2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season

American college football season January 2019 December 2025 2015 File:2015_SEC_Championship.jpg 2015 SEC Championship - Alabama VS Florida 127 full members + 1 transitional Ohio State September 3, 2015 – December 12, 2015 41 December 19, 2015 January 11, 2016 College Football Playoff 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship University of Phoenix StadiumGlendale, Arizona Alabama Derrick Henry (running back, Alabama) Alabama Alabama 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. Rule changes The following rule changes have been made by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for the 2015 season:https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/football-rules-committee-explore-future-technological-advances Football Rules Committee Exploring Future Technological Advances ncaa.org ncaa.org February 11, 2015 February 11, 2015 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 SchoolFormer conferenceNew conferenceCharlotte FCS independent Conference USANavy FBS independent The AmericanUAB 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.https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/12/uab_ends_football_program_rele.html It's official: UAB kills football program AL.com August 26, 2018 en-US Following public outcry and fundraising efforts, the school announced less than six months later that the football team would be reinstated.https://www.si.com/college-football/2015/06/01/uab-blazers-football-program-reinstated UAB to reinstate football program in shocking reversal SI.com August 26, 2018 en 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.https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/12991674/uab-blazers-football-return UAB reinstates football for 2016 Alex Scarborough ESPN.com June 1, 2015 June 1, 2015 July 21 – UAB announced that it had pushed back the return of football to the 2017 season.https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/13295966/uab-blazers-bring-back-football-program-2017 UAB to reinstate football for 2017 season ESPN.com July 21, 2015 July 21, 2015 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.http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2015/9/1/GENERAL_0901151041.aspx Coastal Carolina to Join Sun Belt Conference Sun Belt Conference September 1, 2015 September 7, 2015 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:https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2016-01-13/college-football-fbs-conferences-fewer-12-members-now-able-hold College football: FBS conferences with fewer than 12 members now able to hold championship game NCAA January 13, 2016 January 19, 2016 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. Regular season top 10 matchups Rankings reflect the AP Poll. Rankings for Week 10 and beyond will list College Football Playoff Rankings first and AP Poll second. Teams that fail to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted. Week 2 No. 5 Michigan State defeated No. 7 Oregon 31–28 (Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan) Week 7 No. 10 Alabama defeated No. 9 Texas A&M 41–23 (Kyle Field, College Station, Texas) No. 6 LSU defeated No. 8 Florida 35–28 (Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) Week 10 No. 4/7 Alabama defeated No. 2/4 LSU 30–16 (Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Week 12 No. 10/10 Baylor defeated No. 6/4 Oklahoma State 45–35 (Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma) No. 9/9 Michigan State defeated No. 3/2 Ohio State 17–14 (Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio) Week 13 No. 3/5 Oklahoma defeated No. 11/9 Oklahoma State 58–23 (Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma) No. 8/8 Ohio State defeated No. 10/12 Michigan 42–13 (Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan) No. 9/13 Stanford defeated No. 6/4 Notre Dame 38–36 (Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California) Week 14 No. 5/5 Michigan State defeated No. 4/4 Iowa 16–13 (Big 10 Championship Game, Indianapolis, Indiana) No. 1/1 Clemson defeated No. 10/8 North Carolina 45–37 (ACC Championship Game, Charlotte, North Carolina) 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.https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap/_/gameId/400603863 Jacksonville State vs. Auburn - Game Recap - September 12, 2015 - ESPN ESPN.com 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. Jacksonville State, 41-point underdogs entering Saturday's game, nearly became just the second FCS team to defeat an AP Top 10 FBS opponent.https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/9/12/9315477/2015-jacksonville-state-auburn-final-score-27-20-overtime Auburn escapes with 27-20 OT win over Jax St. September 12, 2015 After the game, JSU would jump from #5 in the FCS Polls to #1, and Auburn fell from #6 in the FBS polls to #18. Red River Rivalry On October 10, then 1-4 Texas stunned #10 4-0 Oklahoma with a thrilling win in the Red River Rivalry, in which the Longhorns were 17 point underdogs. Texas would go on to win the game 24-17. The Sooners spurred a late comeback, but failed to stop Texas from running out the clock on the final drive of the game.https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2577846-oklahoma-vs-texas-score-highlights-and-reaction-from-2015-red-river-rivalry Oklahoma vs. Texas: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2015 Red River Rivalry Bleacher Report Upsets involving officiating Miami vs. Duke On October 31, Miami beat #22 ranked 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:https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2015/10/31/8-lateral-play-gives-miami-a-30-27-win-over-no-22-duke/74984356/ Miami sprints past No. 18 Duke with 8-lateral play in final seconds USA Todayhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/acc/2015/11/01/acc-suspends-officials-miami-duke-game-td-should-not-have-counted/75000046/ ACC suspends officials from Miami-Duke game; TD should not have counted USA Today 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."http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2015/11/07/michigan-state-nebraska/75400088/ Nebraska stuns MSU 39-38 on controversial touchdown FCS team wins over FBS teams Italics denotes FCS teams. no no September 4 no 20 (FCS) Fordham Army Michie Stadium West Point, New York no 37–35 22,523 FCS wins vs. FBS teams: All-time victories, upsets, wins vs. ranked teams https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/fcs-wins-vs-fbs-teams-all-time-victories-upsets NCAA.com September 7, 2025 October 2, 2025 September 5 no North Dakota Wyoming War Memorial Stadium Laramie, Wyoming no 24–13 23,669 September 5 no Portland State Washington State Martin Stadium Pullman, Washington no 24–17 24,302 September 5 no 16 (FCS) South Dakota State Kansas Memorial Stadium Lawrence, Kansas no 41–38 30,144 September 19 no Furman UCF Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, Florida no 16–15 36,484 September 26 no 9 (FCS) James Madison SMU Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, Texas no 48–45 22,314 October 3 no 18 (FCS) Liberty Georgia State Georgia Dome Atlanta, Georgia no 41–33 17,765 October 10 no 25 (FCS) Portland State North Texas Apogee Stadium Denton, Texas no 66–7 19,801 November 21 no 25 (FCS) The Citadel South Carolina Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, South Carolina SEC Nation no 23–22 77,241 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.http://www.thenewcws.com/vision/ The New CWS: Vision Kentucky Wildcats January 9, 2015 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20150109222633/http://www.thenewcws.com/vision/ January 9, 2015 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.https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/12231943/ucf-knights-build-beach-club-football-stadium Football, with touch of beach, at UCF Darren Rovell ESPN.com January 26, 2015 January 28, 2015 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 Conference summaries Rankings reflect the Week 14 AP Poll before the conference championship games were played. Power 5 Conferences Conference Champion Runner-upScoreOffensive Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearCoach of the Year ACC No. 1 Clemson CFP No. 10 North Carolina 45–37 Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson Jeremy Cash, S, Duke Dabo Swinney, Clemson Big 12 No. 3 Oklahoma CFP No. 14 Oklahoma State N/A Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State & Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor Bob Stoops, Oklahoma Big Ten No. 5 Michigan State CFP No. 4 Iowa 16–13 Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State Carl Nassib, DE, Penn St Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Pac-12 No. 7 Stanford No. 20 USC 41–22 Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon Mike Leach, Washington State & David Shaw, Stanford SEC No. 2 Alabama CFP No. 18 Florida 29–15 Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama Jim McElwain, Florida Group of Five Conferences ConferenceChampionRunner-upScoreOffensive Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearCoach of the Year AAC No. 17 Houston No. 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 MWSan Diego State Air Force 27–24 Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State Damontae Kazee, CB, San Diego State Rocky Long, San Diego State Sun Belt Arkansas State N/AN/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 Postseason Bowl selections 2015–16 NCAA football bowl games 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. 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 Johnson Greg NCAA Football: Council approves process to allow 5–7 teams into bowl games https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2015-11-30/ncaa-football-council-approves-process-allow-5-7-teams-bowl-games ncaa.com NCAA December 6, 2015 Total: 51 College Football Playoff Conference performance in bowl games Conference Total games Wins Losses Pct. SEC 11 9 2 9 2 ACC 9 4 5 4 5 Big Ten 10 5 5 5 5 Pac-12 10 6 4 6 4 Big 12 7 3 4 3 4 MW 8 4 4 4 4 The American 8 2 6 2 6 C-USA 5 3 2 3 2 MAC 7 3 4 3 4 Independents 2 0 2 0 2 Sun Belt 4 2 2 2 2 Rankings 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football 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 RankAssociated PressCoaches' Poll1Alabama (14–1) (61)Alabama (14–1) (56)2Clemson (14–1)Clemson (14–1)3Stanford (12–2)Stanford (12–2)4Ohio State (12–1)Ohio State (12–1)5Oklahoma (11–2)Oklahoma (11–2)6Michigan State (12–2)Michigan State (12–2)7TCU (11–2)TCU (11–2)8Houston (13–1)Houston (13–1)9Iowa (12–2)Ole Miss (10–3)10Ole Miss (10–3)Iowa (12–2)11Notre Dame (10–3)Michigan (10–3)12Michigan (10–3)Notre Dame (10–3)13Baylor (10–3)Baylor (10–3)14Florida State (10–3)Florida State (10–3)15North Carolina (11–3)North Carolina (11–3)16LSU (9–3)Utah (10–3)17Utah (10–3)LSU (9–3)18Navy (11–2)Navy (11–2)19Oregon (9–4)Oklahoma State (10–3)20Oklahoma State (10–3)Oregon (9–4)21Wisconsin (10–3)Wisconsin (10–3)22Tennessee (9–4)Northwestern (10–3)23Northwestern (10–3)Tennessee (9–4)24Western Kentucky (12–2)Georgia (10–3)25Florida (10–4)Florida (10–4) Awards and honors Heisman Trophy voting The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player Player School Position 1st 2nd 3rd Total Derrick Henry Alabama RB 378 277 144 1,832 Christian McCaffrey Stanford RB 290 246 177 1,539 Deshaun Watson Clemson QB 148 240 241 1,165 Baker Mayfield Oklahoma QB 34 55 122 334 Keenan Reynolds Navy QB 20 17 86 180 Leonard Fournette LSU RB 10 25 30 110 Dalvin Cook Florida State RB 7 18 22 79 Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State RB 5 7 28 57 Connor Cook Michigan State QB 2 3 1 13 Trevone Boykin TCU QB 1 3 4 13 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 Joe Moore Award (offensive line): Alabama 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 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): Kaʻimi 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, Minnesotahttps://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/14339911 Peter Mortell wins first Holder of the Year award – ESPN Video December 11, 2015https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/14278362 SVP salutes Minnesota's holder – ESPN Video December 3, 2015 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 Dodd Coach of the Year Award: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Paul "Bear" Bryant Award: Dabo Swinney, Clemson 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 2015 College Football All-America Team 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. TeamOutgoing coachDateReasonReplacement 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 Firedhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story?id=14249377&_slug_=mark-richt-fired-coach-georgia-bulldogs Mark Richt fired by Georgia, per source ESPN.com November 29, 2015 November 29, 2015 Kirby Smart Georgia Southern Willie Fritz December 11, 2015 Left for Tulanehttp://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf/2015/12/tulane_names_georgia_southerns.html#incart_river_home Tulane names Georgia Southern's Willie Fritz as its new football coach, ESPN reports ESPN.com December 11, 2015 December 11, 2015 Dell McGee (interim) Georgia Southern Dell McGee (interim) December 20, 2015 Permanent replacementhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14408438/georgia-southern-tyson-summers-reach-verbal-agreement Tyson Summers reaches verbal agreement with Georgia Southern ESPN.com December 20, 2015 December 20, 2015 Tyson Summers Hawaii Norm Chow November 1, 2015 Firedhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/mwest/2015/11/01/norm-chow-ousted-hawaii/75008926/ Norm Chow relieved of duties at Hawaii USA Today November 1, 2015 November 1, 2015 Chris Naeole Hawaii Chris Naeole November 27, 2015 Permanent replacement Nick Rolovich Illinois Tim Beckman August 28, 2015 Firedhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/13533196/tim-beckman-fired-coach-illinois-fighting-illini Illinois fires Tim Beckman one week before season amid external review Brian Bennett ESPN.com August 28, 2015 August 28, 2015 Bill Cubit Illinois Bill Cubit March 5, 2016 Firedhttp://fightingillini.com/news/2016/3/5/cubit-dismissed-as-u-of-i-football-coach.aspx CUBIT DISMISSED AS U OF I FOOTBALL COACH fightinillini.com March 5, 2016 March 6, 2016 Lovie Smith Iowa State Paul Rhoads November 22, 2015 Fired after the seasonRittenberg Adam Iowa State fires coach Paul Rhoads https://www.espn.com/college-football/story?id=14193004&_slug_=iowa-state-cyclones-fire-paul-rhoads ESPN.go.com November 22, 2015 November 23, 2015 Matt Campbell Louisiana–Monroe Todd Berry November 14, 2015 FiredTodd Berry dismissed in sixth season at Louisiana-Monroe https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14131750/louisiana-monroe-warhawks-fire-coach-todd-berry November 15, 2015 ESPN.go.com November 14, 2015 John Mumford (interim) Louisiana–Monroe John Mumford (interim) December 14, 2015 Permanent replacement Matt Viator Maryland Randy Edsall October 11, 2015 Firedhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/13861002/randy-edsall-fired-maryland-terrapins-coach Randy Edsall fired by Maryland ESPN.com October 11, 2015 October 11, 2015 Mike Locksley (interim) Maryland Mike Locksley (interim) December 2, 2015 Permanent replacementhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14273967/dj-durkin-named-coach-maryland-terrapins Source: D.J. Durkin to coach Maryland Terrapins ESPN.com December 2, 2015 December 2, 2015 D. J. Durkin Memphis Justin Fuente November 28, 2015 Left for Virginia Techhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story?id=14242704&_slug_=justin-fuente-become-virginia-tech-hokies-coach Source: Virginia Tech to hire Memphis' Justin Fuente as coach ESPN.com November 28, 2015 November 29, 2015 Mike Norvell Miami Al Golden October 25, 2015 FiredGolden Relieved of his Duties Effective Immediately http://www.hurricanesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=28700&ATCLID=210450744 hurricanesports.com NeuLion October 25, 2015 December 26, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161226030313/http://www.hurricanesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=28700&ATCLID=210450744 dead Larry Scott (interim) Miami Larry Scott (interim) December 2, 2015 Permanent replacementSources: Mark Richt to be named new Hurricanes coach https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14275799/miami-hurricanes-name-mark-richt-new-head-coach ESPN.com December 2, 2015 December 2, 2015 Mark Richt Minnesota Jerry Kill October 28, 2015 Retired (health)https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/13990629/jerry-kill-retires-minnesota-golden-gophers-football-coach Minnesota coach Jerry Kill retires, citing health ESPN.com October 28, 2015 October 28, 2015 Tracy Claeys Missouri Gary Pinkel November 13, 2015 Resigned after the season (health)Gary Pinkel to Resign Following 2015 Season Due to Health Issues http://www.mutigers.com/news/2015/11/13/PinkelStatement.aspx Missouri November 13, 2015 Barry Odom North Texas Dan McCarney October 10, 2015 FiredDan McCarney dismissed at North Texas https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/13856676/dan-mccarney-fired-north-texas-mean-green-coach-embarrassing-loss ESPN.com October 10, 2015 Mike Canales (interim) North Texas Mike Canales (interim) December 5, 2015 Permanent replacementNorth Texas tabs UNC's Seth Littrell as new coach https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14294027/north-texas-mean-green-tabs-north-carolina-tar-heels-oc-seth-littrell-new-head-coach ESPN.com December 5, 2015 December 5, 2015 Seth Littrell Rutgers Kyle Flood November 29, 2015 Firedhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story?id=14249652&_slug_=rutgers-scarlet-knights-fires-coach-kyle-flood-ad-julie-hermann Rutgers fires Kyle Flood, AD Julie Hermann ESPN.com November 29, 2015 November 29, 2015 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 RetiredEvans Thayer South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier to retire https://www.si.com/college-football/2015/10/12/south-carolina-head-coach-steve-spurrier-retire October 13, 2015 Sports Illustrated Time Inc. October 12, 2015 Shawn Elliott (interim) South Carolina Shawn Elliott (interim) December 6, 2015 Permanent replacementAuburn DC Will Muschamp to become South Carolina coach https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14300307/will-muschamp-accepts-south-carolina-gamecocks-head-coaching-job-report-says December 6, 2015 ESPN.com December 6, 2015 Will Muschamp Syracuse Scott Shafer November 23, 2015 Fired after the seasonhttp://www.syracuse.com/axeman/index.ssf/2015/11/scott_shafer_fired_what_theyre_saying_about_the_change_for_syracuse_football.html Scott Shafer fired: What they're saying about the change for Syracuse football syracuse.com November 23, 2015 November 23, 2015 Dino Babers Texas State Dennis Franchione December 22, 2015 Retired Everett Withers Toledo Matt Campbell November 29, 2015 Left for Iowa Statehttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story?id=14247653&_slug_=university-toledo-matt-campbell-become-iowa-state-cyclones-head-coach Toledo's Matt Campbell to become Cyclones' next coach, sources say ESPN.com November 29, 2015 November 29, 2015 Jason Candle Tulane Curtis Johnson November 28, 2015 Firedhttps://www.espn.com/college-football/story?id=14241180&_slug_=curtis-johnson-fired-tulane-green-wave-football-coach Tulane fires coach Curtis Johnson ESPN.com November 28, 2015 November 29, 2015 Willie Fritz UCF George O'Leary October 25, 2015 Resigned/retiredGreen Shannon Bianchi Mike UCF football coach George O'Leary is retiring Orlando Sentinel October 25, 2015 Danny Barrett (interim) UCF Danny Barrett (interim) December 1, 2015 Permanent replacement Scott Frost USC Steve Sarkisian October 12, 2015 FiredSteve Sarkisian fired by USC https://www.espn.com/losangeles/college-football/story/_/id/13873288/steve-sarkisian-fired-usc-trojans-head-coach ESPN.com October 12, 2015 October 12, 2015 Clay Helton UTSA Larry Coker January 5, 2016 Resigned Frank Wilson Virginia Mike London November 29, 2015 ResignedMike London resigns as football coach at Virginia https://www.espn.com/college-football/story?id=14248699&_slug_=mike-london-resigns-football-coach-virginia-cavaliers ESPN.com November 29, 2015 Bronco Mendenhall Virginia Tech Frank Beamer November 1, 2015 Retired after the seasonKalland Robby Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer to retire at end of season http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25360369/virginia-tech-coach-frank-beamer-to-retire-at-end-of-season CBSSports.com November 1, 2015 November 1, 2015 Justin Fuente Television viewers and ratings Most watched regular season games All times Eastern. Rankings are from the AP Poll before (11/3) and the CFP Rankings thereafter. Rank Date Matchup Channel Viewers (millions) TV Rating Significance 1 November 7, 8:00pm No. 2 LSU 16 No. 4 Alabama 30 CBS 11.06 6.4 College GameDay/Rivalry 2 November 21, 3:30pm No. 9 Michigan State 17 No. 3 Ohio State 14 ABC 11.05 6.6College GameDay 3 November 28, 12:00pm No. 8 Ohio State 42 No. 10 Michigan 13 10.83 6.4 Rivalry 4 September 7, 8:00pm No. 1 Ohio State 42 Virginia Tech 24 ESPN 10.59 6.0 5 November 28, 3:30pm No. 2 Alabama 29 Auburn 13 CBS 9.29 5.3 Rivalry 6 September 5, 8:00pm No. 20 Wisconsin 17 No. 3 Alabama 35 ABC 7.97 4.3 Advocare Classic/College GameDay 7 September 12, 8:00pm No. 7 Oregon 28 No. 5 Michigan State 31 7.90 4.8College GameDay 8 October 3, 8:00pm No. 6 Notre Dame 22 No. 12 Clemson 24 7.65 4.5College GameDay 9 September 19, 9:00pm No. 15 Ole Miss 43 No. 2 Alabama 37 ESPN 7.61 4.6College GameDay/Rivalry 10 November 7, 3:30pm No. 16 Florida State 13 No. 1 Clemson 23 ABC 7.56 4.7Rivalry Conference championship games All times Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Rankings. Rank Date Matchup Channel Viewers (millions) TV Rating Conference Location 1 December 5, 4:00pm No. 18 Florida 15 No. 2 Alabama 29 CBS 12.8 7.8 SEC Georgia Dome, Atlanta 2 December 5, 8:19pm No. 5 Michigan State 16 No. 4 Iowa 13 FOX 9.8 5.7 Big Ten Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis 3 December 5, 8:00pm No. 1 Clemson 45 No. 10 North Carolina 37 ABC 7.9 4.1 ACC Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 4 December 5, 7:45pm No. 20 USC 22 No. 7 Stanford 41 ESPN 2.6 1.6 Pac-12 Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California 5 December 5, 12:00pm No. 22 Temple 13 No. 19 Houston 24 ABC 2.5 1.8 AAC TDECU Stadium, Houston 6 December 4, 7:27pm Bowling Green 34 Northern Illinois 14 ESPN2 1.0 0.7 MAC Ford Field, Detroit 7 December 5, 12:00pm Southern Miss 28 Western Kentucky 45 ESPN2 0.488 N/A C-USA Houchens Industries-L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky 8 December 5, 10:00pm Air Force 24 San Diego State 27 ESPN2 0.363 N/A MWC Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego College Football Playoff All times Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Rankings. Game Date Matchup Channel Viewers (millions) TV Rating Orange Bowl December 31, 2015 4:00pm No. 4 Oklahoma 17 No. 1 Clemson 37ESPN 15.64 9.1 Cotton Bowl December 31, 2015 8:00pm No. 3 Michigan State 0 No. 2 Alabama 38 18.55 9.6 National Championship January 11, 2016 8:30pm No. 2 Alabama 45 No. 1 Clemson 40 26.18^ 15.0 ^ESPN Megacast Attendances Average home attendance top 30: Rank Team G Total Average 1 Michigan Wolverines 7 771,174 110,168 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 7 750,705 107,244 3 Texas A&M Aggies 7 725,354 103,622 4 LSU Tigers 6 612,026 102,004 5 Alabama Crimson Tide 7 707,786 101,112 6 Tennessee Volunteers 7 704,088 100,584 7 Penn State Nittany Lions 7 698,590 99,799 8 Georgia Bulldogs 7 649,222 92,746 9 Florida Gators 7 630,457 90,065 10 Texas Longhorns 6 540,210 90,035 11 Nebraska Cornhuskers 7 629,983 89,998 12 Auburn Tigers 7 612,157 87,451 13 Oklahoma Sooners 6 512,139 85,357 14 Clemson Tigers 7 588,266 84,038 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6 484,770 80,795 16 South Carolina Gamecocks 6 472,934 78,822 17 Wisconsin Badgers 7 546,099 78,014 18 USC Trojans 7 527,506 75,358 19 Michigan State Spartans 7 522,628 74,661 20 Florida State Seminoles 7 512,534 73,219 21 Arkansas Razorbacks 7 471,279 67,326 22 UCLA Bruins 6 401,149 66,858 23 Missouri Tigers 6 390,720 65,120 24 Iowa Hawkeyes 7 441,992 63,142 25 Washington Huskies 7 433,432 61,919 26 Mississippi State Bulldogs 7 432,490 61,784 27 Kentucky Wildcats 8 490,361 61,295 28 Virginia Tech Hokies 6 364,942 60,824 29 Ole Miss Rebels 7 423,355 60,479 30 BYU Cougars 6 351,191 58,532 Source:2015 NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE (For All NCAA Men's Varsity Teams) http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/Attendance/2015.pdf References 30em External links