1985 NCAA Division I-A football season

1985 NCAA Division I-A season
Number of teams	110[1]
Preseason AP #1	Oklahoma Sooners[2]
Post-season
Bowl games	18
Heisman Trophy	Bo Jackson, Auburn RB
Winner	Oklahoma Sooners
Division I-A football seasons
← 1984 1986 →

The 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season saw the Oklahoma Sooners, led by head coach Barry Switzer, win the national championship.

Oklahoma finished the season 11-1, with their only loss to Miami at home, in a game future NFL star Troy Aikman was lost for the season. The Sooners regrouped and went undefeated the rest of the way, finishing the season with a win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl.

Michigan would finish #2, the highest finish of a Bo Schembechler led team. The team shined on defense, led by All-Americans Mike Hammerstein and Mark Messner.

Tennessee finished the season with a victory over #2 Miami in the Sugar Bowl. This team won the school's first SEC championship in 16 years and was nicknamed the "Sugar Vols". The SEC title was the first of three for coach Johnny Majors.

Air Force Falcons, under Fisher DeBerry had what is considered^[3] their best season ever, defeating Texas in the Bluebonnet bowl and finishing #5.

This year's edition of the Iron Bowl is widely considered^[4] to be one of the greatest ever. Despite Auburn having Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson on its side, Alabama won this game with a last second field goal.

This would be the last year for the Missouri Valley Conference in Division 1-A football. 5 of the 7 teams in the conference (Drake, Illinois State, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, and West Texas State) would drop from Division 1-A football the following season with the other 2 members (Tulsa and Wichita State) becoming independents the following season.

Rule changes

• Kickoffs that sail through the end zone untouched will be placed at the 20-yard line, rescinding a rule adopted in 1984 that required the ball be placed at the 30-yard line.
• Offensive lineman will be allowed to use extended arms and open hands on all blocks, not just retreat blocks.
• The use of "offset uprights" (two goalposts) is prohibited. All goalposts must now be of the "tuning fork" or "slingshot" style, with the crossbar rising from a single post.

Conference standings

1985 ACC football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #18 Maryland $ 6 – 0 – 0     9 – 3 – 0 #19 Georgia Tech 5 – 1 – 0     9 – 2 – 1 Virginia 4 – 3 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 Clemson 4 – 3 – 0     6 – 6 – 0 North Carolina 5 – 2 – 0     7 – 4 – 1 Duke 2 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 NC State 2 – 5 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Wake Forest 1 – 6 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll	1985 Big 8 football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #1 Oklahoma $ 7 – 0 – 0     11 – 1 – 0 #11 Nebraska 6 – 1 – 0     9 – 3 – 0 Oklahoma State 4 – 3 – 0     8 – 4 – 0 Colorado 4 – 3 – 0     7 – 5 – 0 Iowa State 3 – 4 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 Kansas 2 – 5 – 0     6 – 6 – 0 Kansas State 1 – 6 – 0     1 – 10 – 0 Missouri 1 – 6 – 0     1 – 10 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll	1985 Big Ten football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #10 Iowa $ 7 – 1 – 0     10 – 2 – 0 #2 Michigan 6 – 1 – 1     10 – 1 – 1 Illinois 5 – 2 – 1     6 – 5 – 1 #14 Ohio State 5 – 3 – 0     9 – 3 – 0 Michigan State 5 – 3 – 0     7 – 5 – 0 Minnesota 4 – 4 – 0     7 – 5 – 0 Purdue 3 – 5 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 Wisconsin 2 – 6 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 Indiana 1 – 7 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Northwestern 1 – 7 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll
1985 Mid-American Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T Bowling Green $ 9 – 0 – 0     11 – 1 – 0 Miami 7 – 1 – 1     8 – 2 – 1 Central Michigan 6 – 3 – 0     7 – 3 – 0 Western Michigan 4 – 4 – 1     4 – 6 – 1 Northern Illinois 4 – 4 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Ball State 3 – 6 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Eastern Michigan 3 – 6 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Toledo 3 – 6 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Kent State 2 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Ohio 2 – 7 – 0     2 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll	1985 Missouri Valley Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T Tulsa $ 3 – 0 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 West Texas State 3 – 1 – 1     6 – 3 – 1 Illinois State 3 – 1 – 1     6 – 3 – 1 Indiana State 2 – 2 – 0     4 – 6 – 0 Wichita State 2 – 3 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Drake 1 – 4 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Southern Illinois 1 – 4 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll	1985 Pacific Coast Athletic Association football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T Fresno State $ 7 – 0 – 0     11 – 0 – 1 Cal State Fullerton 5 – 2 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 UNLV 4 – 2 – 1     5 – 5 – 1 Long Beach State 4 – 3 – 0     6 – 6 – 0 Utah State 3 – 4 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 San Jose State 2 – 4 – 1     2 – 8 – 1 Pacific 2 – 5 – 0     5 – 7 – 0 New Mexico State 0 – 7 – 0     1 – 10 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll
1985 Pacific-10 football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #7 UCLA $ 6 – 2 – 0     9 – 2 – 1 Arizona 5 – 2 – 0     8 – 3 – 1 Arizona State 5 – 2 – 0     8 – 4 – 0 Washington 5 – 3 – 0     7 – 5 – 0 USC 5 – 3 – 0     6 – 6 – 0 Oregon 3 – 4 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 Washington State 3 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Stanford 3 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Oregon State 2 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 California 2 – 7 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll	1985 SEC football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #4 Tennessee $ 5 – 1 – 0     9 – 1 – 2 #5 Florida 5 – 1 – 0     9 – 1 – 1 #13 Alabama 4 – 1 – 1     9 – 2 – 1 #20 LSU 4 – 1 – 1     9 – 2 – 1 Georgia 3 – 2 – 1     7 – 3 – 2 Auburn 3 – 3 – 0     8 – 4 – 0 Ole Miss 2 – 4 – 0     4 – 6 – 1 Vanderbilt 1 – 4 – 1     3 – 7 – 1 Kentucky 1 – 5 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 Mississippi State 0 – 6 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion Florida ineligible for SEC championship due to NCAA probation. Rankings from AP Poll	1985 Southwest Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #6 Texas A&M $ 7 – 1 – 0     10 – 2 – 0 #12 Arkansas 6 – 2 – 0     10 – 2 – 0 #17 Baylor 6 – 2 – 0     9 – 3 – 0 Texas 6 – 2 – 0     8 – 4 – 0 SMU 5 – 3 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 Houston 3 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Rice 2 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Texas Tech 1 – 7 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 TCU 0 – 8 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll
1985 WAC football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #8 Air Force + 7 – 1 – 0     12 – 1 – 0 #16 BYU + 7 – 1 – 0     11 – 3 – 0 Utah 5 – 3 – 0     8 – 4 – 0 Hawaii 4 – 3 – 1     4 – 6 – 2 Colorado State 4 – 4 – 0     5 – 7 – 0 San Diego State 3 – 4 – 1     5 – 6 – 1 New Mexico 2 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Wyoming 2 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 UTEP 1 – 7 – 0     1 – 10 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll	1985 Division I-A independents football records Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #3 Penn State   –   –       11 – 1 – 0 #9 Miami (FL)   –   –       10 – 2 – 0 Army   –   –       9 – 3 – 0 #15 Florida State   –   –       9 – 3 – 0 West Virginia   –   –       7 – 3 – 1 Southern Miss   –   –       7 – 4 – 0 Syracuse   –   –       7 – 5 – 0 Virginia Tech   –   –       6 – 5 – 0 Pittsburgh   –   –       5 – 5 – 1 Cincinnati   –   –       5 – 6 – 0 Notre Dame   –   –       5 – 6 – 0 South Carolina   –   –       5 – 6 – 0 Southwestern Louisiana   –   –       4 – 7 – 0 Navy   –   –       4 – 7 – 0 Temple   –   –       4 – 7 – 0 Boston College   –   –       4 – 8 – 0 Memphis   –   –       2 – 7 – 2 Rutgers   –   –       2 – 8 – 1 East Carolina   –   –       2 – 9 – 0 Louisville   –   –       2 – 9 – 0 Tulane   –   –       1 – 10 – 0 Rankings from AP Poll

AP Final Poll

1. Oklahoma
2. Michigan
3. Penn State
4. Tennessee
5. Florida
6. Texas A&M
7. UCLA
8. Air Force
9. Miami (FL)
10. Iowa
11. Nebraska
12. Arkansas
13. Alabama
14. Ohio State
15. Florida State
16. BYU
17. Baylor
18. Maryland
19. Georgia Tech
20. LSU

Final Coaches Poll

1. Oklahoma
2. Michigan
3. Penn St.
4. Tennessee
5. Air Force
6. UCLA
7. Texas A&M
8. Miami (FL)
9. Iowa
10. Nebraska
11. Ohio St.
12. Arkansas
13. Florida St.
14. Alabama
15. Baylor
16. Fresno St.
17. Brigham Young
18. Georgia Tech
19. Maryland
20. LSU

Notable rivalry games

• Alabama 25, Auburn 23
• Arizona 16, Arizona State 13
• Florida 38, Florida State 14
• Georgia 24, Florida 3
• Georgia Tech 20, Georgia 16
• Iowa 57, Iowa State 3
• LSU 31, Tulane 19
• Michigan 31, Michigan State 0
• Michigan 27, Ohio State 17
• Minnesota 27, Wisconsin 18
• Navy 17, Army 7
• Notre Dame 37, USC 3
• Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 7
• Oklahoma 13, Oklahoma State 0
• Oklahoma 14, Texas 7
• Oregon 34, Oregon State 13
• Stanford 24, California 22
• Texas A&M 42, Texas 10
• USC 17, UCLA 13
• Washington State 21, Washington 20

AP Poll #1 and #2 progress

WEEKS	#1	#2	Event
PRE-1	Oklahoma	Auburn	Auburn 49, LA-Lafayette 7	Sep 7
2-4	Auburn	Oklahoma	Tennessee 38, Auburn 20	Sep 28
5-6	Iowa	Oklahoma	Oklahoma 14, Texas 7	Oct 12
7	Iowa	Michigan	Iowa 12, Michigan 10	Oct 19
8-9	Iowa	Florida	Ohio State 22, Iowa 13	Nov 2
10	Florida	Penn State	Georgia 24, Florida 3	Nov 9
11-12	Penn State	Nebraska	Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 7	Nov 23
13	Penn State	Air Force	Miami 58, Notre Dame 7	Nov 30
14-15	Penn State	Miami	Oklahoma 25, Penn State 10	Jan 1

Bowl games

• Rose Bowl: #13 UCLA 45, #4 Iowa 28
• Fiesta: #5 Michigan 27, #7 Nebraska 23
• Sugar Bowl: #8 Tennessee 35, #2 Miami (Fl) 7
• Cotton Bowl Classic: #11 Texas A&M 36, #16 Auburn 16
• Orange Bowl: #3 Oklahoma 25, #1 Penn State 10
• Florida Citrus Bowl: #17 Ohio State 10, #9 Brigham Young 7
• Gator Bowl: #18 Florida State 34, #19 Oklahoma State 23
• Holiday Bowl: #14 Arkansas 18, Arizona State 17
• Peach Bowl: Army 31, Illinois 29
• Sun Bowl: #20 Arizona 13, Georgia 13
• Independence Bowl: Minnesota 20, Clemson 13
• Liberty Bowl: Baylor 21, #12 LSU 7
• Aloha Bowl: #15 Alabama 24, USC 3
• Bluebonnet Bowl: #11 Air Force 24, Texas 16
• California Bowl: Fresno State 51, #20 Bowling Green 7
• All-American Bowl: #18 Georgia Tech 17, Michigan State 14
• Freedom Bowl: Washington 20, Colorado 17
• Cherry Bowl: Maryland 35, Syracuse 18

Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award is given to the

Most Outstanding Player of the year
Winner: Bo Jackson, Auburn, RB (1,509 points)

• 2. Chuck Long, Iowa, QB (1,464 points)
• 3. Robbie Bosco, Brigham Young, QB (459 points)
• 4. Lorenzo White, Michigan State, RB (391 points)
• 5. Vinny Testaverde, Miami-Fl, QB (249 points)

Other annual awards

• Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year) - Chuck Long, Iowa
• Walter Camp Award (Back) - Bo Jackson, Auburn
• Davey O'Brien Award (Quarterback) - Chuck Long, Iowa
• Dick Butkus Award (Linebacker) - Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma
• Lombardi Award (Lineman or Linebacker) - Tony Casillas, Oklahoma
• Outland Trophy (Interior Lineman) - Mike Ruth, Boston College, 0T
• Paul "Bear" Bryant Award - Fisher DeBerry, Air Force

References

1. http://www.jhowell.net/cf/cf1985.htm
2. http://www.appollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=589
3. by whom?
4. by whom?