# 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the college football season for the highest level of [NCAA Division I](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncaa-division-i) competition, played from early September 2016 through the [College Football Playoff National Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-football-playoff-national-championship) on January 9, 2017, and won by Clemson, which defeated Alabama 35-31 in the title game at [Raymond James Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/raymond-james-stadium) in Tampa, Florida.[1](https://www.ncaa.com/history/football/fbs) • [2](https://time.com/4630530/clemson-alabama-national-championship-dabo-swinney-pay/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| National champion | Clemson, selected by the College Football Playoff (CFP)[1](https://www.ncaa.com/history/football/fbs) |
| Championship game | Clemson 35, Alabama 31, January 9, 2017, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida[2](https://time.com/4630530/clemson-alabama-national-championship-dabo-swinney-pay/) |
| Semifinals | Fiesta Bowl: Clemson 31, Ohio State 0; Peach Bowl (Dec. 31, 2016): Alabama 24, Washington 7[3](https://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/football_records/FBS.pdf) |
| Final AP No. 1 | Clemson[4](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2016.html) |
| Records entering the title game | Clemson 13-1, Alabama 14-0[5](https://time.com/4174888/college-football-national-championship-2016-alabama-clemson/) • [13](https://i.turner.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/images/2017/01/05/2017-clemson-alabama-game-notes.pdf) |
| Leading conference | Southeastern Conference, 105-76 (.580) across 181 games, with Alabama as its champion[4](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2016.html) |
| Standout individual mark | Deshaun Watson's 478 total yards, the record for most total yards in a national championship game[6](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/ncg-recap-2016) |
## Playoff structure and selection
The season was decided under the four-team [College Football Playoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-football-playoff), which began with the 2014 season as the first playoff system to determine the FBS national champion.[7](https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2026-02-03/how-college-football-playoff-works-schedule-selections-rankings-byes-and-more) • [3](https://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/football_records/FBS.pdf) A selection committee ranked the top 25 teams weekly beginning in late October or early November, using conference championships won, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and comparison of results against common opponents; the top four teams in the final rankings made up the semifinal participants.[7](https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2026-02-03/how-college-football-playoff-works-schedule-selections-rankings-byes-and-more) • [3](https://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/football_records/FBS.pdf)
## The playoff field and semifinals
Alabama, the defending national champion, held the top spot in the 2016 rankings through the remainder of the season, and the championship game featured a rematch of the previous year's final.[8](https://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/FBS.pdf) The four playoff teams were Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, and Washington; Clemson faced Ohio State in one December 31 semifinal and Alabama played Washington in the other.[9](https://time.com/4606863/college-football-top-25-2016-ranked-by-academics/)
Both semifinals were one-sided. Clemson shut out Ohio State 31-0 in the [Fiesta Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/fiesta-bowl), and Alabama beat Washington 24-7 in the [Peach Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/peach-bowl) on December 31, 2016.[3](https://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/football_records/FBS.pdf) In the second year of the playoff, neither semifinal was particularly compelling, and television viewership decreased as the games shifted from [New Year's Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-years-day) to New Year's Eve.[5](https://time.com/4174888/college-football-national-championship-2016-alabama-clemson/)
## Championship game
No. No. 1 Alabama (14-0) met No. 2 Clemson (13-1) at Raymond James Stadium in [Tampa, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/tampa-florida), for the title.[14](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2017/1/12/game-recap-2017) 2 Alabama (13-1) in [Glendale, Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/glendale-arizona), for the title.[5](https://time.com/4174888/college-football-national-championship-2016-alabama-clemson/) Alabama's defense entered the game among the best in college football history, allowing 248 total yards per game during the regular season and holding opposing passers to a Total Quarterback Rating of 11.4, both ranked No. 1 in the FBS.[10](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/college-football-playoff-preview-this-is-not-last-years-clemson-alabama-matchup/)
Clemson quarterback and Heisman finalist [Deshaun Watson](https://www.edgepedia.org/deshaun-watson) set the record for most total yards in national championship game history with 478 against the Crimson Tide.[6](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/ncg-recap-2016) The Tigers fought back from a two-touchdown first-half deficit and a 10-point fourth-quarter hole to beat Alabama 35-31.[2](https://time.com/4630530/clemson-alabama-national-championship-dabo-swinney-pay/) Walk-on wide receiver [Hunter Renfrow](https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-renfrow), a 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior from [Myrtle Beach, South Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/myrtle-beach-south-carolina), caught seven passes against Alabama in the game.[11](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/unpacking-clemson-vs-alabama-the-college-football-playoffs-first-masterpiece/2017/01/10/81c2cc86-d762-11e6-9a36-1d296534b31e_story.html/)
Through Clemson's title run, head coach [Dabo Swinney](https://www.edgepedia.org/dabo-swinney) collected $1.4 million in contract bonuses, broken down as $150,000 for the ACC championship, $150,000 for an 11th win, $400,000 for qualifying for the four-team playoff, a further $400,000 for advancing to the championship game, $100,000 for taking the title, and $200,000 for ending the season ranked among the top 5.[2](https://time.com/4630530/clemson-alabama-national-championship-dabo-swinney-pay/)
## Regular season landscape
Alabama dominated the polls for most of the season, holding the AP No. The final AP No. 1 was Clemson.[4](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2016.html)
The [Southeastern Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/southeastern-conference) led the subdivision in aggregate performance, going 105-76 (.580) in 181 games with a 7.17 simple rating, and its champion was Alabama.[4](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2016.html) Stanford, at 9-3, was not in contention for the national championship and played North Carolina in the Hyundai Sun Bowl.[9](https://time.com/4606863/college-football-top-25-2016-ranked-by-academics/)
## Aftermath
The title was Clemson's first under the playoff system and established the program alongside Alabama and Ohio State among the sport's leading programs of the era.[12](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/how-clemson-joined-alabama-and-ohio-state-in-college-football-royalty/2016/12/30/d3bb60bc-cebf-11e6-a87f-b917067331bb_story.html) In the following season's championship game, Alabama defeated Georgia 26–23 in overtime.[10](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/college-football-playoff-preview-this-is-not-last-years-clemson-alabama-matchup/) • [15](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/ncg-recap-2018) The four-team format itself lasted through the 2023 season before the playoff expanded to 12 teams beginning with the 2024-25 season.[7](https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2026-02-03/how-college-football-playoff-works-schedule-selections-rankings-byes-and-more)
## References
1. [FBS Football Championship History, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/history/football/fbs)
2. [One Reason Not to Celebrate Clemson's Triumphant Win, Time](https://time.com/4630530/clemson-alabama-national-championship-dabo-swinney-pay/)
3. [NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (College Football Playoff section)](https://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/football_records/FBS.pdf)
4. [2016 College Football Summary, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2016.html)
5. [3 Things to Watch in the College Football National Championship, Time](https://time.com/4174888/college-football-national-championship-2016-alabama-clemson/)
6. [2016 CFP National Championship Recap, College Football Playoff](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/ncg-recap-2016)
7. [How the College Football Playoff works, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2026-02-03/how-college-football-playoff-works-schedule-selections-rankings-byes-and-more)
8. [NCAA Football Bowl Records (2016 rankings note)](https://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/FBS.pdf)
9. [College Football Top 25, Ranked by Academics, Time](https://time.com/4606863/college-football-top-25-2016-ranked-by-academics/)
10. [College Football Playoff Preview: This Is Not Last Year's Clemson-Alabama Matchup, FiveThirtyEight](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/college-football-playoff-preview-this-is-not-last-years-clemson-alabama-matchup/)
11. [Unpacking Clemson vs. Alabama, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/unpacking-clemson-vs-alabama-the-college-football-playoffs-first-masterpiece/2017/01/10/81c2cc86-d762-11e6-9a36-1d296534b31e_story.html/)
12. [How Clemson joined Alabama and Ohio State in college football royalty, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/how-clemson-joined-alabama-and-ohio-state-in-college-football-royalty/2016/12/30/d3bb60bc-cebf-11e6-a87f-b917067331bb_story.html)
13. [2017 Clemson Alabama Game Notes.pdf, i.turner.ncaa.com](https://i.turner.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/images/2017/01/05/2017-clemson-alabama-game-notes.pdf)
14. [2017 CFP National Championship - College Football Playoff](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2017/1/12/game-recap-2017)
15. [2018 CFP National Championship Recap - College Football Playoff](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/ncg-recap-2018)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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