1993 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.

Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl. In theory this should have produced a clear champion, however then #2 Notre Dame had beaten then #1 Florida State 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. Though Notre Dame's title chances ended when they lost to #17. 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. Further complicating the issue was that Auburn finished the regular season undefeated, but was on probation and ineligible for postseason play.

Despite beating Florida State in the regular season and finishing the year with the same record as the Seminoles, Notre Dame finished #2 in both major polls.

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.

Penn State also played their first year as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

Another Big West member and Cal State school dropped football, this time Cal State Fullerton. The league picked up four other teams; Southwest Louisiana (later Louisiana-Lafayette) and Arkansas State which had just made the jump to Division IA, and former independents Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech.

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.

Prior to this season, the distance between the hashmarks was narrowed from 53 feet, 4 inches (the same as high school football) 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.

#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

 * Rose Bowl: #9 Wisconsin 21, #14 UCLA 16
 * #8 Florida 41, #3 West Virginia 7
 * Orange Bowl: #1 Florida State 18, #2 Nebraska 16
 * #4 Notre Dame 24, #7 Texas A&M 21
 * Fiesta Bowl: #16 Arizona 29, #10 Miami 0
 * Peach Bowl: #24 Clemson 14, Kentucky 13
 * #13 Penn State 31, #6 Tennessee 13
 * Hall of Fame Bowl: #23 Michigan 42, 7
 * #15 31,  13
 * #19 41, Texas Tech 10
 * #18 Alabama 24, #12 10
 * Copper Bowl: #20 Kansas State 52, Wyoming 17
 * Alamo Bowl: 37, Iowa 3
 * Holiday Bowl: #11 Ohio State 28, 21
 * USC 28, Utah 21
 * Liberty Bowl: #25 Louisville 18, Michigan State 7
 * #17 41, #25  30
 * Independence Bowl: #22 45, #21  20
 * 42, 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) Alabama
 * 14) Miami (FL)
 * 15) UCLA
 * 16) Kansas State
 * 17) Michigan
 * 18) Clemson
 * 19) Louisville
 * 1) Kansas State
 * 2) Michigan
 * 3) Clemson
 * 4) Louisville
 * 1) Louisville

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) Alabama
 * 13) Miami (FL)
 * 14) UCLA
 * 15) Kansas St.
 * 16) Michigan
 * 17) Clemson
 * 18) Louisville
 * 19) Southern California
 * 1) Clemson
 * 2) Louisville
 * 3) Southern California
 * 1) Louisville
 * 2) Southern California
 * 1) Southern California

Heisman Trophy Voting
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 "Bam" 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