2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season

2011 NCAA Division I FBS season
Number of teams	120
Duration	September 1 – December 10
Preseason AP #1	Oklahoma Sooners
Post-season
Duration	December 17, 2011 – January 9, 2012 (excluding all-star games)
Bowl games	40 (35 team-competitive and 5 all-star)
Heisman Trophy	Robert Griffin III, Baylor, QB
Bowl Championship Series
2012 BCS Championship Game
Site	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana
Winner	Alabama Crimson Tide
Division I FBS football seasons
← 2010 2012 →

The 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, began on Thursday, September 1, 2011. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and, not counting all-star games that followed the bowl games, concluded with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game on January 9, 2012 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans in which the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the #1 LSU Tigers 21-0. For the first time since 2007 (and for only the third time in the BCS era), no major team 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.

The half or game can end due to the runoff. 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 former 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

During the first half of 2010, and especially starting in May of that year, several conferences were widely speculated to be considering expansion, and a number of schools were believed to be seriously considering conference moves. Due to conference notice requirements, no changes announced in 2010 would take effect until at least July 2011.

The first change to be officially announced came on June 10, when the Pacific-10 Conference announced that Colorado had accepted that conference's invitation to join. At the time, it was not yet known whether Colorado would officially join the Pac-10 in 2011 or 2012; in September 2010, it was confirmed for 2011.

The following day saw two schools change conferences:

• The Mountain West Conference announced that Boise State had accepted the conference's invitation to join from the Western Athletic Conference, effective with the 2011–12 academic year.
• Nebraska applied for membership in, and was accepted by, the Big Ten Conference, in a move to take effect in 2011.

In the following days, it was widely speculated that the five public schools in the Big 12 South Division (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State) would leave as a unit for the Pac-10. A&M was also reported to be flirting with the SEC. However, a last-minute deal announced on June 14 saw Texas cast its lot with a truncated Big 12, with the remaining schools also pledging their support for the conference. Rebuffed by the Big 12 schools, the Pac-10 shifted its focus to the Mountain West, extending an invitation to Utah on June 16 to join effective in 2011. Utah accepted the next day. The conference name changed to Pac-12 once Colorado and Utah officially joined on July 1, 2011.

Two months later, reports surfaced indicating that Brigham Young would leave the Mountain West Conference to become an independent in football, with its other sports rejoining the school's former conference, the WAC. Having already lost Utah to the Pac-10, the Mountain West decided to be proactive and in response the MWC invited WAC members Fresno State, Nevada, and Utah State on August 18 in an attempt to stop BYU's plan to go independent. Utah State declined the MWC offer, but the other two accepted later that day and attempted to join Boise by moving to their new home in the MWC the following year (Nevada will also greatly enhance its rivalry with the UNLV Rebels by joining the MWC). However, after threats of legal action by the WAC, the two schools agreed to stay in the WAC through the 2011–12 season in exchange for greatly reduced exit fees. Just as things appeared to be stabilizing, BYU surprised everyone on August 31 by announcing that they would join the West Coast Conference and play as a FBS independent football team, starting in the 2011–12 season.

Realignment activity then shifted to Division I FCS for several weeks, although rumors continued to swirl regarding potential movement in several conferences. The Big East Conference also announced that it had extended an invitation to Villanova, a founding non-football member, to upgrade its football program to FBS level and join in that sport. On November 11, the WAC announced that Texas State, currently a member of the FCS Southland Conference, and UTSA, which planned to launch an FCS program in that conference in 2011, would upgrade their football programs to FBS level, join the WAC in 2012, and become full FBS members in 2013. On November 29, the next domino fell when TCU announced it would join the Big East in 2012. However, less than a year later on October 10, 2011, TCU announced it would not join the Big East and would instead join the Big 12 in 2012.^[7] The MWC replaced TCU for football only with Hawaiʻi on December 10; Hawaiʻi's other sports would join the Big West Conference.

On April 20, 2011, UMass announced that it would upgrade to FBS football and become a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference in 2012, with full FBS membership and eligibility for the conference championship coming in 2013.

Realignment continued to be a major story in the 2011 football season. On September 18, the ACC announced that Big East mainstays Pitt and Syracuse were officially accepted as members. At the time, the 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, barring other developments, was July 2014.^[8] (TCU was not held to the notice period because it had never formally joined the Big East.) On September 26, the Southeastern Conference announced that Texas A&M would become the league's 13th member in July 2012.^[9]

On October 14, it was announced that the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA would merge their football operations to form a two-division, 22-team conference. The conferences were hoping that the merger would give them an automatic qualifier to a BCS bowl. The next move came on October 28, when the Big 12 formally accepted another Big East school, West Virginia.^[10] This paved the way for Missouri's official acceptance by the SEC on November 6, a move that had been in the works for several weeks.^[11] WVU's move led to a legal battle between the school and the Big East, with WVU filing suit to overturn the notice period, and the conference suing in another court to enforce it.^[11] In February 2012, the Big East and WVU reached a settlement that allowed WVU to join the Big 12 that July.^[12] Several months after the WVU settlement, both Syracuse and Pitt reached settlements with the Big East that allowed them to leave for the ACC in July 2013.

With the upcoming loss of three of its mainstays, the Big East announced on December 7 that five new schools would join its football conference in 2013. Houston, SMU, and UCF will join as all-sports members, while Boise State and San Diego State will join in football only.^[13] Both Boise State and San Diego State will rejoin former conferences for non-football sports. Boise State initially planned to join the WAC, while San Diego State planned to rejoin the Big West after a 35-year absence.^[14] These developments eventually led the Mountain West and C-USA to announce plans to fully merge, under a new charter, as early as 2013.^[15] However, due to complications related to NCAA rules, the conferences abandoned a full merger in favor of a football-only alliance. Later developments in conference realignment, mainly the implosion of the WAC, led Boise State to abandon its plans to place its non-football sports in the WAC, opting instead to rejoin the Big West in 2013 after a 12-year absence.

Membership changes

School	Former conference	New conference
Colorado Buffaloes[16]	Big 12	Pac-12
Boise State Broncos[17]	WAC	Mountain West
Nebraska Cornhuskers[18]	Big 12	Big Ten
Utah Utes[19]	Mountain West	Pac-12
BYU Cougars	Mountain West	Independent (WCC in other sports)

Teams transitioning to FBS

Four schools began a two-year transition from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to FBS in July 2011. These schools were technically FCS members in 2011, and will be provisional FBS members in 2012 before becoming full FBS members in 2013.

• The University of Massachusetts (UMass), currently a member of the non-football Atlantic 10 Conference and a football-only member of the Colonial Athletic Association, will move for football only to the Mid-American Conference effective in 2012. The Minutemen will be eligible for the conference championship upon completion of their FBS transition in 2013. As a part of this move, UMass will move its home games from its on-campus Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, home of the New England Patriots, starting in 2012.^[20] In the meantime, McGuirk Stadium will undergo a major expansion, adding 8,000 seats to its current capacity of 17,000. UMass hopes to move some home games back to campus as early as 2014; it is contractually committed to play all 2012 and 2013 home games, plus at least four games in each season from 2014 to 2016, in Foxborough.^[21]
• The University of South Alabama played its first complete NCAA season. The Jaguars, currently members of the Sun Belt Conference, played a 10-game schedule, although they were allowed to play as many as 12 as a transitional FBS program. South Alabama launched its program in 2009, playing seven games that season and 10 in 2010. The Jaguars play their home games at Ladd Peebles Stadium, home to the GoDaddy.com Bowl and Senior Bowl All-Star Game in their home city of Mobile, and are coached by Joey Jones.
• Texas State University–San Marcos (Texas State) is one of two transitioning schools that will move from the Southland Conference (though it played the 2011 season as an FCS independent) to the Western Athletic Conference in 2012. In January 2011, the Bobcats brought back Dennis Franchione, who had coached the team in 1990 and 1991 before going on to head coaching jobs at New Mexico, TCU, Alabama, and Texas A&M, to oversee their FBS transition. Texas State is expanding its current on-campus Bobcat Stadium to an ultimate capacity of 34,800 for its official FBS debut.
• The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is the other transitioning school leaving the Southland Conference for the WAC. Like Texas State, UTSA also played as an FCS independent in 2011. The Roadrunners, coached by former Miami head coach Larry Coker, played their first-ever football season in 2011, and are using the Alamodome in downtown San Antonio as their home field.

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.^[22]
    • 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.^[23] 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.^[24] 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.^[25] 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.^[26]
• 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.^[27] 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.^[28] 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.^[29]
  • Boise State defeated UNLV 48–21, giving Moore his 46th career win as a starter and sole possession of that record.^[30]
• 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.^[31]
• 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.^[32]

Most watched regular season games in 2011

Rank	Date	Matchup	Channel	Viewers
1	November 5, 8:00 ET	#1 LSU vs. #2 Alabama (Game of the Century (2011))	CBS	20.01 Million
2	December 3, 4:00 ET	#1 LSU vs. #14 Georgia	CBS	12.01 Million
3	November 25, 2:30 ET	#3 Arkansas vs. #1 LSU	CBS	10.44 Million
4	November 19, 8:00 ET	USC vs. #4 Oregon, #5 Oklahoma vs. #22 Baylor	Regional ESPN on ABC	9.74 Million
5	September 17, 8:00 ET	#1 Oklahoma vs. #5 Florida State	ESPN on ABC	9.31 Million
6	November 12, 8:00 ET	#7 Oregon vs. #4 Stanford	ESPN on ABC	8.73 Million
7	October 29, 8:00 ET	#5 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, #6 Stanford vs. USC	Regional ESPN on ABC	8.43 Million
8	November 26, 12:00 ET	Ohio State vs. #15 Michigan	ESPN on ABC	7.96 Million
9	December 3, 8:15 ET	#15 Wisconsin vs. #13 Michigan State	FOX	7.77 Million
10	September 3, 8:00 ET	#4 LSU vs. #3 Oregon	ESPN on ABC	7.75 Million
Special	December 10, 2:30 ET	Army vs. Navy	CBS	5.50 Million

New, expanded, and temporary stadiums

New stadiums

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

Expanded stadium

• North Carolina: Renovations on Kenan Memorial Stadium will be completed in time for the start of the season. The renovations, which began last year, enclosed the stadium with what is called "The Blue Zone" and included an additional 1,836 seats (part in the form of private boxes and suites) bringing the total capacity to 61,836.

Temporary stadiums

• California played this season at AT&T Park in San Francisco, home to the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. The move was necessary because the Golden Bears' normal home, California Memorial Stadium, was undergoing a major renovation, which included a full seismic retrofit. The Bears returned to Memorial Stadium in 2012.^[33] 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 almost all of its 2011 home schedule at its on-campus Husky Stadium, but began major renovations to the facility before the end of the season. As a result, the Apple Cup rivalry game with Washington State, hosted in odd-numbered years by the Huskies, was moved to CenturyLink Field, home to the Seattle Seahawks (NFL) and Seattle Sounders FC (MLS). The Huskies played their entire 2012 home schedule at CenturyLink Field as well.

Infractions, investigations, and scandals

Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes had five players and their head coach, Jim Tressel, suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season. The program was also under investigation by the NCAA, with the school going before the NCAA Committee on Infractions in August 2011, with findings and decisions following shortly thereafter.^[34] The players were alleged to have improperly traded dozens of items to the owner of a tattoo parlor, receiving tattoos, $14,000, and in one case a sport-utility vehicle. Tressel was under investigation for lying to the University and investigators regarding his knowledge of the incident.^[35] The scandal led to the resignation of Tressel on May 30.^[36] Then, on June 8, starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor, one of the five suspended players, announced that he would forgo his final year of college eligibility.^[37]

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 penalties, it imposed extra sanctions. One extra year of both probation and scholarship reductions was added, running through the 2014 season. The Buckeyes will also be banned from a bowl 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.^[38]

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.^[39]

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.^[40]

Miami

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.^[41]

Penn State

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.^[42] 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.^[43] 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."^[44] However, hours later, the Penn State Board of Trustees fired Paterno, effective immediately.^[45]

Conference standings

2011 ACC football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Atlantic Division #22 Clemson x$   6 – 2         10 – 4   Wake Forest   5 – 3         6 – 7   #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 #21 Virginia Tech x%   7 – 1         11 – 3   Virginia   5 – 3         8 – 5   Georgia Tech   5 – 3         8 – 5   Miami   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 As of January 10, 2012; Rankings from AP Poll	2011 Big East football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   #17 West Virginia $+   5 – 2         10 – 3   #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 football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Legends Division #11 Michigan State x   7 – 1         11 – 3   #12 Michigan %   6 – 2         11 – 2   #24 Nebraska   5 – 3         9 – 4   Iowa   4 – 4         7 – 6   Northwestern   3 – 5         6 – 7   Minnesota   2 – 6         3 – 9   Leaders Division #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 As of January 10, 2012; Rankings from AP Poll
2011 Big 12 football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   #3 Oklahoma State $   8 – 1         12 – 1   #15 Kansas State   7 – 2         10 – 3   #13 Baylor   6 – 3         10 – 3   #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 Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   East Division #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 #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 – 10   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 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   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: NIU 23, Ohio 20 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll
2011 Mountain West football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   #14 TCU $   7 – 0         11 – 2   #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 football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   North Division #4 Oregon xy$   8 – 1         12 – 2   #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 #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 post-season due to NCAA sanctions As of January 10, 2012; Rankings from AP Poll	2011 SEC football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Eastern Division #19 Georgia x   7 – 1         10 – 4   #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 #2 LSU x$   8 – 0         13 – 1   #1 Alabama %#   7 – 1         12 – 1   #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 Rankings from AP Poll
2011 Sun Belt football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Arkansas State $   8 – 0         10 – 3   WKU   7 – 1         7 – 5   Louisiana–Lafayette   0 – 2         0 – 4   FIU   5 – 3         8 – 5   North Texas   4 – 4         5 – 7   Louisiana–Monroe   3 – 5         4 – 8   Troy   2 – 6         3 – 9   Middle Tennessee   1 – 7         2 – 10   Florida Atlantic   0 – 8         1 – 11   $ – Conference champion *All wins for Louisiana-Lafayette (9–4, 6–2) in the 2011 season are vacated As of October 12, 2015; Rankings from AP Poll	2011 WAC football standings 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 As of December 24, 2011; Rankings from AP Poll	2011 Division I FBS independents football records Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   BYU     –           10 – 3   Notre Dame     –           8 – 5   Navy     –           5 – 7   Army     –           3 – 9   As of December 30, 2011; Rankings from AP Poll

Conference summaries

Championship games

Conference	Champion	Runner-up	Score	Offensive Player of the Year	Defensive Player of the Year	Coach of the Year
ACC	ClemsonBCS	Virginia TechBCS	38–10	David Wilson, Virginia Tech[46]	Luke Kuechly, Boston College[47]	Mike London, Virginia[48]
Big Ten	WisconsinBCS	Michigan State	42–39	Montee Ball, Wisconsin[49]	Devon Still, Penn State[49]	Brady Hoke, Michigan[49]
C-USA	Southern Miss	Houston	49–28	Case Keenum, Houston (MVP)[50] Patrick Edwards, Houston[50]	Vinny Curry, Marshall[50]	Kevin Sumlin, Houston[50]
MAC	Northern Illinois	Ohio	23–20	Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois[51]	Drew Nowak, Western Michigan[51]	Ron English, Eastern Michigan[51]
Pac-12	OregonBCS	UCLA	49–31	Andrew Luck, Stanford[52]	Mychal Kendricks, California[52]	David Shaw, Stanford[52]
SEC	LSUBCS	Georgia	42–10	Trent Richardson, Alabama[53]	Tyrann Mathieu, LSU[53]	Les Miles, LSU[53]

Other conference winners

Conference	Champion	Record	Offensive Player of the Year	Defensive Player of the Year	Coach of the Year
Big 12	Oklahoma StateBCS	11–1 (8–1)	Robert Griffin III, Baylor[54]	A.J. Klein, Iowa State and Frank Alexander, Oklahoma[54]	Bill Snyder, Kansas State[54]
Big East	West VirginiaBCS Cincinnati Louisville	9–3 (5–2) 9–3 (5–2) 7–5 (5–2)	Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati[55]	Khaseem Greene, Rutgers and Derrick Wolfe, Cincinnati[55]	Butch Jones, Cincinnati[55]
MWC	TCU	10–2 (7–0)	Kellen Moore, Boise State[56]	Tank Carder, TCU[56]	Dave Christensen, Wyoming[56]
Sun Belt	Arkansas State	10–2 (8–0)	Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State[57]	Brandon Joiner, Arkansas State[57]	Hugh Freeze, Arkansas State[57]
WAC	Louisiana Tech	8–4 (5–1)	Robert Turbin, Utah State[58]	Adrien Cole, Louisiana Tech[58]	Sonny Dykes, Louisiana Tech[58]

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

Non-BCS 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	Wyoming 15 Temple 37
	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 Utah State 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	San Diego State 30 Louisiana–Lafayette 32
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	FIU 10 Marshall 20
Dec. 21	San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl	Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm		#18 TCU Horned Frogs (10–2) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8–4)	MWC WAC	TCU 31 Louisiana Tech 24
Dec. 22	Maaco Bowl Las Vegas	Sam Boyd Stadium University of Nevada, Las Vegas Whitney, NV 8:00 pm		#7 Boise State Broncos (11–1) Arizona State Sun Devils (6–6)	MWC Pac-12	Boise State 56 Arizona State 24
Dec. 24	Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl	Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI 8:00 pm		Nevada Wolf Pack (7–5) #21 Southern Miss Golden Eagles (11–2)	WAC C-USA	Nevada 17 Southern Miss 24
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 North Carolina 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 Western Michigan 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	North Carolina State 31 Louisville 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	Air Force 41 Toledo 42
	Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl	Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm		#24 Texas Longhorns (7–5) California Golden Bears (7–5)	Big 12 Pac-12	Texas 21 California 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 Notre Dame 14
	Valero Alamo Bowl	Alamodome San Antonio, TX 9:00 pm		#12 Baylor Bears (9–3) Washington Huskies (7–5)	Big 12 Pac-12	Baylor 67 Washington 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 Tulsa 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	Iowa State 13 Rutgers 27
	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	Wake Forest 17 Mississippi State 23
	Insight Bowl	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ 10:00 pm		Iowa Hawkeyes (7–5) #14 Oklahoma Sooners (9–3)	Big Ten Big 12	Iowa 14 Oklahoma 31
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 Northwestern 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	Georgia Tech 27 Utah 30 (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 Vanderbilt 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 UCLA 14
	Chick-fil-A Bowl	Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA 7:30 pm		#25 Auburn Tigers (7–5) Virginia Cavaliers (8–4)	SEC ACC	Auburn 43 Virginia 24
Jan. 2	TicketCity Bowl	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 12:00 pm	ESPNU	#22 Penn State Nittany Lions (9–3) #19 Houston Cougars (12–1)	Big Ten C-USA	Penn State 14 Houston 30
	Outback Bowl	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL 1:00 pm	ABC	#17 Michigan State Spartans (10–3) #16 Georgia Bulldogs (10–3)	Big Ten SEC	Michigan State 33 (3OT) Georgia 30
	Capital One Bowl	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 1:00 pm	ESPN	#20 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9–3) #9 South Carolina Gamecocks (10–2)	Big Ten SEC	Nebraska 13 South Carolina 30
	TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl	EverBank Field Jacksonville, FL 1:00 pm	ESPN2	Ohio State Buckeyes (6–6) Florida Gators (6–6)	Big Ten SEC	Ohio State 17 Florida 24
Jan. 6	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic	Cowboys Stadium Arlington, TX 8:00 pm	FOX	#8 Kansas State Wildcats (10–2) #6 Arkansas Razorbacks (10–2)	Big 12 SEC	Kansas State 16 Arkansas 29
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 Pittsburgh 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 Arkansas State 20

2012 Bowl Championship Series schedule

Date	Game	Site	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Results
Jan. 2	Rose Bowl presented by Vizio	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 5:00 pm	ESPN	#10 Wisconsin Badgers (11–2) #5 Oregon Ducks (11–2)	Big Ten Pac-12	Wisconsin 38 Oregon 45
	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl	University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ 8:30 pm		#3 Oklahoma State Cowboys (11–1) #4 Stanford Cardinal (11–1)	Big 12 Pac-12	Oklahoma State 41 (OT) Stanford 38
Jan. 3	Allstate Sugar Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm		#13 Michigan Wolverines (10–2) #11 Virginia Tech Hokies (11–2)	Big Ten ACC	Michigan 23 (OT) Virginia Tech 20
Jan. 4	Discover Orange Bowl	Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 8:30 pm		#15 Clemson Tigers (10–3) #23 West Virginia Mountaineers (9–3)	ACC Big East	Clemson 33 West Virginia 70
Jan. 9	Allstate BCS National Championship Game	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm		#1 LSU Tigers (13–0) #2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11–1)	SEC SEC	LSU 0 Alabama 21

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

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[59]

Other overall

• 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
• Rotary 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

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.

School	Outgoing coach	Date	Reason	Replacement
Ohio State	Jim Tressel	May 30	Resigned[36]	Luke Fickell (interim)
West Virginia	Bill Stewart	June 10	Resigned[60]	Dana Holgorsen
North Carolina	Butch Davis	July 27	Fired[39]	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[45]	Tom Bradley (interim)

End of season

School	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]

See also

• 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

References

Notes

External links

• Media related to 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season at Wikimedia Commons