It was a different era of college football in 1949.
Army was still a national power. Tulane was the SEC champion. Ivy Leaguers like Cornell and Princeton played as independents and were ranked in the top 20.
Helmets still lacked face masks. Freshmen were not eligible for varsity competition. The landscape was different, with a variety of programs that now classify as FCS then playing major college football and vice versa.
There was no such thing as the College Football Playoff … or the Bowl Championship Series … or the Bowl Alliance. In fact, the top four teams in the final AP poll finished the year undefeated, with Notre Dame earning the most votes to claim the title of national champion.