The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls.
Prior to 1965, both services issued their final polls at the close of the regular season, but before teams competed in bowl games.
For the 1965 season, the AP took its final poll after the postseason games, an arrangement made permanent in 1968.
The AP poll in 1965 consisted of the votes of 55 sportswriters, each of whom would give their opinion of the ten best teams.
Nebraska was first, followed by Texas, Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, and Arkansas.
At the end of the regular season, Michigan State, Arkansas, and Nebraska were all unbeaten at 10–0.
[3] Arkansas and Michigan State lost during the day, and Alabama defeated Nebraska at night in Miami.
In the final poll, taken after the bowls, Alabama was crowned the national champion by the Associated Press.
The Crimson Tide had been first in both final polls at the end of the 1964 regular season and crowned as national champions, but lost the Orange Bowl.
In addition to 1964 and 1965, the UPI national champions in 1970 and 1973 also lost their respective bowl games.
Beginning with the 1974 season, the UPI released its final poll after the bowls.
USC played Minnesota to a 20–20 tie on a Friday night game in Los Angeles while Alabama narrowly lost to Georgia, 18–17.
2 Texas shut out Tulane 31–0 in a game which was shifted from New Orleans to Austin due to the devastation of Hurricane Betsy across the Crescent City.
In a matchup which would later have national championship implications, Michigan State defeated UCLA 13–3 at East Lansing.
In the next poll, Texas, Purdue and Nebraska had had 15, 14 and 13 first place votes in a tight race for No.
2 Nebraska recorded its third straight shutout, a 41–0 win at Kansas State.
In the next poll, Michigan State received fewer first place votes than Arkansas, but had seven more points overall, 473–466, while Nebraska was third.
1 Michigan State beat Indiana 27–13 to guarantee itself the Big Ten title and a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.
3 Nebraska had a surprisingly difficult game against 1–6 Oklahoma State, winning 21–17 at Stillwater, but still clinched the Big 8 title and a berth in the Orange Bowl.
The two met at Arkansas, and the Razorbacks beat the Red Raiders 42–24 to get a spot in the Cotton Bowl.
6 USC 20–16 to win the AAWU (Pac-8) title, a Rose Bowl berth, and the opportunity to avenge their early-season loss to Michigan State.
Unranked LSU destroyed Tulane 62–0 (the third time in the past eight meetings the Tigers defeated the Green Wave by that score) and earned a berth in the Cotton Bowl opposite Arkansas.
3 Nebraska beat Oklahoma at home in Lincoln, 21–9 to finish with a 10−0 record.
5 Alabama met Auburn (which was surprisingly undefeated in SEC play despite losing three of their four non-conference games) in their annual season closer at Birmingham on Saturday.
However, the Bruins were not penalized by the AP voters, who did not release a poll after this week.
Instead, the AP planned to take its final poll after the bowl games, as its top six teams were all playing on New Year's Day.
Saturday, January 1, 1966 The top three teams in the polls were upset,[4] starting with LSU's 14–7 win over No.
Then came an even bigger stunner, as 13-point underdog UCLA bested top-ranked Michigan State in the Rose Bowl, 14–12.
Trailing by eight points, Michigan State scored a touchdown in the final minute but the two-point conversion attempt to tie was stopped just short of the goal line.
Alabama, led by QB Steve Sloan, beat Nebraska 39–28 to claim the national title.