Litkenhous Ratings

The Litkenhous Difference by Score Ratings system was a mathematical system used to rank football and basketball teams. The Litrating system was developed by Vanderbilt University professor Edward Earl ("E.E.") Litkenhous Jr. (1907 – December 22, 1984) and his brother, Francis H. Litkenhous (December 9, 1912 – June 22, 1996).

Edward Litkenhous (1907-1984) received an undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. He began his career as a professor of chemical engineering at the Speed Scientific School of the University of Louisville. He later became a professor at Vanderbilt University and served as head of that school's engineering department. He died in 1984.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football records book includes the Litkenhous Ratings as a "major selector" of college football national championships for the seasons 1934 through 1984.

College football national champions

Litkenhous Ratings Championship trophy, 1934–1962

Teams in the following table were ranked No. 1 by the Litkenhous Difference by Score Ratings system.

The NCAA records book credits Litkenhous as a "major selector" for the seasons 1934 through 1984, and credits the system with 51 total rankings. However no selections are listed in the NCAA records book for six seasons: 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, and 1980.

SeasonChampionRecordLitratingNotes
1934Minnesota8–0103.0
1935Minnesota8–0100.0
1936Minnesota7–196.4
1937Pittsburgh9–0–1100.0
1938Tennessee11–0100.0
1939Cornell8–096.2
1940Minnesota8–0100.1
1941Minnesota8–0101.1
1942Georgia11–1112.2
1943Notre Dame9–1131.9
1944Army9–0141.8
1945Army9–0133.0
1946Notre Dame8–0–1114.7
1947Michigan10–0114.0
1948Michigan9–0114.1
1949Notre Dame10–0117.7
1950Oklahoma10–1105.6
1951Tennessee10–1114.0
1952Michigan State9–0115.1
1953Notre Dame9–0–1110.4
1954UCLA9–0115.3
1955Oklahoma11–0109.2
1956Oklahoma10–0116.3
1957Ohio State9–1106.7
1958LSU11–0109.9
1959Syracuse11–0111.0
1960Iowa8–1112.8
1961Alabama11–0113.5
1962Ole Miss10–0107.3
1963Texas11–0104.7
1964Alabama10–1104.9
1965Michigan State10–1114.0
1966Notre Dame9–0–1113.8
1967Tennessee9–2103.0
1968Georgia8–1–2111.4
1969Texas10–0117.3
1970Texas10–1124.0
1971Nebraska13–0120.6
1972USC12–0119.2
1973 †Alabama11–1123.0
1974Oklahoma11–0
1975 †Ohio State11–1114.3
1976 †Michigan10–2115.2
1977 †Texas11–1
1978Alabama 11-1
1979 †
1980 †
1981Clemson12-0
1982Nebraska †
Penn St		 12–1
11-1
1983Nebraska12–1145.8
1984Nebraska10-2

† Years where Litkenhous selection is omitted from the NCAA records book.

Litkenhous trophy

The No. 1 team in the year's final ranking was awarded the Litkenhous Ratings Championship trophy. The traveling trophy took the form of a huge wooden plaque and bronze mural by artist Marion Junkin.

The trophy plaque is engraved with the winners for 1934–1962. Ole Miss was evidently the last Litkenhous champion to receive the trophy; the trophy is still held today at the University of Mississippi.

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 Elkins, Roy (February 8, 1948). "Dr. Lit Is Noted Sports Expert". Kingsport Times–News. Kingsport, Tennessee. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Dr. Litkenhous Funeral Service At Woodlawn". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. December 24, 1984. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  3. ↑ Frakes, Jason (December 26, 2021). "Remember those Litkenhous Ratings? Here's what happened". Courier Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. pp. 1B, 4B. the original computer code for the Litratings was written in COBOL. The code was rewritten in 2004 and by 2016 had become outdated as technology progressed.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "National Champion Major Selections (1896 to Present)". 2022 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2022. pp. 112–114. Retrieved January 4, 2023. The criteria for being included in this historical list of poll selectors is that the poll be national in scope, either through distribution in newspaper, television, radio and/or computer online. The list includes both former selectors, who were instrumental in the sport of college football, and selectors who were among the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) selectors.
  5. ↑ "Litkenhous to Teach at U. L." The Courier-Journal. February 9, 1936. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Dr. Litkenhous Funeral Service At Woodlawn". The Tennessean. December 24, 1984. p. 3C – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Litkenhous Ratings Championship trophy (Trophy plaque). Hollingsworth/Manning Hall, University of Mississippi: Litkenhous Ratings. July 18, 2013. Retrieved April 5, 2023. The Difference By Score System
  8. 1 2 3 Litkenhous, Dr. E. E. (December 22, 1957). "O-State Ends Sooners' Reign — Buckeyes Tops In Litkenhous". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved January 12, 2023. The top ratings by years: 1934–1957
  9. 1 2 3 "Notre Dame Football Team Regains High Ranking After Long Hiatus". Hartford Courant. December 20, 1966. Retrieved January 22, 2023. Litkenhous Ratings 1966–1934
  10. ↑ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 19, 1945). "Litkenhouse Rates College, Service Teams of Nation". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. ↑ "Fritz Gets Trophy". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. October 23, 1948. Retrieved January 12, 2023. ...presents the national championship Litkenhous trophy to Fritz Crisler, coach of Michigan's 1947 team.
  12. ↑ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 18, 1955). "OU No. 1, Maryland 4th, Says Litkenhous". The Wichita Eagle. p. 18.
  13. ↑ "Litkenhous Official — Iowa No. 1". The Washington Daily News. December 14, 1960. p. 59. Iowa is the national college football champion in the final 1960 Litkenhous Difference by Score ratings announced today.
  14. 1 2 Litkenhous Ratings Championship — 1961 Alabama (Trophy). University of Alabama. 1961. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023. 1961 National Champions — Trophies — Lithenhous[sic] — National Champions (shown in back)
  15. ↑ "Texas Wins Lit Title (1063)". The Courier-Journal. December 5, 1963. p. II-22.
  16. ↑ Litkenhous, F. H. (December 21, 1967). "Tennessee Finishes No. 1 in Final Litkenhous College Grid Rankings (1967)". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  17. ↑ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 12, 1968). "Litkenhous Rates Georgia Best Team (1968)". The Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Litkenhous College Football Selections (1969)". The Miami News. Miami, Florida. December 26, 1969. Retrieved January 23, 2023. Texas (1) 117.3
  19. ↑ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 16, 1970). "Litkenhous (1970)". The Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin. Retrieved January 23, 2023. Texas is the Litkenhous national champion as the Longhorns wound up at 124.0.
  20. ↑ "'Huskers capture final". Johnson City Press. Johnson City, Tennessee. December 8, 1971. Retrieved January 23, 2023. With the regular season completed, it's Nebraska as expected in the No. 1 slot in the Litkenhous Ratings. — Nebraska 120.6
  21. ↑ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 28, 1972). "Lit Bowls 'Em Over". Journal and Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. Retrieved January 23, 2023. South'n Cal 119.2
  22. ↑ "Bowl Litratings (1973)". The Tampa Times. Tampa, Florida. December 20, 1973. Retrieved January 22, 2023. Alabama 123.0, Ohio State 122.8, Notre Dame 116.5
  23. ↑ "Dr. Lit favors Penn State today". Johnson City Press. Johnson City, Tennessee. November 28, 1972. Retrieved January 23, 2023. Top-ranked Oklahoma
  24. ↑ "Final college football Litratings (1975)". The Courier–Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. December 17, 1975. Retrieved January 22, 2023. 1. Ohio State 114.3
  25. ↑ "Final college football Litratings (1976)". The Courier–Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. December 16, 1976. Retrieved January 22, 2023. 1. Michigan 115.2
  26. ↑ Leonard, George (January 5, 1978). "Sidelines". Nashville Banner. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023. Dr. Litkenhous traditionally determines his system's national champion after the regular season ends. Texas won in 1977.
  27. ↑ "Final Litratings (1982)". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. December 14, 1982. Retrieved January 23, 2023. 1. Nebraska 145.8, 2. Penn State 144.0
  28. ↑ The NCAA records book lists a selection of Penn State.
  29. ↑ "College Football Final Litratings (1983)". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. January 4, 1984. Retrieved January 23, 2023. 1. Nebraska 145.8,
  30. ↑ "Litkenhous State Trophy". Nashville Banner. November 20, 1952. Retrieved January 12, 2023. This huge plaque, with a bronze mural by Marion Junkin,