Season 2016 Preseason #1 Alabama | Bowl Season 2016–17 bowl games End of season champions Clemson | |
Two human polls and a committee's selections will comprise the 2016 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. One additional poll is released midway through the season; the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings are released after the eighth week.
This will be the third season of the four-team College Football Playoff system which replaced the previous Bowl Championship Series system. At the conclusion of the regular season, on Sunday, December 4, 2016, the final CFP rankings will determine who will play in the two bowl games designated as semifinals for the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 9, 2017, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.