UCLA Takes Over No. 1 Ranking; Notre Dame Is 2nd

For the first time in 21 years, UCLA was named the country’s top-ranked college football team, ending Miami’s 6-week regin at No. 1.

The Bruins are followed by No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 USC and No. 4 Miami in the Associated Press and United Press International polls.

Notre Dame’s 31-30 victory Saturday over Miami knocked the Hurricanes from the top spot after the defending national champions had been there for 6 weeks. The Irish, who moved up from fourth place last week, have their highest ranking since they were No. 1 on Sept. 14, 1981.

UCLA (6-0), defeated California, 38-21, and received 33 of 60 first-place votes and 1,169 of a possible 1,200 points from a nationwide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. The Bruins had been ranked No. 2 for 5 weeks.

The last time UCLA was No. 1 was on Nov. 13, 1967, when the Bruins were 7-0-1. But UCLA lost its last two games.

Coach Terry Donahue was pleased but not enthralled by UCLA’s ranking at this stage of the season.

“It’s not Christmas yet,” he said.

Notre Dame (6-0) received 22 first-place votes and 1,142 points. The remaining five first-place ballots went to USC (6-0), which defeated Washington, 28-27, and received 1,091 points to remain in third place.

UCLA will meet USC on Nov. 19, and USC will play Notre Dame the next week.

Miami (4-1) received 1,001 points in dropping from first to fourth.

The top five teams are the same in the United Press International poll.

Nebraska jumped from seventh to fifth in the Associated Press poll after a 63-42 victory over 10th-ranked Oklahoma State. West Virginia remained sixth after an open date, and Florida State slipped from fifth to seventh despite a 45-21 victory over East Carolina.

Oklahoma’s 70-24 rout of Kansas State pushed the Sooners from ninth to eighth, and South Carolina fell from eighth to 18th by losing to Georgia Tech, 34-0.

Clemson, No. 11 a week ago, moved up to ninth by defeating previously unbeaten Duke, 49-17. Auburn rounded out the top 10, climbing up from 12th after a 42-0 victory over Akron.

In the UPI poll, UCLA received 722 of 735 possible points and 37 of 49 first-place votes from UPI’s board of coaches. Notre Dame earned 670 points and 10 first-place ballots to jump two positions to No. 2. USC had the other two first-place votes.