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2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season

American college football season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2012 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).

Number of teams120 + 4 transitional
DurationAugust 30 – December 8
Preseason AP No. 1USC
DurationDecember 15, 2012 – January 7, 2013
Quick facts Number of teams, Duration ...
2012 NCAA Division I FBS season
Western Carolina at Alabama.
Number of teams120 + 4 transitional
DurationAugust 30 – December 8
Preseason AP No. 1USC
Postseason
DurationDecember 15, 2012 – January 7, 2013
Bowl games35
Heisman TrophyJohnny Manziel (quarterback, Texas A&M)
Bowl Championship Series
2013 BCS Championship Game
SiteSun Life Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
Champion(s)Alabama
NCAA Division I FBS football seasons
← 2011
2013 →
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The regular season began on August 30, 2012, and ended on December 8, 2012. The postseason concluded on January 7, 2013, with the BCS National Championship Game, where Alabama repeated as national champions by defeating Notre Dame.

Although Ohio State finished the regular season as the only undefeated team from an automatic-qualifying ("Power 5") BCS conference, they were ineligible to play in the postseason due to sanctions imposed earlier in the year.

Rule changes

The NCAA Rules Committee approved the following rule changes for the 2012 season, mostly for safety reasons:

  • Kickoffs will be moved up to the 35-yard line from the 30, mirroring a similar change by the NFL in the 2011 season and rescinding a rule change made in the 2007 season.
  • The kicking team will only have a five-yard running head start on kickoffs, again mirroring the NFL changes in 2011.
  • Touchbacks will move from the 20-yard line to the 25-yard line only on kickoffs and free kicks after a safety. Touchbacks on punts rolling into the end zone, fumbles into the end zone, and interceptions in the end zone will remain at the 20-yard line.
  • Players will be forbidden to leap over other players when blocking punts.
  • Players who lose their helmets during a play (except when caused by fouls such as grabbing the facemask) will have to leave the field for one play. When a helmet is lost during play by the ball carrier, the play is dead immediately. Any action made by or against a helmetless player is penalized as a personal foul for 15 yards.
  • Offensive players in the tackle box at the snap who are not in motion are allowed to block below the waist legally without restriction. All other players are restricted from blocking below the waist with some exceptions (i.e., blocking straight-on), modifying a rule change from the 2011 season.[1]

Conference realignment

Main article: 2010–2014 NCAA conference realignment
See also: 2010–2013 Big East Conference realignment, 2010–2013 Big 12 Conference realignment, 2010–2013 Mountain West Conference realignment, 2010–12 Southeastern Conference realignment, 2010–2013 Sun Belt Conference realignment, and 2010–2013 Western Athletic Conference realignment

Membership changes

The following list includes schools transitioning from FCS to FBS.

More information School, Former conference ...
School Former conference New conference
Fresno State WAC Mountain West
Hawaii WAC Mountain West
Massachusetts CAA (FCS) MAC
Missouri Big 12 SEC
Nevada WAC Mountain West
South Alabama FCS Independent Sun Belt
TCU Mountain West Big 12
Temple MAC Big East
Texas A&M Big 12 SEC
Texas State Southland (FCS) WAC
UTSA FCS Independent WAC
West Virginia Big East Big 12
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On March 7, Temple was admitted back into the Big East Conference after having been expelled from it a decade earlier for failing to maintain a competitive football program.[2] Temple joined from the Mid-American Conference, where it had competed since 2007.

Teams transitioning to FBS

On April 9, 2012, Georgia State University, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, announced that it would rejoin the Sun Belt Conference effective in July 2013. Georgia State had been a charter Sun Belt member when the conference formed in 1976, but left in 1981. The Panthers began their FBS transition during the 2012 season and started playing a full Sun Belt schedule upon joining the conference in 2013. Full FBS membership, along with bowl eligibility, followed in 2014. The Panthers, who had been coached by Bill Curry since starting a football program in 2010, played home games at the Georgia Dome near the school's campus in downtown Atlanta.[3] The Panthers remained at the Georgia Dome until its closure and demolition after the 2016 season; they have since taken over the venue formerly known as Centennial Olympic Stadium and Turner Field and converted it into the football-specific venue originally known as Georgia State Stadium and now as Center Parc Stadium.

Georgia State followed four other schools that were in the second and final years of FBS transitions— UMass, South Alabama, Texas State, and UTSA.

Future changes

The conference realignment period that began in 2010 continued for a third consecutive off-season.

The Mountain West Conference continued to raid the rapidly-collapsing Western Athletic Conference by adding San Jose State and Utah State on May 4.[4][5] The additions allowed the Mountain West, which was anticipating the looming departures of Boise State and San Diego State to the Big East, to keep its football membership at ten teams for the 2013 season.

On September 12, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced the addition of Notre Dame in all sports except football. Under the agreement, Notre Dame's football team would play five games against ACC opponents per season but remain classified an FBS independent, while its other sports would be fully integrated into the ACC.[6] The arrangement is effectively a stronger version of the affiliation Notre Dame had had with the Big East since 1995.

The Big Ten Conference, having already added Nebraska in 2011, admitted two more schools to expand the conference's geographic footprint to the East Coast. Maryland, coming from the ACC, was announced as the 13th member on November 19, followed by Rutgers of the Big East as the 14th member on November 21.[7][8] Both moves would take effect during the 2014–15 academic year.

To keep its football membership at an even number, the ACC added Louisville on November 28 as a replacement for departing Maryland.[9]

Updated stadiums

Expanded stadiums

  • Boise State moved their track and field program out of Bronco Stadium, allowing for the expansion of end zone bleachers over the existing track. The new permanent additions increased capacity from 33,500 to 37,000.
  • Nebraska continued its expansion of Memorial Stadium that would push its capacity beyond 90,000.
  • TCU completed a major renovation of Amon G. Carter Stadium. Seating capacity increased only by about 600 seats to 45,000.
  • Texas State nearly doubled the size of Bobcat Stadium as part of its FBS transition. The venue, which formerly contained about 16,000 seats, now holds 30,000.

Renovated stadiums

  • California returned to California Memorial Stadium following major renovations, which included a full seismic retrofit, as the stadium is located directly on a major fault. The stadium's capacity was reduced from 71,800 to 62,700. The Golden Bears played their 2011 home schedule at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and also played what was officially a neutral-site game against Fresno State at Candlestick Park, also in San Francisco.
  • Clemson renovated the video systems at Clemson Memorial Stadium prior to the start of the 2012 season. A new Jumbotron was installed on the primary scoreboard behind the East endzone, while two smaller video boards were installed on each side of the WestZone stands. In addition, video ribbons were installed along the facings of the upper decks.
  • Michigan State completed a complete overhaul of their sound and video system with the addition of two video boards in the north end zone, a video ribbon along the entire north edge and installation of the fourth largest scoreboard in the NCAA in the south end zone.

Temporary stadiums

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.

Conference standings

More information Conf., Overall ...
2012 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Atlantic Division
No. 10 Florida State xy$ 7–1  12–2 
No. 11 Clemson x 7–1  11–2 
NC State 4–4  7–6 
Wake Forest 3–5  5–7 
Maryland 2–6  4–8 
Boston College 1–7  2–10 
Coastal Division
Georgia Tech xy 5–3  7–7 
North Carolina† 5–3  8–4 
Miami (FL)‡ 5–3  7–5 
Virginia Tech 4–4  7–6 
Duke 3–5  6–7 
Virginia 2–6  4–8 
Championship: Florida State 21, Georgia Tech 15
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • † North Carolina ineligible for ACC title, championship game, and bowl game due to NCAA sanctions.[10]
    ‡ Miami ineligible for ACC title, championship game, and bowl game due to self-imposed sanctions.[10]
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Big East Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 13 Louisville $+ 5–2  11–2 
Cincinnati + 5–2  10–3 
Rutgers + 5–2  9–4 
Syracuse + 5–2  8–5 
Pittsburgh 3–4  6–7 
Connecticut 2–5  5–7 
Temple 2–5  4–7 
South Florida 1–6  3–9 
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Legends Division
No. 25 Nebraska xy 7–1  10–4 
No. 24 Michigan 6–2  8–5 
No. 17 Northwestern 5–3  10–3 
Michigan State 3–5  7–6 
Iowa 2–6  4–8 
Minnesota 2–6  6–7 
Leaders Division
No. 3 Ohio State* x 8–0  12–0 
Penn State* 6–2  8–4 
Wisconsin y$ 4–4  8–6 
Purdue 3–5  6–7 
Indiana 2–6  4–8 
Illinois 0–8  2–10 
Championship: Wisconsin 70, Nebraska 31
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * Ohio State and Penn State ineligible for conference championship game and post-season bowl games due to NCAA sanctions.
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Big 12 Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 12 Kansas State $+ 8–1  11–2 
No. 15 Oklahoma + 8–1  10–3 
No. 19 Texas 5–4  9–4 
Oklahoma State 5–4  8–5 
Baylor 4–5  8–5 
TCU 4–5  7–6 
Texas Tech 4–5  8–5 
West Virginia 4–5  7–6 
Iowa State 3–6  6–7 
Kansas 0–9  1–11 
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Conference USA football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
UCF xy 7–1  10–4 
East Carolina x 7–1  8–5 
Marshall 4–4  5–7 
Memphis 4–4  4–8 
UAB 2–6  3–9 
Southern Miss 0–8  0–12 
West Division
Tulsa xy$ 7–1  11–3 
SMU 5–3  7–6 
Rice 4–4  7–6 
Houston 4–4  5–7 
UTEP 2–6  3–9 
Tulane 2–6  2–10 
Championship: Tulsa 33, UCF 27
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Kent State x 8–0  11–3 
Bowling Green 6–2  8–5 
Ohio 4–4  9–4 
Buffalo 3–5  4–8 
Miami (OH) 3–5  4–8 
UMass 1–7  1–11 
Akron 0–8  1–11 
West Division
No. 22 Northern Illinois x$ 8–0  12–2 
Toledo 6–2  9–4 
Ball State 6–2  9–4 
Central Michigan 4–4  7–6 
Western Michigan 2–6  4–8 
Eastern Michigan 1–7  2–10 
Championship: Northern Illinois 44, Kent State 37
  • $ – Conference champion and BCS representative as top non-AQ school to meet automatic qualification criteria
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • UMass not eligible for conference title or bowl game as part of FBS transition
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Mountain West Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 18 Boise State + 7–1  11–2 
Fresno State + 7–1  9–4 
San Diego State + 7–1  9–4 
Air Force 5–3  6–7 
Nevada 4–4  7–6 
Wyoming 3–5  4–8 
Colorado State 3–5  4–8 
UNLV 2–6  2–11 
New Mexico 1–7  4–9 
Hawaii 1–7  3–9 
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Pac-12 Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
North Division
No. 7 Stanford xy$ 8–1  12–2 
No. 2 Oregon x% 8–1  12–1 
No. 20 Oregon State 6–3  9–4 
Washington 5–4  7–6 
California 2–7  3–9 
Washington State 1–8  3–9 
South Division
UCLA xy 6–3  9–5 
Arizona State 5–4  8–5 
USC 5–4  7–6 
Arizona 4–5  8–5 
Utah 3–6  5–7 
Colorado 1–8  1–11 
Championship: Stanford 27, UCLA 24
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Eastern Division
No. T–5 Georgia xy 7–1  12–2 
No. 9 Florida x% 7–1  11–2 
No. 8 South Carolina 6–2  11–2 
No. 23 Vanderbilt 5–3  9–4 
Missouri 2–6  5–7 
Tennessee 1–7  5–7 
Kentucky 0–8  2–10 
Western Division
No. 1 Alabama x$# 7–1  13–1 
No. 14 LSU * 6–2  10–3 
No. T–5 Texas A&M 6–2  11–2 
Mississippi State 4–4  8–5 
Ole Miss * 3–5  7–6 
Arkansas 2–6  4–8 
Auburn 0–8  3–9 
Championship: Alabama 32, Georgia 28
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * Ole Miss and LSU vacated all wins due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Arkansas State $ 7–1  10–3 
Louisiana–Monroe 6–2  8–5 
Middle Tennessee 6–2  8–4 
Louisiana–Lafayette * 4–2  5–4 
Western Kentucky 4–4  7–6 
Troy 3–5  5–7 
North Texas 3–5  4–8 
Florida Atlantic 2–6  3–9 
FIU 2–6  3–9 
South Alabama ** 1–7  2–11 
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 4 wins due to NCAA violations.
    ** – South Alabama was ineligible for the conference title or a bowl game as part of their transition to the FBS.
2012 Western Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 16 Utah State $ 6–0  11–2 
No. 21 San Jose State 5–1  11–2 
Louisiana Tech 4–2  9–3 
UTSA * 3–3  8–4 
Texas State * 2–4  4–8 
Idaho 1–5  1–11 
New Mexico State 0–6  1–11 
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * Texas State and UTSA were not eligible for conference title or bowl games as part of their transition to the FBS.
Rankings from AP Poll
2012 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
BYU  –   8–5 
Navy  –   8–5 
Army  –   2–10 
No. 4 Notre Dame  % –   0*–0 
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • *All wins and national championship appearance for Notre Dame (12–1) in the 2012 season were vacated
Rankings from AP Poll
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FCS team wins over FBS teams

Italics denotes FCS teams.

More information Date, Visiting team ...
DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceRef.
August 30 No. 12 (FCS) Eastern Washington Idaho Kibbie Dome • Moscow, Idaho  20–3  11,136[11]
August 30 McNeese State Middle Tennessee Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, Tennessee  27–21  18,690[11]
September 1 UT Martin Memphis Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, Tennessee  20–17  39,076[11]
September 1 No. 13 (FCS) Youngstown State Pittsburgh Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania  31–17  40,837[11]
September 8 No. 18 (FCS) Illinois State Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, Michigan  31–14  7,654[11]
September 8 No. 2 (FCS) North Dakota State Colorado State Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium • Fort Collins, Colorado  22–7  23,567[11]
September 8 Northern Arizona UNLV Sam Boyd Stadium • Whitney, Nevada  17–14  15,257[11]
September 8 Sacramento State Colorado Folsom Field • Boulder, Colorado  30–28  46,843[11]
September 15 Cal Poly Wyoming War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, Wyoming  24–22  21,728[11]
September 29 No. 18 (FCS) Stony Brook Army Michie Stadium • West Point, New York  23–3  31,006[11]
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.
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Conference summaries

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

Conference championship games

More information Conference, Champion ...
Conference Champion Runner-Up Score Offensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Coach of the Year
ACC No. 13 Florida State Georgia Tech 21–15 Tajh Boyd, Clemson[12] Björn Werner, Florida State[13] David Cutcliffe, Duke[14]
Big Ten Wisconsin No. 14 Nebraska 70–31 Braxton Miller, Ohio State[15] John Simon, Ohio State[15] Bill O'Brien, Penn State[15]
C-USA Tulsa UCF 33–27 Rakeem Cato, Marshall (MVP) &
Zach Line, SMU		 Kemal Ishmael, UCF Bill Blankenship, Tulsa
MAC No. 19 Northern Illinois No. 18 Kent State 44–37 Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois[16] Chris Jones, Bowling Green[16] Darrell Hazell, Kent State[16]
Pac-12 No. 8 Stanford No. 17 UCLA 27–24 Marqise Lee, USC[17] Will Sutton, Arizona State[17] David Shaw, Stanford[17]
SEC No. 2 Alabama No. 3 Georgia 32–28 Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M[18][19] Jarvis Jones, Georgia (AP)[18] & Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (coaches)[19] Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M (AP and coaches)[18][19] & Will Muschamp, Florida (coaches)[19]
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Other conference champions

More information Conference, Champion(s) ...
Conference Champion(s) Record Offensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Coach of the Year
Big 12 No. 7 Kansas State*
No. 12 Oklahoma		 11–1 (8–1)
10–2 (8–1)		 Collin Klein, Kansas State Arthur Brown, Kansas State Bill Snyder, Kansas State
Big East Cincinnati

Louisville*
Rutgers
Syracuse

 9–3 (5–2)

10–2 (5–2)
9–3 (5–2)
7–5 (5–2)

 Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville Khaseem Greene, Rutgers Charlie Strong, Louisville &
Kyle Flood, Rutgers
MWC No. 25 Boise State
Fresno State
San Diego State		 10–2 (7–1)
9–3 (7–1)
9–3 (7–1)		 Derek Carr, Fresno State Phillip Thomas, Fresno State Rocky Long, San Diego State
Sun Belt Arkansas State 9–3 (7–1) Kolton Browning, Louisiana-Monroe Quanterus Smith, Western Kentucky Todd Berry, Louisiana-Monroe
WAC No. 20 Utah State 10–2 (6–0) Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech Travis Johnson, San Jose State Gary Andersen, Utah State
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* Received conference's automatic BCS bowl bid.

Final BCS rankings

More information BCS, School ...
BCS School Record Bowl Game
1 Notre Dame 12–0 BCS Championship
2 Alabama 12–1 BCS Championship
3 Florida 11–1 Sugar
4 Oregon 11–1 Fiesta
5 Kansas State 11–1 Fiesta
6 Stanford 11–2 Rose
7 Georgia 11–2 Capital One
8 LSU 10–2 Chick-fil-A
9 Texas A&M 10–2 Cotton
10 South Carolina 10–2 Outback
11 Oklahoma 10–2 Cotton
12 Florida State 11–2 Orange
13 Oregon State 9–3 Alamo
14 Clemson 10–2 Chick-fil-A
15 Northern Illinois 12–1 Orange
16 Nebraska 10–3 Capital One
17 UCLA 9–4 Holiday
18 Michigan 8–4 Outback
19 Boise State 10–2 Maaco Las Vegas
20 Northwestern 9–3 Gator
21 Louisville 10–2 Sugar
22 Utah State 10–2 Famous Idaho Potato
23 Texas 8–4 Alamo
24 San Jose State 10–2 Military
25 Kent State 11–2 GoDaddy.com
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  • Despite not being in the BCS rankings, Wisconsin (8–5) played in the Rose Bowl by virtue of being the Big Ten Champion.

Bowl games

Main article: 2012–13 NCAA football bowl games

Bowl Championship Series

More information Date, Game ...
Date Game Site Television Teams Affiliations Winner
Jan. 1 Rose Bowl presented by Vizio Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
5:00 pm		 ESPN No. 6 Stanford Cardinal (11–2)
Wisconsin Badgers (8–5)		 Pac-12
Big Ten		 Stanford 20–14
Discover Orange Bowl Sun Life Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
8:30 pm		 No. 15 Northern Illinois Huskies (12–1)
No. 12 Florida State Seminoles (11–2)		 MAC (non-AQ)
ACC		 Florida State 31–10
Jan. 2 Allstate Sugar Bowl Mercedes-Benz Superdome
New Orleans
8:30 pm		 No. 21 Louisville Cardinals (10–2)
No. 3 Florida Gators (11–1)		 Big East
SEC (At-large)		 Louisville 33–23
Jan. 3 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
8:30 pm		 No. 5 Kansas State Wildcats (11–1)
No. 4 Oregon Ducks (11–1)		 Big 12
Pac-12 (At-large)		 Oregon 35–17
Jan. 7 Discover BCS National Championship Sun Life Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
8:30 pm		 No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12–0)
No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12–1)		 Independent
SEC		 Alabama 42–14
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Other bowl games

More information Date, Game ...
Date Game Site Television Teams Affiliations Results
Dec. 15 Gildan New Mexico Bowl University Stadium
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
1:00 pm		 ESPN Nevada Wolf Pack (7–5)
Arizona Wildcats (7–5)		 MWC
Pac-12		 Arizona 49–48
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium
Boise State University
Boise, Idaho
4:30 pm		 Toledo Rockets (9–3)
No. 22 Utah State Aggies (10–2)		 MAC
WAC		 Utah State 41–15
Dec. 20 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego
8:00 pm		 San Diego State Aztecs (9–3)
BYU Cougars (7–5)		 MWC
Independent		 BYU 23–6
Dec. 21 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 pm		 Ball State Cardinals (9–3)
UCF Knights (9–4)		 MAC
C-USA		 UCF 38–17
Dec. 22 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Mercedes-Benz Superdome
New Orleans
12:00 pm		 East Carolina Pirates (8–4)
Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (8–4)		 C-USA
Sun Belt		 Louisiana–Lafayette 43–34
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas Sam Boyd Stadium
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Whitney, Nevada
3:30 pm		 No. 19 Boise State Broncos (10–2)
Washington Huskies (7–5)		 MWC
Pac-12		 Boise State 28–26
Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl Aloha Stadium
Honolulu, HI
8:00 pm		 SMU Mustangs (6–6)
Fresno State Bulldogs (9–3)		 C-USA
MWC		 SMU 43–10
Dec. 26 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Ford Field
Detroit
7:30 pm		 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (7–5)
Central Michigan Chippewas (6–6)		 Sun Belt
MAC		 Central Michigan 24–21
Dec. 27 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman RFK Stadium
Washington, D.C.
3:00 pm		 No. 24 San Jose State Spartans (10–2)
Bowling Green Falcons (8–4)		 WAC
MAC		 San Jose State 29–20
Belk Bowl Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
6:30 pm		 Duke Blue Devils (6–6)
Cincinnati Bearcats (9–3)		 ACC
Big East		 Cincinnati 48–34
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego
9:45 pm		 Baylor Bears (7–5)
No. 17 UCLA Bruins (9–4)		 Big 12
Pac-12		 Baylor 49–26
Dec. 28 Advocare V100 Independence Bowl Independence Stadium
Shreveport, Louisiana
2:00 pm		 Ohio Bobcats (8–4)
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (8–4)		 MAC
Sun Belt		 Ohio 45–14
Russell Athletic Bowl Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida
5:30 pm		 Virginia Tech Hokies (6–6)
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9–3)		 ACC
Big East		 Virginia Tech 13–10
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas Reliant Stadium
Houston
9:00 pm		 Minnesota Golden Gophers (6–6)
Texas Tech Red Raiders (7–5)		 Big Ten
Big 12		 Texas Tech 34–31
Dec. 29 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas
11:45 am		 Rice Owls (6–6)
Air Force Falcons (6–6)		 C-USA
MWC		 Rice 33–14
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl AT&T Park
San Francisco
3:15 pm		 ESPN2 Arizona State Sun Devils (7–5)
Navy Midshipmen (7–4)		 Pac-12
Independent		 Arizona State 62–28
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium
Bronx, New York
3:15 pm		 ESPN Syracuse Orange (7–5)
West Virginia Mountaineers (7–5)		 Big East
Big 12		 Syracuse 38–14
Valero Alamo Bowl Alamodome
San Antonio, Texas
6:45 pm		 No. 23 Texas Longhorns (8–4)
No. 13 Oregon State Beavers (9–3)		 Big 12
Pac-12		 Texas 31–27
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Sun Devil Stadium
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona
10:15 pm		 Michigan State Spartans (6–6)
TCU Horned Frogs (7–5)		 Big Ten
Big 12		 Michigan State 17–16
Dec. 31 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl LP Field
Nashville, Tennessee
12:05 pm		 Vanderbilt Commodores (8–4)
NC State Wolfpack (7–5)		 SEC
ACC		 Vanderbilt 38–24
Hyundai Sun Bowl Sun Bowl Stadium
University of Texas El Paso
El Paso, Texas
2:00 pm		 CBS Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6–7)
USC Trojans (7–5)		 ACC
Pac-12		 Georgia Tech 21–7
Autozone Liberty Bowl Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Memphis, Tennessee
3:30 pm		 ESPN Iowa State Cyclones (6–6)
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (10–3)		 Big 12
C-USA		 Tulsa 31–17
Chick-fil-A Bowl Georgia Dome
Atlanta
7:30 pm		 No. 14 Clemson Tigers (10–2)
No. 8 LSU Tigers (10–2)		 ACC
SEC		 Clemson 25–24
Jan. 1 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl EverBank Field
Jacksonville, Florida
12:00 pm		 ESPN2 Mississippi State Bulldogs (8–4)
No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats (9–3)		 SEC
Big Ten		 Northwestern 34–20
Heart of Dallas Bowl Cotton Bowl
Dallas
12:00 pm		 ESPNU Purdue Boilermakers (6–6)
Oklahoma State Cowboys (7–5)		 Big Ten
Big 12		 Oklahoma State 58–14
Capital One Bowl Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida
1:00 pm		 ABC No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs (11–2)
No. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10–3)		 SEC
Big Ten		 Georgia 45–31
Outback Bowl Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
1:00 pm		 ESPN No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks (10–2)
No. 18 Michigan Wolverines (8–4)		 SEC
Big Ten		 South Carolina 33–28
Jan. 4 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Cowboys Stadium
Arlington, Texas
8:00 pm		 FOX No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies (10–2)
No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners (10–2)		 SEC
Big 12		 Texas A&M 41–13
Jan. 5 BBVA Compass Bowl Legion Field
Birmingham, Alabama
1:00 pm		 ESPN Pittsburgh Panthers (6–6)
Ole Miss Rebels (6–6)		 Big East
SEC		 Ole Miss 38–17
Jan. 6 GoDaddy.com Bowl Ladd–Peebles Stadium
Mobile, Alabama
9:00 pm		 ESPN No. 25 Kent State Golden Flashes (11–2)
Arkansas State Red Wolves (9–3)		 MAC
Sun Belt		 Arkansas State 17–13
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Bowl Challenge Cup standings

More information Conference, Total Games ...
ConferenceTotal GamesWinsLossesPct.
WAC2201.000
C-USA541.800
ACC642.667
SEC963.667
Big East532.600
Pac-12844.500
Sun Belt422.500
Big 12945.444
Independents312.333
Big Ten725.286
MAC725.286
MWC514.200
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Awards and honors

Heisman Trophy voting

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

More information Player, School ...
PlayerSchoolPosition1st2nd3rdTotal
Johnny ManzielTexas A&MQB4742521032,029
Manti Te'oNotre DameLB3213091261,706
Collin KleinKansas StateQB60197320894
Marqise LeeUSCWR193384207
Braxton MillerOhio StateQB32977144
Jadeveon ClowneySouth CarolinaDE4132361
Jordan LynchNorthern IllinoisQB382752
Tavon AustinWest VirginiaWR642147
Kenjon BarnerOregonRB1121542
Jarvis JonesGeorgiaLB1101841
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Other major awards

Special awards

Offense

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Lineman

Defense

Defensive line

Defensive back

Special teams

Coaches

Assistants

All-Americans

Main article: 2012 College Football All-America Team

Records

  • The FBS record for most consecutive passes attempted from the start of a season with no interceptions, previously set by Trent Dilfer of Fresno State in 1993, was broken twice on October 20:
  • On November 10, Cameron broke Russell Wilson's FBS career record for most consecutive passes attempted without an interception (379) in Louisiana Tech's 62–55 win over Texas State.[22] Cameron's interception-free streak ended one week later in the second quarter of the Bulldogs' 48–41 overtime loss to Utah State.[23] His single-season streak ended at 428 attempts,[24] and his overall record, which included pass attempts in the 2011 Poinsettia Bowl, ended at 444.[23]
  • In the same game in which Cameron broke Wilson's no-interceptions mark, his teammate, running back Kenneth Dixon, set three single-season FBS freshman records:[22]
    • Dixon finished the game with 25 total touchdowns, breaking the record of 23 set by Marshall Faulk of San Diego State in 1991. He finished the season with 28 touchdowns (the Bulldogs did not play in a bowl despite a 9–3 record).[25]
    • Of those 25 touchdowns, 24 were on the ground, breaking the previous record of 21 rushing touchdowns set by Faulk and equaled in 2009 by Ryan Williams of Virginia Tech. Dixon ended the season with 27 rushing TDs.[25]
    • Dixon ended the game with 150 points on the season, breaking Faulk's previous record of 140. He ended the season with 168 points.[25]
  • On November 24, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball scored his 79th career touchdown during the Badgers' 24–21 loss to Penn State, breaking the previous record of Miami (OH) running back Travis Prentice.[26]
  • In the Big Ten Championship Game on December 1, Ball added to his collection of FBS records. In the Badgers' 70–31 win over Nebraska, he scored three touchdowns, all on the ground. Ball, who had entered the game tied with Prentice for the most FBS career rushing touchdowns, took sole possession of the record, ending the game with 76. He also tied Prentice's FBS record for most career games with multiple touchdowns, at 25.[27]

Coaching changes

This list is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2012. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2012, see 2011 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.

Preseason and in-season

More information Team, Outgoing coach ...
Team Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
Idaho Robb Akey October 21 Fired[28] Jason Gesser (interim)
Tennessee Derek Dooley November 18 Fired[29] Jim Chaney (interim)
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End of season

More information Team, Outgoing coach ...
Team Outgoing coach Date announced Reason Replacement
Kentucky Joker Phillips November 4 Fired[30] Mark Stoops[31]
Western Michigan Bill Cubit November 17 Fired[32] P. J. Fleck[33]
UTEP Mike Price November 19 Retired[34] Sean Kugler[35]
California Jeff Tedford November 20 Fired[36] Sonny Dykes[37]
Arkansas John L. Smith November 24 Fired[38] Bret Bielema[39]
Auburn Gene Chizik November 25 Fired[40] Gus Malzahn[41]
Boston College Frank Spaziani November 25 Fired[42] Steve Addazio[43]
Colorado Jon Embree November 25 Fired[44] Mike MacIntyre[45]
NC State Tom O'Brien November 25 Fired[46] Dave Doeren[47]
Purdue Danny Hope November 25 Fired[48] Darrell Hazell[49]
Southern Miss Ellis Johnson November 27 Fired[50] Todd Monken[51]
Northern Illinois Dave Doeren December 1 Hired by NC State[47] Rod Carey[52]
South Florida Skip Holtz December 2 Fired[53] Willie Taggart[54]
Idaho Jason Gesser December 3 Permanent replacement Paul Petrino[55]
Wisconsin Bret Bielema December 4 Hired by Arkansas[39] Barry Alvarez (interim)[56]
Arkansas State Gus Malzahn December 4 Hired by Auburn[41] Bryan Harsin[57]
Temple Steve Addazio December 4 Hired by Boston College[43] Matt Rhule[58]
Kent State Darrell Hazell December 4 Hired by Purdue[49] Paul Haynes[59]
FIU Mario Cristobal December 5 Fired[60] Ron Turner
Louisiana Tech Sonny Dykes December 5 Hired by California[37] Skip Holtz[61]
Tennessee Jim Chaney December 7 Permanent replacement Butch Jones[62]
Cincinnati Butch Jones December 7 Hired by Tennessee[62] Tommy Tuberville[63]
Western Kentucky Willie Taggart December 7 Hired by South Florida[54] Bobby Petrino[64]
Texas Tech Tommy Tuberville December 8 Hired by Cincinnati[63] Kliff Kingsbury[65]
San Jose State Mike MacIntyre December 10 Hired by Colorado[45] Ron Caragher[66]
Wisconsin Barry Alvarez December 19 Permanent replacement Gary Andersen[67]
Utah State Gary Andersen December 19 Hired by Wisconsin[67] Matt Wells[68]
Nevada Chris Ault December 28 Retired[69] Brian Polian
Syracuse Doug Marrone January 6 Hired by Buffalo Bills[70] Scott Shafer
Oregon Chip Kelly January 16 Hired by Philadelphia Eagles[71] Mark Helfrich[72]
New Mexico State DeWayne Walker January 24 Hired by Jacksonville Jaguars (assistant)[73] Doug Martin
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TV ratings

Most watched regular season games in 2012

More information Rank, Date ...
RankDateMatchupChannelViewersTV RatingSignificance
1 December 1, 4:00 ET No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Alabama CBS 16.2 Million* 9.8 Rating SEC Championship
2 November 24, 8:00 ET No. 1 Notre Dame vs. USC ABC 16.1 Million* 9.4 Rating Notre Dame–USC rivalry
3 November 3, 8:00 ET No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 5 LSU CBS 11.3 Million 6.8 Rating Alabama–LSU rivalry
4 November 10, 3:30 ET No. 15 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Alabama CBS 9.6 Million 6.1 Rating Manziel beats Bama
5 November 24, 12:00 ET No. 19 Michigan vs. No. 4** Ohio State ABC 9.5 Million 5.8 Rating The Game
6 October 27, 8:00 ET No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 Oklahoma ABC 8.6 Million 5.2 Rating
7 November 24, 3:30 ET No. 4 Florida vs. No. 10 Florida State ABC 8.5 Million 5.1 Rating Florida–Florida State rivalry
8 November 17, 8:00 ET No. 13 Stanford vs. No. 2 Oregon ABC 8.3 Million 5.1 Rating
9 September 1, 8:00 ET No. 8** Michigan vs. No. 2** Alabama ABC 7.9 Million 4.8 Rating Cowboys Classic
10 October 6, 3:30 ET No. 4** LSU vs. No. 10** Florida CBS 7.5 Million 4.6 Rating Florida–LSU rivalry
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Note(*): Games rate in the top six most watched games of the last 20 years.

Note(**): Rankings reflect AP Poll Standings. (All other rankings reflect BCS Standings at the time of the game)

Attendances

More information Team, G ...
TeamGTotalAverage
Air Force6192,08732,015
Akron655,6529,275
Alabama7712,052101,722
UAB691,62315,271
Arizona8383,45147,931
Arizona State6341,00756,835
Arkansas7476,32168,046
Arkansas State6158,38926,398
Army7225,43232,205
Auburn7578,52182,646
Ball State564,64912,930
Baylor6247,16541,194
Boise State6212,42535,404
Boston College6222,11837,020
Bowling Green694,62515,771
BYU6366,96561,161
Buffalo679,45113,242
California7391,13055,876
UCF6207,64634,608
Central Michigan7112,24916,036
Cincinnati7203,96529,138
Clemson7569,98881,427
Colorado6272,23545,373
Colorado State6115,50119,250
Connecticut6208,03234,672
Duke7197,19028,170
East Carolina6282,07647,013
Eastern Michigan623,5363,923
Florida7613,18287,597
Florida Atlantic567,29313,459
FIU681,80613,634
Florida State7529,20875,601
Fresno State6185,48830,915
Georgia7648,92292,703
Georgia Tech7307,68243,955
Hawaii6180,18630,031
Houston7190,72927,247
Idaho562,90812,582
Illinois7318,95045,564
Indiana6268,81344,802
Iowa7493,31570,474
Iowa State7386,91755,274
Kansas6247,97141,329
Kansas State7351,94350,278
Kent State589,40117,880
Kentucky7347,83849,691
Louisiana–Lafayette6137,19022,865
Louisiana–Monroe6149,88424,981
LSU8741,00592,626
Louisiana Tech6155,04525,841
Louisville7349,93849,991
Marshall6149,37724,896
Maryland6216,13536,023
Memphis6146,22724,371
Miami Hurricanes6286,31547,719
Miami RedHawks576,66515,333
Michigan6673,511112,252
Michigan State7527,67175,382
Middle Tennessee588,69117,738
Minnesota7326,45646,637
Mississippi State7389,39655,628
Missouri7472,33367,476
Navy5161,81732,363
Nebraska7598,61785,517
Nevada6140,59123,432
UNLV7106,45615,208
New Mexico6133,84022,307
New Mexico State685,48014,247
North Carolina7352,00050,286
NC State6324,63854,106
North Texas594,63418,927
Northern Illinois7146,13920,877
Northwestern7249,87735,697
Notre Dame6484,77080,795
Ohio6131,06321,844
Ohio State8842,637105,330
Oklahoma6511,46085,243
Oklahoma State7395,89756,557
Ole Miss7399,46257,066
Oregon7402,42957,490
Oregon State7303,97143,424
Penn State7677,10896,730
Pittsburgh6248,96441,494
Purdue7305,11843,588
Rice5101,62320,325
Rutgers6295,12949,188
San Diego State8247,02930,879
San Jose State664,73210,789
SMU7149,04221,292
South Carolina7560,00880,001
South Florida6264,78044,130
Southern California6527,67087,945
Southern Miss6154,50325,751
Stanford7303,40243,343
Syracuse5189,76337,953
Temple6159,48126,580
Tennessee7629,75289,965
Texas6605,304100,884
Texas A&M6522,08387,014
TCU6276,28146,047
UTEP6176,24429,374
Texas Tech6343,25157,209
Toledo6123,30920,552
Troy6125,70920,952
Tulane7126,59318,085
Tulsa7140,14320,020
UCLA7479,37068,481
Utah6272,08045,347
Utah State6120,32120,054
Vanderbilt6227,16137,860
Virginia7326,54846,650
Virginia Tech6393,79265,632
Wake Forest7202,38728,912
Washington6351,69958,617
Washington State5151,25930,252
West Virginia7391,40955,916
Western Kentucky6104,48817,415
Western Michigan687,47514,579
Wisconsin7560,03980,006
Wyoming6117,32719,555
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Source:[74]

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