2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season

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2022 NCAA Division I FBS season
Number of teams131
DurationAugust 27 –
December 10, 2022
Preseason AP No. 1Alabama
Post-season
DurationDecember 16, 2022 – January 9, 2023
Bowl games42[a]
AP Poll No. 1Georgia
Coaches Poll No. 1Georgia
Heisman TrophyCaleb Williams, QB, USC
College Football Playoff
2023 College Football Playoff National Championship
SiteSoFi Stadium
Inglewood, California
Champion(s)Georgia
NCAA Division I FBS football seasons
← 2021
2023 →

The 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 153rd season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 27 and ended on December 10. The postseason began on December 16, and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, ended on January 9, 2023, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Georgia Bulldogs successfully defended their national championship when they defeated the TCU Horned Frogs, 65–7. It was the first time in the College Football Playoff era that a team won back-to-back championships. This was the ninth season of the College Football Playoff (CFP) system.

Rule changes[edit]

The following rule changes were approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel for the 2022 season.[1]

  • In games featuring instant replay, when players are disqualified for a targeting call in the second half or in overtime (which requires a carryover penalty of sitting out the first half of the next scheduled game), an appeal process will be available to allow the National Coordinator of Officials to review tapes of the targeting penalty for consideration of not requiring the player to sit out the first half of the following game.
  • Injury timeouts awarded due to "deceptive actions" during a game will also be able to be reviewed by the National Coordinator of Officials to determine what sanctions, if any, against teams who use this tactic, enforced at the conference or school level.
  • Blocking below the waist will only be permitted inside the tackle box by linemen and stationary backs. Blocks below the waist outside of the tackle box are not allowed.
  • The penalty for players who commit illegal blocks or contact after a signal for a fair catch is changed from 15-yards to 10-yards, and is no longer considered a personal foul.
  • Defensive holding will remain a 10-yard penalty but will now always carry an automatic first down. Previously automatic first downs on defensive holding were awarded if the quarterback attempted a pass.
  • Codifying the rule change made shortly after the 2021 ACC Championship Game, ball carriers who simulate a feet-first slide will be declared down at that spot. This rule has informally been referred to as the "Kenny Pickett Rule".
  • Defensive players who commit unsportsmanlike conduct penalties during a pass or run play will have the 15-yard penalty enforced from the end of the run/pass like a personal foul penalty.
  • Uniform rules were changed to require the sock/leg covering to go from the shoe to the bottom of the pants, similar to the NFL rule.
  • Illegal touching (intentional) of a forward pass by an ineligible receiver now includes a loss of down penalty in addition to the yardage (5-yards).

Other headlines[edit]

  • March 1 – The Sun Belt Conference released its 2022 football schedule. Notably, the schedule included Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss, schools that had announced their departure from Conference USA and were then in a dispute with C-USA regarding their departure date, with Marshall having sued C-USA. The SBC release did not mention the dispute or the possibility that the three schools would not be able to join for the 2022 season.[2]
  • March 29 – C-USA and the three aforementioned schools reached a settlement that allowed said schools to join the SBC in July 2022.[3]
  • May 18 – The NCAA Division I Council voted to approve multiple changes to football administrative rules. Among these changes:[4]
    • Restrictions on how conferences determine which teams qualify for their conference title games were removed. The Pac-12 Conference was the first conference to scrap its divisions for the 2022 season. While it will continue its division-based scheduling model for that season, it announced that it would consider other models for future seasons.[5]
    • All annual signing limits were removed for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 academic years. Only the overall scholarship limits (85 players receiving athletically related financial aid throughout D-I football, with 63 full scholarship equivalents in FCS) remain in place for those seasons.
    • A win over an FCS team will count toward bowl eligibility if the FCS team awards at least 80% of that subdivision's limit of 63 scholarship equivalents over a two-year rolling period, down from the previous 90%. This made permanent a change that the NCAA had made on an ad hoc basis in 2020.
    • The council made permanent a set of criteria, originally established on an ad hoc basis in 2020, for filling bowl slots in seasons when the number of bowl slots is greater than the number of teams with .500 records.
  • May 20 – The Mountain West Conference announced that it would eliminate its football divisions starting with the 2023 season.[6]
  • June 10 – The American Athletic Conference and the three schools set to depart from that league (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF) announced that they had reached a buyout agreement that will allow those schools to join the Big 12 Conference in 2023.[7]
  • June 16 – The American confirmed the 2023 entry date for the six schools scheduled to join that league from Conference USA—Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA.[8]
  • June 28 – The ACC approved a new football schedule format after the May 18 NCAA ruling. Starting in 2023, the conference will abandon its divisional model in favor of a "3–5–5" format in which each team plays 3 permanent rivals and 5 other conference teams each season, with the non-permanent opponents rotating so that each team will play every other conference member at least once home and once away in a four-year cycle. Under this format, the championship game will feature the top two teams in the conference standings.[9][10]
  • June 30 – The Big Ten Conference announced that UCLA and USC would join from the Pac-12 Conference in 2024, immediately after the current Pac-12 media contracts expire.[11][12]
  • August 18 – The Big Ten announced a new all-sports media rights deal, running from 2023 to 2030, with Fox, CBS, and NBC that will provide the conference a reported $7 billion. By the end of the deal, each of the 16 members (including 2024 arrivals UCLA and USC) will receive as much as $100 million annually.[13]
  • August 31 – The Division I Board of Directors adopted a series of changes to transfer rules.[14]
    • Transfer windows were adopted for all Division I sports. Student-athletes who wish to be immediately eligible at their next school must enter the NCAA transfer portal within the designated period(s) for their sport. For football, two windows were established: a 45-day window starting with the day after championship selections are made (in FBS, the College Football Playoff), and a spring window from May 1–15. Accommodations will be made for participants in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
    • Student-athletes who experience head coaching changes, or those whose athletic aid is reduced, canceled, or not renewed, may transfer outside designated windows without penalty.
    • Transferring student-athletes will be guaranteed their financial aid at their next school through graduation.
  • September 2 – The Board of Managers of the College Football Playoff voted to expand the playoff from four teams to twelve teams starting in 2026, but encouraged CFP's commissioners to implement by 2024. The model is similar to the one discussed in 2021; the six highest rated conference champions plus six at-large teams would make up the playoff.[15]
  • October 14 – Conference USA announced that Kennesaw State, currently a member of the FCS ASUN Conference, would start a transition to FBS after the 2022 football season[16] and join C-USA in 2024.[17]
  • October 19 – Mississippi State announced that freshman offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland had died two days before his 19th birthday. The cause of death was being investigated, but foul play was not suspected.[18]
  • October 21 – San Jose State freshman running back Camdan McWright was killed when he was struck by a school bus while riding an electric scooter near the university campus. The Spartans' scheduled game for the next day against New Mexico State was postponed and was planned be made up later in the season, however this never occurred.[19]
  • October 26 - The Big Ten Conference released its 2023 schedules and retained the divisional alignment. The conference is expected to eliminate divisions once USC and UCLA join in 2024.[20]
  • November 5 – SMU defeated Houston 77–63, with the two teams combining for a new FBS record of 140 points in regulation. The previous record of 137 had been set when Pittsburgh defeated Syracuse 76–61 in 2016. SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai also set school and American Athletic Conference records with 9 touchdown passes, and tied an FBS record for touchdown passes in a half with 7 in the first half.[21]
  • November 12 – Carlton Martial of Troy recorded his 546th tackle to break the Division I FBS record for most tackles in a career.[22][23]
  • November 13 – Three Virginia players—junior receivers Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr., and junior edge rusher D'Sean Perry—were killed in a mass shooting in a parking garage on UVA's campus in Charlottesville. Junior running back Mike Hollins and another UVA student were wounded in the incident, which took place as a group of students was returning from a class field trip. Another student on the trip, former Cavaliers running back Christopher Jones Jr., was arrested the next day on multiple felony charges, including three counts of second-degree murder.[24][25]
  • November 16 – In the wake of the on-campus shooting three days earlier, Virginia canceled its final home game of the season against Coastal Carolina.[26]
  • November 17 – During a meeting in San Francisco, the Regents of the University of California, the governing board of the University of California system, set a date of December 14 for a special meeting to make a final determination on UCLA's planned move to the Big Ten.[27]
  • November 21 – Virginia and Virginia Tech agreed to cancel their rivalry game, originally set for November 26, in the wake of the UVA shooting. Both teams had already been eliminated from bowl eligibility.[28]
  • November 30 - The Rose Bowl signed an agreement to expand the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, clearing the way to begin the new playoff structure starting in 2024.[29]
  • December 11 – Mississippi State coach Mike Leach had been hospitalized from a personal issue.[30][31]
  • December 12 – Mike Leach in the evening had passed away “from complications due to a heart condition”.[32][33]
  • December 14 - The UC Regents approved UCLA's move to the Big Ten. Additionally, conditions were made to mitigate athletes such as investing $12 million in beneficial services including nutritional support and charter flights to reduce travel time. UCLA must also pay the University of California, Berkeley an additional $2 to $10 million due to the move affecting the latter's athletic program, with the precise total being made once the Pac-12 completes its upcoming media rights deal.[34][35][36]

Conference realignment[edit]

One team played its first FBS season in 2022. James Madison started a transition from Division I FCS in 2022, joining the Sun Belt Conference. As a full Sun Belt member, it met FBS scheduling requirements in the 2022 season, allowing it to be counted as an FBS opponent for scheduling purposes and to skip the first year of the normal two-year transition process.[37]

Three other teams joined the Sun Belt from Conference USA in 2022. Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss, while initially reported to be making said move in 2023, announced their intent to move in 2022. C-USA had insisted that all three were bound to that league through the 2022–23 school year. Following a brief legal dispute,[38] the parties reached a settlement allowing the schools to leave at the end of June.[3]

Team Former conference New conference
James Madison CAA (FCS) Sun Belt
Marshall C-USA Sun Belt
Old Dominion C-USA Sun Belt
Southern Miss C-USA Sun Belt

The 2022 season was the last for 12 FBS teams in their current conferences or as FBS independents:

Team Current conference Future conference
BYU Independent Big 12
Charlotte C-USA American
Cincinnati American Big 12
Florida Atlantic C-USA American
Houston American Big 12
Liberty Independent C-USA
New Mexico State Independent C-USA
North Texas C-USA American
Rice C-USA American
UAB C-USA American
UCF American Big 12
UTSA C-USA American

In addition to James Madison, two other FCS teams started transitions to FBS in the 2022 season.[39] They will not join their future FBS conferences until 2023.

Stadiums[edit]

This was the first season for San Diego State at Snapdragon Stadium, replacing the since-demolished San Diego Stadium after playing at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson for two seasons in 2020 and 2021. The Aztecs played their first game in the new stadium against the Arizona Wildcats on September 3, 2022.[40]

Kickoff games[edit]

Rankings reflect the AP Poll entering each week.

"Week Zero"[edit]

The regular season began on Saturday, August 27 with eleven games in Week 0.

Week 1[edit]

The majority (85%) of FBS teams opened the season on Labor Day weekend. Three neutral-site "kickoff" games were held.

  1. ^ Bowl count includes the National Championship game.

Top 10 matchups[edit]

Rankings through Week 9 reflect the AP Poll. Rankings for Week 10 and beyond list College Football Playoff Rankings first and AP Poll second. Teams that were not in the top 10 in one of the two polls are noted.[clarification needed]

Regular season[edit]

Bowl games[edit]

FCS team wins over FBS teams[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 2 7:00 p.m. (FCS) William & Mary Charlotte Jerry Richardson StadiumCharlotte, NC ESPN3  41–24   13,940
September 3 12:00 p.m. No. 19 (FCS) Delaware Navy Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD CBSSN  14–7   30,542
September 10 4:00 p.m. (FCS) Eastern Kentucky Bowling Green Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green, OH ESPN3  59–57 7OT  17,376
September 10 5:30 p.m. No. 8 (FCS) Incarnate Word Nevada Mackay StadiumReno, NV NSN  55–41   14,092
September 10 6:00 p.m. No. 15 (FCS) Holy Cross Buffalo UB StadiumBuffalo, NY ESPN+  37–31   16,933
September 10 7:00 p.m. No. 16 (FCS) Weber State Utah State Maverik StadiumLogan, UT MWN  35–7   17,781
September 17 11:00 a.m. (FCS) Southern Illinois Northwestern Ryan FieldEvanston, IL BTN  31–24   23,146
September 24 11:00 a.m. No. 7 (FCS) Sacramento State Colorado State Canvas StadiumFort Collins, CO KCDO  41–10[a]   25,445
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.
  1. ^ Sacramento State was a 4.5-point favorite at kickoff.[41]

Upsets[edit]

This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating AP Poll-ranked teams during the season.

Regular season[edit]

During the regular season, unranked FBS teams defeated ranked FBS teams 44 times.

Bowl games[edit]

Rankings in this section are based on the final CFP rankings released on December 4, 2022.

Conference standings[edit]

2022 American Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 9 Tulane y$   7 1     12 2  
UCF y   6 2     9 5  
Cincinnati   6 2     9 4  
SMU   5 3     7 6  
Houston   5 3     8 5  
East Carolina   4 4     8 5  
Navy   4 4     4 8  
Memphis   3 5     7 6  
Tulsa   3 5     5 7  
Temple   1 7     3 9  
South Florida   0 8     1 11  
Championship: Tulane 45, UCF 28
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Atlantic Division
No. 13 Clemson xy$   8 0     11 3  
No. 11 Florida State   5 3     10 3  
Syracuse   4 4     7 6  
Louisville   4 4     8 5  
NC State   4 4     8 5  
Wake Forest   3 5     8 5  
Boston College   2 6     3 9  
Coastal Division
North Carolina xy   6 2     9 5  
No. 22 Pittsburgh   5 3     9 4  
Duke   5 3     9 4  
Georgia Tech   4 4     5 7  
Miami (FL)   3 5     5 7  
Virginia   1 6     3 7  
Virginia Tech   1 6     3 8  
Championship: Clemson 39, North Carolina 10
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 3 Michigan xy$^   9 0     13 1  
No. 4 Ohio State ^   8 1     11 2  
No. 7 Penn State   7 2     11 2  
Maryland   4 5     8 5  
Michigan State   3 6     5 7  
Indiana   2 7     4 8  
Rutgers   1 8     4 8  
West Division
Purdue xy   6 3     8 6  
Illinois   5 4     8 5  
Iowa   5 4     8 5  
Minnesota   5 4     9 4  
Wisconsin   4 5     7 6  
Nebraska   3 6     4 8  
Northwestern   1 8     1 11  
Championship: Michigan 43, Purdue 22
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Big 12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 TCU y^   9 0     13 2  
No. 14 Kansas State y$   7 2     10 4  
No. 25 Texas   6 3     8 5  
Texas Tech   5 4     8 5  
Oklahoma State   4 5     7 6  
Baylor   4 5     6 7  
Oklahoma   3 6     6 7  
Kansas   3 6     6 7  
West Virginia   3 6     5 7  
Iowa State   1 8     4 8  
Championship: Kansas State 31, TCU 28OT
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Conference USA football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
UTSA y$   8 0     11 3  
North Texas y   6 2     7 7  
Western Kentucky   6 2     9 5  
Middle Tennessee   4 4     8 5  
UAB   4 4     7 6  
Florida Atlantic   4 4     5 7  
Rice   3 5     5 8  
UTEP   3 5     5 7  
FIU   2 6     4 8  
Charlotte   2 6     3 9  
Louisiana Tech   2 6     3 9  
Championship: UTSA 48, North Texas 27
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Ohio xy   7 1     10 4  
Buffalo   5 3     7 6  
Bowling Green   5 3     6 7  
Miami (OH)   4 4     6 7  
Kent State   4 4     5 7  
Akron   1 7     2 10  
West Division
Toledo xy$   5 3     9 5  
Eastern Michigan x   5 3     9 4  
Western Michigan   4 4     5 7  
Ball State   3 5     5 7  
Central Michigan   3 5     4 8  
Northern Illinois   2 6     3 9  
Championship: Toledo 17, Ohio 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Mountain West Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Mountain Division
Boise State xy   8 0     10 4  
Air Force   5 3     10 3  
Wyoming   5 3     7 6  
Utah State   5 3     6 7  
Colorado State   3 5     3 9  
New Mexico   0 8     2 10  
West Division
No. 24 Fresno State xy$   7 1     10 4  
San Diego State   5 3     7 6  
San Jose State   5 3     7 5  
UNLV   3 5     5 7  
Hawaii   2 6     3 10  
Nevada   0 8     2 10  
Championship: Fresno State 28, Boise State 16
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Pac-12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 12 USC y   8 1     11 3  
No. 10 Utah y$   7 2     10 4  
No. 8 Washington   7 2     11 2  
No. 15 Oregon   7 2     10 3  
No. 17 Oregon State   6 3     10 3  
No. 21 UCLA   6 3     9 4  
Washington State   4 5     7 6  
Arizona   3 6     5 7  
California   2 7     4 8  
Arizona State   2 7     3 9  
Stanford   1 8     3 9  
Colorado   1 8     1 11  
Championship: Utah 47, USC 24
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 1 Georgia xy$#^   8 0     15 0  
No. 6 Tennessee   6 2     11 2  
No. 23 South Carolina   4 4     8 5  
Kentucky   3 5     7 6  
Florida   3 5     6 7  
Missouri   3 5     6 7  
Vanderbilt   2 6     5 7  
West Division
No. 16 LSU xy   6 2     10 4  
No. 5 Alabama x   6 2     11 2  
No. 20 Mississippi State   4 4     9 4  
Ole Miss   4 4     8 5  
Arkansas   3 5     7 6  
Auburn   2 6     5 7  
Texas A&M   2 6     5 7  
Championship: Georgia 50, LSU 30
  • # – College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Coastal Carolina xy   6 2     9 4  
James Madison* x   6 2     8 3  
Marshall   5 3     9 4  
Georgia Southern   3 5     6 7  
Appalachian State   3 5     6 6  
Georgia State   3 5     4 8  
Old Dominion   2 6     3 9  
West Division
No. 19 Troy xy$   7 1     12 2  
South Alabama x   7 1     10 3  
Southern Miss   4 4     7 6  
Louisiana   4 4     6 7  
Louisiana–Monroe   3 5     4 8  
Texas State   2 6     4 8  
Arkansas State   1 7     3 9  
Championship: Troy 45, Coastal Carolina 26
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules
Rankings from AP Poll
2022 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 18 Notre Dame       9 4  
Liberty       8 5  
BYU       8 5  
New Mexico State       7 6  
Army       6 6  
UConn       6 7  
UMass       1 11  
Rankings from CFP Rankings

Rankings[edit]

The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.

Pre-season polls[edit]

AP
Ranking Team
1 Alabama (54)
2 Ohio State (6)
3 Georgia (3)
4 Clemson
5 Notre Dame
6 Texas A&M
7 Utah
8 Michigan
9 Oklahoma
10 Baylor
11 Oregon
12 Oklahoma State
13 NC State
14 USC
15 Michigan State
16 Miami (FL)
17 Pittsburgh
18 Wisconsin
19 Arkansas
20 Kentucky
21 Ole Miss
22 Wake Forest
23 Cincinnati
24 Houston
25 BYU
USA Today Coaches
Ranking Team
1 Alabama (54)
2 Ohio State (5)
3 Georgia (6)
4 Clemson
5 Notre Dame
6 Michigan
7 Texas A&M
8 Utah
9 Oklahoma
10 Baylor
11 Oklahoma State
12 Oregon
13 NC State
14 Michigan State
15 USC
16 Pittsburgh
17 Miami (FL)
18 Texas (1)
19 Wake Forest
20 Wisconsin
21 Kentucky
22 Cincinnati
23 Arkansas
24 Ole Miss
25 Houston

CFB Playoff final rankings[edit]

On December 4, 2022, the College Football Playoff selection committee announced its final team rankings for the year.

Rank Team W–L Conference and standing Bowl game
1 Georgia Bulldogs 13–0 SEC champions Peach Bowl (CFP semifinal)
2 Michigan Wolverines 13–0 Big Ten champions Fiesta Bowl (CFP semifinal)
3 TCU Horned Frogs 12–1 Big 12 first place Fiesta Bowl (CFP semifinal)
4 Ohio State Buckeyes 11–1 Big Ten East Division second place Peach Bowl (CFP semifinal)
5 Alabama Crimson Tide 10–2 SEC West Division co-champions Sugar Bowl (NY6)
6 Tennessee Volunteers 10–2 SEC East Division second place Orange Bowl (NY6)
7 Clemson Tigers 11–2 ACC champions Orange Bowl (NY6)
8 Utah Utes 10–3 Pac-12 champions Rose Bowl (NY6)
9 Kansas State Wildcats 10–3 Big 12 champions Sugar Bowl (NY6)
10 USC Trojans 11–2 Pac-12 first place Cotton Bowl (NY6)
11 Penn State Nittany Lions 10–2 Big Ten East Division third place Rose Bowl (NY6)
12 Washington Huskies 10–2 Pac-12 second place (tie) Alamo Bowl
13 Florida State Seminoles 9–3 ACC Atlantic Division second place Cheez-It Bowl
14 Oregon State Beavers 9–3 Pac-12 fifth place (tie) Las Vegas Bowl
15 Oregon Ducks 9–3 Pac-12 second place (tie) Holiday Bowl
16 Tulane Green Wave 11–2 AAC champions Cotton Bowl (NY6)
17 LSU Tigers 9–4 SEC West Division co-champions Citrus Bowl
18 UCLA Bruins 9–3 Pac-12 fifth place (tie) Sun Bowl
19 South Carolina Gamecocks 8–4 SEC East Division third place Gator Bowl
20 Texas Longhorns 8–4 Big 12 third place Alamo Bowl
21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 8–4 Independent Gator Bowl
22 Mississippi State Bulldogs 8–4 SEC West Division third place (tie) ReliaQuest Bowl
23 NC State Wolfpack 8–4 ACC Atlantic Division third place (tie) Duke's Mayo Bowl
24 Troy Trojans 11–2 Sun Belt champions Cure Bowl
25 UTSA Roadrunners 11–2 C-USA champions Cure Bowl

Final rankings[edit]

Rank Associated Press Coaches' Poll
1 Georgia (63) Georgia
2 TCU TCU
3 Michigan Michigan
4 Ohio State Ohio State
5 Alabama Alabama
6 Tennessee Tennessee
7 Penn State Penn State
8 Washington Washington
9 Tulane Tulane
10 Utah Florida State
11 Florida State Utah
12 USC Clemson
13 Clemson USC
14 Kansas State Kansas State
15 Oregon LSU
16 LSU Oregon
17 Oregon State Oregon State
18 Notre Dame Notre Dame
19 Troy Mississippi State
20 Mississippi State Troy
21 UCLA UCLA
22 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh
23 South Carolina South Carolina
24 Fresno State Fresno State
25 Texas Texas

Conference summaries[edit]

Rankings in this section are based CFP rankings released prior to the games.

Conference Championship game Overall Player of the Year/MVP Offensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Special Teams Player of the Year Coach of the Year
Date Venue (Location) Matchup Result
ACC Dec. 3, 2022 Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC) No. 9 Clemson (Atlantic) vs. No. 23 North Carolina (Coastal) Clemson 39–10 Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina[42] Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina[42] Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh[42] Mike Elko, Duke[43]
American Dec. 3, 2022 Yulman Stadium (New Orleans, LA) No. 22 UCF (No. 2) at No. 18 Tulane (No. 1) Tulane 45–28 Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane[44] Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati[44] Mason Fletcher, P, Cincinnati[44] Willie Fritz, Tulane[44]
Big Ten Dec. 3, 2022 Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN) No. 2 Michigan (East) vs. Purdue (West) Michigan 43–22 C. J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State[45] Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa[45] Jake Moody, PK, Michigan;
Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State; &
Jaylin Lucas, RS, Indiana[a][45]
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan (coaches & media)[45]
Big 12 Dec. 3, 2022 AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) No. 3 TCU (No. 1) vs. No. 10 Kansas State (No. 2) Kan St 31–28 OT Max Duggan, QB, TCU[46] Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State[46] Derius Davis, RS, TCU[46] Sonny Dykes, TCU[46]
C–USA Dec. 2, 2022 Alamodome (San Antonio, TX) North Texas (No. 2) at UTSA (No. 1) UTSA 48–27 Frank Harris, QB, UTSA[47] DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB[47] KD Davis, LB, North Texas[47] Gavin Baechle, PK, UTEP[47] Jeff Traylor, UTSA[48]
MAC Dec. 3, 2022 Ford Field (Detroit, MI) Ohio (East) vs. Toledo (West) Toledo 17–7 Kurtis Rourke, QB, Ohio[49] Kurtis Rourke, QB, Ohio[49] Jose Ramirez, DE, Eastern Michigan[49] Alex McNulty, PK, Buffalo[49] Tim Albin, Ohio[49]
MW Dec. 3, 2022 Albertsons Stadium (Boise, ID) Fresno State (West) at Boise State (Mountain) Fres St 28–16 Brad Roberts, RB, Air Force[50] Viliami Fehoko, DE, San Jose State[50] Jack Browning, PK/P, San Diego State[50] Andy Avalos, Boise State[50]
Pac-12 Dec. 2, 2022 Allegiant Stadium (Paradise, NV) No. 4 USC (No. 1) vs. No. 11 Utah (No. 2) Utah 47–24 Caleb Williams, QB, USC Tuli Tuipulotu, DL, USC Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Jonathan Smith, Oregon State
SEC Dec. 3, 2022 Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) No. 1 Georgia (East) vs. No. 14 LSU (West) Georgia 50–30 Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama Jack Podlesny, Georgia Kirby Smart, Georgia
Sun Belt Dec. 3, 2022 Veterans Memorial Stadium (Troy, AL) Coastal Carolina (East) at Troy (West) Troy 45–26 Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina[51] Todd Centeio, QB, James Madison[51] Carlton Martial, LB, Troy[51] Jon Sumrall, Troy[51]
  1. ^ The Big Ten presents separate awards for its top placekicker, punter, and return specialist.

Conference champions' bowl games[edit]

Ranks are per the final CFP rankings, released on December 4, 2022, with win–loss records at that time.

Conference Champion W–L Rank Bowl game
ACC Clemson 11–2 7 Orange Bowl (NY6)
American Tulane 11–2 16 Cotton Bowl (NY6)
Big 12 Kansas State 10–3 9 Sugar Bowl (NY6)
Big Ten Michigan CFP 13–0 2 Fiesta Bowl (semifinal)
C-USA UTSA 11–2 25 Cure Bowl
MAC Toledo 8–5 Boca Raton Bowl
Mountain West Fresno State 9–4 LA Bowl
Pac-12 Utah 10–3 8 Rose Bowl (NY6)
SEC Georgia CFP 13–0 1 Peach Bowl (semifinal)
Sun Belt Troy 11–2 24 Cure Bowl

CFP College Football Playoff participant

Postseason[edit]

There are 41 team-competitive FBS post-season bowl games, with two teams advancing to a 42nd – the CFP National Championship game. Normally, a team is required to have a .500 minimum winning percentage during the regular season to become bowl-eligible (six wins for an 11- or 12-game schedule, and seven wins for a 13-game schedule). If there are not enough winning teams to fulfill all open bowl slots, teams with losing records may be chosen to fill all 82 bowl slots. Additionally, on the rare occasion in which a conference champion does not meet eligibility requirements, they are usually still chosen for bowl games via tie-ins for their conference.

Bowl game changes:

Bowl-eligible teams[edit]

Number of bowl berths available: 82
Number of bowl-eligible teams: 80
Number of conditional bowl-eligible teams: 1 (New Mexico State)
Number of teams qualified by APR: 1 (Rice)[62]

  1. ^ Despite having a 5–7 record, Rice is bowl-eligible due to having the highest Academic Progress Rate among five-win teams.[59][60]
  2. ^ Despite having a 6–6 record with 2 wins over FCS teams, the NCAA granted a waiver for New Mexico State to be bowl-eligible due to their canceled game against San Jose State.[61]

Bowl-ineligible teams[edit]

Number of bowl-ineligible teams: 49

  1. ^ Despite having a 6–6 record, Appalachian State was bowl-ineligible as two of their wins were over FCS teams.
  2. ^ James Madison was bowl-ineligible due to their transition from FCS to FBS.
  3. ^ Despite having a 6–6 record, Army was bowl-ineligible as two of their wins were over FCS teams.

College Football Playoff[edit]

SoFi Stadium, site of the National Championship game
Semifinals Championship
December 31 – Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
  1   Georgia 42  
  4   Ohio State 41   January 9 – National Championship
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
 
      1   Georgia 65
December 31 – Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium, Glendale
    3   TCU 7
 
  2   Michigan 45
  3   TCU 51  

Conference performance in bowl games[edit]

Conference Total games Wins-Losses (Pct)
SEC 12 7-5 (.583)
ACC 9 5–4 (.556)
Big Ten 9 5–4 (.556)
MAC 6 4–2 (.667)
American 7 4–3 (.571)
Independents 5 3-2 (.600)
C-USA 6 3–3 (.500)
Mountain West 7 3–4 (.429)
Pac-12 7 3–4 (.429)
Sun Belt 7 3-4 (.429)
Big 12 9 2–6 (.250)

All-star games[edit]

Each of these games features college seniors, or players whose college football eligibility is ending, who are individually invited by game organizers. These games are scheduled to follow the team-competitive bowls, to allow players selected from bowl teams to participate. The all-star games may include some players from non-FBS programs.

Date Game Site Television Participants Results Ref.
Jan. 14 Hula Bowl FBC Mortgage Stadium
Orlando, Florida
12:00 p.m.
CBS Sports Network Team Kai
Team Aina
Kai 16
Aina 13
Jan. 21 Tropical Bowl Camping World Stadium
Orlando, Florida
4:00 p.m.
Varsity Sports Network American Team
National Team
American 48
National 10
Jan. 28 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
6:00 p.m.
NFL Network American Team
National Team
American 19
National 17
Feb. 2 East–West Shrine Bowl Allegiant Stadium
Paradise, Nevada
8:30 p.m.
West Team
East Team
West 12
East 3
Feb. 4 Senior Bowl Hancock Whitney Stadium
Mobile, Alabama
2:30 p.m.
National Team
American Team
National 27
American 10
Feb. 25 HBCU Legacy Bowl Yulman Stadium
New Orleans, Louisiana
4:00 p.m.
Team Robinson
Team Gaither
Robinson 10
Gaither 3

Awards and honors[edit]

Heisman Trophy voting[edit]

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

Player School Position 1st 2nd 3rd Total
Caleb Williams USC QB 544 168 63 2,031
Max Duggan TCU QB 188 357 142 1,420
C. J. Stroud Ohio State QB 37 119 190 539
Stetson Bennett Georgia QB 36 65 111 349
Hendon Hooker Tennessee QB 17 47 81 226
Bryce Young Alabama QB 17 28 34 141
Blake Corum Michigan RB 8 25 51 125
Michael Penix Jr. Washington QB 9 20 47 114
Bijan Robinson Texas RB 4 12 39 75
Drake Maye North Carolina QB 3 6 21 42

Other overall[edit]

Special overall[edit]

The Senior CLASS Award, honoring the outstanding senior student-athlete in several NCAA Division I sports, including football, has gone on hiatus. On September 13, 2022, the award operator, Premier Sports Management, announced that it would not present the award until it picks up a new corporate sponsor.[67]

Offense[edit]

Quarterback

Running back

All receivers

Tight end

Lineman:

Defense[edit]

Defensive front

Defensive back

Special teams[edit]

Coaches[edit]

Assistants[edit]

All-Americans[edit]

Coaching changes[edit]

Preseason and in-season[edit]

This is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2022, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled game but before its bowl game. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2022, see 2021 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.

School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
UAB Bill Clark June 24, 2022 Retired (effective August 1)[81] Bryant Vincent (interim, bowl)
Nebraska Scott Frost September 11, 2022 Fired[82] Mickey Joseph (interim)
Arizona State Herm Edwards September 18, 2022 Fired[83] Shaun Aguano (interim)
Georgia Tech Geoff Collins September 25, 2022 Fired[84] Brent Key (named on November 30)
Colorado Karl Dorrell October 2, 2022 Fired[85] Mike Sanford Jr. (interim)
Wisconsin Paul Chryst October 2, 2022 Fired[86] Jim Leonhard (interim, bowl)
Charlotte Will Healy October 23, 2022 Fired[87] Peter Rossomando (interim)
Auburn Bryan Harsin October 31, 2022 Fired[88] Cadillac Williams (interim)
South Florida Jeff Scott November 6, 2022 Fired[89] Daniel Da Prato (interim)
Cincinnati Luke Fickell November 27, 2022 Hired as head coach by Wisconsin Kerry Coombs (interim, bowl)
Liberty Hugh Freeze November 28, 2022 Hired as head coach by Auburn Josh Aldridge (interim, bowl)
Coastal Carolina Jamey Chadwell December 4, 2022 Hired as head coach by Liberty Chad Staggs (interim, bowl)
North Texas Seth Littrell December 4, 2022 Fired[90] Phil Bennett (interim, bowl)
Louisville Scott Satterfield December 5, 2022 Hired as head coach by Cincinnati Deion Branch (interim, bowl)
Purdue Jeff Brohm December 7, 2022 Hired as head coach by Louisville Brian Brohm (interim, bowl)
Mississippi State Mike Leach December 12, 2022 Died[91] Zach Arnett (named on December 14)

End of season[edit]

This list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season.

School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous position
Charlotte Peter Rossomando (interim) November 15, 2022 Permanent replacement Biff Poggi Michigan associate head coach (2020–22)
Nebraska Mickey Joseph (interim) November 25, 2022 Permanent replacement Matt Rhule Carolina Panthers head coach (2020–22)
Arizona State Shaun Aguano (interim) November 26, 2022 Permanent replacement Kenny Dillingham Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2022)
Florida Atlantic Willie Taggart November 26, 2022 Fired[92] Tom Herman Texas head coach (2017–20)
Stanford David Shaw November 27, 2022 Resigned[93] Troy Taylor Sacramento State head coach (2019–22)
Wisconsin Jim Leonhard (interim) November 27, 2022 Permanent replacement Luke Fickell Cincinnati head coach (2017–22)
Tulsa Philip Montgomery November 27, 2022 Fired[94] Kevin Wilson Ohio State offensive coordinator (2017–22)
Texas State Jake Spavital November 27, 2022 Fired[95] G. J. Kinne Incarnate Word head coach (2022)
Western Michigan Tim Lester November 28, 2022 Fired[96] Lance Taylor Louisville offensive coordinator (2022)
UNLV Marcus Arroyo November 28, 2022 Fired[97] Barry Odom Arkansas defensive coordinator (2020–2022)
Auburn Cadillac Williams (interim) November 28, 2022 Permanent replacement Hugh Freeze Liberty head coach (2019–22)
UAB Bryant Vincent (interim) November 30, 2022 Permanent replacement Trent Dilfer Lipscomb Academy head coach (2019–22)
Colorado Mike Sanford Jr. (interim) December 3, 2022 Permanent replacement Deion Sanders Jackson State head coach (2020–22)
South Florida Daniel Da Prato (interim) December 3, 2022 Permanent replacement Alex Golesh Tennessee offensive coordinator (2021–22)
Liberty Josh Aldridge (interim, bowl) December 4, 2022 Permanent replacement Jamey Chadwell Coastal Carolina head coach (2019–22)
Coastal Carolina Chad Staggs (interim, bowl) December 4, 2022 Permanent replacement Tim Beck NC State offensive coordinator (2020–22)
Cincinnati Kerry Coombs (interim, bowl) December 5, 2022 Permanent replacement Scott Satterfield Louisville head coach (2019–22)
Kent State Sean Lewis December 5, 2022 Hired as offensive coordinator by Colorado[98] Kenni Burns Minnesota RB coach and associate head coach (2017–2022)
Louisville Deion Branch (interim, bowl) December 7, 2022 Permanent replacement Jeff Brohm Purdue head coach (2017–22)
Navy Ken Niumatalolo December 11, 2022 Fired[99] Brian Newberry Navy defensive coordinator (2019–22)
Purdue Brian Brohm (interim, bowl) December 13, 2022 Permanent replacement Ryan Walters Illinois defensive coordinator (2021–22)
North Texas Phil Bennett (interim, bowl) December 13, 2022 Permanent replacement[100] Eric Morris Washington State offensive coordinator (2022)

Television changes[edit]

This is the final season of the Big Ten's television deal with ESPN, Fox and the Big Ten Network, and Conference USA's television deal with ESPN, Stadium, CBS Sports Network.[101][102]

Prior to the season, ESPN signed a sublicence agreement with NFL Network. Select AAC, MAC and Sun Belt ESPN controlled conference games aired on the network as part of the agreement.[103][104] The University of Oklahoma signed an agreement with ESPN+ prior to the season to launch SoonerVision. SoonerVision streams one regular season home game per year as well as the spring football game. Previously these aired on pay-per-view through Bally Sports Oklahoma.[105]

Jason Benetti, formerly working for ESPN, and Noah Eagle, formerly working for CBS, joined Fox Sports as the #2 and #3 college football play-by-play commentators respectively. Benetti replaced Joe Davis, who became Fox's #1 MLB play-by-play commentator.[106][107]

Television viewers and ratings[edit]

Most watched regular season games[edit]

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the AP Poll (before 11/1) and CFP Rankings (thereafter).

Rank Date Time Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV ratings[108] Significance
1 November 26 12:00 p.m. No. 3 Michigan 45 No. 2 Ohio State 23 Fox 17.14 8.05 Big Noon Kickoff, College GameDay, rivalry
2 November 5 3:30 p.m. No. 1 Tennessee 13 No. 3 Georgia 27 CBS 13.06 6.7 College GameDay, rivalry
3 October 15 3:30 p.m. No. 3 Alabama 49 No. 6 Tennessee 52 11.56 6.1 College GameDay, Third Saturday in October
4 September 10 12:00 p.m. No. 1 Alabama 20 Texas 19 Fox 10.60 5.7 Big Noon Kickoff, College GameDay
5 September 3 7:30 p.m. No. 5 Notre Dame 10 No. 2 Ohio State 21 ABC 10.53 5.2 College GameDay
6 November 12 3:30 p.m. No. 9 Alabama 30 No. 11 Ole Miss 24 CBS 8.71 4.8 Rivalry
7 October 29 12:00 p.m. No. 2 Ohio State 44 No. 13 Penn State 31 Fox 8.27 4.5 Big Noon Kickoff, rivalry
8 November 5 7:00 p.m. No. 6 Alabama 31 No. 10 LSU 32 ESPN 7.58 3.9 Rivalry
9 September 4 7:30 p.m. Florida State 24 LSU 23 ABC 7.55 3.9 Louisiana Kickoff
10 October 8 8:00 p.m. Texas A&M 20 No. 1 Alabama 24 CBS 7.15 3.9

Conference championship games[edit]

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Rank Date Time Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV ratings Conference Location
1 December 3 4:00 p.m. No. 14 LSU 30 No. 1 Georgia 50 CBS 10.89 5.6 SEC Mercedes-Benz Stadium
2 December 3 8:00 p.m. Purdue 22 No. 2 Michigan 43 Fox 10.70 5.5 Big Ten Lucas Oil Stadium
3 December 3 12:00 p.m. No. 10 Kansas State 31 No. 3 TCU 28 ABC 9.41 5.3 Big 12 AT&T Stadium
4 December 2 8:00 p.m. No. 11 Utah 47 No. 4 USC 24 Fox 5.97 3.3 Pac-12 Allegiant Stadium
5 December 3 8:00 p.m. No. 9 Clemson 39 No. 23 North Carolina 10 ABC 3.47 1.9 ACC Bank of America Stadium
6 December 3 4:00 p.m. No. 22 UCF 28 No. 18 Tulane 45 2.70 1.5 AAC Yulman Stadium
7 December 3 4:00 p.m. Fresno State 28 Boise State 16 Fox 1.94 1.0 MW Albertsons Stadium
8 December 3 12:00 p.m. Toledo 17 Ohio 7 ESPN 721K 0.4 MAC Ford Field
9 December 3 3:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina 26 Troy 45 332K 0.2 Sun Belt Veterans Memorial Stadium
n/a December 2 7:30 p.m. North Texas 27 UTSA 48 CBSSN[note 1] n.a. n.a. C-USA Alamodome

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ CBSSN is not Nielsen rated so the viewership and TV rating is unknown

Most watched non-CFP bowl games[edit]

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Rank Date Time Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV ratings[109][110] Game Location
1 December 30, 2022 3:30 p.m. No. 21 Notre Dame 45 No. 19 South Carolina 38 ESPN 5.8 3.1 Gator Bowl TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
2 December 29, 2022 5:30 p.m. Oklahoma 32 No. 13 Florida State 35 5.4 2.9 Cheez-It Bowl Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
3 December 29, 2022 9:00 p.m. No. 20 Texas 20 No. 12 Washington 27 4.8 2.6 Alamo Bowl Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
4 December 28, 2022 8:00 p.m. No. 15 Oregon 28 North Carolina 27 Fox 4.0 2.1 Holiday Bowl Petco Park, San Diego, CA
5 December 28, 2022 5:30 p.m. Arkansas 55 (3OT) Kansas 53 ESPN 3.9 2.1 Liberty Bowl Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
6 December 23, 2022 6:30 p.m. Wake Forest 27 Missouri 17 3.5 1.8 Gasparilla Bowl Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
7 January 2, 2023 1:00 p.m. No. 17 LSU 63 Purdue 7 ABC 3.3 1.9 Citrus Bowl Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
8 December 31, 2022 12:00 p.m. Iowa 21 Kentucky 0 3.0 1.7 Music City Bowl Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
9 December 29, 2022 2:00 p.m. Syracuse 20 Minnesota 28 ESPN 2.75 1.5 Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
10 December 30, 2022 12:00 p.m. Maryland 16 No. 23 NC State 12 2.7 1.6 Duke's Mayo Bowl Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

New Year Six and College Football Playoff semifinal games[edit]

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Rank Date Time Matchup Network(s) Viewers (millions) TV ratings[111] Game Location
1 December 31, 2022 8:00 p.m. No. 4 Ohio State 41 No. 1 Georgia 42 ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNU
ESPNews
SECN
21.7 9.4 Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal) Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
2 December 31, 2022 4:00 p.m. No. 3 TCU 51 No. 2 Michigan 45 ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNU
ESPNews
20.9 9.6 Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal) State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
3 January 9, 2023 7:30 p.m. No. 3 TCU 7 No. 1 Georgia 65 ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNU
ESPNews
SECN
16.6 4.65 CFP National Championship SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
4 January 2, 2023 5:00 pm No. 11 Penn State 35 No. 8 Utah 21 ESPN 10.2 5.4 Rose Bowl (NY6) Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
5 December 31, 2022 12:00 p.m. No. 5 Alabama 45 No. 9 Kansas State 20 ESPN
SECN
9.1 4.8 Sugar Bowl (NY6) Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
6 December 30, 2022 8:00 p.m. No. 6 Tennessee 31 No. 7 Clemson 14 ESPN
ESPNU
SECN
ACCN
8.6 4.6 Orange Bowl (NY6) Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
7 January 2, 2023 1:00 pm No. 16 Tulane 46 No. 10 USC 45 ESPN 4.2 2.3 Cotton Bowl (NY6) AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

See also[edit]

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