# 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2010 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).
The regular season began on September 2, 2010, and ended on December 11, 2010. The postseason concluded on January 10, 2011, with the BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Auburn Tigers defeated the Oregon Ducks to complete an undefeated season and win their sixth national title in school history.

## Rule changes

* Wedge blocks are now banned on kickoffs.
* Messages on eye-black, such as those worn by Tim Tebow, Reggie Bush, and Case Keenum are no longer allowed.

## Conference realignment

Multiple conferences announced changes in membership throughout 2010, triggering a major realignment that would eventually affect all 11 FBS leagues. Due to conference notice requirements, these changes would not take effect until 2011 at the earliest.
The first change came on June 10, when the Pacific-10 Conference announced that Colorado had accepted their invitation to join from the Big 12.
The following day, June 11, saw two schools change conferences. The Mountain West Conference announced that Boise State had accepted their invitation to join from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), while Nebraska ended its longstanding affiliation with the Big Eight/Big 12 to join the Big Ten Conference. Both moves would take effect starting with the 2011–2012 academic year.
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 for the Pac-10 to create a 16-team "superconference." However, a last-minute deal announced on June 14 saw Texas remain in the Big 12, prompting the other four schools to follow suit. The Pac-10 then extended an invitation to Utah on June 16, who accepted the next day. With the addition of Colorado and Utah, the Pac-10 announced that the conference would change its name to the Pac-12 upon the two new members joining in July 2011.
On August 18, the Mountain West responded to rumors of the imminent departure of Brigham Young by inviting WAC members Fresno State, Nevada, and Utah State. Utah State declined the offer, but Fresno State and Nevada accepted later that day. Following threats of legal action by the WAC, the two schools agreed to stay in the WAC through the 2011–12 season in exchange for a greatly reduced exit fee. BYU officially announced their departure from the Mountain West on September 1. The BYU football team would become an FBS Independent while all other sports would move to the West Coast Conference for the 2011–12 season.
On November 11, the Western Athletic Conference announced that Texas State, then a member of the FCS Southland Conference, and UTSA, which planned to launch a football team 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, TCU announced it would leave the Mountain West to join the Big East in 2012. The Mountain West replaced TCU by adding Hawaiʻi as a football-only member on December 10; Hawaiʻi's other sports would join the Big West Conference.

## New and updated stadiums

No new stadiums opened in the 2010 season. However, expansion projects at several stadiums were completed in time for the season:
* Alabama: The seventh major expansion of Bryant–Denny Stadium increased the capacity from 92,138 to 101,821.
* East Carolina: The east end zone at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium was enclosed, increasing capacity from 43,000 to 50,000.
* Louisville: A second deck was added to the east side of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, increasing capacity from its original 42,000 to over 56,000.
* Michigan: Michigan Stadium once again claimed the title of largest college football stadium. The new capacity was officially announced on July 14 as 109,901.
* Texas Tech: Renovations to Jones AT&T Stadium increased the capacity to 60,454 and a new building on the stadium's eastern side added an additional 26 suites and 500 club seats.

## Season notes

* USC was not eligible to be ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll due to NCAA sanctions. They were also prohibited from playing in a bowl.
* On September 11, Virginia Tech, then No. 13 in the AP Poll, was stunned at home by in-state FCS team James Madison. The Dukes' 21–16 victory was only the second by an FCS school over a ranked FBS team, after Appalachian State's historic upset of Michigan in 2007.
* The University of Texas reached an agreement with ESPN to distribute the Longhorn Network on cable systems in the fall of 2011. The deal is for 10 years and guarantees Texas $12 million annually on top of the television revenue UT would receive as part of the Big 12's current television contracts with ABC/ESPN and Fox. The Longhorn Network would be the first sports-centric network for a university and was slated to broadcast third-tier programming, but UT men's athletic director DeLoss Dodds has asked the Big 12 to be allowed to air one football game, and a smattering of men's basketball games.
* The CBS telecast of the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn on November 26, 2010, earned a 7.5 rating, the highest for any game of the 2010 college football season through week 13.

## Regular season top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the AP Poll. Rankings for Week 8 and beyond will list BCS Rankings first and AP Poll second. Teams that failed to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted.
* Week 1
** No. 3 Boise State defeated No. 10 Virginia Tech, 33–30 (FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland)
* Week 4
** No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 10 Arkansas, 24–20 (Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas)
* Week 5
** No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 7 Florida, 31–6 (Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
** No. 4 Oregon defeated No. 9 Stanford, 52–31 (Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon)
* Week 8
** No. 4/5 Auburn defeated No. 6/6 LSU, 24–17 (Jordan–Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama)
* Week 10
** No. 3/4 TCU defeated No. 5/6 Utah, 47–7 (Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah)
** No. 10/12 LSU defeated No. 6/5 Alabama, 24–17 (Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
* Week 13
** No. 2/2 Auburn defeated No. 11/9 Alabama, 28–27 (Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

## Conference standings

2010 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings :
| 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Atlantic Division No. 17 Florida State x  6 –2  10 –4   No. 23 Maryland  5 –3  9 –4   No. 25 NC State  5 –3  9 –4   Boston College  4 –4  7 –6   Clemson  4 –4  6 –7   Wake Forest  1 –7  3 –9   Coastal Division No. 16 Virginia Tech x$  8 –0  11 –3   Miami (FL)  5 –3  7 –6   Georgia Tech  4 –4  6 –7   North Carolina  4 –4  8 –5   Duke  1 –7  3 –9   Virginia  1 –7  4 –8   Championship: Virginia Tech 44, Florida State 33 $ – BCS representative as conference championx – Division champion/co-championsRankings from AP Poll | 2010 Big East Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Connecticut $+  5 –2  8 –5   West Virginia +  5 –2  9 –4   Pittsburgh +  5 –2  8 –5   Syracuse  4 –3  8 –5   South Florida  3 –4  8 –5   Louisville  3 –4  7 –6   Cincinnati  2 –5  4 –8   Rutgers  1 –6  4 –8   $ – BCS representative as conference champion+ – Conference co-championsAs of January 11, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010 Big Ten Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 Michigan State +  7 –1  11 –2   No. 7 Wisconsin $+  7 –1  11 –2   Iowa  4 –4  8 –5   Illinois  4 –4  7 –6   Penn State  4 –4  7 –6   Michigan  3 –5  7 –6   Northwestern  3 –5  7 –6   Purdue  2 –6  4 –8   Minnesota  2 –6  3 –9   Indiana  1 –7  5 –7   No. 5 Ohio State† %  0 –1  0 –1   $ – BCS representative as conference champion% – BCS at-large representative+ – Conference co-champions† – Ohio State (12–1, 7–1) self-vacated all of their winsRankings from AP Poll |
| 2010 Big 12 Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North Division No. 20 Nebraska xy  6 –2  10 –4   No. 18 Missouri x  6 –2  10 –3   Kansas State  3 –5  7 –6   Iowa State  3 –5  5 –7   Colorado  2 –6  5 –7   Kansas  1 –7  3 –9   South Division No. 6 Oklahoma xy$  6 –2  12 –2   No. 13 Oklahoma State x  6 –2  11 –2   No. 19 Texas A&M x  6 –2  9 –4   Baylor  4 –4  7 –6   Texas Tech  3 –5  8 –5   Texas  2 –6  5 –7   Championship: Oklahoma 23, Nebraska 20 $ – BCS representative as conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll | 2010 Conference USA football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division No. 21 UCF x$  7 –1  11 –3   East Carolina  5 –3  6 –7   Southern Miss  5 –3  8 –5   Marshall  4 –4  5 –7   UAB  3 –5  4 –8   Memphis  0 –8  1 –11   West Division SMU xy  6 –2  7 –7   No. 24 Tulsa x  6 –2  10 –3   Houston  4 –4  5 –7   UTEP  3 –5  6 –7   Rice  3 –5  4 –8   Tulane  2 –6  4 –8   Championship: UCF 17, SMU 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantAs of January 11, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010 Mid-American Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division Miami (OH) x$  7 –1  10 –4   Ohio  6 –2  8 –5   Temple  5 –3  8 –4   Kent State  4 –4  5 –7   Bowling Green  1 –7  2 –10   Buffalo  1 –7  2 –10   Akron  1 –7  1 –11   West Division Northern Illinois x  8 –0  11 –3   Toledo  7 –1  8 –5   Western Michigan  5 –3  6 –6   Ball State  3 –5  4 –8   Central Michigan  2 –6  3 –9   Eastern Michigan  2 –6  2 –10   Championship: Miami 26, Northern Illinois 21 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-champions |
| 2010 Mountain West Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 TCU $  8 –0  13 –0   Utah  7 –1  10 –3   Air Force  5 –3  9 –4   San Diego State  5 –3  9 –4   BYU  5 –3  7 –6   Colorado State  2 –6  3 –9   UNLV  2 –6  2 –11   Wyoming  1 –7  3 –9   New Mexico  1 –7  1 –11   $ – Conference champion and BCS representative as top non-AQ school to meet automatic qualification criteriaAs of January 11, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010 Pacific-10 Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Oregon $  9 –0  12 –1   No. 4 Stanford %  8 –1  12 –1   USC †  5 –4  8 –5   Washington  5 –4  7 –6   Arizona  4 –5  7 –6   Arizona State  4 –5  6 –6   Oregon State  4 –5  5 –7   California  3 –6  5 –7   UCLA  2 –7  4 –8   Washington State  1 –8  2 –10   $ – BCS representative as conference champion% – BCS at-large representative† – USC ineligible for championship and post-season due to NCAA sanctionsRankings from AP Poll | 2010 Southeastern Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Eastern Division No. 22 South Carolina x  5 –3  9 –5   Florida  4 –4  8 –5   Georgia  3 –5  6 –7   Tennessee  3 –5  6 –7   Kentucky  2 –6  6 –7   Vanderbilt  1 –7  2 –10   Western Division No. 1 Auburn x$#  8 –0  14 –0   No. 12 Arkansas %  6 –2  10 –3   No. 8 LSU  6 –2  11 –2   No. 10 Alabama  5 –3  10 –3   No. 15 Mississippi State  4 –4  9 –4   Ole Miss*  1 –7  4 –8   Championship: Auburn 56, South Carolina 17 # – BCS National Champion$ – BCS representative as conference champion% – BCS at-large representativex – Division champion/co-champions* Ole Miss vacated all wins due to NCAA violations.Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2010 Sun Belt Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Troy +  6 –2  8 –5   FIU +  6 –2  7 –6   Middle Tennessee  5 –3  6 –7   Louisiana–Monroe  4 –4  5 –7   Arkansas State  4 –4  4 –8   Florida Atlantic  3 –5  4 –8   Louisiana–Lafayette  3 –5  3 –9   North Texas  3 –5  3 –9   Western Kentucky  2 –6  2 –10   + – Conference co-champions | 2010 Western Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 11 Nevada +  7 –1  13 –1   No. 9 Boise State +  7 –1  12 –1   Hawaii +  7 –1  10 –4   Fresno State  5 –3  8 –5   Louisiana Tech  4 –4  5 –7   Idaho  3 –5  6 –7   Utah State  2 –6  4 –8   New Mexico State  1 –7  2 –10   San Jose State  0 –8  1 –12   + – Conference co-championsRankings from AP Poll | 2010 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Navy   –   9 –4   Notre Dame   –   8 –5   Army   –   7 –6   Rankings from AP Poll |

## Conference summaries

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

### Conference championship games

| Conference | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Coach of the Year |
| ACC | No. 12 Virginia Tech | No. 20 Florida State | 44–33 | Tyrod Taylor, QB, Virginia Tech | Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson | Ralph Friedgen, Maryland |
| Big 12 | No. 10 Oklahoma | No. 13 Nebraska | 23–20 | Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State | Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska | Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State |
| C-USA | UCF | SMU | 17–7 | Dwayne Harris, WR/KR, East Carolina (MVP) G.J. Kinne, QB, Tulsa | Bruce Miller, DE, UCF | George O'Leary, UCF |
| MAC | Miami (OH) | No. 24 Northern Illinois | 26–21 | Chad Spann, RB, Northern Illinois | Roosevelt Nix, DT, Kent State | Mike Haywood, Miami |
| SEC | No. 2 Auburn | No. 18 South Carolina | 56–17 | Cam Newton, QB, Auburn | Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU | Steve Spurrier, South Carolina |

### Other conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Coach of the Year |
| Big East | Connecticut* Pittsburgh #23 West Virginia | 8–4 7–5 9–3 | Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut | Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh | Randy Edsall, Connecticut and Charlie Strong, Louisville |
| Big Ten | No. 7 Michigan State No. 6 Ohio State (vacated) No. 4 Wisconsin* | 11–1 11–1 11–1 | Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan | Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue | Mark Dantonio, Michigan State |
| MWC | No. 3 TCU | 12–0 | Andy Dalton, QB, TCU | Tank Carder, LB, TCU | Brady Hoke, San Diego State |
| Pac-10 | No. 1 Oregon | 12–0 | Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford | Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State | Chip Kelly, Oregon |
| Sun Belt | FIU Troy | 6–6 7–5 | T. Y. Hilton, WR/KR, FIU (Player of the Year) Bobby Rainey, RB, Western Kentucky (Offensive POY) | Jamari Lattimore, DE, Middle Tennessee | Mario Cristobal, FIU |
| WAC | No. 9 Boise State #25 Hawaiʻi #14 Nevada | 11–1 10–3 12–1 | Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State and Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada | Chris Carter, DE, Fresno State | Chris Ault, Nevada |
* Received conference's automatic BCS bowl bid.
In 2011, Ohio State vacated all twelve wins and their share of the Big Ten title from the 2010 season after it was revealed that several players had committed NCAA violations by receiving improper benefits from a local business owner.

## Final BCS rankings

| BCS | School | Record | BCS Bowl Game |
| 1 | Auburn | 13–0 | BCS National Championship |
| 2 | Oregon | 12–0 | BCS National Championship |
| 3 | TCU | 12–0 | Rose |
| 4 | Stanford | 11–1 | Orange |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 11–1 | Rose |
| 6 | Ohio State | 11–1 | Sugar |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 11–2 | Fiesta |
| 8 | Arkansas | 10–2 | Sugar |
| 9 | Michigan State | 11–1 | |
| 10 | Boise State | 11–1 | |
| 11 | LSU | 10–2 | |
| 12 | Missouri | 10–2 | |
| 13 | Virginia Tech | 11–2 | Orange |
| 14 | Oklahoma State | 10–2 | |
| 15 | Nevada | 12–1 | |
| 16 | Alabama | 9–3 | |
| 17 | Texas A&M | 9–3 | |
| 18 | Nebraska | 10–3 | |
| 19 | Utah | 10–2 | |
| 20 | South Carolina | 9–4 | |
| 21 | Mississippi State | 8–4 | |
| 22 | West Virginia | 9–3 | |
| 23 | Florida State | 9–4 | |
| 24 | Hawaiʻi | 10–3 | |
| 25 | UCF | 10–3 | |
* Despite not being in the BCS rankings, Connecticut (8–4) played in the Fiesta Bowl by virtue of being the Big East Conference Champion.

## Bowl games

Non-BCS Bowls :
| Date | Game | Site | Television | Participants and Results |
| Dec. 18 | New Mexico Bowl | University Stadium University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 2:00 pm | ESPN | Brigham Young (6–6) 52 UTEP (6–6) 24 | Brigham Young (6–6) 52 UTEP (6–6) 24 | Brigham Young (6–6) 52 UTEP (6–6) 24 |
| Dec. 18 | uDrove Humanitarian Bowl | Bronco Stadium Boise State University Boise, ID 5:30 pm | ESPN | Northern Illinois (10–3) 40 Fresno State (8–4) 17 | Northern Illinois (10–3) 40 Fresno State (8–4) 17 | Northern Illinois (10–3) 40 Fresno State (8–4) 17 |
| Dec. 18 | R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl | Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA 9:00 pm | ESPN | Troy (7–5) 48 Ohio (8–4) 21 | Troy (7–5) 48 Ohio (8–4) 21 | Troy (7–5) 48 Ohio (8–4) 21 |
| Dec. 21 | Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl | Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, FL 8:00 pm | ESPN | Southern Mississippi (8–4) 28 Louisville (6–6) 31 | Southern Mississippi (8–4) 28 Louisville (6–6) 31 | Southern Mississippi (8–4) 28 Louisville (6–6) 31 |
| Dec. 22 | Maaco Bowl Las Vegas | Sam Boyd Stadium University of Nevada, Las Vegas Whitney, NV 8:00 pm | ESPN | No. 19 Utah (10–2) 3 No. 10 Boise State (11–1) 26 | No. 19 Utah (10–2) 3 No. 10 Boise State (11–1) 26 | No. 19 Utah (10–2) 3 No. 10 Boise State (11–1) 26 |
| Dec. 23 | SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl | Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm | ESPN | Navy (9–3) 14 San Diego State (8–4) 35 | Navy (9–3) 14 San Diego State (8–4) 35 | Navy (9–3) 14 San Diego State (8–4) 35 |
| Dec. 24 | Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl | Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI 8:00 pm | ESPN | No. 24 Hawaiʻi (10–3) 35 Tulsa (9–3) 62 | No. 24 Hawaiʻi (10–3) 35 Tulsa (9–3) 62 | No. 24 Hawaiʻi (10–3) 35 Tulsa (9–3) 62 |
| Dec. 26 | Little Caesars Pizza Bowl | Ford Field Detroit, MI 8:30 pm | ESPN | Florida International (6–6) 34 Toledo (8–4) 32 | Florida International (6–6) 34 Toledo (8–4) 32 | Florida International (6–6) 34 Toledo (8–4) 32 |
| Dec. 27 | AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl | Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA 5:00 pm | ESPN2 | Air Force (8–4) 14 Georgia Tech (6–6) 7 | Air Force (8–4) 14 Georgia Tech (6–6) 7 | Air Force (8–4) 14 Georgia Tech (6–6) 7 |
| Dec. 28 | Champs Sports Bowl | Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 6:30 pm | ESPN | No. 22 West Virginia (9–3) 7 North Carolina State (9–3) 23 | No. 22 West Virginia (9–3) 7 North Carolina State (9–3) 23 | No. 22 West Virginia (9–3) 7 North Carolina State (9–3) 23 |
| Dec. 28 | Insight Bowl | Sun Devil Stadium Arizona State University Tempe, AZ 10:00 pm | ESPN | No. 12 Missouri (10–2) 24 Iowa (7–5) 27 | No. 12 Missouri (10–2) 24 Iowa (7–5) 27 | No. 12 Missouri (10–2) 24 Iowa (7–5) 27 |
| Dec. 29 | Military Bowl Pres. By Northrop Grumman | RFK Stadium Washington D.C. 2:30 pm | ESPN | East Carolina (6–6) 20 Maryland (8–4) 51 | East Carolina (6–6) 20 Maryland (8–4) 51 | East Carolina (6–6) 20 Maryland (8–4) 51 |
| Dec. 29 | Texas Bowl | Reliant Stadium Houston, TX 6:00 pm | ESPN | Illinois (6–6) 38 Baylor (7–5) 14 | Illinois (6–6) 38 Baylor (7–5) 14 | Illinois (6–6) 38 Baylor (7–5) 14 |
| Dec. 29 | Valero Alamo Bowl | Alamodome San Antonio, TX 9:15 pm | ESPN | No. 14 Oklahoma State (10–2) 36 Arizona (7–5) 10 | No. 14 Oklahoma State (10–2) 36 Arizona (7–5) 10 | No. 14 Oklahoma State (10–2) 36 Arizona (7–5) 10 |
| Dec. 30 | Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl | Gerald J. Ford Stadium Southern Methodist University University Park, TX 12:00 pm | ESPN | Army (6–6) 16 Southern Methodist (7–6) 14 | Army (6–6) 16 Southern Methodist (7–6) 14 | Army (6–6) 16 Southern Methodist (7–6) 14 |
| Dec. 30 | New Era Pinstripe Bowl | Yankee Stadium The Bronx, New York, NY 3:20 pm | ESPN | Kansas State (7–5) 34 Syracuse (7–5) 36 | Kansas State (7–5) 34 Syracuse (7–5) 36 | Kansas State (7–5) 34 Syracuse (7–5) 36 |
| Dec. 30 | Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl | LP Field Nashville, TN 6:40 pm | ESPN | North Carolina (7–5) 30 Tennessee (6–6) 27 (2OT) | North Carolina (7–5) 30 Tennessee (6–6) 27 (2OT) | North Carolina (7–5) 30 Tennessee (6–6) 27 (2OT) |
| Dec. 30 | Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl | Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA 10:00 pm | ESPN | No. 18 Nebraska (10–3) 7 Washington (6–6) 19 | No. 18 Nebraska (10–3) 7 Washington (6–6) 19 | No. 18 Nebraska (10–3) 7 Washington (6–6) 19 |
| Dec. 31 | Meineke Car Care Bowl | Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC 12:00 pm | ESPN | South Florida (7–5) 31 Clemson (6–6) 26 | South Florida (7–5) 31 Clemson (6–6) 26 | South Florida (7–5) 31 Clemson (6–6) 26 |
| Dec. 31 | Hyundai Sun Bowl | Sun Bowl Stadium University of Texas El Paso El Paso, TX 2:00 pm | CBS | Notre Dame (7–5) 33 Miami (FL) (7–5) 17 | Notre Dame (7–5) 33 Miami (FL) (7–5) 17 | Notre Dame (7–5) 33 Miami (FL) (7–5) 17 |
| Dec. 31 | AutoZone Liberty Bowl | Liberty Bowl Memphis, TN 3:30 pm | ESPN | Georgia (6–6) 6 No. 25 Central Florida (10–3) 10 | Georgia (6–6) 6 No. 25 Central Florida (10–3) 10 | Georgia (6–6) 6 No. 25 Central Florida (10–3) 10 |
| Dec. 31 | Chick-fil-A Bowl | Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA 7:30 pm | ESPN | No. 20 South Carolina (9–4) 17 No. 23 Florida State (9–4) 26 | No. 20 South Carolina (9–4) 17 No. 23 Florida State (9–4) 26 | No. 20 South Carolina (9–4) 17 No. 23 Florida State (9–4) 26 |
| Jan. 1 | TicketCity Bowl | Cotton Bowl Fair Park, Dallas, TX 12:00 pm | ESPNU | Northwestern (7–5) 38 Texas Tech (7–5) 45 | Northwestern (7–5) 38 Texas Tech (7–5) 45 | Northwestern (7–5) 38 Texas Tech (7–5) 45 |
| Jan. 1 | Outback Bowl | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL 1:00 pm | ABC | Florida (8–4) 37 Penn State (7–5) 24 | Florida (8–4) 37 Penn State (7–5) 24 | Florida (8–4) 37 Penn State (7–5) 24 |
| Jan. 1 | Capital One Bowl | Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 1:00 pm | ESPN | No. 16 Alabama (9–3) 49 No. 9 Michigan State (11–1) 7 | No. 16 Alabama (9–3) 49 No. 9 Michigan State (11–1) 7 | No. 16 Alabama (9–3) 49 No. 9 Michigan State (11–1) 7 |
| Jan. 1 | Progressive Gator Bowl | EverBank Field Jacksonville, FL 1:30 pm | ESPN2 | No. 21 Mississippi State (8–4) 52 Michigan (7–5) 14 | No. 21 Mississippi State (8–4) 52 Michigan (7–5) 14 | No. 21 Mississippi State (8–4) 52 Michigan (7–5) 14 |
| Jan. 6 | GoDaddy.com Bowl | Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL 8:00 pm | ESPN | Middle Tennessee (6–6) 21 Miami (OH) (9–4) 35 | Middle Tennessee (6–6) 21 Miami (OH) (9–4) 35 | Middle Tennessee (6–6) 21 Miami (OH) (9–4) 35 |
| Jan. 7 | AT&T Cotton Bowl | Cowboys Stadium Arlington, TX 8:00 pm | Fox | No. 11 LSU (10–2) 41 No. 17 Texas A&M (9–3) 24 | No. 11 LSU (10–2) 41 No. 17 Texas A&M (9–3) 24 | No. 11 LSU (10–2) 41 No. 17 Texas A&M (9–3) 24 |
| Jan. 8 | BBVA Compass Bowl | Legion Field Birmingham, AL 12:00 pm | ESPN | Pittsburgh (7–5) 27 Kentucky (6–6) 10 | Pittsburgh (7–5) 27 Kentucky (6–6) 10 | Pittsburgh (7–5) 27 Kentucky (6–6) 10 |
| Jan. 9 | Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl | AT&T Park San Francisco, CA 9:00 pm | ESPN | No. 15 Nevada (12–1) 20 Boston College (7–5) 13 | No. 15 Nevada (12–1) 20 Boston College (7–5) 13 | No. 15 Nevada (12–1) 20 Boston College (7–5) 13 |
| Bowl Championship Series |||||||||
| Date | Game | Site | Television | Participants and Results |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio | Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 4:30 pm | ESPN | No. 5 Wisconsin (11–1) 19 No. 3 TCU (12–0) 21 | No. 5 Wisconsin (11–1) 19 No. 3 TCU (12–0) 21 | No. 5 Wisconsin (11–1) 19 No. 3 TCU (12–0) 21 |
| Jan. 1 | Tostitos Fiesta Bowl | University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ 8:30 pm | ESPN | Connecticut (8–4) 20 No. 7 Oklahoma (11–2) 48 | Connecticut (8–4) 20 No. 7 Oklahoma (11–2) 48 | Connecticut (8–4) 20 No. 7 Oklahoma (11–2) 48 |
| Jan. 3 | Discover Orange Bowl | Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 8:30 pm | ESPN | No. 4 Stanford (11–1) 40 No. 13 Virginia Tech (11–2) 12 | No. 4 Stanford (11–1) 40 No. 13 Virginia Tech (11–2) 12 | No. 4 Stanford (11–1) 40 No. 13 Virginia Tech (11–2) 12 |
| Jan. 4 | Allstate Sugar Bowl | Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm | ESPN | No. 6 Ohio State (11–1) 31 No. 8 Arkansas (10–2) 26 | No. 6 Ohio State (11–1) 31 No. 8 Arkansas (10–2) 26 | No. 6 Ohio State (11–1) 31 No. 8 Arkansas (10–2) 26 |
| Jan. 10 | Tostitos BCS National Championship Game | University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ 8:30 pm | ESPN | No. 2 Oregon (12–0) 19 No. 1 Auburn (13–0) 22 | No. 2 Oregon (12–0) 19 No. 1 Auburn (13–0) 22 | No. 2 Oregon (12–0) 19 No. 1 Auburn (13–0) 22 |

## Awards and honors
### Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player
| Player | School | Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
| Cam Newton | Auburn | QB | 729 | 24 | 28 | 2,263 |
| Andrew Luck | Stanford | QB | 78 | 309 | 227 | 1,079 |
| LaMichael James | Oregon | RB | 22 | 313 | 224 | 916 |
| Kellen Moore | Boise State | QB | 40 | 165 | 185 | 635 |
| Justin Blackmon | Oklahoma State | WR | 1 | 23 | 56 | 105 |
| Denard Robinson | Michigan | QB | 6 | 16 | 34 | 84 |
| Ryan Mallett | Arkansas | QB | 0 | 11 | 19 | 41 |
| Colin Kaepernick | Nevada | QB | 0 | 7 | 17 | 31 |
| Andy Dalton | TCU | QB | 4 | 3 | 12 | 30 |
| Owen Marecic | Stanford | FB/LB | 3 | 1 | 5 | 16 |
Source:

### Other award winners
#### Overall

* AP Player of the Year: Cameron Newton, Auburn
* Maxwell Award (top player): Cameron Newton, Auburn
* Walter Camp Award (top player): Cameron Newton, Auburn
Niche
* Campbell Trophy ("academic Heisman", formerly the Draddy Trophy): Sam Acho, Texas
* Wuerffel Trophy (humanitarian-athlete): Sam Acho, Texas
* Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player): Owen Marecic, Stanford
* Burlsworth Trophy (top player who began as walk-on): Sean Bedford, Georgia Tech

#### Offense

Quarterback
* Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Cameron Newton, Auburn
* Johnny Unitas Award (senior quarterback): Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin
* Manning Award (quarterback): Cameron Newton, Auburn
* Sammy Baugh Trophy (quarterback, specifically passer): Landry Jones, Oklahoma
Running Back
* Doak Walker Award (running back): LaMichael James, Oregon
Wide Receiver
* Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver): Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
Tight End
* John Mackey Award (tight end): D.J. Williams, Arkansas
Lineman
* Dave Rimington Trophy (center): Jake Kirkpatrick, TCU
* Outland Trophy (interior lineman): Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin

#### Defense

* Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player): Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson
* Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player): Patrick Peterson, LSU
* Lott Trophy (defensive impact): J. J. Watt, Wisconsin
Defensive Line
* Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end): Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson
* Lombardi Award (defensive lineman): Nick Fairley, Auburn
Linebacker
* Dick Butkus Award (linebacker): Von Miller, Texas A&M
Defensive Back
* Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back): Patrick Peterson, LSU

#### Special teams

* Lou Groza Award (placekicker): Dan Bailey, Oklahoma State
* Ray Guy Award (punter): Chas Henry, Florida

#### Coaches

* AP Coach of the Year: Chip Kelly, Oregon
* Paul "Bear" Bryant Award: Gene Chizik, Auburn
* The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award: Gene Chizik, Auburn
* Walter Camp Coach of the Year: Chip Kelly, Oregon
* Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year: Chip Kelly, Oregon
* Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award: Chris Petersen, Boise State
* Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award: Gene Chizik, Auburn
Assistant
* Broyles Award (assistant coach): Gus Malzahn, Auburn

### All-Americans
## Records

* Penn State football coach, Joe Paterno, in his 45th season, has achieved a feat that no coach in major college football history has ever reached: the 400-win mark. Paterno already held records for the most wins in major college football history as well as the most bowl wins (24) in college football history.
* Kyle Brotzman of Boise State set a new Division I record for most career points by a kicker. His 439 career points surpassed the former record of 433 by Art Carmody of Louisville.
* Miami (Ohio) became the first team in FBS history to win 10 or more games after losing 10 or more games in the previous season.

## Coaching changes
### Preseason and in-season

This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2010. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2010, see 2009 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.
| Team | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
| Vanderbilt | Bobby Johnson | July 14 | Retired | Robbie Caldwell |
| Minnesota | Tim Brewster | October 17 | Fired after 1–6 start | Jeff Horton (interim) |
| North Texas | Todd Dodge | October 20 | Fired after 1–6 start | Mike Canales (interim) |
| Colorado | Dan Hawkins | November 9 | Fired after 3–6 start | Brian Cabral (interim) |

### End of season

Note:
* All dates in November and December are in 2010; all January dates are in 2011.
* The "resigned/fired" listing indicates that a coach technically resigned, but at least one media report has stated that he was effectively fired.
| Team | Outgoing coach | Date of departure | Reason | Replacement | Date of replacement |
| Kent State | Doug Martin | November 21 (effective November 27) | Resigned | Darrell Hazell | December 20 |
| Ball State | Stan Parrish | November 22 | Fired | Pete Lembo | December 20 |
| Vanderbilt | Robbie Caldwell | November 27 | Resigned | James Franklin | December 17 |
| Miami (FL) | Randy Shannon | November 27 | Fired | Al Golden | December 12 |
| Indiana | Bill Lynch | November 28 | Fired | Kevin Wilson | December 7 |
| Arkansas State | Steve Roberts | November 29 | Resigned/fired | Hugh Freeze | December 2 |
| Louisiana-Lafayette | Rickey Bustle | November 29 | Fired | Mark Hudspeth | December 13 |
| North Texas | Mike Canales (interim) | November 30 | Permanent replacement | Dan McCarney | November 30 |
| Minnesota | Jeff Horton (interim) | December 5 | Permanent replacement | Jerry Kill | December 5 |
| Northern Illinois | Jerry Kill | December 5 | Hired by Minnesota | Tom Matukewicz (interim) | December 9 |
| Northern Illinois | Jerry Kill | December 5 | Hired by Minnesota | Dave Doeren (permanent) | December 13 (effective January 2) |
| Colorado | Brian Cabral (interim) | December 6 | Permanent replacement | Jon Embree | December 6 |
| Florida | Urban Meyer | December 8 (effective January 2) | Resigned | Will Muschamp | December 11 (effective January 2) |
| Pittsburgh | Dave Wannstedt | December 7 | Resigned/fired | Mike Haywood | December 16 (fired on Jan. 1) |
| Temple | Al Golden | December 12 | Hired by Miami (FL) | Steve Addazio | December 22 (effective date TBA) |
| Miami (OH) | Mike Haywood | December 16 | Hired by Pittsburgh | Lance Guidry (interim) | December 16 |
| Miami (OH) | Mike Haywood | December 16 | Hired by Pittsburgh | Don Treadwell (permanent) | December 31 (effective January 10) |
| Maryland | Ralph Friedgen | December 20 | Fired | Randy Edsall | January 2 |
| Pittsburgh | Mike Haywood | January 1 | Fired | Phil Bennett (interim) | January 3 |
| Pittsburgh | Mike Haywood | January 1 | Fired | Todd Graham (permanent) | January 10 |
| Connecticut | Randy Edsall | January 2 | Hired by Maryland | Paul Pasqualoni | January 13 |
| Michigan | Rich Rodriguez | January 5 | Fired | Brady Hoke | January 11 |
| Stanford | Jim Harbaugh | January 7 | Hired by San Francisco 49ers | David Shaw | January 13 |
| Tulsa | Todd Graham | January 10 | Hired by Pittsburgh | Bill Blankenship | January 14 |
| San Diego State | Brady Hoke | January 11 | Hired by Michigan | Rocky Long | January 12 |

## TV ratings
### Ten most watched regular season games in 2010

* 1. November 26 - Iron Bowl/The Cam-Back - CBS - 2 Auburn vs 9 Alabama - 12.5 Million viewers
* 2. December 4 - 2010 SEC Championship - CBS - 1 Auburn vs 19 South Carolina - 10.1 Million viewers
* 3. September 6 - ESPN - 3 Boise State vs. 5 Virginia Tech - 9.9 Million viewers
* 4. December 4 - 2010 Big 12 Championship - ESPN on ABC - 13 Nebraska vs 10 Oklahoma - 8.98 Million viewers
* 5. October 2 - CBS - 7 Florida vs 1 Alabama - 8.6 Million viewers
* 6. November 13 - Deep South's Oldest Rivalry - CBS - Georgia vs 2 Auburn - 8.3 Million viewers
* 7. September 25 - CBS - 1 Alabama vs 10 Arkansas - 8.2 Million viewers
* 8. November 26 - ESPN - 21 Arizona vs 1 Oregon - 7.8 Million viewers
* 9. October 9 - CBS - 1 Alabama vs 19 South Carolina - 7.7 Million viewers
* 10. September 11 - ESPN - 18 Penn State vs 1 Alabama -7.2 Million viewers
7 of 10 games involved with SEC teams - All seven involved a team from the State of Alabama