CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1956 Colorado

8–⁠2–⁠1 (4–⁠1–⁠1 Big Seven), coached by Dallas Ward, finished No. 20 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Colorado in 1956, game by game: lost vs. Oregon 0–35; won vs. Kansas State 34–0; won at Kansas 26–25; won vs. Colorado State 47–7; won at Iowa State 52–0; won vs. Nebraska 16–0; lost vs. No. 1 Oklahoma 19–27; tied at Missouri 14–14; won at Utah 21–7; won at Arizona 38–7; won vs. Clemson 27–21+52−35Lost 0–35 vs. Oregon-35OregonWon 34–0 vs. Kansas State+34Kansas StateWon 26–25 at Kansas+1KansasWon 47–7 vs. Colorado State+40Colorado StateWon 52–0 at Iowa State+52Iowa StateWon 16–0 vs. Nebraska+16NebraskaLost 19–27 vs. No. 1 Oklahoma-8No. 1 OklahomaTied 14–14 at Missouri0MissouriWon 21–7 at Utah+14UtahWon 38–7 at Arizona+31ArizonaWon 27–21 vs. Clemson+6Clemson
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 22vsOregonL 0–⁠3558%
Sep 29vsKansas StateW 34–⁠065%
Oct 6atKansasW 26–⁠2561%
Oct 13vsColorado StateW 47–⁠766%
Oct 20atIowa StateW 52–⁠067%
Oct 27vsNebraskaW 16–⁠074%
Nov 3vs1OklahomaL 19–⁠2731%
Nov 10atMissouriT 14–⁠1461%
Nov 17atUtahW 21–⁠751%
Nov 24atArizonaW 38–⁠765%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvsClemsonOrange BowlW 27–⁠2150%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Clemson 27–⁠21 in the Orange Bowl; No. 20 in the final AP poll; 2nd in the Big Seven.

In program history: The 20th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 125 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 8: 18
  2. Wk 10: 20
  3. Wk 11: 19
  4. Final: 20

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1956.

Record
8–⁠2–⁠1
Conference
4–⁠1–⁠1 2nd in Big Seven
AP final
No. 20 peak No. 18
Points
294–⁠143
Coach
Dallas Ward
Elo
1641 +104 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
10.5 No. 29 of 111 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—

Drafted in 1957

The 1957 draft
Rd 7Wally Merz OTWashington Redskins
Rd 7Jerry Leahy EDetroit Lions

All-Big Seven

4 first team, 2 second team

First team

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1956 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1956 Big Seven standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Oklahoma6–⁠010–⁠01
Colorado4–⁠1–⁠18–⁠2–⁠120
Missouri3–⁠2–⁠14–⁠5–⁠1
Nebraska3–⁠34–⁠6
Kansas2–⁠43–⁠6–⁠1
Kansas State2–⁠43–⁠7
Iowa State0–⁠62–⁠8

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.