The season was the first after the entry of the United States into World War II.

The teams ranked highest in the final AP Poll in December 1942 were: Frank Sinkwich of Georgia won the Heisman Trophy and led the nation with 2,187 yards of total offense (including 1,392 passing yards), making him the first major-college player to tally more than 2,000 yards in a season.

Paul Governali of Columbia won the Maxwell Award.

The year's other statistical leaders included Rudy Mobley of Hardin-Simmons with 1,281 rushing yards, Ray Evans of Kansas with 1,117 passing yards, Harding Miller of SMU with 531 receiving yards, and Bob Steuber of Missouri with 121 points scored.

With large numbers of college and professional football players serving in the armed forces, "service teams" competed against the college teams.

The top-ranked service teams were Great Lakes Navy (No.

The Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which had been active since 1928, played its final season in 1942.

The following Friday, Georgia defeated the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, 14–0, in Macon.

Defending champion Minnesota beat Pittsburgh, 50–7.

Notre Dame and Wisconsin played to a 7–7 tie in Madison.

Texas beat the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, 18–7.

Michigan beat the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, 9–0.

Before its smallest crowd since 1933 (22,555) Ohio State defeated a service team, the Fort Knox Armoraiders, 59–0.

October 3 Minnesota's winning streak ended when the defending national champs lost their first game in almost four years, to the Seahawks of Iowa Pre-Flight (who just happened to be coached that season by "former" Minnesota head coach Bernie Bierman who had taken leave from Minnesota to serve as an officer in the military during World War II), 7–6.

Notre Dame lost to Georgia Tech 13–6.

Ohio State beat visiting USC, 28–12.

In Mobile, Alabama defeated the Pensacola NAS, 27–0.

In the poll that followed, the Top Five consisted of three teams from the Big Nine (No.

Losing also that day was Iowa Pre-Flight, which sustained its first loss at Notre Dame, 28–0.

In the next poll, the Top Five shuffled slightly, with Alabama and Michigan trading places: Ohio State (No.

In the poll that followed, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech replaced Michigan and Illinois: Ohio State (No.

4 Notre Dame beat Navy in Cleveland, 9–0.

The Georgia Bulldogs took over first place in the poll that followed, and Wisconsin and Boston College moved in while Ohio State and Alabama fell out: 1.

4 Notre Dame beat Army 13–0 at Yankee Stadium.

8 Alabama beat South Carolina 29–0 and moved into the Top Five as Wisconsin dropped out.

3 Boston College beat Fordham at home, 56–6.

5 Ohio State met in Columbus, with OSU winning 21–7, capturing the Big Nine championship.

1 Boston College lost to unranked Holy Cross, 55–12.

3 Ohio State defeated the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks, 41–12, finishing 9–1–0 and capturing the No.

Alabama (7–3) The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player [5] [5] [6]