# 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season

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).
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.

## Conference realignment
### Membership changes

The following list includes schools transitioning from FCS to FBS.
| 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 |
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

## 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

* Due to major renovations at Husky Stadium, Washington played its entire 2012 home schedule at nearby CenturyLink Field, home to the Seattle Seahawks (NFL) and Seattle Sounders FC (MLS).
* Due to renovations at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Massachusetts played its entire 2012 home schedule at Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots (NFL) and New England Revolution (MLS). The school is also contractually obligated to play all of its 2013 home schedule, plus at least four home games in each season from 2014 to 2016, at Gillette, which is approximately a 2-hour drive from the UMass campus.

## 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. 2 Alabama defeated No. 8 Michigan, 41–14 (Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas)
* Week 4
** No. 4 Florida State defeated No. 10 Clemson, 49–37 (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida)
* Week 6
** No. 6 South Carolina defeated No. 5 Georgia, 35–7 (Williams–Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina)
** No. 10 Florida defeated No. 4 LSU, 14–6 (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
* Week 7
** No. 9 LSU defeated No. 3 South Carolina, 23–21 (Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
* Week 8
** No. 2/3 Florida defeated No. 7/9 South Carolina, 44–11 (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
* Week 9
** No. 5/5 Notre Dame defeated No. 8/8 Oklahoma, 30–13 (Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma)
** No. 10/12 Georgia defeated No. 2/3 Florida, 17–9 (EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida)
* Week 10
** No. 1/1 Alabama defeated No. 5/5 LSU, 21–17 (Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
* Week 13
** No. 4/6 Florida defeated No. 10/10 Florida State, 37–26 (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida)
* Week 14
** No. 2/2 Alabama defeated No. 3/3 Georgia, 32–28 (2012 SEC Championship Game, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia)

## Conference standings

2012 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings :
| 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant† North Carolina ineligible for ACC title, championship game, and bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. ‡ Miami ineligible for ACC title, championship game, and bowl game due to self-imposed sanctions.Rankings from AP Poll | 2012 Big East Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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-championsRankings from AP Poll | 2012 Big Ten Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 championx – 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 vteConfOverall 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-championsRankings from AP Poll | 2012 Conference USA football standings vteConfOverall 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 championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll | 2012 Mid-American Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 criteriax – Division champion/co-championsUMass not eligible for conference title or bowl game as part of FBS transitionRankings from AP Poll |
| 2012 Mountain West Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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-championsRankings from AP Poll | 2012 Pac-12 Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 x  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 representativex – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll | 2012 Southeastern Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 representativex – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant* Ole Miss and LSU vacated all wins due to NCAA violations.Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2012 Sun Belt Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 vteConfOverall 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 vteConfOverall 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 vacatedRankings from AP Poll |

## Conference summaries

Rankings reflect the Week 14 AP Poll before the 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. 13 Florida State | Georgia Tech | 21–15 | Tajh Boyd, Clemson | Björn Werner, Florida State | David Cutcliffe, Duke |
| Big Ten | Wisconsin | No. 14 Nebraska | 70–31 | Braxton Miller, Ohio State | John Simon, Ohio State | Bill O'Brien, Penn State |
| 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 | Chris Jones, Bowling Green | Darrell Hazell, Kent State |
| Pac-12 | No. 8 Stanford | No. 17 UCLA | 27–24 | Marqise Lee, USC | Will Sutton, Arizona State | David Shaw, Stanford |
| SEC | No. 2 Alabama | No. 3 Georgia | 32–28 | Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M | Jarvis Jones, Georgia (AP) & Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (coaches) | Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M (AP and coaches) & Will Muschamp, Florida (coaches) |

### Other conference champions

| 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 |
* Received conference's automatic BCS bowl bid.

## Final BCS rankings

| 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 |
* 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
### Bowl Championship Series

| 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 |
| Jan. 1 | Discover Orange Bowl | Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida 8:30 pm | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12–0) No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12–1) | Independent SEC | Alabama 42–14 |

### Other bowl games

| 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 |
| Dec. 15 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Bronco Stadium Boise State University Boise, Idaho 4:30 pm | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | East Carolina Pirates (8–4) Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (8–4) | C-USA Sun Belt | Louisiana–Lafayette 43–34 |
| Dec. 22 | Maaco Bowl Las Vegas | Sam Boyd Stadium University of Nevada, Las Vegas Whitney, Nevada 3:30 pm | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | No. 24 San Jose State Spartans (10–2) Bowling Green Falcons (8–4) | WAC MAC | San Jose State 29–20 |
| Dec. 27 | Belk Bowl | Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, North Carolina 6:30 pm | ESPN | Duke Blue Devils (6–6) Cincinnati Bearcats (9–3) | ACC Big East | Cincinnati 48–34 |
| Dec. 27 | Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl | Qualcomm Stadium San Diego 9:45 pm | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | Ohio Bobcats (8–4) Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (8–4) | MAC Sun Belt | Ohio 45–14 |
| Dec. 28 | Russell Athletic Bowl | Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida 5:30 pm | ESPN | Virginia Tech Hokies (6–6) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9–3) | ACC Big East | Virginia Tech 13–10 |
| Dec. 28 | Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas | Reliant Stadium Houston 9:00 pm | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | Rice Owls (6–6) Air Force Falcons (6–6) | C-USA MWC | Rice 33–14 |
| Dec. 29 | 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 |
| Dec. 29 | 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 |
| Dec. 29 | Valero Alamo Bowl | Alamodome San Antonio, Texas 6:45 pm | ESPN | No. 23 Texas Longhorns (8–4) No. 13 Oregon State Beavers (9–3) | Big 12 Pac-12 | Texas 31–27 |
| Dec. 29 | Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl | Sun Devil Stadium Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona 10:15 pm | ESPN | 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 | ESPN | Vanderbilt Commodores (8–4) NC State Wolfpack (7–5) | SEC ACC | Vanderbilt 38–24 |
| Dec. 31 | 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 |
| Dec. 31 | 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 |
| Dec. 31 | Chick-fil-A Bowl | Georgia Dome Atlanta 7:30 pm | ESPN | 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 |
| Jan. 1 | 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 |
| Jan. 1 | 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 |
| Jan. 1 | 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 |

### Bowl Challenge Cup standings

| Conference | Total Games | Wins | Losses | Pct. |
| WAC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| C-USA | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 |
| ACC | 6 | 4 | 2 | .667 |
| SEC | 9 | 6 | 3 | .667 |
| Big East | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 |
| Pac-12 | 8 | 4 | 4 | .500 |
| Sun Belt | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 |
| Big 12 | 9 | 4 | 5 | .444 |
| Independents | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
| Big Ten | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 |
| MAC | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 |
| MWC | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 |

## 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 |
| Johnny Manziel | Texas A&M | QB | 474 | 252 | 103 | 2,029 |
| Manti Te'o | Notre Dame | LB | 321 | 309 | 126 | 1,706 |
| Collin Klein | Kansas State | QB | 60 | 197 | 320 | 894 |
| Marqise Lee | USC | WR | 19 | 33 | 84 | 207 |
| Braxton Miller | Ohio State | QB | 3 | 29 | 77 | 144 |
| Jadeveon Clowney | South Carolina | DE | 4 | 13 | 23 | 61 |
| Jordan Lynch | Northern Illinois | QB | 3 | 8 | 27 | 52 |
| Tavon Austin | West Virginia | WR | 6 | 4 | 21 | 47 |
| Kenjon Barner | Oregon | RB | 1 | 12 | 15 | 42 |
| Jarvis Jones | Georgia | LB | 1 | 10 | 18 | 41 |

### Other major awards

* Archie Griffin Award (MVP): Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
* AP Player of the Year: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
* Chic Harley Award (Player of the Year): Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
* Maxwell Award (top player): Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
* SN Player of the Year: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
* Walter Camp Award (top player): Manti Te'o, Notre Dame

### Special awards

* Burlsworth Trophy (top player who began as walk-on): Matt McGloin, Penn State
* Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player): Tavon Austin, West Virginia
* Campbell Trophy ("academic Heisman"): Barrett Jones, Alabama
* Wuerffel Trophy (humanitarian-athlete): Matt Barkley, USC

### Offense
#### Quarterback

* Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
* Johnny Unitas Award (senior/4th year quarterback): Collin Klein, Kansas State
* Kellen Moore Award (quarterback): Collin Klein, Kansas State
* Manning Award (quarterback): Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
* Sammy Baugh Trophy (quarterback, specifically passer): Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech

#### Running back

* Doak Walker Award (running back): Montee Ball, Wisconsin
* Jim Brown Trophy (running back): Montee Ball, Wisconsin

#### Wide receiver

* Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver): Marqise Lee, USC
* Paul Warfield Trophy (wide receiver): Marqise Lee, USC

#### Tight end

* John Mackey Award (tight end): Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

#### Lineman

* Dave Rimington Trophy (center): Barrett Jones, Alabama
* Outland Trophy (interior lineman): Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

### Defense

* Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player): Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
* Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player): Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
* Lott Trophy (defensive impact): Manti Te'o, Notre Dame

#### Defensive line

* Bill Willis Award (defensive lineman): John Simon, Ohio State
* Dick Butkus Award (linebacker): Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
* Jack Lambert Trophy (linebacker): Jarvis Jones, Georgia
* Lombardi Award (defensive lineman): Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
* Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end): Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina

#### Defensive back

* Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back): Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State

### Special teams

* Lou Groza Award (placekicker): Cairo Santos, Tulane
* Ray Guy Award (punter): Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech

### Coaches

* AP Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
* Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award: Nick Saban, Alabama
* Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award: Bill Snyder, Kansas State
* Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
* Maxwell Coach of the Year: Bill O'Brien, Penn State
* Paul "Bear" Bryant Award: Bill O'Brien, Penn State
* SN Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
* The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
* Woody Hayes Trophy: Urban Meyer, Ohio State
* Walter Camp Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

#### Assistants

* AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year: Kirby Smart, Alabama
* Broyles Award: Bob Diaco, Notre Dame

### All-Americans
## 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:
** First, in a day game, Geno Smith of West Virginia set a new mark of 273 before throwing his first interception in a 55–14 loss to Kansas State.
** In a night game, Colby Cameron of Louisiana Tech surpassed that record in the Bulldogs' 70–28 win over Idaho, ending the game at 275 attempts in the season without an interception.
* 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. Cameron's interception-free streak ended one week later in the second quarter of the Bulldogs' 48–41 overtime loss to Utah State. His single-season streak ended at 428 attempts, and his overall record, which included pass attempts in the 2011 Poinsettia Bowl, ended at 444.
* 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:
** 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).
** 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.
** Dixon ended the game with 150 points on the season, breaking Faulk's previous record of 140. He ended the season with 168 points.
* 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.
* 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.

## 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

| Team | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
| Idaho | Robb Akey | October 21 | Fired | Jason Gesser (interim) |
| Tennessee | Derek Dooley | November 18 | Fired | Jim Chaney (interim) |

### End of season

| Team | Outgoing coach | Date announced | Reason | Replacement |
| Kentucky | Joker Phillips | November 4 | Fired | Mark Stoops |
| Western Michigan | Bill Cubit | November 17 | Fired | P. J. Fleck |
| UTEP | Mike Price | November 19 | Retired | Sean Kugler |
| California | Jeff Tedford | November 20 | Fired | Sonny Dykes |
| Arkansas | John L. Smith | November 24 | Fired | Bret Bielema |
| Auburn | Gene Chizik | November 25 | Fired | Gus Malzahn |
| Boston College | Frank Spaziani | November 25 | Fired | Steve Addazio |
| Colorado | Jon Embree | November 25 | Fired | Mike MacIntyre |
| NC State | Tom O'Brien | November 25 | Fired | Dave Doeren |
| Purdue | Danny Hope | November 25 | Fired | Darrell Hazell |
| Southern Miss | Ellis Johnson | November 27 | Fired | Todd Monken |
| Northern Illinois | Dave Doeren | December 1 | Hired by NC State | Rod Carey |
| South Florida | Skip Holtz | December 2 | Fired | Willie Taggart |
| Idaho | Jason Gesser | December 3 | Permanent replacement | Paul Petrino |
| Wisconsin | Bret Bielema | December 4 | Hired by Arkansas | Barry Alvarez (interim) |
| Arkansas State | Gus Malzahn | December 4 | Hired by Auburn | Bryan Harsin |
| Temple | Steve Addazio | December 4 | Hired by Boston College | Matt Rhule |
| Kent State | Darrell Hazell | December 4 | Hired by Purdue | Paul Haynes |
| FIU | Mario Cristobal | December 5 | Fired | Ron Turner |
| Louisiana Tech | Sonny Dykes | December 5 | Hired by California | Skip Holtz |
| Tennessee | Jim Chaney | December 7 | Permanent replacement | Butch Jones |
| Cincinnati | Butch Jones | December 7 | Hired by Tennessee | Tommy Tuberville |
| Western Kentucky | Willie Taggart | December 7 | Hired by South Florida | Bobby Petrino |
| Texas Tech | Tommy Tuberville | December 8 | Hired by Cincinnati | Kliff Kingsbury |
| San Jose State | Mike MacIntyre | December 10 | Hired by Colorado | Ron Caragher |
| Wisconsin | Barry Alvarez | December 19 | Permanent replacement | Gary Andersen |
| Utah State | Gary Andersen | December 19 | Hired by Wisconsin | Matt Wells |
| Nevada | Chris Ault | December 28 | Retired | Brian Polian |
| Syracuse | Doug Marrone | January 6 | Hired by Buffalo Bills | Scott Shafer |
| Oregon | Chip Kelly | January 16 | Hired by Philadelphia Eagles | Mark Helfrich |
| New Mexico State | DeWayne Walker | January 24 | Hired by Jacksonville Jaguars (assistant) | Doug Martin |

## TV ratings
### Most watched regular season games in 2012

| Rank | Date | Matchup | Channel | Viewers | TV Rating | Significance |
| 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 |
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)