2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2011 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).

2011 NCAA Division I FBS season
Number of teams	120
Duration	September 1 – December 10
Preseason AP No. 1	Oklahoma
Postseason
Duration	December 17, 2011 – January 9, 2012
Bowl games	35
Heisman Trophy	Robert Griffin III (quarterback, Baylor)
Bowl Championship Series
2012 BCS Championship Game
Site	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana
Champion(s)	Alabama
NCAA Division I FBS football seasons
← 2010 2012 →

The regular season began on September 1, 2011, and ended on December 10, 2011. The postseason concluded on January 9, 2012, with the BCS National Championship Game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the No. 1 LSU Tigers 21–0. For the first time since 2007, and for only the third time in the Bowl Championship Series era, no team from an automatic-qualifying BCS conference finished the season with an undefeated record.

Rule changes

Several rule changes took effect this season:^[1]

• If a player is penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for actions that occurred during a play ending in a touchdown, but before the goal line was crossed, the touchdown will be nullified and the fifteen-yard penalty enforced from the spot of the foul. This change was made the year after Georgia receiver A. J. Green was called for a personal foul after catching a pass for a touchdown against LSU. The fifteen-yard penalty was assessed on the resulting kickoff, which helped LSU's position for the winning score.^[2] In another game, North Dakota State defensive back Josh Gatlin pointed at the crowd at the seven-yard line before scoring a touchdown against South Dakota State. Gatlin received a penalty, but the touchdown was not taken back.^[3] A similar proposal that would have nullified touchdowns for taunting or excessive celebration after the score failed to pass the NCAA Football Rules Committee.^[4]
• Due to how the fourth quarter ended in the 2010 Music City Bowl, a 10-second runoff will be implemented (similar to the NFL rule adopted in 1980) when a team commits a foul in the final minute of either half that results in a clock stoppage. The opposing team has the option to:
  • Take the penalty yardage and the 10 second runoff.
  • Take the penalty yardage and decline the 10 second runoff.
  • Decline both the penalty and the 10 second runoff.
• Each half of a game can end due to a runoff of the game clock following a penalty. Teams can take a time-out to stop the clock and avoid the 10 second runoff. The new rule has been informally dubbed the "Dooley Rule", after then Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley.^[5]
• Video monitors will be allowed in coaches' booths to allow coaching staffs to determine whether they should challenge a call. The televisions will have access only to the live broadcast feed, with no video recorders. The technology, if made available at a stadium, must be provided to both teams.
• Players lined up outside the tackle box—more specifically, those lined up more than 7 yards from the center—will now be allowed to block below the waist only if they are blocking straight ahead or toward the nearest sideline.
• On placekicks, no offensive lineman can now be engaged by more than two defensive players. A violation will be a 5–yard penalty.
• A three-man wedge is prohibited during kickoffs and punts. The penalty will be a fifteen-yard penalty from the spot of the foul, if non-contact, or from the end of the run, if contact.^[6]
• Players will no longer be required to wear pants that cover the knees.
• The officials' uniforms were slightly changed. The shirt stripes are wider, they now wear black pants instead of white, and the initial of the official's role (ex. "R" for referee, "U" for umpire) is displayed on the front uniform pocket.

In addition, the NCAA recommends that conferences without a pregame warm-up policy should use a ten-yard, no-player zone between the 45-yard lines beginning 60 minutes before kickoff.^[2]

Conference realignment

Main article: 2010–2014 NCAA conference realignment

Membership changes

Five FBS schools switched conferences prior to the 2011 season. Each of these moves had been formally announced in 2010.

School	Former conference	New conference
Boise State[7]	WAC	Mountain West
BYU	Mountain West	FBS independent (WCC in other sports)
Colorado[8]	Big 12	Pac-12
Nebraska[9]	Big 12	Big Ten
Utah[10]	Mountain West	Pac-12

On April 20, 2011, UMass announced that it would upgrade its football program to the FBS level and become a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference beginning in 2012. Full FBS membership and eligibility for the conference championship and bowl games would follow in 2013.

On September 18, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced that Big East Conference mainstays Pittsburgh and Syracuse had been officially accepted as the conference's 13th and 14th members. At the time, the two schools' departure date was uncertain, as Big East bylaws require a 27-month notice period for departing members. The earliest that Pitt and Syracuse could join the ACC was July 2014,^[11] though later negotiations would allow Pitt and Syracuse to join in July 2013.

On September 26, the Southeastern Conference announced that Texas A&M would leave the Big 12 Conference and become the league's 13th member in July 2012.^[12] Missouri also announced plans to depart the Big 12 to join the SEC on November 6, bringing SEC conference membership to 14 schools.^[13]

Facing the imminent loss of four members, the Big 12 announced the addition of TCU from the Mountain West Conference on October 10.^[14] In order to join the Big 12, TCU had to renege on an agreement it had made less than year earlier to join the Big East.^[15]

On October 14, the Mountain West and Conference USA announced their intention to merge their football operations and form a two-division, 22-team conference in hopes of earning an automatic qualifier to a BCS bowl.^[16] The agreement was abandoned in 2012 after both conferences added new members.

The next change came on October 28, when the Big 12 formally accepted West Virginia from the Big East.^[17] This move led to a legal battle in which West Virginia filed suit against the Big East to overturn the standard 27-month notice period, and the Big East suing in another court to have the requirement enforced.^[13] In February 2012, the two parties reached a settlement that allowed West Virginia to join the Big 12 that July.^[18] Several months later, both Pittsburgh and Syracuse reached their own settlements with the Big East that allowed them to leave for the ACC in July 2013.

Changes in membership reduced the number of teams in the Big 12 from twelve to ten for the 2011 season and beyond, forcing the conference to drop its annual football championship game to comply with NCAA rules.

In response to the departures of three mainstay members and TCU, the Big East announced on December 7 that five schools would join the conference for football in 2013: Houston, SMU, and UCF would join as full members in all sports, while Boise State and San Diego State would leave the Mountain West and become football-only members.^[19] Boise State's other sports would return to the Western Athletic Conference, while San Diego State's would rejoin the Big West after a 35-year absence.^[20] Later developments in conference realignment, namely the demise of both the Big East and WAC's football competitions following the 2012 season, prompted both schools to abandon these plans and remain the Mountain West.

New and updated stadiums

New stadiums

School	Name	Capacity
Florida Atlantic	FAU Stadium	30,000
North Texas	Apogee Stadium	30,850

Expanded stadium

• North Carolina continued renovations to Kenan Memorial Stadium, which were completed in time for the start of the season. The project included a new student center and premium seating sections. The addition of new seats enclosed the stadium for the first time and brought the total capacity to 63,000.^[21]

Temporary stadiums

• California played the season at AT&T Park in San Francisco, home to the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. California Memorial Stadium, the Golden Bears' on-campus home since 1923, was undergoing a major renovation that included a full seismic retrofit. The Bears returned to Memorial Stadium in 2012.^[22] Although AT&T Park is primarily a baseball venue, it has hosted several football teams and events; at that time, it was home to the Fight Hunger Bowl.
• Washington played the first six games of its home schedule at on-campus Husky Stadium. Following the November 5 game against Oregon, construction began on a $280 million renovation project. As a result, the Apple Cup rivalry game with Washington State was moved to CenturyLink Field. Washington remained at CenturyLink Field for the entire 2012 season.

Infractions, investigations, and scandals

Ohio State

Five Ohio State players were alleged to have improperly traded dozens of items to the owner of a tattoo parlor in exchange for tattoos, cash, and, in one case, a sport-utility vehicle. The players, along with head coach Jim Tressel, were suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season. Tressel was under investigation for lying to the university and investigators regarding his knowledge of the incident.^[23] The program was also under investigation by the NCAA, the school having going before the NCAA Committee on Infractions in August 2011, with findings and decisions following shortly thereafter.^[24] The scandal led to the resignation of Tressel on May 30.^[25] On June 8, starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor, one of the five suspended players, announced that he would forgo his final year of college eligibility.^[26]

Initially, Ohio State offered to vacate its entire 2010 season, return money received from the 2011 Sugar Bowl, impose two years of probation, and use five fewer football scholarships over the next three seasons. However, after the school went before the NCAA, further rules violations emerged. Three players were suspended before the start of the season for receiving $200 from a booster. Then, midway through the season, it was discovered that the same booster had overpaid several players for summer jobs.

The NCAA announced its final penalties on December 20. While accepting Ohio State's initial self-imposed penalties, it levied additional sanctions. One extra year of probation and scholarship reductions was added, running through the 2014 season. The Buckeyes will also be banned from postseason play in 2012. Tressel, who joined the staff of the Indianapolis Colts during the 2011 NFL season and has since taken a non-athletic position at his alma mater of the University of Akron, was hit with a five-year show-cause penalty, which effectively bars him from college coaching through the 2016 season. Finally, the school was required to disassociate itself from Pryor for five years.^[27]

North Carolina

The North Carolina Tar Heels, in the midst of an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct within the football program, fired head coach Butch Davis on July 27.^[28]

The school initially vacated its 2008 and 2009 seasons, reduced its scholarship allotment by nine over the next three seasons, and self-imposed two years of probation. Although the NCAA praised the university for its investigation, it found several aggravating factors. The NCAA confirmed academic fraud, found that players had received at least $31,000 in impermissible benefits, determined that six players had played while ineligible, and also found evidence of rampant agent involvement in the program. The NCAA added an extra year of probation, and also banned the Tar Heels from the 2012 postseason. John Blake, an assistant who had been forced out with Davis, was found to have received personal loans from agent Gary Wichard that he did not report to UNC, specifically for access to players. He was also cited for not cooperating with investigators. Blake received a three-year show-cause penalty.^[29]

Miami

Main article: 2011 University of Miami athletics scandal

On August 16, Yahoo! Sports broke a story in which former Miami Hurricanes booster Nevin Shapiro, currently imprisoned for running a Ponzi scheme, stated that from 2002 through 2010 he had given massive amounts of improper benefits to Miami players and coaches, mostly in football but also in men's basketball. Shapiro indicated that the benefits included cash, various goods, prostitutes, and even an abortion.^[30]

Penn State

Main article: Penn State child sex abuse scandal

On November 5, former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky was indicted on multiple felony charges of sex abuse against minors. Two other high-ranking Penn State administrators—athletic director Tim Curley and vice president for business and finance Gary Schultz (whose job includes supervision of the university police department)—were charged with perjury in the case.^[31] The day after the indictments, the university Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting, at which Curley requested to be placed on administrative leave and Schultz stepped down.^[32] Paterno, who had received notice of inappropriate behavior by Sandusky in 2002 and had reported the allegations to university administrators (though not to police), was not charged or implicated in any wrongdoing. On November 9, he announced his retirement effective at the end of the season, stating he was "absolutely devastated by the developments in this case."^[33] However, hours later, the Penn State Board of Trustees fired Paterno, effective immediately.^[34]

Regular season top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the AP Poll. Rankings for Week 8 and beyond will list BCS Rankings first and AP Poll second. Teams that failed to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted.

• Week 1
  • No. 4 LSU defeated No. 3 Oregon, 40–27 (Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas)
• Week 3
  • No. 1 Oklahoma defeated No. 5 Florida State, 23–13 (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida)
• Week 4
  • No. 7 Oklahoma State defeated No. 8 Texas A&M, 30–29 (Kyle Field, College Station, Texas)
• Week 5
  • No. 7 Wisconsin defeated No. 8 Nebraska, 48–17 (Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin)
• Week 9
  • No. 9/11 Oklahoma defeated No. 8/10 Kansas State, 58–17 (KSU Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas)
• Week 10
  • No. 1/1 LSU defeated No. 2/2 Alabama, 9–6 ^OT (Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
  • No. 7/8 Arkansas defeated No. 9/10 South Carolina, 44–28 (Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas)
• Week 11
  • No. 6/7 Oregon defeated No. 4/3 Stanford, 53–30 (Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California)
• Week 13
  • No. 1/1 LSU defeated No. 3/3 Arkansas, 41–17 (Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
• Week 14
  • No. 3/3 Oklahoma State defeated No. 10/13 Oklahoma, 44–10 (Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma)

Conference standings

2011 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Atlantic Division No. 22 Clemson x$   6 – 2     10 – 4   Wake Forest   5 – 3     6 – 7   No. 23 Florida State   5 – 3     9 – 4   NC State   4 – 4     8 – 5   Boston College   3 – 5     4 – 8   Maryland   1 – 7     2 – 10   Coastal Division No. 21 Virginia Tech x%   7 – 1     11 – 3   Virginia   5 – 3     8 – 5   Georgia Tech   5 – 3     8 – 5   Miami (FL)   3 – 5     6 – 6   North Carolina   3 – 5     7 – 6   Duke   1 – 7     3 – 9   Championship: Clemson 38, Virginia Tech 10 $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll	2011 Big East Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 17 West Virginia $+   5 – 2     10 – 3   No. 25 Cincinnati +   5 – 2     10 – 3   Louisville +   5 – 2     7 – 6   Rutgers   4 – 3     9 – 4   Pittsburgh   4 – 3     6 – 7   Connecticut   3 – 4     5 – 7   South Florida   1 – 6     5 – 7   Syracuse   1 – 6     5 – 7   $ – BCS representative as conference champion + – Conference co-champions As of January 11, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll	2011 Big Ten Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Legends Division No. 11 Michigan State x   7 – 1     11 – 3   No. 12 Michigan %   6 – 2     11 – 2   No. 24 Nebraska   5 – 3     9 – 4   Iowa   4 – 4     7 – 6   Northwestern   3 – 5     6 – 7   Minnesota   2 – 6     3 – 9   Leaders Division No. 10 Wisconsin xy$   6 – 2     11 – 3   Penn State x   6 – 2     9 – 4   Purdue   4 – 4     7 – 6   Ohio State   3 – 5     6 – 7   Illinois   2 – 6     7 – 6   Indiana   0 – 8     1 – 11   Championship: Wisconsin 42, Michigan State 39 $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll
2011 Big 12 Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 3 Oklahoma State $   8 – 1     12 – 1   No. 15 Kansas State   7 – 2     10 – 3   No. 13 Baylor   6 – 3     10 – 3   No. 16 Oklahoma   6 – 3     10 – 3   Missouri   5 – 4     8 – 5   Texas   4 – 5     8 – 5   Texas A&M   4 – 5     7 – 6   Iowa State   3 – 6     6 – 7   Texas Tech   2 – 7     5 – 7   Kansas   0 – 9     2 – 10   $ – BCS representative as conference champion Rankings from AP Poll	2011 Conference USA football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East Division No. 20 Southern Miss x$   6 – 2     12 – 2   Marshall   5 – 3     7 – 6   East Carolina   4 – 4     5 – 7   UAB   3 – 5     3 – 9   UCF   3 – 5     5 – 7   Memphis   1 – 7     2 – 10   West Division No. 18 Houston x   8 – 0     13 – 1   Tulsa   7 – 1     8 – 5   SMU   5 – 3     8 – 5   Rice   3 – 5     4 – 8   UTEP   2 – 6     5 – 7   Tulane   1 – 7     2 – 11   Championship: Southern Miss 49, Houston 28 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions As of January 10, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll	2011 Mid-American Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East Division Ohio xy   6 – 2     10 – 4   Temple   5 – 3     9 – 4   Kent State   4 – 4     5 – 7   Bowling Green   3 – 5     5 – 7   Miami (OH)   3 – 5     4 – 8   Buffalo   2 – 6     3 – 9   Akron   0 – 8     1 – 11   West Division Northern Illinois xy$   7 – 1     11 – 3   Toledo x   7 – 1     9 – 4   Western Michigan   5 – 3     7 – 6   Ball State   4 – 4     6 – 6   Eastern Michigan   4 – 4     6 – 6   Central Michigan   2 – 6     3 – 9   Championship: Northern Illinois 23, Ohio 20 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant
2011 Mountain West Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 14 TCU $   7 – 0     11 – 2   No. 8 Boise State   6 – 1     12 – 1   Wyoming   5 – 2     8 – 5   San Diego State   4 – 3     8 – 5   Air Force   3 – 4     7 – 6   Colorado State   1 – 6     3 – 9   UNLV   1 – 6     2 – 10   New Mexico   1 – 6     1 – 11   $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll	2011 Pac-12 Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   North Division No. 4 Oregon xy$   8 – 1     12 – 2   No. 7 Stanford x%   8 – 1     11 – 2   Washington   5 – 4     7 – 6   California   4 – 5     7 – 6   Oregon State   3 – 6     3 – 9   Washington State   2 – 7     4 – 8   South Division No. 6 USC †   7 – 2     10 – 2   UCLA xy   5 – 4     6 – 8   Utah   4 – 5     8 – 5   Arizona State   4 – 5     6 – 7   Arizona   2 – 7     4 – 8   Colorado   2 – 7     3 – 10   Championship: Oregon 49, UCLA 31 $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant † – USC ineligible for championship and postseason due to NCAA sanctions Rankings from AP Poll	2011 Southeastern Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Eastern Division No. 19 Georgia x   7 – 1     10 – 4   No. 9 South Carolina   6 – 2     11 – 2   Florida   3 – 5     7 – 6   Vanderbilt   2 – 6     6 – 7   Kentucky   2 – 6     5 – 7   Tennessee   1 – 7     5 – 7   Western Division No. 2 LSU x$   8 – 0     13 – 1   No. 1 Alabama  %#   7 – 1     12 – 1   No. 5 Arkansas   6 – 2     11 – 2   Auburn   4 – 4     8 – 5   Mississippi State   2 – 6     7 – 6   Ole Miss*   0 – 8     2 – 10   Championship: LSU 42, Georgia 10 # – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions * Ole Miss vacated all wins due to NCAA violations. Rankings from AP Poll
2011 Sun Belt Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Arkansas State $   8 – 0     10 – 3   Western Kentucky   7 – 1     7 – 5   FIU   5 – 3     8 – 5   North Texas   4 – 4     5 – 7   Louisiana–Monroe   3 – 5     4 – 8   Troy   2 – 6     3 – 9   Louisiana–Lafayette *   1 – 2     1 – 4   Middle Tennessee   1 – 7     2 – 10   Florida Atlantic   0 – 8     1 – 11   $ – Conference champion * – Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 8 wins including 5 in conference due to NCAA violations.	2011 Western Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Louisiana Tech $   6 – 1     8 – 5   Nevada   5 – 2     7 – 6   Utah State   5 – 2     7 – 6   Hawaii   3 – 4     6 – 7   San Jose State   3 – 4     5 – 7   Fresno State   3 – 4     4 – 9   New Mexico State   2 – 5     4 – 9   Idaho   1 – 6     2 – 10   $ – Conference champion	2011 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   BYU     –       10 – 3   Notre Dame     –       8 – 5   Navy     –       5 – 7   Army     –       3 – 9   Rankings from AP Poll

Conference summaries

Rankings reflect the Week 14 AP Poll before the games were played.

Conference championship games

Conference	Champion	Runner-Up	Score	Offensive Player of the Year	Defensive Player of the Year	Coach of the Year
ACC	No. 21 Clemson	No. 5 Virginia Tech	38–10	David Wilson, Virginia Tech[35]	Luke Kuechly, Boston College[36]	Mike London, Virginia[37]
Big Ten	No. 15 Wisconsin	No. 11 Michigan State	42–39	Montee Ball, Wisconsin[38]	Devon Still, Penn State[38]	Brady Hoke, Michigan[38]
C-USA	No. 24 Southern Miss	No. 7 Houston	49–28	Case Keenum, Houston (MVP)[39] Patrick Edwards, Houston[39]	Vinny Curry, Marshall[39]	Kevin Sumlin, Houston[39]
MAC	Northern Illinois	Ohio	23–20	Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois[40]	Drew Nowak, Western Michigan[40]	Ron English, Eastern Michigan[40]
Pac-12	No. 8 Oregon	UCLA	49–31	Andrew Luck, Stanford[41]	Mychal Kendricks, California[41]	David Shaw, Stanford[41]
SEC	No. 1 LSU	No. 12 Georgia	42–10	Trent Richardson, Alabama[42]	Tyrann Mathieu, LSU[42]	Les Miles, LSU[42]

Other conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record	Offensive Player of the Year	Defensive Player of the Year	Coach of the Year
Big 12	No. 3 Oklahoma State	11–1 (8–1)	Robert Griffin III, Baylor[43]	A. J. Klein, Iowa State & Frank Alexander, Oklahoma[43]	Bill Snyder, Kansas State[43]
Big East	Cincinnati Louisville #22 West Virginia	9–3 (5–2) 7–5 (5–2) 9–3 (5–2)	Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati[44]	Khaseem Greene, Rutgers & Derrick Wolfe, Cincinnati[44]	Butch Jones, Cincinnati[44]
MWC	No. 18 TCU	10–2 (7–0)	Kellen Moore, Boise State[45]	Tank Carder, TCU[45]	Dave Christensen, Wyoming[45]
Sun Belt	Arkansas State	10–2 (8–0)	Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State[46]	Brandon Joiner, Arkansas State[46]	Hugh Freeze, Arkansas State[46]
WAC	Louisiana Tech	8–4 (5–1)	Robert Turbin, Utah State[47]	Adrien Cole, Louisiana Tech[47]	Sonny Dykes, Louisiana Tech[47]

Final BCS rankings

BCS	School	Record	Bowl Game
1	LSU	13–0	BCS Championship
2	Alabama	11–1	BCS Championship
3	Oklahoma State	11–1	Fiesta
4	Stanford	11–1	Fiesta
5	Oregon	11–2	Rose
6	Arkansas	10–2	Cotton
7	Boise State	11–1	Las Vegas
8	Kansas State	10–2	Cotton
9	South Carolina	10–2	Capital One
10	Wisconsin	11–2	Rose
11	Virginia Tech	11–2	Sugar
12	Baylor	9–3	Alamo
13	Michigan	10–2	Sugar
14	Oklahoma	9–3	Insight
15	Clemson	10–3	Orange
16	Georgia	10–3	Outback
17	Michigan State	10–3	Outback
18	TCU	10–2	Poinsettia
19	Houston	12–1	TicketCity
20	Nebraska	9–3	Capital One
21	Southern Miss	11–2	Hawai'i
22	Penn State	9–3	TicketCity
23	West Virginia	9–3	Orange
24	Texas	7–5	Holiday
25	Auburn	7–5	Chick-fil-A

Bowl games

Main article: 2011–12 NCAA football bowl games

2012 Bowl Championship Series

Date	Game	Site	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Winner
Jan. 2	Rose Bowl presented by Vizio	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 5:00 pm	ESPN	No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers (11–2) No. 5 Oregon Ducks (11–2)	Big Ten Pac-12	Oregon 45–38
	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl	University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ 8:30 pm		No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys (11–1) No. 4 Stanford Cardinal (11–1)	Big 12 Pac-12	Oklahoma State 41–38 (OT)
Jan. 3	Allstate Sugar Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm		No. 13 Michigan Wolverines (10–2) No. 11 Virginia Tech Hokies (11–2)	Big Ten ACC	Michigan 23–20 (OT)
Jan. 4	Discover Orange Bowl	Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 8:30 pm		No. 15 Clemson Tigers (10–3) No. 23 West Virginia Mountaineers (9–3)	ACC Big East	West Virginia 70–33
Jan. 9	Allstate BCS National Championship Game	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm		No. 1 LSU Tigers (13–0) No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11–1)	SEC SEC	Alabama 21–0

Other bowl games

Date	Game	Site	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Results
Dec. 17	Gildan New Mexico Bowl	University Stadium University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 2:00 pm	ESPN	Wyoming Cowboys (8–4) Temple Owls (8–4)	MWC MAC	Temple 37–15
	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Bronco Stadium Boise State University Boise, ID 5:30 pm		Ohio Bobcats (9–4) Utah State Aggies (7–5)	MAC WAC	Ohio 24–23
	R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 9:00 pm		San Diego State Aztecs (8–4) Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (8–4)	MWC Sun Belt	Louisiana–Lafayette 32–30
Dec. 20	Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg	Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, FL 8:00 pm		FIU Golden Panthers (8–4) Marshall Thundering Herd (6–6)	Sun Belt C-USA	Marshall 20–10
Dec. 21	San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl	Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm		No. 18 TCU Horned Frogs (10–2) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8–4)	MWC WAC	TCU 31–24
Dec. 22	Maaco Bowl Las Vegas	Sam Boyd Stadium University of Nevada, Las Vegas Whitney, NV 8:00 pm		No. 7 Boise State Broncos (11–1) Arizona State Sun Devils (6–6)	MWC Pac-12	Boise State 56–24
Dec. 24	Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl	Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI 8:00 pm		Nevada Wolf Pack (7–5) No. 21 Southern Miss Golden Eagles (11–2)	WAC C-USA	Southern Miss 24–17
Dec. 26	Advocare Independence Bowl	Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA 5:00 pm	ESPN2	Missouri Tigers (7–5) North Carolina Tar Heels (7–5)	Big 12 ACC	Missouri 41–24
Dec. 27	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl	Ford Field Detroit, MI 4:30 pm	ESPN	Purdue Boilermakers (6–6) Western Michigan Broncos (7–5)	Big Ten MAC	Purdue 37–32
	Belk Bowl	Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC 8:00 pm		North Carolina State Wolfpack (7–5) Louisville Cardinals (7–5)	ACC Big East	NC State 31–24
Dec. 28	Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman	RFK Stadium Washington, DC 4:30 pm		Air Force Falcons (7–5) Toledo Rockets (8–4)[n 1]	MWC MAC	Toledo 42–41
	Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl	Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm		No. 24 Texas Longhorns (7–5) California Golden Bears (7–5)	Big 12 Pac-12	Texas 21–10
Dec. 29	Champs Sports Bowl	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 5:30 pm		Florida State Seminoles (8–4) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–4)	ACC Independent	Florida State 18–14
	Valero Alamo Bowl	Alamodome San Antonio, TX 9:00 pm		No. 12 Baylor Bears (9–3) Washington Huskies (7–5)	Big 12 Pac-12	Baylor 67–56
Dec. 30	Bell Helicopters Armed Forces Bowl	Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, TX 12:00 pm		BYU Cougars (9–3) Tulsa Golden Hurricane (8–4)	Independent C-USA	BYU 24–21
	New Era Pinstripe Bowl	Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY 3:20 pm		Iowa State Cyclones (6–6) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8–4)	Big 12 Big East	Rutgers 27–13
	Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl	LP Field Nashville, TN 6:40 pm		Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6–6) Mississippi State Bulldogs (6–6)	ACC SEC	Mississippi State 23–17
	Insight Bowl	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ 10:00 pm		Iowa Hawkeyes (7–5) No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners (9–3)	Big Ten Big 12	Oklahoma 31–14
Dec. 31	Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas	Reliant Stadium Houston, TX 12:00 pm		Texas A&M Aggies (6–6) Northwestern Wildcats (6–6)	Big 12 Big Ten	Texas A&M 33–22
	Hyundai Sun Bowl	Sun Bowl Stadium University of Texas El Paso El Paso, TX 2:00 pm	CBS	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8–4) Utah Utes (7–5)	ACC Pac-12	Utah 30–27 (OT)
	AutoZone Liberty Bowl	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN 3:30 pm	ABC	Cincinnati Bearcats (9–3) Vanderbilt Commodores (6–6)	Big East SEC	Cincinnati 31–24
	Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl	AT&T Park San Francisco, CA 3:30 pm	ESPN	Illinois Fighting Illini (6–6)[n 2] UCLA Bruins (6–7)	Big Ten Pac-12	Illinois 20–14
	Chick-fil-A Bowl	Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA 7:30 pm		No. 25 Auburn Tigers (7–5) Virginia Cavaliers (8–4)	SEC ACC	Auburn 43–24
Jan. 2	TicketCity Bowl	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 12:00 pm	ESPNU	No. 22 Penn State Nittany Lions (9–3) No. 19 Houston Cougars (12–1)	Big Ten C-USA	Houston 30–14
	Outback Bowl	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL 1:00 pm	ABC	No. 17 Michigan State Spartans (10–3) No. 16 Georgia Bulldogs (10–3)	Big Ten SEC	Michigan State 33–30 (3OT)
	Capital One Bowl	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 1:00 pm	ESPN	No. 20 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9–3) No. 9 South Carolina Gamecocks (10–2)	Big Ten SEC	South Carolina 30–13
	TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl	EverBank Field Jacksonville, FL 1:00 pm	ESPN2	Ohio State Buckeyes (6–6) Florida Gators (6–6)	Big Ten SEC	Florida 24–17
Jan. 6	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic	Cowboys Stadium Arlington, TX 8:00 pm	FOX	No. 8 Kansas State Wildcats (10–2) No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks (10–2)	Big 12 SEC	Arkansas 29–16
Jan. 7	BBVA Compass Bowl	Legion Field Birmingham, AL 1:00 pm	ESPN	SMU Mustangs (7–5) Pittsburgh Panthers (6–6)	C-USA Big East	SMU 28–6
Jan. 8	GoDaddy.com Bowl	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL 9:00 pm		Northern Illinois Huskies (10–3) Arkansas State Red Wolves (10–2)	MAC Sun Belt	Northern Illinois 38–20

1. Navy, which had the primary contract for this slot, was not bowl-eligible. For the 2011 season, the TicketCity Bowl and Military Bowl have contingency contracts with the Big 12 if those games' primary partners are not available. Since the TicketCity Bowl's primary partners (the Big Ten and C-USA) both filled their slots, Navy's Military Bowl slot was passed to the Big 12; however the Big 12 did not have enough teams to fulfill their contract, so Toledo from the MAC was invited.
2. Army, which had the primary contract for this slot, was not bowl-eligible. The ACC had a contingency contract for the slot, but could only fill it if it produced nine bowl-eligible teams. Miami's self-imposed bowl ban made it impossible for the conference to fill that slot.

Bowl Challenge Cup standings

Conference	Wins	Losses	Pct.
C-USA	4	1	.800
MAC	4	1	.800
Big 12	6	2	.750
SEC	6	3	.666
Big East	3	2	.600
Division I FBS Independents	1	1	.500
Big Ten	4	6	.400
MWC	2	3	.400
Sun Belt	1	2	.333
Pac-12	2	5	.286
ACC	2	6	.250
WAC	0	3	.000

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
Robert Griffin III	Baylor	QB	405	168	136	1,687
Andrew Luck	Stanford	QB	247	250	166	1,407
Trent Richardson	Alabama	RB	138	207	150	978
Montee Ball	Wisconsin	RB	22	83	116	348
Tyrann Mathieu	LSU	CB	34	63	99	327
Matt Barkley	USC	QB	11	33	54	153
Case Keenum	Houston	QB	10	20	53	123
Kellen Moore	Boise State	QB	6	21	30	90
Russell Wilson	Wisconsin	QB	4	12	15	52
LaMichael James	Oregon	RB	5	12	9	48

Source: ^[48]

Other major awards

• AP Player of the Year: Robert Griffin III, Baylor
• Maxwell Award (top player): Andrew Luck, Stanford
• Walter Camp Award (top player): Andrew Luck, Stanford
• Campbell Trophy ("academic Heisman"; formerly the Draddy Trophy): Andrew Rodriguez, Army
• Wuerffel Trophy (humanitarian-athlete): Barrett Jones, Alabama
• Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player): Brandon Boykin, Georgia
• Burlsworth Trophy (top player who began as walk-on): Austin Davis, Southern Miss

Offense

Quarterback

• Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Robert Griffin III, Baylor
• Johnny Unitas Award (senior/4th year quarterback): Andrew Luck, Stanford
• Manning Award (quarterback): Robert Griffin III, Baylor
• Sammy Baugh Trophy (quarterback, specifically passer): Case Keenum, Houston

Running Back

• Doak Walker Award (running back): Trent Richardson, Alabama

Wide Receiver

• Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver): Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

Tight End

• John Mackey Award (tight end): Dwayne Allen, Clemson

Lineman

• Dave Rimington Trophy (center): David Molk, Michigan
• Outland Trophy (interior lineman): Barrett Jones, Alabama

Defense

• Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player): Luke Kuechly, Boston College
• Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player): Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
• Lott Trophy (defensive impact): Luke Kuechly, Boston College

Defensive Line

• Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end): Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
• Lombardi Award (defensive lineman): Luke Kuechly, Boston College

Linebacker

• Dick Butkus Award (linebacker): Luke Kuechly, Boston College

Defensive Back

• Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back): Morris Claiborne, LSU

Special teams

• Lou Groza Award (placekicker): Randy Bullock, Texas A&M
• Ray Guy Award (punter): Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech

Coaches

• AP Coach of the Year: Les Miles, LSU
• Paul "Bear" Bryant Award: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
• The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award: Les Miles, LSU
• Walter Camp Coach of the Year: Les Miles, LSU
• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
• Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
• Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award: Nick Saban, Alabama

Assistant

• Broyles Award (assistant coach): John Chavis, LSU

All-Americans

Main article: 2011 College Football All-America Team

Records

• Several significant records were tied or broken on October 22:
  • East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis set two FBS records for consecutive pass completions in the Pirates' 38–35 win over Navy.^[49]
    • Davis completed his first 26 pass attempts, breaking the single-game record of 23 first set in 1998 by Tee Martin of Tennessee against South Carolina and tied in 2004 by Aaron Rodgers of California against USC.
    • Since Davis had also completed his final 10 passes in the Pirates' game the previous week against Memphis, his streak against Navy gave him a total of 36 consecutive completions over two games, breaking the record of 26 set by Rodgers in 2004.
  • Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore led the Broncos to a 37–26 win over Air Force, giving him 45 career wins as a starter. This tied the FBS record of Texas' Colt McCoy (2006–2009); after a bye week, Moore could (and ultimately did) take sole possession of the record at UNLV on November 5.^[50] He finished his career 50–3.
  • In Houston's 63–28 win over Marshall, Cougars quarterback Case Keenum set a new FBS record for career total offense, surpassing the 16,910 yards amassed by Timmy Chang of Hawaiʻi from 2000 to 2004.^[51] He also brought his career total of touchdowns accounted for (combined passing, rushing, receiving, and returns) to 150, tying the record set by Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour from 2006 to 2009.
  • Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, already the holder of the record for most career wins in FBS, tied Eddie Robinson of Grambling for the most wins in Division I history, with 408, when the Nittany Lions defeated Northwestern 34–24.^[52] Paterno, in what would prove to be his final game coached, would claim the record outright the following week, when Penn State defeated Illinois in a defensive struggle, 10–7.^[53]
• On October 27, Keenum's nine touchdown passes in Houston's 73–34 win over crosstown rival Rice gave him 139 for his college career, surpassing the previous record of 134 by Texas Tech's Graham Harrell from 2005 to 2008.^[54] He also took sole possession of the record for most touchdowns accounted for, with 159 (and counting).
• On October 29, Paterno took sole possession of the record for most career wins by a Division I head coach when Penn State defeated Illinois 10–7.^[55] This would prove to be Paterno's final game, as he would be fired less than two weeks later in the midst of a sexual abuse scandal (more details below).
• On November 5:
  • In Houston's 56–13 pasting of UAB, Keenum broke Chang's record for career passing yards, ending the game with 17,212.^[56]
  • Boise State defeated UNLV 48–21, giving Moore his 46th career win as a starter and sole possession of that record.^[57]
• On November 19, Keenum added another major FBS record to his collection, surpassing Harrell's previous record of 1,403 career completions in the first quarter of Houston's 37–7 win over SMU. Keenum ended with 1,427 completions.^[58]
• On November 26, Kentucky defeated Tennessee for the first time since 1984. The Wildcats' 10–7 win ended the longest current losing streak against an annual opponent in FBS at 26.^[59]

Coaching changes

Preseason and in-season

This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2011. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2011, see 2010 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.

Team	Outgoing coach	Date	Reason	Replacement
Ohio State	Jim Tressel	May 30	Resigned[25]	Luke Fickell (interim)
West Virginia	Bill Stewart	June 10	Resigned[60]	Dana Holgorsen
North Carolina	Butch Davis	July 27	Fired[28]	Everett Withers (interim)[61]
New Mexico	Mike Locksley	September 25	Fired[62]	George Barlow (interim)
Arizona	Mike Stoops	October 10	Fired[63]	Tim Kish (interim)
Tulane	Bob Toledo	October 18	Resigned[64]	Mark Hutson (interim)
Penn State	Joe Paterno	November 9	Fired[34]	Tom Bradley (interim)

End of season

Team	Outgoing coach	Date announced	Reason	Replacement
Florida Atlantic	Howard Schnellenberger	August 11	Retired[65]	Carl Pelini[66]
Ole Miss	Houston Nutt	November 7	Resigned[67]	Hugh Freeze[68]
New Mexico	George Barlow (interim)	November 16	Permanent replacement	Bob Davie[69]
Arizona	Tim Kish (interim)	November 21	Permanent replacement	Rich Rodriguez[70]
Akron	Rob Ianello	November 26	Fired[71]	Terry Bowden[72]
Memphis	Larry Porter	November 27	Fired[73]	Justin Fuente[74]
Illinois	Ron Zook	November 27	Fired[75]	Tim Beckman[76]
UAB	Neil Callaway	November 27	Fired[77]	Garrick McGee[78]
Kansas	Turner Gill	November 27	Fired[79]	Charlie Weis[80]
Arizona State	Dennis Erickson	November 27	Fired[81]	Todd Graham[82]
Ohio State	Luke Fickell (interim)	November 28	Permanent replacement	Urban Meyer[83]
UCLA	Rick Neuheisel	November 28	Fired[84]	Jim Mora[85]
Washington State	Paul Wulff	November 29	Fired [86]	Mike Leach[87]
Texas A&M	Mike Sherman	December 1	Fired[88]	Kevin Sumlin[89]
Colorado State	Steve Fairchild	December 4	Fired[90]	Jim McElwain[91]
Fresno State	Pat Hill	December 4	Fired[92]	Tim DeRuyter[93]
Tulane	Mark Hutson (interim)	December 5	Permanent replacement	Curtis Johnson[94]
Arkansas State	Hugh Freeze	December 5	Hired by Ole Miss[68]	Gus Malzahn[95]
Hawaiʻi	Greg McMackin	December 5	Retired[96]	Norm Chow[97]
North Carolina	Everett Withers (interim)	December 7	Permanent replacement	Larry Fedora[98]
Southern Miss	Larry Fedora	December 7	Hired by North Carolina[98]	Ellis Johnson[99]
Toledo	Tim Beckman	December 9	Hired by Illinois[76]	Matt Campbell[100]
Houston	Kevin Sumlin	December 10	Hired by Texas A&M[89]	Tony Levine[101]
Pittsburgh	Todd Graham	December 14	Hired by Arizona State[82]	Paul Chryst[102]
Penn State	Tom Bradley (interim)	January 5	Permanent replacement	Bill O'Brien[103]
Rutgers	Greg Schiano	January 26	Hired by Tampa Bay Buccaneers[104]	Kyle Flood[105]
Arkansas	Bobby Petrino	April 10	Fired[106]	John L. Smith[107]

TV ratings

Most watched regular season games in 2011

Rank	Date	Matchup	Channel	Viewers
1	November 5, 8:00 ET	No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama (Game of the Century (2011))	CBS	20.01 Million
2	December 3, 4:00 ET	No. 1 LSU vs. No. 14 Georgia	CBS	12.01 Million
3	November 25, 2:30 ET	No. 3 Arkansas vs. No. 1 LSU	CBS	10.44 Million
4	November 19, 8:00 ET	USC vs. No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 22 Baylor	Regional ESPN on ABC	9.74 Million
5	September 17, 8:00 ET	No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Florida State	ESPN on ABC	9.31 Million
6	November 12, 8:00 ET	No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 4 Stanford	ESPN on ABC	8.73 Million
7	October 29, 8:00 ET	No. 5 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, No. 6 Stanford vs. USC	Regional ESPN on ABC	8.43 Million
8	November 26, 12:00 ET	Ohio State vs. No. 15 Michigan	ESPN on ABC	7.96 Million
9	December 3, 8:15 ET	No. 15 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 Michigan State	FOX	7.77 Million
10	September 3, 8:00 ET	No. 4 LSU vs. No. 3 Oregon	ESPN on ABC	7.75 Million
Special	December 10, 2:30 ET	Army vs. Navy	CBS	5.50 Million