View source for 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season

{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division I-A season
| year = 1997
| image = File:NCAA primary logo 1980.svg
| image_caption = 
| number_of_teams = 112
| preseason_ap = [[1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]]
| regular_season = 
| number_of_bowls = 20
| bowl_start = December 20, 1997
| bowl_end = <br>January 2, 1998
| ap_poll = [[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]]
| coaches_poll = [[1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
| heisman = [[Charles Woodson]] ([[cornerback]], [[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]])
| championship_system = [[Bowl Alliance]] Championship
| championship_bowl = [[1998 Orange Bowl]]
| championship_location = [[Pro Player Stadium]]<br>[[Miami Gardens, Florida]]
| champions = [[1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
}}
The '''1997 NCAA Division I-A football season''', play of [[college football]] in the United States organized by the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] at the [[Division I-A]] level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major [[bowl game]]s in early January 1998.  The [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|national championship]] was split for the third time in the 1990s.  The Michigan Wolverines finished the season atop the AP Poll after completing a 12–0 campaign with a Big Ten Conference championship and a victory in the Rose Bowl over Washington State, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers garnered the top ranking in the Coaches' Poll with a 13–0 record, a Big 12 Conference championship, and a win over Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. 

Michigan and Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson were given the AP Sports Writers National Championship. Michigan's Charles Woodson, who played primarily at cornerback, but also saw time on offense as a wide receiver and on special teams as a punt returner, won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first primarily defensive player to win the award. The 1997 season was the third and final season in which the major bowl games were organized under the Bowl Alliance system. The Bowl Championship Series was instituted the following year.

The [[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan Wolverines]] finished the season atop the [[AP Poll]] after completing a 12–0 campaign with a [[Big Ten Conference]] championship and a victory in the [[1998 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] over [[1997 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington State]].  
In [[Tom Osborne]]'s last season as head coach,  Nebraska took over the No. 1 ranking in the nation after defeating [[1997 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech]] midway through the season. Three weeks later, Nebraska slipped to a No. 3 ranking in both polls, as voters weren't impressed by the way the Cornhuskers won their game against an unranked [[1997 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]] team ([[Flea Kicker|a controversial kicked ball]] was caught for the game-tying TD as time expired in regulation, leading to a 45-38 overtime win). Michigan moved to No. 1 in the AP Poll after its 34–8 victory over previously No. 2 ranked Penn State, while the Coaches Poll selected [[1997 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]] as No. 1 due to their 20-3 win over previously No. 5 [[1997 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]].

Florida State went into their final regular season game undefeated and still ranked No. 1 in the Coaches Poll. However, Fred Taylor of [[1997 Florida Gators football team|Florida]] would run for 162 yards and four touchdowns on the nation's top-ranked run defense, one of those touchdowns being the winning score with less than two minutes to play. This game is commonly referred to as "[[Florida–Florida State football rivalry#1997: Greatest game ever played in the Swamp|The Greatest Game Ever Played in the Swamp]]".

Meanwhile, undefeated No. 1 Nebraska squared off in the [[1998 Orange Bowl]] versus the No. 3 ranked Tennessee Volunteers. The Cornhuskers made a point of smacking down Tennessee as they defeated the Volunteers 42–17. Unusually for the low-key Osborne and his straight-ahead team, after the game he campaigned openly for Nebraska to be named the consensus national champion ([[Grant Wistrom]] stated that if "they wanted to give it to Michigan because they haven't won one in 50 years, we don't want it anyway.").

After the bowl games, the coaches poll awarded the national championship to Nebraska, and the AP Poll awarded the national championship to Michigan, giving Osborne his third national title in four seasons to cap his career. This also marked the last time that a Big 10 (or Pac-10) team would be bound to play in the Rose Bowl instead of heading to a No. 1-No. 2 title game, due to the 1998 BCS realignment.

The Humanitarian Bowl, now known as the [[Famous Idaho Potato Bowl]], began play in [[Boise, Idaho]] to help publicise the dwindling [[Big West Conference]] and Boise State. The Broncos with their [[Bronco Stadium|blue turf]] had just made the jump to Division I-A a year earlier. The Big West champion had formerly gone to the Las Vegas Bowl, but the now only 6 team conference wasn't much of a seat filler.

The Motor City Bowl, now the [[Little Caesars Pizza Bowl]], began play in [[Detroit]] hosted by a [[Mid-American Conference|MAC]] team.

The Copper Bowl gained corporate sponsorship and was now known as the Insight.com Bowl; it is now known as the [[Cactus Bowl]].

The [[Mid-American Conference|MAC]] also grew to a 12-team, two-division conference with a [[MAC Championship Game|championship game]] after the return of two former MAC members—[[Northern Illinois Huskies football|Northern Illinois]], returning from the independent ranks, and [[Marshall Thundering Herd football|Marshall]], moving up from [[Division I-AA]]. Marshall's addition increased the number of teams in Division I-A to 112. In a scenario similar to the Big West in 1992, this [[1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team|up-and-comer]] from I-AA was able to win its division and the inaugural conference championship game in its first year. The Thundering Herd had gone unbeaten and won the [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|I-AA national title]] [[1996 Marshall Thundering Herd football team|the previous season]], and had future NFL stars [[Randy Moss]] and [[Chad Pennington]].

==Rule changes==
* Starting with the third overtime period, teams must go for a [[two-point conversion]] after a [[touchdown]].<ref>[http://football.refs.org/rules/NCAA97pr.html NCAA Rules Changes 1997]</ref>
* Strengthened the enforcement of chop blocks.
* Charged teams with a time-out if a player is not wearing their mouth guard.  If a team is out of time-outs when the infraction occurs, a five-yard penalty is assessed.
* Changed the penalty for roughing the punt receiver to 15 yards if he is contacted by a defender within six feet after catching the ball.
* Requiring the game clock be started once the ball is kicked on kickoffs and free kicks after safeties except in the final 2:00 of each half.
* The clock for halftime was to be started immediately following the conclusion of the second quarter. Previously, the clock did not start until all participants had cleared the field and the referee signaled the timekeeper to start the clock. 
* The officials' uniforms now include a letter on the back showing their position ("R" for Referee, "U" for Umpire, "H" for Head Linesman, etc.). The [[Big Eight Conference]] was the first to require this in the mid-1980s, followed shortly thereafter by the [[Southwest Conference]] and the [[Pacific-10 Conference]]. The [[Atlantic Coast Conference]], [[Big Ten Conference]] and [[Southeastern Conference]] did not require this until the NCAA made it mandatory.

==Conference and program changes==
One team upgraded from Division I-AA prior to the season. As such, the total number of Division I-A schools increased again, from 111 to 112.

*The [[Mid-American Conference|MAC]] added two new members, independent (and former member) [[Northern Illinois Huskies football|Northern Illinois]] and Division I-AA power [[Marshall Thundering Herd football|Marshall]], to expand to 12 teams. The league subsequently formed two divisions and added a league championship game.
*[[East Carolina Pirates football|East Carolina]] joined a conference for the first time since Division I split in 1978, becoming a member of [[Conference USA]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! School !! 1996 Conference !! 1997 Conference
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Marshall University|Marshall]] [[Marshall Thundering Herd football|Thundering Herd]] || [[Southern Conference|Southern]] (I-AA) || [[Mid-American Conference|MAC]] (I-A)
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Northern Illinois University|Northern Illinois]] [[Northern Illinois Huskies football|Huskies]] || [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|I-A Independent]] || [[Mid-American Conference|MAC]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[East Carolina University|East Carolina]] [[East Carolina Pirates football|Pirates]] ||  [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|I-A Independent]] || [[Conference USA]]
|}

==Regular Season==

===August–September===
The preseason AP Poll listed [[1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] as the top team, followed by No. 2 [[1997 Florida Gators football team|Florida]], No. 3 [[1997 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]], No. 4 [[1997 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]], and No. 5 [[1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]]. Foreshadowing a year with a lack of consensus at the top, the Coaches Poll selected Florida rather than Penn State as their No. 1 club.

'''August 30:''' No. 2 Florida defeated [[1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Mississippi]] 21-6 and No. 5 Tennessee won 52-17 over Texas Tech. The other top teams had not begun their schedules, and the next AP Poll featured No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Washington, and No. 5 Florida State.

'''September 6:''' No. 1 Penn State defeated rival Pittsburgh 34-17, No. 2 Florida overwhelmed Central Michigan 82-6, No. 3 Tennessee staved off a [[1997 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]] comeback for a 30-24 victory, No. 4 Washington won 42-20 at No. 19 [[1997 Brigham Young Cougars football team|Brigham Young]], and No. 5 Florida State used a late 97-yard touchdown drive to beat No. 23 [[1997 USC Trojans football team|USC]] 14-7. The next AP Poll featured No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Tennessee, and No. 5 Florida State.

'''September 13:''' No. 1 Penn State dominated Temple 52-10. No. 2 Florida was idle. No. 3 Washington continued to move up with a 36-3 defeat of San Diego State, No. 4 Tennessee was also idle, and No. 5 Florida State crushed Maryland 50-7. The next AP Poll featured No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Tennessee, and No. 5 Florida State.

'''September 20:''' No. 1 Penn State won 57-21 at Louisville, but No. 2 Washington fell 27-14 to No. 7 [[1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]. No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Tennessee squared off in Gainesville, where the defending champs prevailed 33-20; Volunteers quarterback [[Peyton Manning]] finished his career winless against the Gators in four tries. [[Peter Warrick]] had 249 receiving yards as No. 5 Florida State beat No. 16 [[1997 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson]] 35-28, while conference rival No. 6 [[1997 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]] won 40-14 at Maryland. Florida now took over the No. 1 spot in both polls, and they were followed in the AP rankings by No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 4 Florida State, and No. 5 North Carolina.

'''September 27:''' No. 1 Florida won 55-28 at Kentucky. No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Nebraska, and No. 4 Florida State were all idle, while No. 5 North Carolina defeated Virginia 48-20. The top five remained the same.

===October===
'''October 4:''' All of the highly-ranked teams won easily. No. 1 Florida blew out Arkansas 56-7, No. 2 Penn State was almost as dominant with a 41-6 victory at Illinois, No. 3 Nebraska hosted No. 17 [[1997 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]] for a 56-26 win, No. 4 Florida State shut out rival Miami 47-0, and No. 5 North Carolina beat Texas Christian 31-10 on the road. The top five again remained the same.

'''October 11:''' No. 1 Florida was upset 28-21 by No. 14 [[1997 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]]. No. 2 Penn State returned to the top spot with a 31-27 comeback win over No. 7 [[1997 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]]. No. 3 Nebraska won 49-21 at Baylor, No. 4 Florida State visited Duke for a 51-27 victory, No. 5 North Carolina beat Wake Forest 30-12, and No. 6 [[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]] defeated Northwestern 23-6. The next poll featured No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 North Carolina, and No. 5 Michigan.

'''October 18:''' After trailing 15-3 in the fourth quarter, No. 1 Penn State scored two late touchdowns to escape mediocre Minnesota by a 16-15 score. No. 2 Nebraska was more impressive in a 29-0 shutout of Texas Tech. No. 3 Florida State also held their opponent scoreless, winning 38-0 over No. 21 [[1997 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech]]. No. 4 North Carolina won 20-7 at North Carolina State, and No. 5 Michigan made a late comeback of their own in a 28-24 defeat of No. 15 [[1997 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]]. Nebraska took over the No. 1 spot in both polls by a very close margin, followed by No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 North Carolina, and No. 5 Michigan.

'''October 25:''' No. 1 Nebraska posted their second straight shutout, 35-0 at Kansas. No. 2 Penn State was idle. No. 3 Florida State won 47-21 at Virginia. No. 4 North Carolina was also idle, while No. 5 Michigan posted a 23-7 defeat of No. 15 [[1997 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]]. With their second straight win over a ranked opponent, the Wolverines moved up in the next poll: No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 Michigan, and No. 5 North Carolina.

===November===
'''October 30-November 1:''' No. 1 Nebraska overwhelmed rival Oklahoma 69-7. No. 2 Penn State had another close call, winning 30-27 at Northwestern. No. 3 Florida State defeated North Carolina State 48-35, No. 4 Michigan beat Minnesota 24-3, and No. 5 North Carolina held off Georgia Tech 16-13. The top five remained the same in the next poll.

'''November 8:''' In the “[[Flea Kicker]]” game, No. 1 Nebraska trailed Missouri 38-31 with seven seconds left. Cornhuskers quarterback [[Scott Frost]] launched a pass which bounced off the receiver’s chest, off a Missouri defender’s foot, off a Nebraska player’s leg, and finally into the arms of Nebraska’s Matt Davison for a game-tying touchdown. The Cornhuskers came away with a 45-38 overtime victory. Meanwhile, No. 2 Penn State fell 34-8 to No. 4 Michigan and No. 3 Florida State won 20-3 at No. 5 North Carolina. No. 7 Ohio State blew out Minnesota 31-3, while No. 8 Tennessee beat No. 24 Southern Mississippi 44-20. After Nebraska’s struggles and Michigan and Florida State’s triumphs, both polls elevated new teams to the top. The AP’s top five were No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Florida State, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 4 Ohio State, and No. 5 Tennessee, while the Coaches Poll ranked Florida State in the top spot.

'''November 15:''' No. 1 Michigan won 26-16 at No. 23 [[1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin]], No. 2 Florida State blew out Wake Forest 58-7 to clinch the outright ACC title, No. 3 Nebraska destroyed Iowa State 77-14 to earn a spot in the Big 12 championship game, No. 4 Ohio State beat Illinois 41-6, and No. 5 Tennessee won 30-22 at Arkansas. The top five remained the same in the next poll.

'''November 22:''' No. 1 Michigan faced off against No. 4 Ohio State with the opportunity to clinch the Big Ten title and a [[1998 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] berth. Three times in the past four years, Ohio State had entered their rivalry game undefeated only to be tripped up by the Wolverines. This time Michigan was the one with a perfect record, and they continued their winning streak over the Buckeyes with a 20-14 victory. In another rivalry game, No. 2 Florida State visited No. 10 Florida hoping to conclude an undefeated season of their own. In a back-and-forth contest with seven lead changes, [[Doug Johnson (American football)|Doug Johnson’s]] 63-yard pass set up a 1-yard touchdown run by [[Fred Taylor (American football)|Fred Taylor]] for a 32-29 Gators victory. No. 3 Nebraska was idle. No. 5 Tennessee won 59-31 at Kentucky to lock up the SEC Eastern Division title. No. 6 Penn State, whose Rose Bowl hopes were dashed by Michigan’s win, beat No. 24 Wisconsin 35-10. Michigan now held the No. 1 spot in both polls, followed by No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Penn State, and No. 5 Florida State.

'''November 29:''' No. 1 Michigan had finished their schedule. No. 2 Nebraska held off a late Colorado comeback for a 27-24 win. No. 3 Tennessee got past Vanderbilt 17-10. No. 4 Penn State lost 49-14 at Michigan State. No. 5 Florida State and No. 6 UCLA had finished their schedules, but both teams moved up in the next poll: No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Florida State, and No. 5 UCLA.

===December===
'''December 6:''' No. 2 Nebraska annihilated No. 14 [[1997 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]] in the [[1997 Big 12 Championship Game|Big 12 Championship Game]], leading 47-3 in the fourth quarter and coming away with a 54-15 victory to enter bowl season undefeated. No. 3 Tennessee had a much harder time in the [[1997 SEC Championship Game|SEC Championship Game]] against No. 11 [[1997 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]], but Peyton Manning threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns, including a 73-yard pass in the fourth quarter which made the difference in the Volunteers’ 30-29 win. With all other teams having finished their schedules, the top five remained the same in the next poll.

For the third time in four years, the Big Ten and Pac-10’s contract with the Rose Bowl prevented the only two undefeated teams in the nation from meeting in a bowl game. Since No. 1 Michigan was obligated to play the Pac-10 champion (No. 8 [[1997 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington State]]) in Pasadena, No. 2 Nebraska’s [[1998 Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]] opponent would be one-loss No. 3 Tennessee. Among other major bowls, the [[1998 Sugar Bowl|Sugar]] would match No. 4 Florida State up against No. 9 Ohio State, the [[1998 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton]] would feature No. 5 UCLA and No. 20 Texas A&M, and the [[1997 Fiesta Bowl (December)|Fiesta]] would pit No. 10 Kansas State against the Big East champ, No. 14 [[1997 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]].

==Conference standings==
{| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Big 12 Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Big East Conference football standings}}
|-
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Big Ten Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Big West Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Conference USA football standings}}
|-
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Mid-American Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Pacific-10 Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Southeastern Conference football standings}}
|-
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 Western Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1997 NCAA Division I-A independents football records}}
|}

==AP Poll progress==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!WEEK
!No. 1
!No. 2
!No. 3
!Event
|-
|PRE-1
|[[1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]]+
|[[1997 Florida Gators football team|Florida]]
|[[1997 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]]
|
|-
| 2
|Penn State+
|Florida
|[[1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]]
|
|-
| 3
|Penn State+
|Florida
|[[1997 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]]+
|
|-
| 4
|Penn State+
|Washington+
|Florida 
|
|-
| 5-7
|Florida
|Penn State+
|[[1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
|
|-
|  8
|Penn State+
|Nebraska
|Florida State
|
|-
|  9-11
|Nebraska
|Penn State+
|Florida State
|
|-
|  12-13
|[[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]]+
|Florida State
|Nebraska
|
|-
|   14-16
|Michigan+
|Nebraska
|Tennessee
|
|}
+Penn State and Michigan were [[Big Ten]] teams, and Washington was a [[Pac-10]] team.  The Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences played in the [[Rose Bowl (game)|Rose Bowl]] rather than the [[Bowl Alliance]] championship game.

==Bowl games==
{{main article|1997&ndash;98 NCAA football bowl games}}
{| class="wikitable"
!BOWL
!
!
!
!
!Location
|-
|[[1998 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]]
|No. 1 [[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]] 
| 21
|No. 8 [[1997 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington State]]
| 16 
|Pasadena
|-
|[[1998 Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]]
|No. 2 [[1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
|42
|No. 3 [[1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]]
|17 
|Miami
|-
|[[1998 Sugar Bowl|Sugar Bowl]]
|No. 4 [[1997 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]]
|31
|No. 9 [[1997 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]] 
|14
|New Orleans
|-
|{{alternate links|1998 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl Classic|title=Cotton Bowl Classic}}
|No. 5 [[1997 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]]
|29
|No. 20 [[1997 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]] 
|23 
|Dallas
|-
|{{alternate links|1998 Florida Citrus Bowl|Florida Citrus Bowl|title=Florida Citrus Bowl}}
|No. 6 [[1997 Florida Gators football team|Florida]]
| 21
|No. 11 [[1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]]
|  6
|Orlando
|-
|[[1998 Gator Bowl|Gator Bowl]]
|No. 7 [[1997 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]]
| 42
|[[1997 Virginia Tech Hokies football team|Virginia Tech]]
| 3
|Jacksonville
|-
|[[1997 Fiesta Bowl (December)|Fiesta Bowl]]
|No. 10 [[1997 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]
| 35
|No. 14 [[1997 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]]
| 18
|Tempe, Arizona
|-
|[[1998 Outback Bowl|Outback Bowl]]
|No. 12 [[1997 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]]
|33
|[[1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin]]
| 6
|Tampa
|-
|{{alternate links|1998 Peach Bowl (January)|Peach Bowl|title=Peach Bowl}}
|No. 13 [[1997 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]]
| 21
|[[1997 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson]]
| 17 
|Atlanta
|-
|{{alternate links|1997 Independence Bowl|Independence Bowl|title=Independence Bowl}}
|No. 15 [[1997 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]]
| 27
|[[1997 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]]
|  9
|Shreveport
|-
|[[1997 Sun Bowl|Sun Bowl]]
|No. 16 [[1997 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona State]]
| 17
|[[1997 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]]
|  7
|El Paso
|-
|[[1997 Alamo Bowl|Alamo Bowl]]
|No. 17 [[1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team|Purdue]]
| 33
|No. 24 [[1997 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team|Oklahoma State]]
| 20
|San Antonio
|-
|[[1997 Holiday Bowl|Holiday Bowl]]
|No. 18 [[1997 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado State]]
| 35
|No. 20 [[1997 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]]
| 24
|San Diego
|-
|[[1997 Aloha Bowl|Aloha Bowl]]
|No. 21 [[1997 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]]
| 51
|[[1997 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan St]]
| 23
|Honolulu
|-
|{{alternate links|1997 Liberty Bowl|Liberty Bowl|title=Liberty Bowl}}
|No. 22 [[1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Mississippi]]
| 41
|[[1997 Pittsburgh Panthers football team|Pittsburgh]]
|  7
|Memphis
|-
|{{alternate links|1997 Carquest Bowl|Carquest Bowl|title=Carquest Bowl}}
|No. 25 [[1997 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech]]
| 35
|[[1997 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]]
| 30
|Miami
|-
|[[1997 Insight.com Bowl|Insight.com Bowl]]
|[[1997 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
| 20
|[[1997 New Mexico Lobos football team|New Mexico]]
| 14
|Tucson, Arizona
|-
|[[1997 Las Vegas Bowl|Las Vegas Bowl]]
|[[1997 Oregon Ducks football team|Oregon]]
| 41
|[[1997 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]]
| 13
|Las Vegas
|-
|{{alternate links|1997 Motor City Bowl|Motor City Bowl|title=Motor City Bowl}}
|[[1997 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Mississippi]]
| 34
|[[1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team|Marshall]]
| 31
|Detroit
|-
|[[1997 Humanitarian Bowl|Humanitarian Bowl]]
|[[1997 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]]
| 35
|[[1997 Utah State Aggies football team|Utah State]]
| 19
|Boise
|}

==Final AP Poll==
{{Main|1997 NCAA Division I-A football rankings}}
# [[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]]
# [[1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
# [[1997 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]]
# [[1997 Florida Gators football team|Florida]]
# [[1997 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]]
# [[1997 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]]
# [[1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]]
# [[1997 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas St.]]
# [[1997 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington St.]]
# [[1997 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]]
# [[1997 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]]
# [[1997 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio St.]]
# [[1997 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]]
# [[1997 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona St.]]
# [[1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team|Purdue]]
# [[1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn St.]]
# [[1997 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado St.]]
# [[1997 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]]
# [[1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|So. Mississippi]]
# [[1997 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]]
# [[1997 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]]
# [[1997 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Mississippi]]
# [[1997 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]]
# [[1997 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team|Oklahoma St.]]
# [[1997 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech]]

Others receiving votes: 26. Arizona; 27. Oregon; 28. Air Force; 29. Marshall; 30. Virginia; 31. Clemson; 32. Louisiana Tech; 33. Mississippi St.; 34. Michigan St.; 35. Wisconsin; 36. New Mexico ; 37. Cincinnati; 38. Notre Dame; 39. Iowa; 40. Virginia Tech.

==Final Coaches Poll==
{{Main|1997 NCAA Division I-A football rankings}}
# [[1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]
# [[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]]
# [[1997 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]]
# [[1997 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]]
# [[1997 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]]
# [[1997 Florida Gators football team|Florida]]
# [[1997 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas St.]]
# [[1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]]
# [[1997 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington St.]]
# [[1997 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]]
# [[1997 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]]
# [[1997 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio St.]]
# [[1997 LSU Tigers football team|Louisiana St.]]
# [[1997 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona St.]]
# [[1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team|Purdue]]
# [[1997 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado St.]]
# [[1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn St.]]
# [[1997 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]]
# [[1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team|Southern Mississippi]]
# [[1997 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]]
# [[1997 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]]
# [[1997 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Mississippi]]
# [[1997 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]]
# [[1997 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team|Oklahoma St.]]
# [[1997 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]]
Others receiving votes: 26. Clemson (58); 27. Georgia Tech (55); 28. Iowa (32); 29. Louisiana Tech (31); 30. Oregon (25); 31. Cincinnati (24); 32. Arizona (23); 33. Mississippi St. (20); 34. Michigan St. (16); 35. New Mexico and Wisconsin (13); 37. Tulane (10); 38. Virginia (9); 39. West Virginia (7); 40. Marshall (4); 41. Notre Dame (1).

==Awards==

===Heisman Trophy voting===
''The [[Heisman Trophy]] is given to the year's most outstanding player''

{| class="wikitable"
! Player !! School !! Position !! 1st !! 2nd !! 3rd !! Total
|-
| '''[[Charles Woodson]]''' || '''[[1997 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]]''' || '''CB''' || '''433''' || '''209''' || '''98''' || '''1,815'''
|-
| [[Peyton Manning]] || [[1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] || QB || 281 || 263 || 174 || 1,543
|-
| [[Ryan Leaf]] || [[1997 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington State]] || QB || 70 || 205 || 241 || 861
|-
| [[Randy Moss]] || [[1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team|Marshall]] || WR || 17 || 56 || 90 || 253
|-
| [[Curtis Enis]] || [[1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] || RB || 3 || 18 || 20 || 65
|-
| [[Ricky Williams]] || [[1997 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]] || RB || 3 || 18 || 20 || 65
|-
| [[Tim Dwight]] || [[1997 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]] || WR || 5 || 3 || 11 || 32
|-
| [[Cade McNown]] || [[1997 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]] || QB || 0 || 7 || 12 || 26
|-
| [[Tim Couch]] || [[1997 Kentucky Wildcats football team|Kentucky]] || QB || 0 || 5 || 12 || 22
|-
| [[Amos Zereoué]] || [[1997 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || RB || 3 || 1 || 10 || 21
|}

===Other major awards===
*[[Maxwell Award]] (College Player of the Year) – [[Peyton Manning]], [[University of Tennessee|Tennessee]]
*[[Walter Camp Award]] (Back) – [[Charles Woodson]], [[University of Michigan|Michigan]]
*[[Davey O'Brien Award]] (Quarterback) – [[Peyton Manning]], [[University of Tennessee|Tennessee]]
*[[Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award]] (Senior Quarterback) – [[Peyton Manning]], [[University of Tennessee|Tennessee]]
*[[Doak Walker Award]] (Running Back) – [[Ricky Williams]], [[University of Texas at Austin|Texas]]
*[[Fred Biletnikoff Award]] (Wide Receiver) – [[Randy Moss]], [[Marshall University|Marshall]]
*[[Bronko Nagurski Trophy]] (Defensive Player) – [[Charles Woodson]], [[University of Michigan|Michigan]]
*[[Dick Butkus Award]] (Linebacker) – [[Andy Katzenmoyer]], [[Ohio State University|Ohio St.]]
*[[Lombardi Award]] (Lineman or Linebacker) – [[Grant Wistrom]], [[University of Nebraska|Nebraska]]
*[[Outland Trophy]] (Interior Lineman) – [[Aaron Taylor (born 1975)|Aaron Taylor]], [[University of Nebraska|Nebraska]]
*[[Jim Thorpe Award]] (Defensive Back) – [[Charles Woodson]], [[University of Michigan|Michigan]]
*[[Lou Groza Award]] (Placekicker) – [[Martin Gramatica]], [[Kansas State University|Kansas State]]
*[[Paul "Bear" Bryant Award]] – [[Lloyd Carr]], [[University of Michigan|Michigan]]
*[[Football Writers Association of America]] Coach of the Year Award: [[Mike Price]], [[Washington State University|Washington St.]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{NCAA football season navbox}}

[[Category:1997 NCAA Division I-A football season| ]]