The legacy of the U.S. National Championship was continued through the US Open.
 In 1965, the AP's decision to wait to crown its champion paid off, as top-ranked Michigan State lost to UCLA in the Rose Bowl, number two Arkansas lost to LSU in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and fourth-ranked Alabama defeated third-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, vaulting the Crimson Tide to the top of the AP's final poll
 As a result, the public and the media began to take the leading vote-getter in the final AP Poll as the national champion for that season

