9-0 under Red Sanders, No. 1 in the final UPI coaches poll and the FWAA's inaugural Grantland Rice Trophy winner; the Pacific Coast Conference's no-repeat rule barred UCLA from the Rose Bowl, so the split was never settled on the field.
UCLA’s 1954 schedule1954: 2 Champions, Zero Agreement
SPLITMULTIPLEUndefeated Ohio State takes the AP poll and undefeated UCLA takes the UPI coaches poll and the first-ever FWAA Grantland Rice Trophy, with a no-repeat rule keeping UCLA out of the Rose Bowl rematch.
The case for each side
10-0 under Woody Hayes, No. 1 in the final AP poll, beat USC 20-7 in the Rose Bowl. Both final wire polls closed before the bowls.
Ohio State’s 1954 scheduleNo national title game was played after the 1954 season: before 1998 there was no mechanism to play one, which is why so many of these seasons were settled by vote instead.