The 1938 college football season ended with the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University (TCU) being named the nation's No.
1 team by 55 of the 77 voters in the final Associated Press writers' poll in early December.
Tennessee was also chosen by six contemporary math system selectors as a national champion; both teams won every game.
Notre Dame was chosen by the Dickinson System and won the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy.
[2] September 24 Defending champion Pittsburgh beat West Virginia, 19–0.
Minnesota defeated Washington 15–0, and Dartmouth beat Bates 46–0.
California played a double-header for the fans, with the reserves beating the California Agricultural school (lager UC-Davis) 48–0, and the varsity and reserves beating College of the Pacific 39–0.
In Atlanta, Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech 14–6.
Fordham was tied by Purdue 6–6, and in Birmingham, Alabama was shut out by Tennessee, 13–0.
When the first round of balloting was finished, the defending champion Panthers were again No.
6 Santa Clara beat Arkansas 21–6 in San Francisco, while in Milwaukee, No.
7 TCU beat Marquette 21–0, and the two winners replaced Dartmouth and Notre Dame in the Top Five: No.
5 Santa Clara won at Michigan State 7–6.
7 Notre Dame beat Army in Yankee Stadium, 19–7, and both returned to the Top Five: No.
The Horned Frogs of TCU leaped into the top spot, ahead of Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Dartmouth.
7 Duke remained unbeaten (7–0–0), untied, and unscored upon with a 21–0 win at Syracuse.
In the next poll, the Irish moved up to the top rung, followed by TCU, Tennessee, Duke, and Pittsburgh.
3 Tennessee was idle as it prepared for a holiday game.
With a record of 9–0–0, Duke had outscored its opponents 114–0, but stayed in third in the next set of rankings.
On November 29 the "final" AP Poll was released with Notre Dame No.
2-ranked TCU received 55 first place votes in the second final poll and accepted a bid to the Sugar Bowl.
4 Tennessee beat Ole Miss 47–0 in Memphis, and moved up to second place.
Though the SEC champion would be Sugar Bowl bound in later years, a No.
2 match was not to be had, as Tennessee instead took a bid for the Orange Bowl.
3 Duke stayed in third place, despite having never been scored upon in 1938, and accepted an invitation to the Rose Bowl.
5 Oklahoma beat Washington State 28–0 and moved up to fourth place.
Both unbeaten and untied at 10–0–0, Tennessee and Oklahoma would meet in Miami, but the title had been awarded to 10–0–0 TCU.
The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player