
3. Navy (8–1) - 23.00 points
4. Illinois (7–1) - 22.01 points
5. Rice (9–1–1) - 21.97 points
6. Alabama (10–0) - 21.70 points
7. Columbia (7–1) - 21.67 points
8. Ohio State (7–1) - 21.51 points
9. Colgate (7–1) - 21.06 points
10. Stanford (9–1–1) - 20.34 points
11. Tulane (10–1) - 20.03 points
[5]
The Houlgate System rankings for 1934 were as follows:[6]
1. Stanford (9–1–1) - 32.5[7]
2. Navy (8–1)
3. Alabama (10–0)
4. Pittsburgh (8–1)
5. Minnesota (8–0)