Fort Towson

The 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on August 26, 2016, and ended on December 10, 2016. The postseason concluded on January 9, 2017, with the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide to claim their second national title in school history. The championship game was a rematch of the 2016 edition won by Alabama.

Rule changes

The following rule changes were voted on by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for the 2016 season:[3]

  • Requiring replay officials to review all aspects of targeting penalties, including the option to call a targeting foul missed by the on-field officials if the foul is deemed egregious. After several hits during the early part of the season that resulted in concussions that should have been targeting, the NCAA Rules Committee reinforced this rule for replay officials and also clarified the "crown of the helmet" (to determine targeting penalties) as the area above the facemask to the dome of the helmet.[4]
  • Allowing electronic devices to be used for coaching purposes in the press box and locker room during the game. Electronic devices will still be prohibited on the field and sideline.
  • Coaches can now be ejected after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in one game, the same as players.
  • A ball carrier who "gives himself up" (e.g., by sliding) will now be considered a defenseless player.
  • Deliberate tripping of a ball carrier with the leg is now a 15-yard penalty.
  • Players who leave the tackle box are now prohibited from blocking below the waist toward the initial position of the ball.
  • An exception to a rule introduced for the 2015 season regarding low hits to passers (i.e., at or below the knee) was eliminated. Previously, a defensive player would not have been penalized for such a hit if making a bona fide attempt at a tackle.
  • Teams attempting a scrimmage kick (i.e., field goals, PATs, and punts) must have five offensive linemen (numbered 50–79) on the scrimmage line unless the kicking team has at least two players seven yards OR one player at least 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Previously, only one player had to be lined up seven yards behind the line to avoid using five linemen, causing confusion in kick coverage on defense.
  • The procedure for restarting the game clock following a penalty by the offense will change if the penalized team has a lead in the last two minutes of either half. Before this season, the game clock would have been restarted in this situation once the ball was declared ready for play; it now will not start until the ball is snapped.

The committee, once again, took no action on changing the ineligible receiver downfield rule from three yards to one yard; however it will once again be a "point of emphasis" and will adjust officiating mechanics to better officiate those plays.

Conference realignment

Membership changes

School Former conference New conference
UMass MAC FBS independent

Although Coastal Carolina began the transition process to FBS in the 2016 season and joined the Sun Belt Conference in non-football sports, it was officially classified as an FCS independent for this first season of the transition. Coastal Carolina became a provisional FBS member when the football team joined the Sun Belt in 2017, and full FBS membership and bowl eligibility followed in 2018.[5]

Other headlines

  • March 1 – The Sun Belt Conference announced that its football-only membership agreements with Idaho and New Mexico State would not be renewed upon their expirations at the end of the 2017 season.[6]
  • March 3 - The NCAA Council forced the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team to vacate 22 wins from 2011-2014 including the 2011 and 2014 New Orleans Bowl championships after a finding that a previous assistant head coach had falsified ACT scores. Their penalty was the lowest penalty in NCAA Division I and the university did not receive a post-season ban.[7]
  • April 8 – The NCAA Division I Council voted to prohibit FBS schools from participating in or conducting so-called "satellite camps." The NCAA had already prohibited schools from hosting camps located more than 50 miles (80 km) from campus, but many coaches took advantage of a loophole that allowed them to participate in off-site camps as guest coaches.[8] The new rule was reversed on April 28.[9]
  • April 11 – The Division I Council approved a three-year moratorium on new bowl games, following a season in which a record three teams with sub-.500 records made bowls. No new bowls were allowed until the 2019 season. This decision affected three games that were in the process of seeking NCAA certification for the 2016 season.[10]
  • April 28
    • The University of Idaho announced that the Vandals football team would return to the FCS Big Sky Conference, its all-sports league, effective with the 2018 season.[11] The Vandals became the first team ever to voluntarily drop from FBS to FCS.[12]
    • The Division I Board of Directors rescinded the FBS satellite camp ban that had been approved less than three weeks earlier. The ban had sparked major controversy within several conferences, notably the Pac-12 (whose Division I Council representative voted for the ban despite 11 of the league's 12 members opposing it). Additionally, the ban was seen as having the unintended effect of limiting scholarship opportunities, especially at Group of Five schools, for a large number of high school prospects.[13][14]
  • September 10 - Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage scored 8 touchdowns in the Sun Devils' 68–55 win over Texas Tech, tying an NCAA record set in 1990 by Howard Griffith of Illinois against Southern Illinois.[15]
  • October 22 – The OklahomaTexas Tech game, won 66–59 by Oklahoma, saw several FBS single-game records broken or equaled:[16]
  • November 9 – Georgia State University received final approval from the Georgia Board of Regents, the governing body of the state's university system, to purchase Turner Field, vacated by the Atlanta Braves after their 2016 season. The facility, originally the main stadium of the 1996 Olympics, was converted to a football stadium seating 23,000, with potential future expansion to 33,000.[17] The football team ultimately began play at Turner Field, now known as Center Parc Stadium, in 2017 while the conversion project was ongoing.[18]
  • November 26 – Pittsburgh defeated Syracuse 76–61, with the two teams setting a new FBS record for combined points scored in a regulation game. The previous record had been set by Navy and North Texas in 2007.[19]

Kickoff games

Regular season top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the AP Poll. Rankings for Week 10 and beyond will list College Football Playoff Rankings first and AP Poll second. Teams that fail to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted.

Upsets

In the first full weekend of the season, seven teams ranked in the AP Poll lost, the most in an opening week since the debut of the AP preseason poll in 1950.[30] The seven ranked losers included two top-five teams; the last time two such teams had lost in the season's first week was 1972.[31] The weekend also saw seven SEC teams lose their season openers, which had not happened since the league returned to 12 teams with the 1992 arrival of Arkansas and South Carolina.[n 2][30] One of those loses saw South Alabama defeat Mississippi State 21–20 as a 28-point underdog, which was the biggest FPI upset in the last 5 seasons (2.3% chance to win before the match).[32]

On September 10, a finish noted for its improbability happened when Central Michigan defeated Oklahoma State 30–27 on a Hail Mary pass followed by a lateral on the game's final play. Shortly afterwards, the game officials, as well as the conferences of the participating teams (the MAC and Big 12 respectively), announced that Central Michigan should not have been allowed to run the winning play. On the previous play, during which the clock had run out, Oklahoma State had been called for intentional grounding on fourth down. Under NCAA rules, a game cannot end on an accepted live ball foul; however, an exception to that rule states that if the penalty includes a loss of down—which is the case for intentional grounding—the game ends at that point.[33]

On September 17, FCS program North Dakota State defeated No. 13 Iowa on a late field goal to win 23–21 at Kinnick Stadium, becoming just the fourth FCS team to beat an AP-ranked FBS team.[34] This was Iowa's first loss to a non FBS opponent. The next day, NDSU received 74 points in the AP Poll to set a new record for votes received by an FCS team in a single AP Poll.[35][33]

On October 22, unranked Penn State defeated No. 2 Ohio State, 24–21 at Beaver Stadium. Penn State had not been ranked since the 2011 season, and had entered the 2016 season still rebuilding after sanctions had decimated the roster in 2012. Ohio State built a 21–7 lead in the third quarter; Penn State rallied to score the game's final 17 points. Ohio State had lined up for a field goal to potentially put them ahead by seven points, but then-safety Marcus Allen blocked the field goal attempt, and Penn State's cornerback Grant Haley returned it 60 yards for the score. Haley's game-winning touchdown was labeled as the "Kick Six". It was Penn State's first win over a Top-5 team in 20 years; their first win against a top-2 opponent since 1990; and their first win in Beaver Stadium against a team ranked No. 2 since 1982 against No. 2 Nebraska. Penn State would go on to win nine straight games, winning the Big Ten Championship, rose to No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and went to the Rose Bowl. Ohio State did not lose again during the regular season, and despite their loss to Penn State, they would go on to the College Football Playoff.[36]

On December 10, Army defeated No. 25 ranked Navy 21–17 to end a 14-year losing streak in the Army–Navy Game, the longest for either side in the rivalry's history.[37]

Updated stadiums

  • Miami (FL) debuted major renovations to the renamed Hard Rock Stadium. In a project that began after the Hurricanes and the stadium's owner, the Miami Dolphins, completed their 2014 seasons, a canopy was added over the main seating areas, video boards were placed in each corner, many luxury suites and club seats were added, and the stadium's lower bowl was reconstructed, eliminating an obsolete movable stand that had been added in the early 1990s to accommodate Major League Baseball's Florida (now Miami) Marlins. The capacity was reduced from over 75,000 to slightly over 65,000.
  • Utah State made major renovations to Maverik Stadium, adding a new complex to the west side featuring expanded concourses, luxury suites, and a new press box.[38]
  • Oklahoma is currently undertaking a $160 million renovation of the south end zone of Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The renovation which will bowl in the end zone includes 22 enclosed suites, 60 loge boxes and nearly 2,000 club seats.[39] The new end zone when completed will be topped by a new state of the art 7,806 square feet scoreboard.[40] The official capacity increased to 83,489 (from 82,112).
  • Ole Miss debuted phase 2 of the latest renovations and expansion of Vaught–Hemingway Stadium. The 2016 season saw the opening of new seating bowls in the north end zone, bringing capacity to 64,038.
  • Florida State unveiled The Champions Club, a new club seat section constructed for Doak Campbell Stadium. The exclusive 6,000-seat club seat section, with more than 70,000 square feet of air conditioned club space and 34,000 square feet of covered rooftop terraces, was built in the south end zone across from the Unconquered Statue.
  • Arizona State began a four-year renovation of Sun Devil Stadium after the 2014 season. For the 2016 season, upper deck seats were removed and the lower bowl on the west sideline and north end zone was redone. Renovations are expected to be complete by the start of the 2018 season.
  • West Virginia was in the midst of approximately $50 million in renovations to Milan Puskar Stadium. For this season, the old turf and goalposts were replaced, and the crown under the field was removed and a modern base and drainage system installed that is more in keeping with today's infilled artificial turf systems. Also, work on the east and north side gates and concourses, including renovations to concessions, restrooms, and additional space for EMS and police operations, was completed for the 2016 season. Similar work on the west and south sides of the stadium is ongoing and expected to be completed for 2017.
  • Louisville began work on expansion of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium during the season. The project will increase the stadium's capacity from 55,000 to 65,000,[41] and at the time was planned to be complete for the 2019 season. Due to unexpected fundraising success, the project timetable was advanced, and the expansion is now expected to open for the 2018 season.[42]

In addition to the stadium updates above, two schools played their final season in their then-current venues:

  • Colorado State was in the process of replacing Hughes Stadium, owned by the university but located about 4 miles (6 km) west of the main campus, with a new on-campus venue tentatively known as Colorado State Stadium. The new stadium opened for the 2017 season.
  • Georgia State played its final season in the Georgia Dome, as the stadium was to be demolished once its replacement, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, opened in September 2017. As noted above, Georgia State purchased Turner Field with the intent of renovating the stadium for football, and the Panthers began playing home games there in 2017 while renovations were ongoing.

Conference standings

2016 American Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Temple xy$   7 1     10 4  
No. 19 South Florida x   7 1     11 2  
UCF   4 4     6 7  
Cincinnati   1 7     4 8  
UConn   1 7     3 9  
East Carolina   1 7     3 9  
West Division
Navy xy   7 1     9 5  
Tulsa   6 2     10 3  
Memphis   5 3     8 5  
Houston   5 3     9 4  
SMU   3 5     5 7  
Tulane   1 7     4 8  
Championship: Temple 34, Navy 10
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Atlantic Division
No. 1 Clemson xy$#   7 1     14 1  
No. 21 Louisville x   7 1     9 4  
No. 8 Florida State   5 3     10 3  
NC State   3 5     7 6  
Wake Forest   3 5     7 6  
Boston College   2 6     7 6  
Syracuse   2 6     4 8  
Coastal Division
No. 16 Virginia Tech xy   6 2     10 4  
North Carolina   5 3     8 5  
No. 20 Miami (FL)   5 3     9 4  
Pittsburgh   5 3     8 5  
Georgia Tech   4 4     9 4  
Duke   1 7     4 8  
Virginia   1 7     2 10  
Championship: Clemson 42, Virginia Tech 35
  • # – College Football Playoff champion
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 7 Penn State xy$   8 1     11 3  
No. 6 Ohio State x^   8 1     11 2  
No. 10 Michigan   7 2     10 3  
Indiana   4 5     6 7  
Maryland   3 6     6 7  
Michigan State   1 8     3 9  
Rutgers   0 9     2 10  
West Division
No. 9 Wisconsin xy   7 2     11 3  
Iowa   6 3     8 5  
Nebraska   6 3     9 4  
Minnesota   5 4     9 4  
Northwestern   5 4     7 6  
Illinois   2 7     3 9  
Purdue   1 8     3 9  
Championship: Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Big 12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 5 Oklahoma $   9 0     11 2  
No. 11 Oklahoma State   7 2     10 3  
No. 18 West Virginia   7 2     10 3  
Kansas State   6 3     9 4  
TCU   4 5     6 7  
Baylor   3 6     7 6  
Texas   3 6     5 7  
Texas Tech   3 6     5 7  
Iowa State   2 7     3 9  
Kansas   1 8     2 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Conference USA football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Western Kentucky xy$   7 1     11 3  
Old Dominion x   7 1     10 3  
Middle Tennessee   5 3     8 5  
FIU   4 4     4 8  
Charlotte   3 5     4 8  
Marshall   2 6     3 9  
Florida Atlantic   2 6     3 9  
West Division
Louisiana Tech xy   6 2     9 5  
UTSA   5 3     6 7  
Southern Miss   4 4     7 6  
North Texas   3 5     5 8  
Rice   2 6     3 9  
UTEP   2 6     4 8  
Championship: Western Kentucky 58, Louisiana Tech 44
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Ohio xy   6 2     8 6  
Miami (OH) x   6 2     6 7  
Akron   3 5     5 7  
Bowling Green   3 5     4 8  
Kent State   2 6     3 9  
Buffalo   1 7     2 10  
West Division
No. 15 Western Michigan xy$   8 0     13 1  
Toledo   6 2     9 4  
Northern Illinois   5 3     5 7  
Eastern Michigan   4 4     7 6  
Central Michigan   3 5     6 7  
Ball State   1 7     4 8  
Championship: Western Michigan 29, Ohio 23
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Mountain West Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Mountain Division
Wyoming xy   6 2     8 6  
Boise State x   6 2     10 3  
New Mexico x   6 2     9 4  
Air Force   5 3     10 3  
Colorado State   5 3     7 6  
Utah State   1 7     3 9  
West Division
No. 25 San Diego State xy$   6 2     11 3  
Hawaii   4 4     7 7  
Nevada   3 5     5 7  
San Jose State   3 5     4 8  
UNLV   3 5     4 8  
Fresno State   0 8     1 11  
Championship: San Diego State 27, Wyoming 24
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Pac-12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
North Division
No. 4 Washington x$^   8 1     12 2  
Washington State   7 2     8 5  
No. 12 Stanford   6 3     10 3  
California   3 6     5 7  
Oregon State   3 6     4 8  
Oregon   2 7     4 8  
South Division
No. 17 Colorado x   8 1     10 4  
No. 3 USC   7 2     10 3  
No. 23 Utah   5 4     9 4  
Arizona State   2 7     5 7  
UCLA   2 7     4 8  
Arizona   1 8     3 9  
Championship: Washington 41, Colorado 10
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 14 Florida x   6 2     9 4  
No. 22 Tennessee   4 4     9 4  
Georgia   4 4     8 5  
Kentucky   4 4     7 6  
South Carolina   3 5     6 7  
Vanderbilt   3 5     6 7  
Missouri*   2 6     4 8  
West Division
No. 2 Alabama x$^   8 0     14 1  
No. 24 Auburn   5 3     8 5  
No. 13 LSU   5 3     8 4  
Texas A&M   4 4     8 5  
Arkansas   3 5     7 6  
Mississippi State   3 5     6 7  
Ole Miss*   2 6     5 7  
Championship: Alabama 54, Florida 16
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * Ole Miss and Missouri vacated all wins due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll
2016 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Appalachian State +   7 1     10 3  
Arkansas State +   7 1     8 5  
Troy   6 2     10 3  
Idaho   6 2     9 4  
Louisiana–Lafayette   5 3     6 7  
Georgia Southern   4 4     5 7  
Louisiana–Monroe   3 5     4 8  
South Alabama   2 6     6 7  
Georgia State   2 6     3 9  
New Mexico State   2 6     3 9  
Texas State   0 8     2 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
2016 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
BYU           9 4  
Army           8 5  
Notre Dame           4 8  
UMass           2 10  
Rankings from AP Poll

Conference summaries

Rankings reflect the Week 15 AP Poll before the conference championship games were played.

Power 5 Conferences

Conference Champion Runner-up Score Offensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Coach of the Year
ACC No. 3 Clemson CFP No. 19 Virginia Tech 42–35 Lamar Jackson (QB), Louisville[43] DeMarcus Walker (LB), Florida State[44] Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech[45]
Big 12 No. 7 Oklahoma No. 11 Oklahoma State

#14 West Virginia

56–28 Dede Westbrook (WR), Oklahoma Jordan Willis (DE), Kansas State Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Big Ten No. 8 Penn State No. 6 Wisconsin 38–31 Saquon Barkley (RB), Penn State Jabrill Peppers (LB), Michigan Paul Chryst (coaches), Wisconsin
&
James Franklin (media), Penn State
Pac-12 No. 4 Washington CFP No. 9 Colorado 41–10 Jake Browning (QB), Washington Adoree' Jackson (WR/CB), USC Mike MacIntyre, Colorado
SEC No. 1 Alabama CFP No. 15 Florida 54–16 Jalen Hurts (QB), Alabama Jonathan Allen (DE), Alabama Nick Saban, Alabama

Group of Five Conferences

Conference Champion Runner Up Score Offensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Coach of the Year
AAC Temple No. 20 Navy 34–10 Quinton Flowers (QB), South Florida Shaquem Griffin (LB), UCF Ken Niumatalolo, Navy
C-USA Western Kentucky Louisiana Tech 58–44 Ryan Higgins (QB), Louisiana Tech (MVP)
Carlos Henderson (WR), Louisiana Tech (Offensive POY)
Trey Hendrickson (DE), Florida Atlantic Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech
MAC No. 13 Western Michigan Ohio 29–23 Corey Davis (WR), Western Michigan Tarell Basham (DE), Ohio P. J. Fleck, Western Michigan
MW San Diego State Wyoming 27–24 Donnel Pumphrey (RB), San Diego State Damontae Kazee (DB), San Diego State Craig Bohl, Wyoming
Sun Belt Appalachian State

Arkansas State

Troy
Idaho
N/A Jalin Moore (RB), Appalachian State Ja'Von Rolland-Jones (DL), Arkansas State (overall POY)
Rashad Dillard (DL), Troy (Defensive POY)
Paul Petrino, Idaho

CFP College Football Playoff participant

Postseason

Bowl selections

There were 40 postseason bowl games, with two teams advancing to a 41st – the CFP National Championship game. As in previous seasons, teams with losing records could become bowl-eligible in order to fill all 80 bowl slots.

Bowl-eligible teams

  • American Athletic Conference (7): Houston, Memphis, Navy, Temple, Tulsa, UCF, USF
  • Atlantic Coast Conference (11): Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, N.C. State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
  • Big 12 Conference (6): Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia
  • Big Ten Conference (10): Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
  • Conference USA (7): Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion, North Texas*, Southern Miss, UTSA, Western Kentucky
  • Independents (2): Army, BYU
  • Mid-American Conference (6): Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
  • Mountain West Conference (7): Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Hawaii*, New Mexico, San Diego State, Wyoming
  • Pac-12 Conference (6): Colorado, Stanford, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State
  • Southeastern Conference (12): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State*, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
  • Sun Belt Conference (6): Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Idaho, Louisiana-Lafayette, South Alabama, Troy

Teams with Asterisk(*) qualified for bowls based on Academic Progress Rate, despite not having a bowl-eligible record.

Number of bowl berths available: 80

Number of bowl-eligible teams: 80

Bowl-ineligible teams

Number of bowl-ineligible teams: 48

Conference performance in bowl games

Conference Total games Wins Losses Pct.
ACC 12 9 3 .750
SEC 13 6 7 .462
C-USA 7 4 3 .571
MW 7 4 3 .571
Big 12 6 4 2 .667
Sun Belt 6 4 2 .667
Big Ten 10 3 7 .300
Pac-12 6 3 3 .500
The American 7 2 5 .286
Independents 2 2 0 1.000
MAC 6 0 6 .000

[46]

College Football Playoff

Since the 2014–15 postseason, six College Football Playoff (CFP) bowl games have hosted two semifinal playoff games on a rotating basis. For the 2016 season, the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl hosted the semifinal games, with the winners advancing to the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Semifinals Championship
December 31 – Peach Bowl
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
  1   Alabama 24  
  4   Washington 7   January 9 – Championship
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
 
      1   Alabama 31
December 31 – Fiesta Bowl
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale
    2   Clemson 35
 
  2   Clemson 31
  3   Ohio State 0  


Rankings

Final CFP rankings

CFP School Record Bowl game
1 Alabama 13–0 Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
2 Clemson 12–1 Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
3 Ohio State 11–1 Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
4 Washington 12–1 Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
5 Penn State 11–2 Rose Bowl
6 Michigan 10–2 Orange Bowl
7 Oklahoma 10–2 Sugar Bowl
8 Wisconsin 10–3 Cotton Bowl Classic
9 USC 9–3 Rose Bowl
10 Colorado 10–3 Alamo Bowl
11 Florida State 9–3 Orange Bowl
12 Oklahoma State 9–3 Alamo Bowl
13 Louisville 9–3 Citrus Bowl
14 Auburn 8–4 Sugar Bowl
15 Western Michigan 13–0 Cotton Bowl Classic
16 West Virginia 10–2 Russell Athletic Bowl
17 Florida 8–4 Outback Bowl
18 Stanford 9–3 Sun Bowl
19 Utah 8–4 Foster Farms Bowl
20 LSU 7–4 Citrus Bowl
21 Tennessee 8–4 Music City Bowl
22 Virginia Tech 9–4 Belk Bowl
23 Pittsburgh 8–4 Pinstripe Bowl
24 Temple 10–3 Military Bowl
25 Navy 9–3 Armed Forces Bowl

Final rankings

Rank Associated Press Coaches' Poll
1 Clemson Clemson
2 Alabama Alabama
3 USC Oklahoma
4 Washington Washington
5 Oklahoma USC
6 Ohio State Ohio State
7 Penn State Penn State
8 Florida State Florida State
9 Wisconsin Wisconsin
10 Michigan Michigan
11 Oklahoma State Oklahoma State
12 Stanford Stanford
13 LSU Florida
14 Florida LSU
15 Western Michigan Colorado
16 Virginia Tech Virginia Tech
17 Colorado West Virginia
18 West Virginia Western Michigan
19 USF USF
20 Miami (FL) Louisville
21 Louisville Utah
22 Tennessee Auburn
23 Utah Miami (FL)
24 Auburn Tennessee
25 San Diego State San Diego State

Awards and honors

Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player

Player School Position 1st 2nd 3rd Total
Lamar Jackson Louisville QB 526 251 64 2,144
Deshaun Watson Clemson QB 269 302 113 1,524
Baker Mayfield Oklahoma QB 26 72 139 361
Dede Westbrook Oklahoma WR 7 49 90 209
Jabrill Peppers Michigan LB 11 45 85 208
Jake Browning Washington QB 3 41 91 182
Jonathan Allen Alabama DE 17 21 39 132
D'Onta Foreman Texas RB 6 21 17 131
Christian McCaffrey Stanford RB 10 17 39 103
Dalvin Cook Florida State RB 3 15 28 67
Donnel Pumphrey San Diego State RB 4 12 31 67

Other overall

Special overall

Offense

Quarterback

Running back

Receiver

Tight end

Lineman

Defense

Defensive line

Defensive back

Special teams

Other positional awards

Coaches

Assistants

All-Americans

Coaching changes

Preseason and in-season

This is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2016. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2016, see 2015 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.

Team Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
Baylor Art Briles May 26, 2016 Fired[47] Jim Grobe (interim, bowl)
FIU Ron Turner September 25, 2016 Fired[48] Ron Cooper (interim)
FIU Ron Cooper (interim) November 9, 2016 Permanent replacement Butch Davis
Fresno State Tim DeRuyter October 23, 2016 Fired Eric Kiesau (interim)
Fresno State Eric Kiesau (interim) November 9, 2016 Permanent replacement Jeff Tedford
Georgia State Trent Miles November 13, 2016 Fired Tim Lappano (interim)
Houston Tom Herman November 26, 2016 Hired by Texas Todd Orlando (interim) Bowl
LSU Les Miles September 25, 2016 Fired Ed Orgeron [n 3]
Purdue Darrell Hazell October 16, 2016 Fired Gerad Parker (interim)
South Florida Willie Taggart December 11, 2016 Hired by Oregon T. J. Weist (interim)
Temple Matt Rhule December 6, 2016 Hired by Baylor Ed Foley (interim)
Western Kentucky Jeff Brohm December 5, 2016 Hired by Purdue Nick Holt (interim)

End of season

Team Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
Baylor Jim Grobe (interim, bowl) December 6, 2016 Permanent replacement Matt Rhule
California Sonny Dykes January 8, 2017 Fired Justin Wilcox
Cincinnati Tommy Tuberville December 4, 2016 Resigned Luke Fickell
Florida Atlantic Charlie Partridge November 27, 2016 Fired Lane Kiffin
Georgia State Tim Lappano (interim) December 8, 2016 Permanent replacement Shawn Elliott
Houston Todd Orlando (interim, bowl)[n 4] December 9, 2016 Permanent replacement Major Applewhite
Indiana Kevin Wilson December 1, 2016 Resigned Tom Allen
Minnesota Tracy Claeys January 3, 2017 Fired P. J. Fleck
Nevada Brian Polian November 27, 2016 Agreed to part ways Jay Norvell
Oregon Mark Helfrich November 29, 2016 Agreed to part ways Willie Taggart
Purdue Gerad Parker (interim) December 5, 2016 Permanent replacement Jeff Brohm
San Jose State Ron Caragher November 27, 2016 Fired Brent Brennan
South Florida T. J. Weist (interim, bowl) December 11, 2016 Permanent replacement Charlie Strong
Temple Ed Foley (interim, bowl) December 13, 2016 Permanent replacement Geoff Collins
Texas Charlie Strong November 26, 2016 Fired Tom Herman
UConn Bob Diaco December 26, 2016 Fired Randy Edsall
Western Kentucky Nick Holt (interim, bowl) December 12, 2016 Permanent replacement Mike Sanford Jr.
Western Michigan P. J. Fleck January 6, 2017 Hired by Minnesota Tim Lester

Television viewers and ratings

Most watched regular season games

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the AP Poll before (11/1) and the CFP Rankings thereafter.

Rank Date Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV Rating[51] Significance
1 November 26, 12:00pm No. 3 Michigan 27 No. 2 Ohio State 30 ABC 16.84 9.4 College GameDay/Rivalry
2 September 4, 7:30pm No. 10 Notre Dame 47 Texas 50 10.94 6.4
3 November 5, 8:00pm No. 1 Alabama 10 No. 13 LSU 0 CBS 10.38 5.8 College GameDay/Rivalry
4 October 1, 8:00pm No. 3 Louisville 36 No. 5 Clemson 42 ABC 9.29 5.5 College GameDay
5 October 15, 8:00pm No. 2 Ohio State 30 No. 8 Wisconsin 23 8.96 5.6 College GameDay
6 October 22, 3:30pm No. 6 Texas A&M 14 No. 1 Alabama 33 CBS 8.46 5.1 College GameDay
7 September 5, 8:00pm No. 11 Ole Miss 34 No. 4 Florida State 45 ESPN 8.35 4.8 Camping World Kickoff
8 November 26, 3:30pm No. 13 Auburn 12 No. 1 Alabama 30 CBS 8.24 4.6 Rivalry
9 September 17, 3:30pm No. 1 Alabama 48 No. 19 Ole Miss 43 8.17 5.0 Rivalry
10 September 3, 8:00pm No. 20 USC 6 No. 1 Alabama 52 ABC 7.94 4.6 Advocare Classic

Conference championship games

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Rankings.

Rank Date Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV Rating[52] Conference Location
1 December 3 No. 1 Alabama (West) 54 No. 15 Florida (East) 16 CBS 11.09 6.6 SEC Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
2 December 3 No. 6 Wisconsin (West) 31 No. 7 Penn State (East) 38 FOX 9.19 5.2 Big Ten Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
3 December 2 No. 8 Colorado (South) 10 No. 4 Washington (North) 41 5.67 3.4 Pac-12 Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
4 December 3 No. 3 Clemson (Atlantic) 42 No. 23 Virginia Tech (Coastal) 35 ABC 5.34 3.2 ACC Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL[53]
5 December 3 No. 19 Navy (West) 10 Temple (East) 34 ABC 2.05 1.4 AAC Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
6 December 2 No. 17 Western Michigan (West) 29 Ohio (East) 23 ESPN2 1.36 0.3 MAC Ford Field, Detroit, MI
7 December 3 Western Kentucky (East) 58 Louisiana Tech (West) 44 ESPN 0.926 0.6 C-USA Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, KY
8 December 3 San Diego State (West) 27 Wyoming (Mountain) 24 ESPN 0.713 0.4 MW War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, WY

College Football Playoff

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Rankings.

Game Date Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV Rating[54] Location
Peach Bowl (semifinal) December 31, 2016, 3:00pm No. 4 Washington 7 No. 1 Alabama 24 ESPN 19.34 10.7 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Fiesta Bowl (semifinal) December 31, 2016, 7:00pm No. 3 Ohio State 0 No. 2 Clemson 31 19.23 9.8 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
National Championship January 9, 2017, 8:30pm No. 2 Clemson 35 No. 1 Alabama 31 25.27 14.2 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Attendance

2016 NCAA Division I FBS football teams average home attendances:[55]
Team Home average
Michigan 110,468
Ohio State 107,278
Texas A&M 101,917
Alabama 101,821
LSU 101,231
Tennessee 100,968
Penn State 100,257
Texas 97,881
Georgia 92,746
Nebraska 90,200
Florida 87,846
Auburn 86,937
Oklahoma 86,857
Clemson 80,970
Notre Dame 80,795
Wisconsin 79,357
South Carolina 76,920
Florida State 76,800
Michigan State 74,667
Iowa 69,656
Arkansas 69,581
USC 68,459
UCLA 67,459
Ole Miss 64,910
Washington 64,589
Virginia Tech 63,043
Miami 58,572
BYU 58,569
Mississippi State 58,317
Texas Tech 58,250
West Virginia 57,583
NC State 57,497
Oregon 54,677
Louisville 54,065
Oklahoma State 53,814
Kentucky 53,643
Iowa State 52,557
Missouri 52,236
Kansas State 51,919
North Carolina 50,250
Arizona 48,288
Arizona State 47,736
Georgia Tech 47,503
California 46,628
Colorado 46,609
Utah 46,506
Pittsburgh 46,076
Baylor 45,838
Illinois 45,644
TCU 45,168
Rutgers 44,804
Stanford 44,142
East Carolina 44,113
Minnesota 43,814
Indiana 43,027
Virginia 39,929
Maryland 39,615
Houston 38,953
Oregon State 37,622
South Florida 37,539
Memphis 37,346
San Diego State 37,289
UCF 35,802
Northwestern 34,798
Purdue 34,451
Boise State 34,273
Cincinnati 33,585
Syracuse 32,805
Army 32,653
Boston College 32,157
Washington State 31,675
Navy 31,571
Vanderbilt 31,242
Duke 29,895
Air Force 29,587
Southern Miss 28,588
Colorado State 27,600
Temple 27,225
Connecticut 26,796
Wake Forest 26,456
Appalachian State 26,153
Kansas 25,828
Fresno State 25,493
Marshall 24,760
Hawai'i 24,521
Western Michigan 23,838
SMU 23,712
UTSA 23,038
UTEP 23,001
Tulane 22,718
Arkansas State 22,700
Troy 22,534
Rice 21,425
Wyoming 21,266
Ohio 21,190
Georgia Southern 20,819
Toledo 20,628
Louisiana Tech 20,412
Louisiana-Lafayette 20,224
Old Dominion 20,118
North Texas 19,878
Tulsa 19,234
Utah State 19,136
New Mexico 18,708
Nevada 18,501
UNLV 18,389
Texas State 18,120
Western Kentucky 17,705
Eastern Michigan 17,677
Buffalo 17,493
Central Michigan 17,408
Middle Tennessee 17,243
Miami (Ohio) 17,110
FIU 16,789
South Alabama 16,250
San José State 15,419
Bowling Green 15,140
Georgia State 15,103
Massachusetts 14,510
Charlotte 14,192
Louisiana-Monroe 12,610
Idaho 11,190
Northern Illinois 11,019
Kent State 10,898
Akron 10,337
FAU 10,073
New Mexico State 9,545
Ball State 7,789

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Due to time zone differences, the game took place on August 26 in the home time zones of both participating schools.
  2. ^ The SEC was founded in 1932 with 13 members. The league operated with 12 members from the 1940 departure of Sewanee to the 1964 departure of Georgia Tech, and then with 11 members until Tulane left in 1966.
  3. ^ Interim for remainder of season; named permanent replacement on November 26, 2016.[49]
  4. ^ Although Orlando was originally announced as being the Cougars' head coach for the Las Vegas Bowl, he would ultimately not serve in that role; Applewhite immediately assumed head coaching duties.[50]

References

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External links