2016 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
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| 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Season | 2016 |
| Bowl season | 2016–17 bowl games |
| Preseason No. 1 | |
| End of season champions | Clemson |
| Conference with most teams in final AP poll | ACC, SEC, Pac-12 (5) |
Two human polls and a committee's selections comprised the 2016 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that began in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. One additional poll was released midway through the season; the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings are released after the eighth week.
This was the third season of the four-team College Football Playoff system which replaced the previous Bowl Championship Series system. At the conclusion of the regular season, on Sunday, December 4, 2016, the final CFP rankings determined who would play in the two bowl games designated as semifinals for the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 9, 2017, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week or no change | ||
| Selected for College Football Playoff | ||
(#–#) |
Win–loss record | |
(Italics) |
Number of first place votes | |
т |
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
AP Poll
| Preseason Aug 21[1] | Week 1 Sep 6[2] | Week 2 Sep 11[3] | Week 3 Sep 18[4] | Week 4 Sep 25[5] | Week 5 Oct 2[6] | Week 6 Oct 10[7] | Week 7 Oct 16[8] | Week 8 Oct 23[9] | Week 9 Oct 30[10] | Week 10 Nov 6[11] | Week 11 Nov 13[12] | Week 12 Nov 20[13] | Week 13 Nov 27[14] | Week 14 Dec 4[15] | Week 15 (Final) Jan 10 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Alabama (33) | Alabama (1–0) (54) | Alabama (2–0) (56) | Alabama (3–0) (50) | Alabama (4–0) (50) | Alabama (5–0) (53) | Alabama (6–0) (56) | Alabama (7–0) (60) | Alabama (8–0) (60) | Alabama (8–0) (60) | Alabama (9–0) (60) | Alabama (10–0) (61) | Alabama (11–0) (61) | Alabama (12–0) (61) | Alabama (13–0) | Clemson (14–1) (60) | 1. |
| 2. | Clemson (16) | Clemson (1–0) (2) | Florida State (2–0) (4) | Ohio State (3–0) (4) | Ohio State (3–0) (4) | Ohio State (4–0) (6) | Ohio State (5–0) (2) | Ohio State (6–0) | Michigan (7–0) (1) | Michigan (8–0) (1) | Michigan (9–0) (1) | Ohio State (9–1) | Ohio State (10–1) | Ohio State (11–1) | Ohio State (11–1) | Alabama (14–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Oklahoma (4) | Florida State (1–0) (4) | Ohio State (2–0) | Louisville (3–0) (6) | Louisville (4–0) (6) | Clemson (5–0) (1) | Clemson (6–0) (2) | Michigan (6–0) (1) | Clemson (7–0) | Clemson (8–0) | Clemson (9–0) | Louisville (9–1) | Michigan (10–1) | Clemson (11–1) | Clemson (12–1) | USC (10–3) | 3. |
| 4. | Florida State (5) | Ohio State (1–0) | Michigan (2–0) (1) | Michigan (3–0) (1) | Michigan (4–0) (1) | Michigan (5–0) (1) | Michigan (6–0) (1) | Clemson (7–0) | Washington (7–0) | Washington (8–0) | Washington (9–0) | Michigan (9–1) | Clemson (10–1) | Washington (11–1) | Washington (12–1) | Washington (12–2) | 4. |
| 5. | LSU (1) | Michigan (1–0) (1) | Clemson (2–0) | Clemson (3–0) | Clemson (4–0) | Washington (5–0) | Washington (6–0) | Washington (6–0) | Louisville (6–1) | Louisville (7–1) | Louisville (8–1) | Clemson (9–1) | Wisconsin (9–2) | Michigan (10–2) | Penn State (11–2) | Oklahoma (11–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Ohio State (1) | Houston (1–0) | Houston (2–0) | Houston (3–0) | Houston (4–0) | Houston (5–0) | Texas A&M (6–0) | Texas A&M (6–0) | Ohio State (6–1) | Ohio State (7–1) | Ohio State (8–1) | Wisconsin (8–2) | Washington (10–1) | Wisconsin (10–2) | Michigan (10–2) | Ohio State (11–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Michigan (1) | Stanford (1–0) | Stanford (1–0) | Stanford (2–0) | Stanford (3–0) | Louisville (4–1) | Louisville (4–1) | Louisville (5–1) | Nebraska (7–0) | Texas A&M (7–1) | Wisconsin (7–2) | Washington (9–1) | Oklahoma (9–2) | Oklahoma (9–2) | Oklahoma (10–2) | Penn State (11–3) | 7. |
| 8. | Stanford | Washington (1–0) | Washington (2–0) | Michigan State (2–0) | Wisconsin (4–0) | Texas A&M (5–0) | Wisconsin (4–1) | Nebraska (6–0) | Baylor (6–0) | Wisconsin (6–2) | Auburn (7–2) | Oklahoma (8–2) | Penn State (9–2) | Penn State (10–2) | Wisconsin (10–3) | Florida State (10–3) | 8. |
| 9. | Tennessee | Georgia (1–0) | Wisconsin (2–0) | Washington (3–0) | Texas A&M (4–0) | Tennessee (5–0) | Tennessee (5–1) | Baylor (6–0) | Texas A&M (6–1) | Nebraska (7–1) | Oklahoma (7–2) | Penn State (8–2) | Colorado (9–2) | Colorado (10–2) | USC (9–3) | Wisconsin (11–3) | 9. |
| 10. | Notre Dame | Wisconsin (1–0) | Louisville (2–0) | Texas A&M (3–0) | Washington (4–0) | Miami (FL) (4–0) | Nebraska (5–0) | Wisconsin (4–2) | West Virginia (6–0) | Florida (6–1) | Texas A&M (7–2) | West Virginia (8–1) | Oklahoma State (9–2) | USC (9–3) | Florida State (9–3) | Michigan (10–3) | 10. |
| 11. | Ole Miss | Texas (1–0) | Texas (2–0) | Wisconsin (3–0) | Tennessee (4–0) | Wisconsin (4–1) | Baylor (5–0) | Houston (6–1) | Wisconsin (5–2) | Auburn (6–2) | West Virginia (7–1) | Utah (8–2) | Louisville (9–2) | Oklahoma State (9–2) | Colorado (10–3) | Oklahoma State (10–3) | 11. |
| 12. | Michigan State | Michigan State (1–0) | Michigan State (1–0) | Georgia (3–0) | Florida State (3–1) | Nebraska (5–0) | Ole Miss (3–2) | West Virginia (5–0) | Florida State (5–2) | Oklahoma (6–2) | Penn State (7–2) | Colorado (8–2) | USC (8–3) | Florida State (9–3) | Western Michigan (13–0) | Stanford (10–3) | 12. |
| 13. | TCU | Louisville (1–0) | Iowa (2–0) | Florida State (2–1) | Baylor (4–0) | Baylor (5–0) | Houston (5–1) | Florida State (5–2) | Boise State (7–0) | Baylor (6–1) | Utah (7–2) | Oklahoma State (8–2) | Florida (8–2) | Western Michigan (12–0) | Oklahoma State (9–3) | LSU (8–4) | 13. |
| 14. | Washington | Oklahoma (0–1) | Oklahoma (1–1) | Tennessee (3–0) | Miami (FL) (3–0) | Ole Miss (3–2) | Florida State (4–2) | Boise State (6–0) | Florida (5–1) | West Virginia (6–1) | Western Michigan (9–0) | Western Michigan (10–0) | Western Michigan (11–0) | West Virginia (9–2) | West Virginia (10–2) | Florida (9–4) | 14. |
| 15. | Houston | TCU (1–0) | Tennessee (2–0) | Miami (FL) (3–0) | Nebraska (4–0) | Stanford (3–1) | Boise State (5–0) | Florida (5–1) | Auburn (5–2) | LSU (5–2) | North Carolina (7–2) | USC (7–3) | Florida State (8–3) | Florida (8–3) | Louisville (9–3) | Western Michigan (13–1) | 15. |
| 16. | UCLA | Iowa (1–0) | Georgia (2–0) | Baylor (3–0) | Ole Miss (2–2) | Arkansas (4–1) | Miami (FL) (4–1) | Oklahoma (4–2) | Oklahoma (5–2) | Utah (7–2) | Colorado (7–2) | LSU (6–3) | Auburn (8–3) | Louisville (9–3) | Stanford (9–3) | Virginia Tech (10–4) | 16. |
| 17. | Iowa | Tennessee (1–0) | Texas A&M (2–0) | Arkansas (3–0) | Michigan State (2–1) | North Carolina (4–1) | Virginia Tech (4–1) | Arkansas (5–2) | Utah (7–1) | Western Michigan (8–0) | Oklahoma State (7–2) | Florida State (7–3) | Nebraska (9–2) | Stanford (9–3) | Auburn (8–4) | Colorado (10–4) | 17. |
| 18. | Georgia | Notre Dame (0–1) | Notre Dame (1–1) | LSU (2–1) | Utah (4–0) | Florida (4–1) | Florida (4–1) | Tennessee (5–2) | Tennessee (5–2) | North Carolina (6–2) | Virginia Tech (7–2) | Auburn (7–3) | Houston (9–2) | Auburn (8–4) | Virginia Tech (9–4) | West Virginia (10–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Louisville | Ole Miss (0–1) | Ole Miss (1–1) | Florida (3–0) | San Diego State (3–0) | Boise State (4–0) | Oklahoma (3–2) | Utah (6–1) | LSU (5–2) | Florida State (5–3) | LSU (5–3) | Nebraska (8–2) | West Virginia (8–2) | Virginia Tech (9–3) | LSU (7–4) | South Florida (11–2) | 19. |
| 20. | USC | Texas A&M (1–0) | LSU (1–1) | Nebraska (3–0) | Arkansas (3–1) | Oklahoma (2–2) | West Virginia (4–0) | Western Michigan (7–0) | Western Michigan (8–0) | Penn State (6–2) | Florida State (6–3) | Washington State (8–2) | Boise State (10–1) | Navy (9–2) | Florida (8–4) | Miami (FL) (9–4) | 20. |
| 21. | Oklahoma State | LSU (0–1) | Baylor (2–0) | Texas (2–1) | TCU (3–1) | Colorado (4–1) | Utah (5–1) | Auburn (4–2) | North Carolina (6–2) | Colorado (6–2) | Nebraska (7–2) | Florida (7–2) | Utah (8–3) | LSU (7–4) | Iowa (8–4) | Louisville (9–4) | 21. |
| 22. | North Carolina | Oklahoma State (1–0) | Oregon (2–0) | San Diego State (3–0) | Texas (2–1) | West Virginia (4–0) | Arkansas (4–2) | North Carolina (5–2) | Navy (5–1) | Oklahoma State (6–2) | Florida (6–2) | Boise State (9–1) | Texas A&M (8–3) | Iowa (8–4) | Pittsburgh (8–4) | Tennessee (9–4) | 22. |
| 23. | Baylor | Baylor (1–0) | Florida (2–0) | Ole Miss (1–2) | Florida (3–1) | Florida State (3–2) | Auburn (4–2) | Ole Miss (3–3) | Colorado (6–2) | Virginia Tech (6–2) | Washington State (7–2) | Texas A&M (7–3) | Washington State (8–3) | Nebraska (9–3) | Temple (10–3) | Utah (9–4) | 23. |
| 24. | Oregon | Oregon (1–0) | Arkansas (2–0) | Utah (3–0) | Boise State (3–0) | Utah (4–1) | Western Michigan (6–0) | Navy (4–1) | Penn State (5–2) | Boise State (7–1) | Boise State (8–1) | San Diego State (9–1) | Tennessee (8–3) | Pittsburgh (8–4) т | Nebraska (9–3) | Auburn (8–5) | 24. |
| 25. | Florida | Miami (FL) (1–0) | Miami (FL) (2–0) | Oklahoma (1–2) | Georgia (3–1) | Virginia Tech (3–1) | Navy (4–1) | LSU (4–2) | Virginia Tech (5–2) | Washington State (6–2) | Baylor (6–2) | Troy (8–1) | LSU (6–4) | South Florida (10–2) т | South Florida (10–2) | San Diego State (11–3) | 25. |
| Preseason Aug 21[1] | Week 1 Sep 6[2] | Week 2 Sep 11[3] | Week 3 Sep 18[4] | Week 4 Sep 25[5] | Week 5 Oct 2[6] | Week 6 Oct 10[7] | Week 7 Oct 16[8] | Week 8 Oct 23[9] | Week 9 Oct 30[10] | Week 10 Nov 6[11] | Week 11 Nov 13[12] | Week 12 Nov 20[13] | Week 13 Nov 27[14] | Week 14 Dec 4[15] | Week 15 (Final) Jan 10 | ||
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