2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season





















































2015 NCAA Division I FBS season
Number of teams 127 full members + 1 transitional
Duration September 3, 2015 – December 12, 2015
Preseason AP No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes
Post-season
Duration December 19, 2015 – January 11, 2016
Bowl games 41

AP Poll No. 1
Alabama Crimson Tide

Coaches Poll No. 1
Alabama Crimson Tide
Heisman Trophy
Derrick Henry, Alabama
College Football Playoff
2016 College Football Playoff National Championship
Site
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Winner Alabama Crimson Tide
Division I FBS football seasons

← 2014

2016 →


The 2015 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 September 3, 2015 and ended on December 12, 2015. The postseason concluded on January 11, 2016 with Alabama defeating Clemson in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. This was the second season of the College Football Playoff (CFP) championship system.




Contents






  • 1 Rule changes


  • 2 Conference realignment


    • 2.1 Membership changes




  • 3 Other headlines


  • 4 Upsets


    • 4.1 Jacksonville State at Auburn game


    • 4.2 Upsets involving officiating


      • 4.2.1 Miami vs. Duke


      • 4.2.2 Nebraska vs. Michigan State






  • 5 Updated stadiums


  • 6 Conference standings


  • 7 Conference summaries


    • 7.1 Power 5 Conferences


    • 7.2 Group of Five Conferences




  • 8 Bowl eligibility


    • 8.1 Bowl eligible teams


    • 8.2 Bowl ineligible teams




  • 9 Postseason


    • 9.1 Conference performance in bowl games




  • 10 Rankings


    • 10.1 Final CFP rankings


    • 10.2 Final rankings




  • 11 Awards and honors


    • 11.1 Heisman Trophy


    • 11.2 Other overall


    • 11.3 Special overall


    • 11.4 Offense


    • 11.5 Defense


    • 11.6 Special teams


    • 11.7 Other positional awards


    • 11.8 Coaches


      • 11.8.1 Assistants




    • 11.9 All-Americans




  • 12 Coaching changes


  • 13 Television viewers and ratings


    • 13.1 Most watched regular season games


    • 13.2 Conference championship games


    • 13.3 College Football Playoff




  • 14 See also


  • 15 References


  • 16 External links





Rule changes


The following rule changes have been made by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for the 2015 season:[1]



  • Eight-man officiating crews are made standard in FBS with the addition of the center judge position. Various FBS conferences experimented with eight-man crews in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

  • Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties of 15 yards will be called on players who pull or yank opponents off piles.

  • A 10-second runoff and reset of the play clock to 40 seconds will occur if a defensive player's helmet comes off within the final minute of either half. Previously, the play clock was set to 25 seconds and no runoff occurred.

  • The five-yard penalty for a first offense sideline warning has been removed, modifying a 2008 rule change. Moving forward, the second offense will be penalized five yards, followed by 15 yards (unsportsmanlike conduct) starting with the third offense.

  • Officials will require players with illegal equipment (e.g., "crop-top" jerseys and writing messages on eye black) to leave the field for one play to correct it. Teams may use a time-out to correct the equipment and avoid the player having to sit out the play.

  • Instant replay can be used to review if the kicking team blocked the receiving team before an onside kick has gone 10 yards.

  • Teams must have 22 minutes for pre-game warmups, which can be shortened by mutual agreement of both teams.

  • The play clock will be reset to 40 seconds if the play clock reaches 25 seconds before the ball is ready for play. Previously, the play clock was reset if the play clock ran to 20 seconds.

  • Non-standard/overbuilt facemasks are prohibited.


A proposed rule to change the ineligible downfield rule from three yards to one yard past the line of scrimmage was tabled and not voted on; however it will be a point of emphasis for the season.


The use of advanced technology in games (e.g., wireless communication between on-field players and the bench, use of tablets by coaches for non-medical reasons, helmet cameras for players) is being studied by a committee for possible future implementation.



Conference realignment



Membership changes























School
Former conference
New conference

Charlotte

FCS independent

Conference USA

Navy

FBS independent

The American

UAB

Conference USA
Terminated football program

Charlotte transitioned from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and played its first season in FBS as a provisional member, becoming a football-sponsoring member of Conference USA after joining as a non-football member in 2013.


UAB controversially shut down its football program following the 2014 season, after school administrators claimed that rising monetary costs made fielding an FBS team unfeasible.[2] Following public outcry and fundraising efforts, the school announced less than six months later that the football team would be reinstated.[3] UAB football returned to FBS and Conference USA for the 2017 season.



Other headlines



  • June 1 – UAB, which had dropped football after the 2014 season, announced that it would reinstate it as early as 2016.[4]

  • July 21 – UAB announced that it had pushed back the return of football to the 2017 season.[5]

  • September 1 – The Sun Belt Conference announced that Coastal Carolina would become a full member of the conference on July 1, 2016. The Coastal Carolina football team, a member of the FCS Big South Conference along with the rest of the athletic program at the time of the announcement, began a transition to FBS after the 2015 season, joined Sun Belt football in 2017, and became fully bowl-eligible in 2018.[6]

  • January 13, 2016 – The NCAA Division I council approved a rule that, from the 2016 season forward, allows FBS conferences to stage championship games regardless of their current membership numbers. The new rule, as originally proposed by the Big 12 Conference and amended by the Big Ten Conference, stipulates that a conference with fewer than 12 members can stage a championship game under either of the following circumstances:[7]

    • The game involves two division winners, with each division having played a round-robin schedule.

    • The game involves the top two teams in the conference standings after a full round-robin conference schedule.





Upsets



Jacksonville State at Auburn game


On September 12, Auburn avoided a defeat that would have ranked with the biggest upsets in college football history with an overtime touchdown run to a 27–20 win over FCS foe Jacksonville State. Auburn had to score a touchdown in the final minute of regulation just to tie the game and then had to convert another touchdown in Auburn's first possession in overtime to win.[8]
No FCS team has defeated a ranked FBS team since August 31, 2013, when Eastern Washington beat Oregon State 49–46. An Auburn loss would have compared with Michigan's loss to Appalachian State on September 3, 2007.[8] Jacksonville State, 41-point underdogs entering Saturday's game, nearly became just the second FCS team to defeat an AP Top 10 FBS opponent.[9]



Upsets involving officiating



Miami vs. Duke


On October 31, Miami beat Duke 30–27 on a game-winning kickoff return for a touchdown that included eight laterals. However, the Atlantic Coast Conference acknowledged the next day that the kickoff return touchdown should not have counted as officials made four major errors during the play:[10][11]



  • A Miami player's knee was down before releasing one of the eight laterals.

  • An illegal block should have been called during the return at Miami's 16-yard line, which would have given the Hurricanes an untimed down at their own 8-yard line.

  • Miami should have been penalized for a bench player entering the field of play during the return, although this would not have changed the touchdown ruling.

  • A penalty for an illegal block in the back that was rescinded — initially negating Miami's touchdown before officials conferred — was called correctly, but that the referee didn’t properly communicate why the decision was made.



Nebraska vs. Michigan State


On November 7, Nebraska defeated Michigan State by a score of 39–38. Nebraska ran a 91-yard scoring drive in 38 seconds, capped by Tommy Armstrong Jr.'s 30-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Reilly, leaving 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Before the catch, Reilly went out of bounds on his route, making him an ineligible receiver. Replay officials determined that Michigan State cornerback Jermaine Edmondson had forced him out of bounds, although replay footage seemed to show that Reilly had gone out of bounds on his own accord. The ruling on the field stood, upholding Nebraska's game-winning touchdown. After the game Bill Carollo, the Big Ten's coordinator of officials, said in a statement via ESPN: "They can't review whether it was a force out/contact on the play. They can only review if there was clear evidence of no contact and he (Reilly) re-established himself in the field of play. If he goes out of bounds on his own with no contact, it's an illegal touch. Therefore, the call stood."[12]



Updated stadiums


No FBS programs opened new stadiums for the 2015 season. However, one school played its first season in FBS, and several other programs expanded or renovated their stadiums:




  • Charlotte, playing its first season in FBS, debuted at the on-campus Jerry Richardson Stadium. The stadium opened for the 49ers' first season in 2013 with a capacity of 15,314, but was designed for quick expansion to as much as 40,000.


  • Kentucky debuted a major renovation to Commonwealth Stadium. A$110 million project reduced the capacity from 67,530 to 61,000, and added a new recruiting plaza in the east end zone surrounded by a new student section, more than 20 new luxury boxes and 2,000 new club seats, new home-team facilities, a revamped exterior, and improved concourses.[13]


  • UCF took out about 2,000 seats from the east side of Bright House Networks Stadium, replacing them with a new club seating section with a capacity of about 1,000 that includes a beach area.[14]


  • Auburn debuted the largest video board in college football in Jordan–Hare Stadium. The video board measures 190 feet by 57. The project was expected to cost $13.9 million.


  • Duke featured a newly renovated Wallace Wade Stadium. The renovations included removal of the track and lowering of the field by several feet; more seating capacity near field level along both sidelines and the north end zone; the replacement of bleachers on the west side of the stadium with Duke blue seats; new brick facades around much of the field; a brand-new, much larger video board and new speakers; a refresh of the concourse area around the top of the bowl, with new sidewalks and brick separating the concourse from the seating area; and new concession booths, restrooms, and concourse lighting along with a new elevator tower. Construction on a new press box, luxury boxes, and attached seats was ongoing throughout the season, and was expected to be complete in time for the 2016 season. These marked the first major upgrades to Wallace Wade Stadium in over 70 years.


  • Kansas State debuted the Vanier Football Complex in the north end zone of Bill Snyder Family Stadium. This feature includes new seating, a video board, offices, locker rooms and strength training facilities. kstatesports.com


  • Cincinnati debuted renovations to Nippert Stadium that increased the capacity to 40,000 and added premium seating, a new press box, a new pavilion, additional restrooms, upgraded concessions and improved concourses.


  • Ole Miss announced plans to renovate Vaught–Hemingway Stadium during the 2015 season and the 2015–16 offseason. The project was intended to bring the stadium's ultimate capacity to 64,038. The stadium was to be turned into a complete bowl, adding club level seating, restrooms, concessions, etc. The renovation was planned for completion by the start of the 2016–17 season. This renovation was part of the Forward Together campaign, which also gave the Rebels a new basketball arena, The Pavilion at Ole Miss, right next to the football stadium.


  • Texas A&M completed renovations to the west side and facade of Kyle Field, reducing the capacity from the previous season. The project cost over $450 million.



Conference standings








































































































































































































































2015 American Athletic Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

East Division

Temple x
  7
1
        10
4
 

South Florida
  6
2
        8
5
 

Cincinnati
  4
4
        7
6
 

UConn
  4
4
        6
7
 

East Carolina
  3
5
        5
7
 

UCF
  0
8
        0
12
 

West Division
No. 8 Houston xy$
  7
1
        13
1
 
No. 18 Navy x
  7
1
        11
2
 

Memphis
  5
3
        9
4
 

Tulsa
  3
5
        6
7
 

Tulane
  1
7
        3
9
 

SMU
  1
7
        2
10
 

Championship: Houston 24, Temple 13


  • $ – Conference champion

  • x – Division champion/co-champions

  • y – Championship game participant

As of December 31, 2015; Rankings from AP Poll

















































































































































































































































2015 ACC football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

Atlantic Division
No. 2 Clemson x$^
  8
0
        14
1
 
No. 14 Florida State
  6
2
        10
3
 

Louisville
  5
3
        8
5
 

NC State
  3
5
        7
6
 

Syracuse
  2
6
        4
8
 

Wake Forest
  1
7
        3
9
 

Boston College
  0
8
        3
9
 

Coastal Division
No. 15 North Carolina x
  8
0
        11
3
 

Pittsburgh
  6
2
        8
5
 

Miami
  5
3
        8
5
 

Duke
  4
4
        8
5
 

Virginia Tech
  4
4
        7
6
 

Virginia
  3
5
        4
8
 

Georgia Tech
  1
7
        3
9
 

Championship: Clemson 45, North Carolina 37


  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant

  • $ – Conference champion

  • x – Division champion/co-champions

Rankings from AP Poll

















































































































































































































































2015 Big Ten football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

East Division
No. 6 Michigan State xy$^
  7
1
        12
2
 
No. 4 Ohio State x
  7
1
        12
1
 
No. 12 Michigan
  6
2
        10
3
 

Penn State
  4
4
        7
6
 

Indiana
  2
6
        6
7
 

Rutgers
  1
7
        4
8
 

Maryland
  1
7
        3
9
 

West Division
No. 9 Iowa xy
  8
0
        12
2
 
No. 23 Northwestern
  6
2
        10
3
 
No. 21 Wisconsin
  6
2
        10
3
 

Nebraska
  3
5
        6
7
 

Minnesota
  2
6
        6
7
 

Illinois
  2
6
        5
7
 

Purdue
  1
7
        2
10
 

Championship: Michigan State 16, Iowa 13


  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant

  • $ – Conference champion

  • x – Division champion/co-champions

  • y – Championship game participant

Rankings from AP Poll



















































































































































































2015 Big 12 football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
No. 5 Oklahoma $^
  8
1
        11
2
 
No. 20 Oklahoma State
  7
2
        10
3
 
No. 7 TCU
  7
2
        11
2
 
No. 13 Baylor
  6
3
        10
3
 

West Virginia
  4
5
        8
5
 

Texas Tech
  4
5
        7
6
 

Texas
  4
5
        5
7
 

Kansas State
  3
6
        6
7
 

Iowa State
  2
7
        3
9
 

Kansas
  0
9
        0
12
 



  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant

  • $ – Conference champion

Rankings from AP Poll



































































































































































































































2015 Conference USA football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

East Division
No. 24 Western Kentucky x$
  8
0
        12
2
 

Middle Tennessee
  6
2
        7
6
 

Marshall
  6
2
        10
3
 

FIU
  3
5
        5
7
 

Old Dominion
  3
5
        5
7
 

Florida Atlantic
  3
5
        3
9
 

Charlotte*
  0
8
        2
10
 

West Division

Southern Miss x
  7
1
        9
5
 

Louisiana Tech
  6
2
        9
4
 

UTSA
  3
5
        3
9
 

UTEP
  3
5
        5
7
 

Rice
  3
5
        5
7
 

North Texas
  1
7
        1
11
 


Championship: Western Kentucky 45, Southern Miss 28


  • $ – Conference champion

  • x – Division champion/co-champions

  • * Ineligible for postseason bowl due to transition from FCS

As of January 12, 2015; Rankings from AP Poll


































































































































































































































2015 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

East Division

Bowling Green x$
  7
1
        10
4
 

Ohio
  5
3
        8
5
 

Akron
  5
3
        8
5
 

Buffalo
  3
5
        5
7
 

Kent State
  2
6
        3
9
 

Miami
  2
6
        3
9
 

UMass
  2
6
        3
9
 

West Division

Northern Illinois xy
  6
2
        8
6
 

Western Michigan x
  6
2
        8
5
 

Toledo x
  6
2
        10
2
 

Central Michigan x
  6
2
        7
6
 

Ball State
  2
6
        3
9
 

Eastern Michigan
  0
8
        1
11
 

Championship: Bowling Green 34, Northern Illinois 14


  • $ – Conference champion

  • x – Division champion/co-champions

  • y – Championship game participant





















































































































































































































2015 Mountain West football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

Mountain Division

Air Force x
  6
2
        8
6
 

New Mexico
  5
3
        7
6
 

Utah State
  5
3
        6
7
 

Boise State
  5
3
        9
4
 

Colorado State
  5
3
        7
6
 

Wyoming
  2
6
        2
10
 

West Division

San Diego State x$
  8
0
        11
3
 

Nevada
  4
4
        7
6
 

San Jose State
  4
4
        6
7
 

Fresno State
  2
6
        3
9
 

UNLV
  2
6
        3
9
 

Hawaii
  0
8
        3
10
 

Championship: San Diego State 27, Air Force 24


  • $ – Conference champion

  • x – Division champion/co-champions

Rankings from AP Poll



















































































































































































































2015 Pac-12 football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

North Division
No. 3 Stanford x$
  8
1
        12
2
 
No. 19 Oregon
  7
2
        9
4
 

Washington State
  6
3
        9
4
 

California
  4
5
        8
5
 

Washington
  4
5
        7
6
 

Oregon State
  0
9
        2
10
 

South Division

USC xy
  6
3
        8
6
 
No. 17 Utah x
  6
3
        10
3
 

UCLA
  5
4
        8
5
 

Arizona State
  4
5
        6
7
 

Arizona
  3
6
        7
6
 

Colorado
  1
8
        4
9
 

Championship: Stanford 41, USC 22


  • $ – Conference champion

  • x – Division champion/co-champions

  • y – Championship game participant

Rankings from AP Poll

















































































































































































































































2015 SEC football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

East Division
No. 25 Florida x
  7
1
        10
4
 
No. 22 Tennessee
  5
3
        9
4
 

Georgia
  5
3
        10
3
 

Vanderbilt
  2
6
        4
8
 

Kentucky
  2
6
        5
7
 

Missouri
  1
7
        5
7
 

South Carolina
  1
7
        3
9
 

West Division
No. 1 Alabama x$#^
  7
1
        14
1
 
No. 10 Ole Miss
  6
2
        10
3
 

Arkansas
  5
3
        8
5
 
No. 16 LSU
  5
3
        9
3
 

Texas A&M
  4
4
        8
5
 

Mississippi State
  4
4
        9
4
 

Auburn
  2
6
        7
6
 

Championship: Alabama 29, Florida 15


  • # – College Football Playoff champion

  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant

  • $ – Conference champion

  • x – Division champion/co-champions

Rankings from AP Poll


































































































































































































2015 Sun Belt football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  

Arkansas State $
  8
0
        9
4
 

Appalachian State
  7
1
        11
2
 

Georgia Southern
  6
2
        9
4
 

Georgia State
  5
3
        6
7
 

South Alabama
  3
5
        5
7
 

Idaho
  3
5
        4
8
 

Troy
  3
5
        4
8
 

Louisiana–Lafayette
  3
5
        4
8
 

New Mexico State
  3
5
        3
9
 

Texas State
  2
6
        3
9
 

Louisiana–Monroe
  1
7
        2
11
 


  • $ – Conference champion
As of December 23, 2015; Rankings from AP Poll










































































2015 Division I FBS independents football records
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
No. 11 Notre Dame
   
 
        10
3
 

BYU
   
 
        9
4
 

Army
   
 
        2
10
 

Rankings from AP Poll



Conference summaries


Rankings reflect the Week 14 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
#1 Clemson CFP
#10 North Carolina

45–37

Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

Jeremy Cash, S, Duke

Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Big 12
#3 Oklahoma CFP
#14 Oklahoma State
N/A

Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State & Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Big Ten
#5 Michigan State CFP
#4 Iowa

16–13

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

Carl Nassib, DE, Penn St

Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Pac-12
#7 Stanford
#20 USC

41–22

Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford

DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon

Mike Leach, Washington State & David Shaw, Stanford

SEC
#2 Alabama CFP
#18 Florida

29–15

Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama

Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama

Jim McElwain, Florida


Group of Five Conferences

























































Conference
Champion
Runner-up
Score

Offensive Player of the Year

Defensive Player of the Year

Coach of the Year

AAC
#17 Houston
#20 Temple

24–13

Keenan Reynolds, QB, Navy

Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple

Ken Niumatalolo, Navy &
Tom Herman, Houston

C-USA

WKU

Southern Miss

45–28

Brandon Doughty, QB, WKU (MVP)
Nick Mullens, QB, Southern Miss (Offensive POY)

Evan McKelvey, LB, Marshall

Todd Monken, Southern Miss

MAC

Bowling Green

Northern Illinois

34–14

Matt Johnson, QB, Bowling Green

Jatavis Brown, LB, Akron

Matt Campbell, Toledo

MW

San Diego State

Air Force

27–24

Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State

Demontae Kazee, CB, San Diego State

Rocky Long, San Diego State

Sun Belt

Arkansas State
N/A
N/A

Nick Arbuckle, QB, Georgia State (MVP) & Larry Rose III, RB,
New Mexico State (Offensive POY)

Ronald Blair, DE, Appalachian State

Trent Miles, Georgia State

CFP College Football Playoff participant



Bowl eligibility



Bowl eligible teams



  • American Athletic Conference (8): Memphis, Houston, Temple, Navy, South Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Tulsa

  • Atlantic Coast Conference (9): Clemson, Florida State, Duke, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Miami (FL), North Carolina State, Louisville, Virginia Tech

  • Big 12 Conference (7): Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia, Kansas State

  • Big Ten Conference (8): Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, Northwestern, Wisconsin

  • Conference USA (5): Western Kentucky, Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Southern Mississippi, Middle Tennessee State

  • Independents (2): Notre Dame, BYU

  • Mid-American Conference (7): Toledo, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Ohio, Central Michigan, Akron

  • Mountain West Conference (7): Boise State, San Diego State, Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah State, Colorado State

  • Pac-12 Conference (10): Stanford, Utah, UCLA, Washington State, USC, Oregon, Arizona, California, Arizona State, Washington

  • Southeastern Conference (10): LSU, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn

  • Sun Belt Conference (4): Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Appalachian State, Arkansas State


Total: 77



Bowl ineligible teams



  • American Athletic Conference (4): Central Florida, East Carolina, SMU, Tulane

  • Atlantic Coast Conference (5): Boston College, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Virginia

  • Big 12 Conference (3): Iowa State, Kansas, Texas

  • Big Ten Conference (6): Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota*, Nebraska*, Purdue, Rutgers

  • Conference USA (8): Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, UTEP, Rice, Old Dominion

  • Independents (1): Army

  • Mid-American Conference (6): Buffalo, Miami (OH), Eastern Michigan, Massachusetts, Ball State, Kent State

  • Mountain West Conference (5): Wyoming, Hawaii, Fresno State, UNLV, San José State*

  • Pac-12 Conference (2): Oregon State, Colorado

  • Southeastern Conference (4): South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Kentucky

  • Sun Belt Conference (7): Louisiana-Lafayette, New Mexico State, Louisiana-Monroe, Idaho, South Alabama, Troy, Texas State


Note: Teams with Asterisk(*) qualified for bowls based on Academic Progress Rate, despite not having a bowl eligible record [15]


Total: 51



Postseason



Since the 2014–15 postseason, six College Football Playoff (CFP) bowl games have hosted two semi-final playoff games on a rotating basis. For this season, the Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl Classic will host the semi-final games, with the winners advancing to the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.



















































































Semifinals


2016 Championship Game










December 31 – Orange Bowl


  1
  Clemson

37
 

  4
  Oklahoma
17
 
January 11 – National Championship

 

 
 
  1
  Clemson
40

December 31 – Cotton Bowl
 
  2
  Alabama

45

 

  2
  Alabama

38

  3
  Michigan State
0
 





Conference performance in bowl games























































































Conference Total games Wins Losses Pct.
SEC 11 9 2 .818
ACC 9 4 5 .444
Big Ten 10 5 5 .500
Pac-12 10 6 4 .600
Big 12 7 3 4 .429
MW 8 4 4 .500
The American 8 2 6 .250
C-USA 5 3 2 .600
MAC 7 3 4 .429
Independents 2 0 2 .000
Sun Belt 4 2 2 .500


Rankings



Final CFP rankings

































































































































































CFP

School

Record

Bowl Game
1 Clemson Tigers 13–0
Orange Bowl
2 Alabama Crimson Tide 12–1
Cotton Bowl
3 Michigan State Spartans 12–1
Cotton Bowl
4 Oklahoma Sooners 11–1
Orange Bowl
5 Iowa Hawkeyes 12–1
Rose Bowl
6 Stanford Cardinal 11–2
Rose Bowl
7 Ohio State Buckeyes 11–1
Fiesta Bowl
8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10–2
Fiesta Bowl
9 Florida State Seminoles 10–2
Peach Bowl
10 North Carolina Tar Heels 11–2
Russell Athletic Bowl
11 TCU Horned Frogs 10–2
Alamo Bowl
12 Ole Miss Rebels 9–3
Sugar Bowl
13 Northwestern Wildcats 10–2
Outback Bowl
14 Michigan Wolverines 9–3
Citrus Bowl
15 Oregon Ducks 9–3
Alamo Bowl
16 Oklahoma State Cowboys 10–2
Sugar Bowl
17 Baylor Bears 9–3
Russell Athletic Bowl
18 Houston Cougars 12–1
Peach Bowl
19 Florida Gators 10–3
Citrus Bowl
20 LSU Tigers 8–3
Texas Bowl
21 Navy Midshipmen 10–2
Military Bowl
22 Utah Utes 9–3
Las Vegas Bowl
23 Tennessee Volunteers 8–4
Outback Bowl
24 Temple Owls 10–2
Boca Raton Bowl
25 USC Trojans 8–5
Holiday Bowl


Final rankings





































































































































Rank
Associated Press
Coaches' Poll
1
Alabama (14–1) (61)
Alabama (14–1) (56)
2
Clemson (14–1)
Clemson (14–1)
3
Stanford (12–2)
Stanford (12–2)
4
Ohio State (12–1)
Ohio State (12–1)
5
Oklahoma (11–2)
Oklahoma (11–2)
6
Michigan State (12–2)
Michigan State (12–2)
7
TCU (11–2)
TCU (11–2)
8
Houston (13–1)
Houston (13–1)
9
Iowa (12–2)
Ole Miss (10–3)
10
Ole Miss (10–3)
Iowa (12–2)
11
Notre Dame (10–3)
Michigan (10–3)
12
Michigan (10–3)
Notre Dame (10–3)
13
Baylor (10–3)
Baylor (10–3)
14
Florida State (10–3)
Florida State (10–3)
15
North Carolina (11–3)
North Carolina (11–3)
16
LSU (9–3)
Utah (10–3)
17
Utah (10–3)
LSU (9–3)
18
Navy (11–2)
Navy (11–2)
19
Oregon (9–4)
Oklahoma State (10–3)
20
Oklahoma State (10–3)
Oregon (9–4)
21
Wisconsin (10–3)
Wisconsin (10–3)
22
Tennessee (9–4)
Northwestern (10–3)
23
Northwestern (10–3)
Tennessee (9–4)
24
Western Kentucky (12–2)
Georgia (10–3)
25
Florida (10–4)
Florida (10–4)


Awards and honors



Heisman Trophy


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







































Player School Position 1st 2nd 3rd Total
Derrick Henry Alabama RB 378 277 144 1832
Christian McCaffrey Stanford RB 290 246 177 1539
Deshaun Watson Clemson QB 148 240 241 1165


Other overall




  • Archie Griffin Award (MVP): Deshaun Watson, Clemson


  • AP Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, Stanford


  • Chic Harley Award (Player of the Year): Christian McCaffrey, Stanford


  • Maxwell Award (top player): Derrick Henry, Alabama


  • SN Player of the Year: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma


  • Walter Camp Award (top player): Derrick Henry, Alabama



Special overall




  • Burlsworth Trophy (top player who began as walk-on): Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma


  • Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player): Christian McCaffrey, Stanford


  • Campbell Trophy ("academic Heisman"): Ty Darlington, Oklahoma


  • Wuerffel Trophy (humanitarian-athlete): Ty Darlington, Oklahoma



Offense


Quarterback




  • Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Deshaun Watson, Clemson


  • Johnny Unitas Award (senior/4th year quarterback): Connor Cook, Michigan State


  • Kellen Moore Award (quarterback): Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma


  • Manning Award (quarterback): Deshaun Watson, Clemson


  • Sammy Baugh Trophy (passing quarterback): Matt Johnson, Bowling Green


Running back




  • Doak Walker Award (running back): Derrick Henry, Alabama


  • Jim Brown Trophy (running back): Dalvin Cook, Florida State


Wide receiver




  • Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver): Corey Coleman, Baylor


  • Paul Warfield Trophy (wide receiver): Roger Lewis, Bowling Green


Tight end




  • John Mackey Award (tight end): Hunter Henry, Arkansas


  • Ozzie Newsome Award (tight end): Jake Butt, Michigan


Lineman




  • Dave Rimington Trophy (center): Ryan Kelly, Alabama


  • Jim Parker Trophy (offensive lineman): Landon Turner, North Carolina



Defense




  • Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player): Tyler Matakevich, Temple


  • Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player): Tyler Matakevich, Temple


  • Lott Trophy (defensive impact): Carl Nassib, Penn State


Defensive line




  • Bill Willis Award (defensive lineman): Myles Garrett, Texas A&M


  • Dick Butkus Award (linebacker): Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame


  • Jack Lambert Trophy (linebacker): Joe Schobert, Wisconsin


  • Rotary Lombardi Award (defensive lineman/linebacker): Carl Nassib, Penn State


  • Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end): Carl Nassib, Penn State


Defensive back




  • Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back): Desmond King, Iowa


  • Jack Tatum Trophy (defensive back): Desmond King, Iowa



Special teams




  • Lou Groza Award (placekicker): Ka'imi Fairbairn, UCLA


  • Vlade Award (placekicker): Aidan Schneider, Oregon


  • Ray Guy Award (punter): Tom Hackett, Utah


  • Jet Award (return specialist): Christian McCaffrey, Stanford


  • Peter Mortell Award (holder): Peter Mortell, Minnesota[16][17]



Other positional awards



  • Outland Trophy (interior lineman on either offense or defense): Joshua Garnett, Stanford


Coaches




  • AFCA Coach of the Year: Dabo Swinney, Clemson


  • AP Coach of the Year: Dabo Swinney, Clemson


  • Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award:


  • Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa


  • Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

  • Maxwell Coach of the Year:


  • Paul "Bear" Bryant Award: Dabo Swinney, Clemson


  • Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award:


  • SN Coach of the Year: Dabo Swinney, Clemson


  • The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award: Dabo Swinney, Clemson


  • Woody Hayes Trophy: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa


  • Walter Camp Coach of the Year: Dabo Swinney, Clemson



Assistants




  • AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year: Don Brown, Boston College


  • Broyles Award: Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma



All-Americans




Coaching changes


This is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2015. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2015, see 2014 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.













































































































































































































































































School
Outgoing coach
Date
Reason
Replacement

Ball State

Pete Lembo
December 22, 2015
Took job as special teams coordinator at Maryland

Mike Neu

Bowling Green

Dino Babers
December 5, 2015
Left for Syracuse

Mike Jinks

BYU

Bronco Mendenhall
December 4, 2015
Left for Virginia

Kalani Sitake

East Carolina

Ruffin McNeill
December 4, 2015
Fired

Scottie Montgomery

Georgia

Mark Richt
November 29, 2015
Fired[18]

Kirby Smart

Georgia Southern

Willie Fritz
December 11, 2015
Left for Tulane[19]

Dell McGee (interim)

Georgia Southern

Dell McGee (interim)
December 20, 2015
Permanent replacement[20]

Tyson Summers

Hawaii

Norm Chow
November 1, 2015
Fired[21]

Chris Naeole

Hawaii

Chris Naeole
November 27, 2015
Permanent replacement

Nick Rolovich

Illinois

Tim Beckman
August 28, 2015
Fired[22]

Bill Cubit

Illinois

Bill Cubit
March 5, 2016
Fired[23]

Lovie Smith

Iowa State

Paul Rhoads
November 22, 2015
Fired after the season[24]

Matt Campbell

Louisiana–Monroe

Todd Berry
November 14, 2015
Fired[25]

John Mumford (interim)

Louisiana–Monroe

John Mumford (interim)
December 14, 2015
Permanent replacement

Matt Viator

Maryland

Randy Edsall
October 11, 2015
Fired[26]

Mike Locksley (interim)

Maryland

Mike Locksley (interim)
December 2, 2015
Permanent replacement[27]

D. J. Durkin

Memphis

Justin Fuente
November 28, 2015
Left for Virginia Tech[28]

Mike Norvell

Miami

Al Golden
October 25, 2015
Fired[29]

Larry Scott (interim)

Miami

Larry Scott (interim)
December 2, 2015
Permanent replacement[30]

Mark Richt

Minnesota

Jerry Kill
October 28, 2015
Retired (health)[31]

Tracy Claeys

Missouri

Gary Pinkel
November 13, 2015
Resigned after the season (health)[32]

Barry Odom

North Texas

Dan McCarney
October 10, 2015
Fired[33]

Mike Canales (interim)

North Texas

Mike Canales (interim)
December 5, 2015
Permanent replacement[34]

Seth Littrell

Rutgers

Kyle Flood
November 29, 2015
Fired[35]

Chris Ash

Southern Mississippi

Todd Monken
January 24, 2016
Left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as offensive coordinator

Jay Hopson

South Carolina

Steve Spurrier
October 12, 2015
Retired[36]

Shawn Elliott (interim)

South Carolina

Shawn Elliott (interim)
December 6, 2015
Permanent replacement[37]

Will Muschamp

Syracuse

Scott Shafer
November 23, 2015
Fired after the season[38]

Dino Babers

Texas State

Dennis Franchione
December 22, 2015
Retired

Everett Withers

Toledo

Matt Campbell
November 29, 2015
Left for Iowa State[39]

Jason Candle

Tulane

Curtis Johnson
November 28, 2015
Fired[40]

Willie Fritz

UCF

George O'Leary
October 25, 2015
Resigned/retired[41]

Danny Barrett (interim)

UCF

Danny Barrett (interim)
December 1, 2015
Permanent replacement

Scott Frost

USC

Steve Sarkisian
October 12, 2015
Fired[42]

Clay Helton

UTSA

Larry Coker
January 5, 2016
Resigned

Frank Wilson

Virginia

Mike London
November 29, 2015
Resigned[43]

Bronco Mendenhall

Virginia Tech

Frank Beamer
November 1, 2015
Retired after the season[44]

Justin Fuente


Television viewers and ratings



Most watched regular season games


  • Excludes Conference Championships
































































































































Rank Date Matchup Channel Viewers TV Rating [1]
Significance
1
November 7, 8:00 ET

#2 LSU
16

#4 Alabama
30

CBS
11.06 Million
6.4

Rivalry
2
November 21, 3:30 ET

#9 Michigan State
17

#3 Ohio State
14

ABC
11.05 Million
6.6

3
November 28, 12:00 ET

#8 Ohio State
42

#10 Michigan
13
10.83 Million
6.4

The Game
4
September 7, 8:00 ET

#1 Ohio State
42

Virginia Tech
24

ESPN
10.59 Million
6.0

5
November 28, 3:30 ET

#2 Alabama
29

Auburn
13

CBS
9.29 Million
5.3

Iron Bowl
6
September 5, 8:00 ET

#20 Wisconsin
17

#3 Alabama
35

ABC
7.97 Million
4.3

Advocare Classic
7
September 12, 8:00 ET

#7 Oregon
28

#5 Michigan State
31
7.90 Million
4.8

8
October 3, 8:00 ET

#6 Notre Dame
22

#12 Clemson
24
7.65 Million
4.5

9
September 19, 9:00 ET

#15 Ole Miss
43

#2 Alabama
37

ESPN
7.61 Million
4.6

10
November 7, 3:30 ET

#16 Florida State
13

#1 Clemson
23

ABC
7.56 Million
4.7



Conference championship games





















































































































Rank Date Matchup Channel Viewers TV Rating Conference Location
1
December 5, 4:00 ET

#18 Florida
15

#2 Alabama
29

CBS
12.8 Million
7.8

SEC

Georgia Dome, Atlanta
2
December 5, 8:19 ET

#5 Michigan State
16

#4 Iowa
13

FOX
9.8 Million
5.7

Big Ten

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
3
December 5, 8:00 ET

#1 Clemson
45

#10 North Carolina
37

ABC
7.9 Million
4.1

ACC

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
4
December 5, 7:45 ET

#20 USC
22

#7 Stanford
41

ESPN
2.6 Million
1.6

Pac-12

Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
5
December 5, 12:00 ET

#22 Temple
13

#19 Houston
24

ABC
2.5 Million
1.8

AAC

TDECU Stadium, Houston
6
December 4, 7:27 ET

Bowling Green
34

Northern Illinois
14

ESPN2
1.0 Million
0.7

MAC

Ford Field, Detroit
7
December 5, 12:00 ET

Southern Miss
28

Western Kentucky
45

ESPN2
488K
N/A

C-USA

Houchens Industries-L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
8
December 5, 10:00 ET

Air Force
24

San Diego State
27

ESPN2
363K
N/A

MWC

Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego


College Football Playoff


Note: All games aired on ESPN











































Game Date Matchup Viewers TV Rating

Orange Bowl
December 31, 2015
4:00 ET

#4 Oklahoma
17

#1 Clemson
37
15.64 Million
9.1

Cotton Bowl
December 31, 2015
8:00 ET

#3 Michigan State
0

#2 Alabama
38
18.55 Million
9.6

National Championship
January 11, 2016
8:30 ET

#2 Alabama
45

#1 Clemson
40
26.18 Million*
15.0

  • ESPN Megacast


See also



  • 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season


References





  1. ^ ncaa.org (February 11, 2015). "Football Rules Committee Exploring Future Technological Advances". ncaa.org. Retrieved February 11, 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


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  8. ^ ab "Jacksonville State vs. Auburn - Game Recap - September 12, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com.


  9. ^ "Auburn escapes with 27-20 OT win over Jax St".


  10. ^ "Miami sprints past No. 18 Duke with 8-lateral play in final seconds".


  11. ^ "ACC suspends officials from Miami-Duke game; TD should not have counted".


  12. ^ "Nebraska stuns MSU 39-38 on controversial touchdown".


  13. ^ "The New CWS: Vision". Kentucky Wildcats. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2015.


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  15. ^ Johnson, Greg. "NCAA Football: Council approves process to allow 5–7 teams into bowl games". ncaa.com. NCAA. Retrieved December 6, 2015.


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  17. ^ "SVP salutes Minnesota's holder – ESPN Video".


  18. ^ "Mark Richt fired by Georgia, per source". ESPN.com. November 29, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.


  19. ^ "Tulane names Georgia Southern's Willie Fritz as its new football coach, ESPN reports". ESPN.com. December 11, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.


  20. ^ "Tyson Summers reaches verbal agreement with Georgia Southern". ESPN.com. December 20, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.


  21. ^ "Norm Chow relieved of duties at Hawaii". USA Today. November 1, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2015.


  22. ^ Bennett, Brian (August 28, 2015). "Illinois fires Tim Beckman one week before season amid external review". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 28, 2015.


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  28. ^ "Source: Virginia Tech to hire Memphis' Justin Fuente as coach". ESPN.com. November 28, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.


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  44. ^ Kalland, Robby (November 1, 2015). "Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer to retire at end of season". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 1, 2015.




External links



  • Media related to 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season at Wikimedia Commons








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