National Champion: Alabama (AP, BCS, FWAA, NFF, USA)
Heisman Memorial Trophy: Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M)
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award: Brian Kelly (Notre Dame)
AP Preseason #1: Southern California ▪ AP Final #1: Alabama
| Overall | Bowls | SRS | Polls | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Conference | Schs | G | W | L | Pct | G | W | L | Pct | SRS | SOS | Pre | Final | Champion |
| 1 | Southeastern Conference | 14 | 179 | 111 | 68 | .620 | 9 | 6 | 3 | .667 | 10.06 | 5.37 | 6 | 7 | Alabama |
| 2 | Big 12 Conference | 10 | 129 | 75 | 54 | .581 | 9 | 4 | 5 | .444 | 8.37 | 5.10 | 6 | 3 | |
| 3 | Pacific-12 Conference | 12 | 154 | 84 | 70 | .545 | 8 | 4 | 4 | .500 | 6.34 | 4.66 | 3 | 3 | Stanford |
| 4 | Big Ten Conference | 12 | 153 | 85 | 68 | .556 | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 | 3.74 | 1.82 | 5 | 4 | Wisconsin |
| 5 | Independent | 4 | 51 | 30 | 21 | .588 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2.44 | -0.33 | 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | Atlantic Coast Conference | 12 | 152 | 80 | 72 | .526 | 6 | 4 | 2 | .667 | 1.92 | 0.80 | 3 | 2 | Florida State |
| 7 | Big East Conference | 8 | 100 | 56 | 44 | .560 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 0.98 | -1.34 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Western Athletic Conference | 7 | 86 | 45 | 41 | .523 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | -3.85 | -4.15 | 0 | 2 | |
| 9 | Sun Belt Conference | 10 | 125 | 59 | 66 | .472 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | -4.16 | -3.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Mountain West Conference | 10 | 127 | 59 | 68 | .465 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | -5.56 | -4.67 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | Conference USA | 12 | 151 | 65 | 86 | .430 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | -5.76 | -3.24 | 0 | 0 | Tulsa |
| 12 | Mid-American Conference | 13 | 165 | 81 | 84 | .491 | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 | -6.79 | -5.21 | 0 | 1 | Northern Illinois |
| School | Conf | Pre | 9/2 | 9/9 | 9/16 | 9/23 | 9/30 | 10/7 | 10/14 | 10/21 | 10/28 | 11/4 | 11/11 | 11/18 | 11/25 | 12/2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | SEC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Oregon | Pac-12 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| Ohio State | Big Ten | 18 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Notre Dame | Ind | 22 | 20 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Georgia | SEC | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Texas A&M | SEC | 22 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 5 | ||||||
| Stanford | Pac-12 | 21 | 25 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| South Carolina | SEC | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 8 |
| Florida | SEC | 23 | 24 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Florida State | ACC | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
| Clemson | ACC | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 |
| Kansas State | Big 12 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 12 |
| Louisville | Big East | 25 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 13 | |
| Louisiana State | SEC | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 14 |
| Oklahoma | Big 12 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 15 |
| Utah State | WAC | 25 | 20 | 18 | 16 | ||||||||||||
| Northwestern | Big Ten | 24 | 22 | 21 | 17 | ||||||||||||
| Boise State | MWC | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 25 | 20 | 18 | ||||||
| Texas | Big 12 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 19 | ||||
| Oregon State | Pac-12 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 20 | ||||
| San Jose State | WAC | 24 | 21 | ||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | MAC | 24 | 19 | 16 | 22 | ||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | SEC | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Michigan | Big Ten | 8 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 24 | ||||
| Nebraska | Big Ten | 17 | 16 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 23 | 25 | ||||
| School | Conf | Pre | 9/2 | 9/9 | 9/16 | 9/23 | 9/30 | 10/7 | 10/14 | 10/21 | 10/28 | 11/4 | 11/11 | 11/18 | 11/25 | 12/2 | Final |
| Arizona | Pac-12 | 24 | 22 | 24 | |||||||||||||
| Arkansas | SEC | 10 | 8 | ||||||||||||||
| Baylor | Big 12 | 25 | |||||||||||||||
| Brigham Young | Ind | 25 | |||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | Big East | 21 | 21 | ||||||||||||||
| Kent State | MAC | 25 | 23 | 18 | 25 | ||||||||||||
| Louisiana Tech | WAC | 23 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 19 | |||||||||||
| Michigan State | Big Ten | 13 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 20 | |||||||||||
| Mississippi State | SEC | 23 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 25 | |||||||
| Ohio | MAC | 25 | 23 | ||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 24 | ||||||||||||
| Rutgers | Big East | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 24 | 22 | 21 | ||||||||
| Southern California | Pac-12 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 21 | 21 | ||||
| Tennessee | SEC | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Texas Christian | Big 12 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | ||||||||||
| Texas Tech | Big 12 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 23 | |||||||||||
| Toledo | MAC | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| UCLA | Pac-12 | 22 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | |||||||
| Virginia Tech | ACC | 16 | 15 | 13 | |||||||||||||
| Washington | Pac-12 | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | Big 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 25 | 23 | ||||||
| Wisconsin | Big Ten | 12 | 13 |
|
Offense Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona Marqise Lee*, WR, Southern California Terrance Williams*, WR, Baylor Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford Jonathan Cooper*, OL, North Carolina Luke Joeckel*, OL, Texas A&M Barrett Jones, OL, Alabama Chance Warmack*, OL, Alabama Cairo Santos, K, Tulane Dri Archer, AP, Kent State |
Defense Jadeveon Clowney*, DL, South Carolina Damontre Moore, DL, Texas A&M Will Sutton, DL, Arizona State Bjoern Werner*, DL, Florida State Jarvis Jones*, LB, Georgia C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama Manti Te'O*, LB, Notre Dame Demarcus Milliner*, DB, Alabama Jordan Poyer, DB, Oregon State Phillip Thomas*, DB, Fresno State Ryan Allen*, P, Louisiana Tech |