Dunkel System

The Dunkel System, also known as the Dunkel College Football Index,[1][2] is a college football rating system developed in 1929 by Richard C. "Dick" Dunkel, Sr. (1906–1975), to determine a national champion.[3] Dunkel rated college football teams from 1929 until his death in 1975.[4] His ratings are recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in its Football Bowl Subdivision record book.[4] The NCAA describes Dunkel's methodology as a "power index system."[4] Dunkel described his system an index and claimed that "his difference by scores is scientifically produced."[5]

From the late 1930s through the early 1960s, Dunkel also hosted a weekly radio program called "Dick Dunkel Football Forecasts".[6][7][8] He also issued college basketball forecasts and rankings in conjunction with Converse, starting in the 1940s.[9][10]

Dunkel died at age 69 in December 1975 at Daytona Beach, Florida.[11] From 1975 to 2002, Dunkel's son, Dick Dunkel, Jr., continued to issue ratings,[4] but the popularity of the syndicated service declined. Starting in 2002, the rankings were prepared jointly by Dick Dunkel, Jr., Bob Dunkel, and John Duck, executive producer of the Daytona Beach News Journal.[4]

Dunkel national champions

The following list identifies the college football national champions as selected by the Dunkel System.[4]

SeasonChampion
1929Notre Dame
1930Notre Dame
1931USC
1932USC
1933Ohio State
1934Alabama
1935Princeton
1936Minnesota
1937California
1938Tennessee
1939Texas A&M
1940Tennessee
1941Minnesota
1942Ohio State
1943Notre Dame
1944Army
1945Army
1946Notre Dame
1947Michigan
1948Michigan
1949Notre Dame
1950Tennessee
1951Maryland
1952Michigan State
1953Notre Dame
1954UCLA
1955Oklahoma
1956Oklahoma
1957Michigan State
1958LSU
1959Ole Miss
1960Ole Miss
1961Alabama
1962USC
1963Texas
1964Michigan
1965Michigan State
1966Notre Dame
1967Notre Dame
1968Ohio State
1969Texas
1970Nebraska
1971Nebraska
1972USC
1973Oklahoma
1974Oklahoma
1975Oklahoma
1976USC
1977Notre Dame
1978Oklahoma
1979Alabama
1980Oklahoma
1981Penn State
1982Penn State
1983Miami
1984Florida
1985Oklahoma
1986Oklahoma
1987Miami
1988Notre Dame
1989Miami
1990Georgia Tech
1991Washington
1992Alabama
1993Florida State
1994Florida State
1995Nebraska
1996Florida
1997Nebraska
1998Tennessee
1999Florida State
2000Oklahoma
2001Miami
2002USC
2003LSU
2004USC
2005Texas
2006Florida
2007USC†
2008Florida
2009Alabama

† Dunkel's official website gives USC as its 2007 selection,[12] while the 2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Dunkel's selection as LSU.[13]:115

See also

References
  1. "Simple, says Dunkel". Tucson Daily Citizen. November 11, 1976. p. 43.
  2. "Dunkel rates Huskers fourth". Columbus Telegram. November 27, 1974. p. 50.
  3. "About Us". Dunkel Index. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  4. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. pp. 105–106. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  5. "Dick Dunkel". The Daily Standard (MO). September 9, 1966. p. 4.
  6. "Football Forecast on KRNR Program". The News-Review. October 20, 1938. p. 8.
  7. "Spotlight Features". The Lincoln Star. October 17, 1939.
  8. "Tonight". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. November 24, 1939.
  9. Walt Dobbins (January 5, 1944). "I May Be Wrong". The Nebraska State Journal. p. 7.
  10. "Four New Teams Rated in Top Ten". Delaware County Daily Times. January 23, 1947. p. 31.
  11. "Dick Dunkel Dies". Cumberland Evening Times. December 5, 1975. p. 13.
  12. Dunkel, Bob. "Final 2007: Trojans Finish Ranked No. 1". NCAA Football Division I-A Rankings. The Dunkel Index. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  13. 2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
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