2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season

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.

2016 NCAA Division I FBS season
Number of teams128
DurationAugust 26, 2016 – December 10, 2016
Preseason AP No. 1Alabama
Post-season
DurationDecember 17, 2016 – January 9, 2017
Bowl games41
AP Poll No. 1Clemson[1]
Coaches Poll No. 1Clemson[2]
Heisman TrophyLamar Jackson (quarterback, Louisville)
College Football Playoff
2017 College Football Playoff National Championship
SiteRaymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
Champion(s)Clemson
NCAA Division I FBS football seasons
← 2015
2017 →

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 forces 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 has 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 will be 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 will become 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 Oklahoma–Texas 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, since renamed Georgia State 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 #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]

On December 10, Army defeated #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.[36]

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.[37]
  • 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.[38] The new end zone when completed will be topped by a new state of the art 7,806 square feet scoreboard.[39] 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,[40] 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.[41]

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  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
    1. – College Football Playoff champion
  • $ – 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 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 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 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
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
Rankings from AP Poll
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 #3 Clemson CFP #19 Virginia Tech 42–35 Lamar Jackson (QB), Louisville [42] DeMarcus Walker (LB), Florida State[43] Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech [44]
Big 12 #7 Oklahoma #11 Oklahoma State

#14 West Virginia

 56-28 Dede Westbrook (WR), Oklahoma Jordan Willis (DE), Kansas State Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Big Ten #8 Penn State #6 Wisconsin 38–31 Saquon Barkley (RB), Penn State Jabrill Peppers (LB), Michigan Paul Chryst (coaches), Wisconsin
&
James Franklin (media), Penn State
Pac-12 #4 Washington CFP #9 Colorado 41–10 Jake Browning (QB), Washington Adoree' Jackson (WR/CB), USC Mike MacIntyre, Colorado
SEC #1 Alabama CFP #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 (East) #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 #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
Main article: 2016–17 NCAA football bowl games

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
ConferenceTotal gamesWinsLossesPct.
ACC1293.750
SEC1367.462
C-USA743.571
MW743.571
Big 12642.667
Sun Belt642.667
Big Ten1037.300
Pac-12633.500
The American725.286
Independents2201.000
MAC606.000

[45]

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 2017 Championship Game
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
Main article: 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football 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

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

Other overall

Special overall

Offense

Quarterback

  • Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Deshaun Watson, Clemson
  • Johnny Unitas Award (senior/4th year quarterback): Deshaun Watson, Clemson
  • Kellen Moore Award (quarterback): Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
  • Manning Award (quarterback): Deshaun Watson, Clemson
  • Sammy Baugh Trophy (passing quarterback): Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Lineman

Defense

Defensive line

Defensive back

Special teams

Other positional awards

Coaches

Assistants

All-Americans
Main article: 2016 College Football All-America Team

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.

School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
Baylor Art Briles May 26, 2016 Fired[46] Jim Grobe (interim, bowl)
FIU Ron Turner September 25, 2016 Fired[47] 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
    School 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
      RankDateMatchupNetworkViewers (millions)TV Rating[50]Significance
      1 November 26, 12:00 ET #3 Michigan 27 #2 Ohio State 30 ABC 16.84 9.4 The Game
      2 September 4, 7:30 ET #10 Notre Dame 47 Texas 50 10.94 6.4
      3 November 5, 8:00 ET #1 Alabama 10 #13 LSU 0 CBS 10.38 5.8 rivalry
      4 October 1, 8:00 ET #3 Louisville 36 #5 Clemson 42 ABC 9.29 5.5
      5 October 15, 8:00 ET #2 Ohio State 30 #8 Wisconsin 23 8.96 5.6
      6 October 22, 3:30 ET #6 Texas A&M 14 #1 Alabama 33 CBS 8.46 5.1
      7 September 5, 8:00 ET #11 Ole Miss 34 #4 Florida State 45 ESPN 8.35 4.8 Camping World Kickoff
      8 November 26, 3:30 ET #13 Auburn 12 #1 Alabama 30 CBS 8.24 4.6 Iron Bowl
      9 September 17, 3:30 ET #1 Alabama 48 #19 Ole Miss 43 8.17 5.0 rivalry
      10 September 3, 8:00 ET #20 USC 6 #1 Alabama 52 ABC 7.94 4.6 Advocare Classic

      Conference championship games
      RankDateMatchupNetworkViewersTV Rating[51]ConferenceLocation
      1 December 3 #1 Alabama (West) 54 #15 Florida (East) 16 CBS 11.09 Million 6.6 SEC Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
      2 December 3 #6 Wisconsin (West) 31 #7 Penn State (East) 38 FOX 9.19 Million 5.2 Big Ten Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
      3 December 2 #8 Colorado (South) 10 #4 Washington (North) 41 FOX 5.67 Million 3.4 Pac-12 Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
      4 December 3 #3 Clemson (Atlantic) 42 #23 Virginia Tech (Coastal) 35 ABC 5.34 Million 3.2 ACC Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL[52]
      5 December 3 #19 Navy (West) 10 Temple (East) 34 ABC 2.05 Million 1.4 AAC Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
      6 December 2 #17 Western Michigan (West) 29 Ohio (East) 23 ESPN2 1.36 Million 0.3 MAC Ford Field, Detroit, MI
      7 December 3 Western Kentucky (East) 58 Louisiana Tech (West) 44 ESPN 926K 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 713K 0.4 MW War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, WY

      College Football Playoff
      GameDateMatchupNetworkViewers (millions)TV Rating[53]Location
      Peach Bowl (semifinal) December 31, 2016, 3:00 ET #4 Washington 7 #1 Alabama 24 ESPN 19.34 10.7 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
      Fiesta Bowl (semifinal) December 31, 2016, 7:00 ET #3 Ohio State 0 #2 Clemson 31 19.23 9.8 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
      National Championship January 9, 2017, 8:30 ET #2 Clemson 35 #1 Alabama 31 25.27 14.2 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

      Attendance

      2016 NCAA Division I FBS football teams average home attendances:[54]

      Team Home average
      Michigan110,468
      Ohio State107,278
      Texas A&M101,917
      Alabama101,821
      LSU101,231
      Tennessee100,968
      Penn State100,257
      Texas97,881
      Georgia92,746
      Nebraska90,200
      Florida87,846
      Auburn86,937
      Oklahoma86,857
      Clemson80,970
      Notre Dame80,795
      Wisconsin79,357
      South Carolina76,920
      Florida State76,800
      Michigan State74,667
      Iowa69,656
      Arkansas69,581
      USC68,459
      UCLA67,459
      Ole Miss64,910
      Washington64,589
      Virginia Tech63,043
      Miami58,572
      BYU58,569
      Mississippi State58,317
      Texas Tech58,250
      West Virginia57,583
      NC State57,497
      Oregon54,677
      Louisville54,065
      Oklahoma State53,814
      Kentucky53,643
      Iowa State52,557
      Missouri52,236
      Kansas State51,919
      North Carolina50,250
      Arizona48,288
      Arizona State47,736
      Georgia Tech47,503
      California46,628
      Colorado46,609
      Utah46,506
      Pittsburgh46,076
      Baylor45,838
      Illinois45,644
      TCU45,168
      Rutgers44,804
      Stanford44,142
      East Carolina44,113
      Minnesota43,814
      Indiana43,027
      Virginia39,929
      Maryland39,615
      Houston38,953
      Oregon State37,622
      South Florida37,539
      Memphis37,346
      San Diego State37,289
      UCF35,802
      Northwestern34,798
      Purdue34,451
      Boise State34,273
      Cincinnati33,585
      Syracuse32,805
      Army32,653
      Boston College32,157
      Washington State31,675
      Navy31,571
      Vanderbilt31,242
      Duke29,895
      Air Force29,587
      Southern Miss28,588
      Colorado State27,600
      Temple27,225
      Connecticut26,796
      Wake Forest26,456
      Appalachian State26,153
      Kansas25,828
      Fresno State25,493
      Marshall24,760
      Hawai'i24,521
      Western Michigan23,838
      SMU23,712
      UTSA23,038
      UTEP23,001
      Tulane22,718
      Arkansas State22,700
      Troy22,534
      Rice21,425
      Wyoming21,266
      Ohio21,190
      Georgia Southern20,819
      Toledo20,628
      Louisiana Tech20,412
      Louisiana-Lafayette20,224
      Old Dominion20,118
      North Texas19,878
      Tulsa19,234
      Utah State19,136
      New Mexico18,708
      Nevada18,501
      UNLV18,389
      Texas State18,120
      Western Kentucky17,705
      Eastern Michigan17,677
      Buffalo17,493
      Central Michigan17,408
      Middle Tennessee17,243
      Miami (Ohio)17,110
      FIU16,789
      South Alabama16,250
      San José State15,419
      Bowling Green15,140
      Georgia State15,103
      Massachusetts14,510
      Charlotte14,192
      Louisiana-Monroe12,610
      Idaho11,190
      Northern Illinois11,019
      Kent State10,898
      Akron10,337
      FAU10,073
      New Mexico State9,545
      Ball State7,789
      gollark: And?
      gollark: Ever heard of side channel attacks?
      gollark: But it's not completely disconnected - networking, keyboard/video/mouse, and in fact it probably still shares most of the CPU hardware.
      gollark: On Linux I mean.
      gollark: ... I mean, nobody is stopping you from using qemu.

      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.[48]
      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.[49]

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