Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

1993 NCAA Division I A football season

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Bowl games
  
19

Start date
  
1993

National championship
  
1994 Orange Bowl

Number of teams
  
106

Preseason AP #1
  
Florida State Seminoles

Heisman Trophy
  
Charlie Ward, Florida State, QB

Site
  
Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

Winner
  
Florida State Seminoles

Champion
  
Colorado Buffaloes football

Similar
  
1999 NCAA Division I, 1998 NCAA Division I, 1982 NCAA Division I

The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, in both the AP and Coaches poll.

Contents

Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl. This produced a clear champion in the Coaches Poll and the AP poll, despite Florida State's loss to Notre Dame 31–24 during the regular season, in a game known by many as the "Game of the Century". This much hyped clash between #1 and #2 was the site of the first ever "live" broadcast of the ESPN College GameDay show and did not fail to live up to expectations as Irish defensive back Shawn Wooden batted down a Charlie Ward pass in the end zone with three seconds left to play. Despite the win over Florida State, Notre Dame's title chances ended the very next week when the Fighting Irish lost to #17 Boston College. Further controversy surrounded the inclusion of one-loss Florida State in the national title game over undefeated West Virginia, who was ranked #2 (ahead of Florida State) by the final regular season coaches' poll but not the AP (Nebraska was #2 in the AP).

Despite beating Florida State in the regular season, Notre Dame finished #2 in the two major polls. Florida State, during the 1993 regular season played #2 Notre Dame, #2 Nebraska, #3 Miami, #7 Florida, #13 North Carolina, #15 Virginia, and #17 Clemson. FSU went 3–1 vs top 7 teams while playing only 1 home game in the 4 contests.

Florida State's Charlie Ward threw for 3,032 yards, completed 70 percent of his passes and became the first player to win the Heisman Trophy and the national championship in the same season since Pittsburgh's Tony Dorsett in 1976.

The Alamo Bowl played its inaugural game.

The Sunshine Classic was no longer sponsored by Blockbuster Entertainment, and was now known as the Carquest Bowl.

Rule changes

  • The distance between the hashmarks was narrowed from 53 feet, 4 inches (the same as high school football, with the exception of Texas, which is the same as College Football at 40 feet) to 40 feet (the standard used by the National Football League through the 1971 season). This cut down on severe angles for kickers who attempted short field goals, although angles would still be far greater than those encountered by kickers in the NFL, where the hashmarks are the same width as the goalposts, 18 feet, 6 inches.
  • The "fumblerooski" play is outlawed as intentional fumbles are now illegal.
  • Players who are bleeding or have open wounds are required to leave the game until the bleeding is stopped and the wound treated.
  • The loss of down penalty associated with offensive pass interference has been deleted. The yardage penalty remains at 15 yards.
  • Officials are instructed to flag players for unsportsmanlike conduct (15 yards) for actions on the field that are prolonged, excessive, or meant to bring attention to themselves (such as the "Heisman pose" and the firing of six-shooters).
  • On kickoffs, at least four players must be lined up on either side of the kicker.
  • All balls must be made of leather. Composite and rubber balls were outlawed.

    • Conference and program changes

    Five teams changed conferences and one team dropped its football team prior to the season. As such, the total number of Division I-A schools decreased to 106.

  • Penn State also played its first year as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
  • Cal State Fullerton dropped its football program, which had been a member of the Big West.
  • The Big West responded by adding four new programs: Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana–Lafayette) and Arkansas State which had just made the jump to Division I-A in 1990, and former independents Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech.

    • #1 and #2 progress

    Florida State's Seminoles were the unanimous choice for #1 beginning with the October 19 poll and the three after that, receiving all 62 votes. After Notre Dame's 31-24 defeat of Florida State on November 13, Notre Dame got all 62 first place votes in the next poll.

    Bowl games

  • Orange Bowl: #1 Florida State 18, #2 Nebraska 16
  • Rose Bowl: #9 Wisconsin 21, #14 UCLA 16
  • Sugar Bowl: #8 Florida 41, #3 West Virginia 7
  • Cotton Bowl Classic: #4 Notre Dame 24, #7 Texas A&M 21
  • Fiesta Bowl: #16 Arizona 29, #10 Miami 0
  • Florida Citrus Bowl: #13 Penn State 31, #6 Tennessee 13
  • Hall of Fame Bowl: #23 Michigan 42, NC State 7
  • Carquest Bowl: #15 Boston College 31, Virginia 13
  • Gator Bowl: #18 Alabama 24, #12 North Carolina 10
  • Peach Bowl: #24 Clemson 14, Kentucky 13
  • Alamo Bowl: California 37, Iowa 3
  • Independence Bowl: #22 Virginia Tech 45, #21 Indiana 20
  • Holiday Bowl: #11 Ohio State 28, BYU 21
  • Freedom Bowl: USC 28, Utah 21
  • Copper Bowl: #20 Kansas State 52, Wyoming 17
  • Liberty Bowl: #25 Louisville 18, Michigan State 7
  • Aloha Bowl: #17 Colorado 41, #25 Fresno St 30
  • John Hancock Bowl: #19 Oklahoma 41, Texas Tech 10
  • Las Vegas Bowl: Utah State 42, Ball State 33

    • Final AP Poll

    1. Florida State
    2. Notre Dame
    3. Nebraska
    4. Auburn
    5. Florida
    6. Wisconsin
    7. West Virginia
    8. Penn State
    9. Texas A&M
    10. Arizona
    11. Ohio State
    12. Tennessee
    13. Boston College
    14. Alabama
    15. Miami (FL)
    16. Colorado
    17. Oklahoma
    18. UCLA
    19. North Carolina
    20. Kansas State
    21. Michigan
    22. Virginia Tech
    23. Clemson
    24. Louisville
    25. California

    Final Coaches Poll

    1. Florida St.
    2. Notre Dame
    3. Nebraska
    4. Florida
    5. Wisconsin
    6. West Virginia
    7. Penn St.
    8. Texas A&M
    9. Arizona
    10. Ohio St.
    11. Tennessee
    12. Boston College
    13. Alabama
    14. Oklahoma
    15. Miami (FL)
    16. Colorado
    17. UCLA
    18. Kansas St.
    19. Michigan
    20. Virginia Tech
    21. North Carolina
    22. Clemson
    23. Louisville
    24. California
    25. Southern California

    Heisman Trophy

    The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award is given to the Most Outstanding Player of the year

    Winner: Charlie Ward, Florida State, Quarterback (2310 votes)

  • 2. Heath Shuler, Tennessee, Jr.. QB (668 votes)
  • 3. David Palmer, Alabama, Jr. WR (292 votes)
  • 4. Marshall Faulk, San Diego State, Jr. RB (250 votes)
  • 5. Glenn Foley, Boston College, Sr. QB (180 votes)

    • Other major awards

  • Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year) - Charlie Ward, Florida State
  • Walter Camp Award (Back) - Charlie Ward, Florida State
  • Davey O'Brien Award (Quarterback) - Charlie Ward, Florida State
  • Doak Walker Award (Running back) - Byron Morris, Texas Tech
  • Dick Butkus Award (Linebacker) - Trev Alberts, Nebraska
  • Lombardi Award (Lineman or linebacker) - Aaron Taylor, Notre Dame
  • Outland Trophy (Interior lineman) - Rob Waldrop, NG, Arizona
  • Jim Thorpe Award (Defensive back) - Antonio Langham, Alabama
  • AFCA Coach of the Year - Terry Bowden, Auburn
  • FWAA Coach of the Year - Terry Bowden, Auburn

    • References

    1993 NCAA Division I-A football season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA