1996 NCAA Division I-A football season
Encyclopedia
The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators
crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance
would have hoped.
Florida defeated in the Sugar Bowl
, which was the designated National Championship that year. Florida had faced Florida State earlier in the year, when they were ranked #1 and #2, and lost. Were it not for beating Nebraska
, then #3, in the first ever Big 12 Championship Game, Florida wouldn't have even been in the title game.
And even once they were there, it wasn't certain a victory would mean a national championship. The Rose Bowl game
featured #2 Arizona State
and #4 Ohio State
. Florida St. and Arizona St. were the only unbeatens going into bowl season, so a Rose Bowl victory would give the Sun Devils a legitimate chance on winning the title. This scenario looked plausible as Arizona State's Jake Plummer
scored with 1:40 left to play in the game, making the score 17-14. But Ohio State's backup quarterback Joe Germaine
marched down the field to pull out a heart stopping 20-17 win.
On the one hand, this meant the national title game the following night would produce an incontrovertible champion. On the other hand, it left doubt to whether or not Ohio State deserved a stake in the national title, as evidenced by the team's 1½ first place votes in the final AP poll. The Pac-10 and Big Ten
could no longer afford to hold onto tradition while the rest of the country wanted a clear national champion. Reading the writing on the wall, they would soon join the national championship series with the other major conferences.
The Big 12
(Big 8
+ 4 SWC members in Texas
, Texas A&M
, Texas Tech
, and Baylor
) would begin play as a two division conference, with Oklahoma
and Oklahoma State
joining the South Division, breaking up the classic Nebraska–Oklahoma rivalry
, but renewing the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry, known as the Red River Shootout.
A new conference, Conference USA
, formed from a combination of the Metro Conference
and the Great Midwest Conference
, neither of which had sponsored football. The conference champion has a tie in with the Liberty Bowl
. The conference included SWC refugee Houston
, as well as Louisville
and Southern Miss
, two solid independents.
The Western Athletic Conference
gained three members from the defunct Southwest Conference in TCU
, SMU
, and Rice
, as well as UNLV
, San Jose State
, and Tulsa
. The now 15-team conference split into a Pacific and Mountain division and played a championship game.
There was a large controversy when #5 BYU was robbed of a spot in a Bowl Alliance game, as they were snubbed in favor of lower ranked teams from Bowl Alliance conferences. This would spur Congress into action, and would eventually be a reason the BCS polls were created.
The Big West Conference
lost several schools. stopped sponsoring football, as of 2006 the last Division I-A school to do so. Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech
, Northern Illinois
, and Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette), all which collectively joined the Big West in 1993, left to become independents. UNLV and San Jose State left to join the Western Athletic Conference
.
1996 marked the end of ties in college football, as an overtime
system was put into place across all of Division I-A. The 1995 season had overtime rules, but only for postseason games.
As mentioned before Pacific University dropped football this year. However four new schools moved up to Division 1-A football: University of Alabama at Birmingham
, Boise State University
, University of Central Florida
, and University of Idaho
.
conferences, whose champions played in the Rose Bowl. Thus, Arizona State
and Ohio State
(who met in the Rose Bowl) were excluded from the Bowl Coalition championship.
Others receiving votes: 26. ; 27. East Carolina; 28. ; 29. ; 30. Wisconsin
; 31. ; 32. ; 33. Clemson
is given to the Most Outstanding Player of the year
Winner:
Danny Wuerffel
, Florida
, Quarterback (1363 points)
1996 Florida Gators football team
The 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier...
crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance
Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
would have hoped.
Florida defeated in the Sugar Bowl
1997 Sugar Bowl
The 1997 Sugar Bowl was the 63rd edition to the annual game. It featured the top ranked , and their heated rivals, the third ranked Florida Gators. It was the designated National Championship Game for the 1996-97 season by the Bowl Alliance. The match up was supposed to feature the top two teams...
, which was the designated National Championship that year. Florida had faced Florida State earlier in the year, when they were ranked #1 and #2, and lost. Were it not for beating Nebraska
1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
, then #3, in the first ever Big 12 Championship Game, Florida wouldn't have even been in the title game.
And even once they were there, it wasn't certain a victory would mean a national championship. The Rose Bowl game
1997 Rose Bowl
The 1997 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference, held on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game resulted in a dramatic 20–17...
featured #2 Arizona State
1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Regular season:...
and #4 Ohio State
1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
. Florida St. and Arizona St. were the only unbeatens going into bowl season, so a Rose Bowl victory would give the Sun Devils a legitimate chance on winning the title. This scenario looked plausible as Arizona State's Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
scored with 1:40 left to play in the game, making the score 17-14. But Ohio State's backup quarterback Joe Germaine
Joe Germaine
-St. Louis Rams:Germaine was selected in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He won a Super Bowl ring as a backup to Kurt Warner as a rookie. Germaine appeared in only three games, completing nine passes, and was cut at the end of the 2000 season.-Kansas City...
marched down the field to pull out a heart stopping 20-17 win.
On the one hand, this meant the national title game the following night would produce an incontrovertible champion. On the other hand, it left doubt to whether or not Ohio State deserved a stake in the national title, as evidenced by the team's 1½ first place votes in the final AP poll. The Pac-10 and Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
could no longer afford to hold onto tradition while the rest of the country wanted a clear national champion. Reading the writing on the wall, they would soon join the national championship series with the other major conferences.
The Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
(Big 8
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
+ 4 SWC members in Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
, Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, and Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
) would begin play as a two division conference, with Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as...
joining the South Division, breaking up the classic Nebraska–Oklahoma rivalry
Nebraska–Oklahoma rivalry
The "Nebraska–Oklahoma rivalry", also known as "OU–Nebraska", was an American college football rivalry game played by the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team of the University of Nebraska and the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma...
, but renewing the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry, known as the Red River Shootout.
A new conference, Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
, formed from a combination of the Metro Conference
Metro Conference
The Metropolitan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, popularly known as the Metro Conference, was an NCAA Division I athletics conference, so named because all of its charter members were in urban metropolitan areas in, or at least on the fringes of, the Southern United States...
and the Great Midwest Conference
Great Midwest Conference
The Great Midwest Conference was an NCAA Division I athletics conference which existed from 1991 to 1995.It was formed in 1990 with six members--Cincinnati and Memphis State from the Metro Conference; UAB from the Sun Belt Conference; Marquette and Saint Louis from the Midwestern Collegiate...
, neither of which had sponsored football. The conference champion has a tie in with the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
. The conference included SWC refugee Houston
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
, as well as Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
and Southern Miss
Southern Miss Golden Eagles football
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football program represents the University of Southern Mississippi in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Eagles are members of Conference USA and player their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi...
, two solid independents.
The Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
gained three members from the defunct Southwest Conference in TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
, SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
, and Rice
Rice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...
, as well as UNLV
UNLV Rebels football
The UNLV Rebels football program is a college football team that represents the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association...
, San Jose State
San José State Spartans Football
The San Jose State Spartans represent San Jose State University and the Silicon Valley in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The Spartans play all home games in Spartan Stadium, which offers a seating capacity of over 30,000...
, and Tulsa
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....
. The now 15-team conference split into a Pacific and Mountain division and played a championship game.
There was a large controversy when #5 BYU was robbed of a spot in a Bowl Alliance game, as they were snubbed in favor of lower ranked teams from Bowl Alliance conferences. This would spur Congress into action, and would eventually be a reason the BCS polls were created.
The Big West Conference
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
lost several schools. stopped sponsoring football, as of 2006 the last Division I-A school to do so. Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football program represents Louisiana Tech University in Western Athletic Conference. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Since the Bulldogs first season in 1901, Louisiana Tech has compiled an all-time record of 554 wins, 422...
, Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois Huskies football
The Northern Illinois Huskies football team represents Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Conference of the NCAA's Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision.-History:...
, and Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette), all which collectively joined the Big West in 1993, left to become independents. UNLV and San Jose State left to join the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
.
1996 marked the end of ties in college football, as an overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
system was put into place across all of Division I-A. The 1995 season had overtime rules, but only for postseason games.
As mentioned before Pacific University dropped football this year. However four new schools moved up to Division 1-A football: University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
, Boise State University
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
, University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, and University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
.
Conference standings
Bowl Coalition First and Seconds
The Bowl Coalition did not include the Pacific-10 and Big 10Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
conferences, whose champions played in the Rose Bowl. Thus, Arizona State
1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Regular season:...
and Ohio State
1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
(who met in the Rose Bowl) were excluded from the Bowl Coalition championship.
| WEEKS | First | Conf. | Second | Conf. | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRE-4 | Nebraska 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:... |
Big 12 Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
Tennessee 1996 Tennessee Volunteers football team The 1996 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The offense scored 437 points and the defense allowed only 185 points. Quarterback Peyton Manning was in his junior year and Phillip Fulmer was the head coach of the... |
SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... |
Arizona St. 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team The 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Regular season:... 19, Nebraska 0 |
Sep 21 |
| 5-6 | Florida 1996 Florida Gators football team The 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier... |
SEC | ACC Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities... |
Ohio State 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and... 38, Penn State 7 |
Oct 5 | |
| 7-14 | Florida | SEC | #3 Florida State | ACC | Florida St. 24, Florida 21 | Nov 30 |
| 15 | Florida State | ACC | #3 Nebraska | Big 12 | 37, Nebraska 27 | Dec 7 |
| 16 | Florida State | ACC | #3 Florida | SEC | Florida 52, Florida State 20 | Jan 1 |
Bowl Games
| Sugar Bowl 1997 Sugar Bowl The 1997 Sugar Bowl was the 63rd edition to the annual game. It featured the top ranked , and their heated rivals, the third ranked Florida Gators. It was the designated National Championship Game for the 1996-97 season by the Bowl Alliance. The match up was supposed to feature the top two teams... |
#3 Florida 1996 Florida Gators football team The 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier... |
52 | #1 | 20 |
| Rose Bowl 1997 Rose Bowl The 1997 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference, held on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game resulted in a dramatic 20–17... : |
#4 Ohio St. 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and... |
20 | #2 Arizona St. 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team The 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Regular season:... |
17 |
| Cotton Bowl Classic: | #5 Brigham Young | 19 | #14 Kansas St. 1996 Kansas State Wildcats football team The 1996 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 1996. The team's head football coach was Bill Snyder. The Wildcats played their home games in KSU Stadium. 1996 saw the wildcats finish with a record of 9-3, and a 6-2 record in Big... |
15 |
| Orange Bowl 1996 Orange Bowl (December) The 63rd Orange Bowl, also known as the 1996 Orange Bowl, was a 1996–1997 Bowl Alliance game played on December 31, 1996 between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the . Virginia Tech, champions of the Big East Conference, came into the game with a 10–1 record and #10 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska,... : |
#6 Nebraska 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:... |
41 | #10 | 21 |
| Fiesta Bowl 1997 Fiesta Bowl (January) The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the on January 1, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Penn State defeated Texas, 38-15... : |
#7 Penn State | 38 | #20 | 15 |
| Holiday Bowl 1996 Holiday Bowl The 1996 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 1996 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the , and the Washington Huskies.-1st half:... : |
#8 | 33 | #13 Washington | 21 |
| : | #9 Tennessee 1996 Tennessee Volunteers football team The 1996 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The offense scored 437 points and the defense allowed only 185 points. Quarterback Peyton Manning was in his junior year and Phillip Fulmer was the head coach of the... |
48 | #11 Northwestern 1996 Northwestern Wildcats football team The 1996 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Season:... |
28 |
| : | #12 North Carolina 1996 North Carolina Tar Heels football team -Schedule:-References:... |
20 | #25 | 13 |
| Outback Bowl 1997 Outback Bowl The 1997 Outback Bowl, part of the 1996 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1997, at Houlihan's Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference... : |
#16 Alabama 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1996–97 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference. Gene Stallings led the Crimson Tide to a 10–3 record in his final year with the program... |
17 | #15 Michigan 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1996 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in... |
14 |
| #17 LSU 1996 LSU Tigers football team The 1996 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. LSU finished with a 10–2 overall record after defeating Clemson Tigers, 10–7, in the Peach Bowl... |
10 | Clemson | 7 | |
| #19 | 31 | 21 | ||
| Alamo Bowl 1996 Alamo Bowl The 1996 edition to the Alamo Bowl featured the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa Hawkeyes.Texas Tech had gone into the game as the heavy favorite, behind Running Back Byron Hanspard, and his rushing game, however, Hanspard suffered a personal record of takles for loss.Iowa opened the scoring... : |
#21 Iowa 1996 Iowa Hawkeyes football team The 1996 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1996 college football season.-Schedule:Iowa finished tied for third place with Penn State in the conference and despite the head to head win, Penn State was selected to go to the Fiesta Bowl while Iowa was selected for... |
27 | Texas Tech | 0 |
| #23 | 30 | 17 | ||
| Sun Bowl 1996 Sun Bowl The 1996 Norwest Sun Bowl, played on December 31, 1996, featured the and the Michigan State Spartans.Stanford scored first following a lateral from running back Josh Madsen to Leroy Pruitt. The 78 yard play went for a touchdown, and set the day for a Stanford rout. In the second quarter,... : |
38 | Michigan State 1996 Michigan State Spartans football team The 1996 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Head coach Nick Saban was in his second season with the Spartans. Michigan State played their home games at Spartan Stadium in... |
0 | |
| Copper Bowl 1996 Copper Bowl The 1996 edition to the Copper bowl was the 8th edition to the bowl game. It featured the Wisconsin Badgers, and the Utah Utes.-Game summary:Wisconsin scored first on a 38 yard touchdown run from Mike Samuel to open a 7–0 lead. Utah's Daniel Pulsipher answered with a 24 yard field goal to make it... : |
Wisconsin 1996 Wisconsin Badgers football team The 1996 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule and results:-Season Summary:... |
38 | Utah 1996 Utah Utes football team The 1996 season started with a loss at , but the team quickly turned things around, winning the next 7 games and climbing to a #20 ranking in the AP Poll. This run came to a crashing halt when the Utes suffered their worst loss in six years to the , giving up 496 yards rushing... |
10 |
| Aloha Bowl 1996 Aloha Bowl The 1996 Aloha Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 25, 1996 in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was part of the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the , and the .... |
42, | 38 | ||
| Auburn 1996 Auburn Tigers football team The 1996 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season.Coached by Terry Bowden, they tallied an 8–4 record, played in the , and finished the season ranked #22 in the AP Poll and #21 in the Coaches' Poll.-Schedule:... |
32 | 29 | ||
| Las Vegas Bowl 1996 Las Vegas Bowl The 1996 Las Vegas Bowl was the 5th edition of that annual game. It featured the , and the . Ball State was 8-3, after winning 8 straight games following an 0-3 start. They also won the MAC football championship.... |
18 | 15 |
Final AP Poll
- Florida1996 Florida Gators football teamThe 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier...
- Ohio St.1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football teamThe 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
- Arizona St.1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football teamThe 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Regular season:...
- BYU
- Nebraska1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football teamThe 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
- Penn St.
- Tennessee1996 Tennessee Volunteers football teamThe 1996 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The offense scored 437 points and the defense allowed only 185 points. Quarterback Peyton Manning was in his junior year and Phillip Fulmer was the head coach of the...
- North Carolina1996 North Carolina Tar Heels football team-Schedule:-References:...
- Alabama1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football teamThe 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1996–97 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference. Gene Stallings led the Crimson Tide to a 10–3 record in his final year with the program...
- LSU1996 LSU Tigers football teamThe 1996 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. LSU finished with a 10–2 overall record after defeating Clemson Tigers, 10–7, in the Peach Bowl...
- Northwestern1996 Northwestern Wildcats football teamThe 1996 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Season:...
- Washington
- Kansas St.1996 Kansas State Wildcats football teamThe 1996 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 1996. The team's head football coach was Bill Snyder. The Wildcats played their home games in KSU Stadium. 1996 saw the wildcats finish with a record of 9-3, and a 6-2 record in Big...
- Iowa1996 Iowa Hawkeyes football teamThe 1996 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1996 college football season.-Schedule:Iowa finished tied for third place with Penn State in the conference and despite the head to head win, Penn State was selected to go to the Fiesta Bowl while Iowa was selected for...
- Notre Dame
- Michigan1996 Michigan Wolverines football teamThe 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1996 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
- Wyoming1996 Wyoming Cowboys football teamThe 1996 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1996 NCAA football season. The Cowboys offense scored 464 points while the defense allowed 284 points...
- Auburn1996 Auburn Tigers football teamThe 1996 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season.Coached by Terry Bowden, they tallied an 8–4 record, played in the , and finished the season ranked #22 in the AP Poll and #21 in the Coaches' Poll.-Schedule:...
Others receiving votes: 26. ; 27. East Carolina; 28. ; 29. ; 30. Wisconsin
1996 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 1996 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule and results:-Season Summary:...
; 31. ; 32. ; 33. Clemson
Final Coaches Poll
- Florida1996 Florida Gators football teamThe 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier...
- Ohio St.1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football teamThe 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
- Arizona St.1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football teamThe 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Regular season:...
- Brigham Young
- Nebraska1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football teamThe 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
- Penn St.
- Tennessee1996 Tennessee Volunteers football teamThe 1996 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The offense scored 437 points and the defense allowed only 185 points. Quarterback Peyton Manning was in his junior year and Phillip Fulmer was the head coach of the...
- North Carolina1996 North Carolina Tar Heels football team-Schedule:-References:...
- Alabama1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football teamThe 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1996–97 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference. Gene Stallings led the Crimson Tide to a 10–3 record in his final year with the program...
- LSU1996 LSU Tigers football teamThe 1996 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. LSU finished with a 10–2 overall record after defeating Clemson Tigers, 10–7, in the Peach Bowl...
- Washington
- Northwestern1996 Northwestern Wildcats football teamThe 1996 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Season:...
- Kansas St.1996 Kansas State Wildcats football teamThe 1996 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 1996. The team's head football coach was Bill Snyder. The Wildcats played their home games in KSU Stadium. 1996 saw the wildcats finish with a record of 9-3, and a 6-2 record in Big...
- Iowa1996 Iowa Hawkeyes football teamThe 1996 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1996 college football season.-Schedule:Iowa finished tied for third place with Penn State in the conference and despite the head to head win, Penn State was selected to go to the Fiesta Bowl while Iowa was selected for...
- Michigan1996 Michigan Wolverines football teamThe 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1996 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
- Notre Dame
- Wyoming1996 Wyoming Cowboys football teamThe 1996 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1996 NCAA football season. The Cowboys offense scored 464 points while the defense allowed 284 points...
- Auburn1996 Auburn Tigers football teamThe 1996 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season.Coached by Terry Bowden, they tallied an 8–4 record, played in the , and finished the season ranked #22 in the AP Poll and #21 in the Coaches' Poll.-Schedule:...
Heisman Trophy Voting
The Heisman Memorial Trophy AwardHeisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
is given to the Most Outstanding Player of the year
Winner:
Danny Wuerffel
Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
, Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, Quarterback (1363 points)
- 2. Troy Davis, Iowa St., RB (1174 points)
- 3. Jake PlummerJake PlummerJason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
, Arizona St., QB (685 points) - 4. Orlando PaceOrlando PaceOrlando Lamar Pace is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams first overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State. Pace has started all 16 games eight times and blocked for three straight NFL MVPs...
, Ohio St., OT (599 points) - 5. Warrick DunnWarrick DunnWarrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
, Florida St., RB (341 points)
Other Major Awards
- Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
(College Player of the Year) - Danny WuerffelDanny WuerffelDaniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
, FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... - Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
(Player of the Year) - Danny WuerffelDanny WuerffelDaniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
, FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... - Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
(Quarterback) - Danny WuerffelDanny WuerffelDaniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
, FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardThe Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
(Senior Quarterback) - Danny WuerffelDanny WuerffelDaniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
, FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... - Doak Walker AwardDoak Walker AwardThe Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
(Running Back) - Byron HanspardByron HanspardByron Courtnay Hanspard, Sr. is a running back who played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back in 1996. He later played in the NFL.-College:...
, Texas TechTexas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the... - Fred Biletnikoff AwardFred Biletnikoff AwardThe Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
(Wide Receiver) - Marcus Harris, WyomingUniversity of WyomingThe University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university... - Bronko Nagurski TrophyBronko Nagurski TrophyThe Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
(Defensive Player) - Pat FitzgeraldPat Fitzgerald-External links:*...
, NorthwesternNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees.... - Dick Butkus AwardDick Butkus AwardThe Butkus Award, instituted in 1985, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football...
(Linebacker) - Matt RussellMatt RussellMatthew Russell is a former American Football linebacker who played for the Detroit Lions in 1997. He is currently the Director of Pro Scouting with the Denver Broncos -Early Playing Career:...
, ColoradoUniversity of Colorado at BoulderThe University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado... - Lombardi AwardLombardi AwardThe Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
(Lineman or Linebacker) - Orlando PaceOrlando PaceOrlando Lamar Pace is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams first overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State. Pace has started all 16 games eight times and blocked for three straight NFL MVPs...
, Ohio StateOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... - Outland TrophyOutland TrophyThe Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
(Interior Lineman) - Orlando PaceOrlando PaceOrlando Lamar Pace is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams first overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State. Pace has started all 16 games eight times and blocked for three straight NFL MVPs...
, OT, Ohio StateOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... - Jim Thorpe AwardJim Thorpe AwardThe Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
(Defensive Back) - Lawrence WrightLawrence WrightLawrence Wright is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, screenwriter, staff writer for The New Yorker magazine, and fellow at the Center for Law and Security at the New York University School of Law...
, FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... - Lou Groza AwardLou Groza AwardThe Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
(Placekicker) - Ali Taherpour, University of Miami, Florida - Paul "Bear" Bryant Award - Bruce SnyderBruce SnyderBruce Snyder was an American football player and coach. After playing for Oregon in the early 1960s as a fullback, Snyder embarked on a coaching career...
, Arizona St.Arizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...