National Champion: Southern California (AP, BCS, FWAA, NFF, USA-ESPN)
Heisman Memorial Trophy: Matt Leinart (Southern California)
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award: Urban Meyer (Utah)
AP Preseason #1: Southern California ▪ AP Final #1: Southern California
| Overall | Bowls | SRS | Polls | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Conference | Schs | G | W | L | Pct | G | W | L | Pct | SRS | SOS | Pre | Final | Champion |
| 1 | Pacific-10 Conference | 10 | 116 | 63 | 53 | .543 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 9.17 | 7.36 | 3 | 3 | Southern California |
| 2 | Atlantic Coast Conference | 11 | 128 | 71 | 57 | .555 | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | 7.27 | 4.83 | 5 | 4 | Virginia Tech |
| 3 | Big 12 Conference | 12 | 141 | 81 | 60 | .574 | 7 | 4 | 3 | .571 | 7.02 | 4.69 | 4 | 3 | Oklahoma |
| 4 | Big Ten Conference | 11 | 129 | 71 | 58 | .550 | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | 5.55 | 3.39 | 6 | 4 | Iowa Michigan |
| 5 | Southeastern Conference | 12 | 140 | 77 | 63 | .550 | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | 4.85 | 2.80 | 5 | 4 | Auburn |
| 6 | Mountain West Conference | 8 | 91 | 46 | 45 | .505 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 2.70 | 2.40 | 1 | 1 | Utah |
| 7 | Big East Conference | 7 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | -0.75 | -1.73 | 1 | 2 | Boston College Pittsburgh Syracuse West Virginia |
| 8 | Western Athletic Conference | 10 | 118 | 59 | 59 | .500 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | -2.24 | -1.73 | 0 | 2 | Boise State |
| 9 | Conference USA | 11 | 126 | 61 | 65 | .484 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | -2.89 | -1.73 | 0 | 1 | Louisville |
| 10 | Independent | 3 | 35 | 19 | 16 | .543 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | -4.74 | -4.10 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11 | Mid-American Conference | 14 | 161 | 69 | 92 | .429 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | -10.32 | -7.60 | 0 | 0 | Toledo |
| 12 | Sun Belt Conference | 11 | 124 | 54 | 70 | .435 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | -11.57 | -7.86 | 0 | 0 | North Texas |
| School | Conf | Pre | 9/5 | 9/12 | 9/19 | 9/26 | 10/3 | 10/10 | 10/17 | 10/24 | 10/31 | 11/7 | 11/14 | 11/21 | 11/28 | 12/5 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California | Pac-10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Auburn | SEC | 17 | 18 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Oklahoma | Big 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Utah | MWC | 20 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Texas | Big 12 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Louisville | CUSA | 24 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | ||
| Georgia | SEC | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Iowa | Big Ten | 19 | 16 | 16 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | ||||
| California | Pac-10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| Virginia Tech | ACC | 23 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | |||||||
| Miami (FL) | ACC | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 11 |
| Boise State | WAC | 23 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | ||
| Tennessee | SEC | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
| Michigan | Big Ten | 8 | 8 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
| Florida State | ACC | 5 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
| Louisiana State | SEC | 4 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 16 |
| Wisconsin | Big Ten | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 17 |
| Texas Tech | Big 12 | 24 | 23 | 18 | |||||||||||||
| Arizona State | Pac-10 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 19 | |||
| Ohio State | Big Ten | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 20 | ||||||
| Boston College | Big East | 25 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 23 | 25 | 21 | ||||||||
| Fresno State | WAC | 19 | 17 | 17 | 22 | ||||||||||||
| Virginia | ACC | 16 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 23 |
| Navy | Ind | 24 | |||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh | Big East | 19 | 19 | 25 | |||||||||||||
| School | Conf | Pre | 9/5 | 9/12 | 9/19 | 9/26 | 10/3 | 10/10 | 10/17 | 10/24 | 10/31 | 11/7 | 11/14 | 11/21 | 11/28 | 12/5 | Final |
| Bowling Green State | MAC | 25 | |||||||||||||||
| Clemson | ACC | 15 | 20 | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | SEC | 11 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 22 | 20 | 25 | 20 | 20 | |||||
| Kansas State | Big 12 | 13 | 13 | ||||||||||||||
| Maryland | ACC | 22 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | ||||||||||
| Memphis | CUSA | 25 | |||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | Big Ten | 25 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 19 | 24 | ||||||||
| Missouri | Big 12 | 18 | 19 | ||||||||||||||
| Notre Dame | Ind | 24 | 24 | ||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 23 | ||||||
| Oregon | Pac-10 | 23 | 24 | ||||||||||||||
| Purdue | Big Ten | 24 | 25 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 17 | |||||||
| South Carolina | SEC | 25 | |||||||||||||||
| Southern Mississippi | CUSA | 24 | 25 | 21 | |||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | Big 12 | 23 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | |||||||
| Texas-El Paso | WAC | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | ||||||||||||
| West Virginia | Big East | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 21 | 21 |
|
Offense Matt Leinart, QB, Southern California J.J. Arrington, RB, California Adrian Peterson*, RB, Oklahoma Braylon Edwards*, WR, Michigan Taylor Stubblefield, WR, Purdue Heath Miller*, TE, Virginia David Baas, OL, Michigan Alex Barron*, OL, Florida State Elton Brown, OL, Virginia Jammal Brown*, OL, Oklahoma Michael Munoz, OL, Tennessee Ben Wilkerson, OL, Louisiana State Mike Nugent*, K, Ohio State Reggie Bush, AP, Southern California |
Defense Shaun Cody, DL, Southern California Erasmus James, DL, Wisconsin David Pollack, DL, Georgia Marcus Spears, DL, Louisiana State Matt Grootegoed, LB, Southern California A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State Derrick Johnson*, LB, Texas Thomas Davis, DB, Georgia Marlin Jackson, DB, Michigan Carlos Rogers, DB, Auburn Antrel Rolle*, DB, Miami (FL) Ernest Shazor, DB, Michigan Brandon Fields, P, Michigan State |