60 Fun Facts About College Football Trivia 2023

Which team won the national championship for the 2023 college football season?

It was the program's first title of the College Football Playoff era and its first consensus national championship since 1948.

What was the final score of the 2024 CFP National Championship game between Michigan and Washington?

Donovan Edwards ripped off two first-quarter touchdown runs of more than 40 yards to set the tone.

The 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship was played at which venue?

It was the last title game of the four-team playoff era before the field expanded to twelve.

Who was offensive MVP of the 2024 national championship game with two fourth-quarter scores?

He also left Ann Arbor as the school's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns.

Michigan finished the 2023 season with what record?

They became only the fourth FBS national champion ever to finish 15–0 and outscored opponents 538 to 156.

With a win over Maryland in November 2023, Michigan became the first college program to reach how many wins?

The milestone came during Jim Harbaugh's Big Ten suspension, with Sherrone Moore running the sideline.

Who won the 2023 Heisman Trophy?

The LSU quarterback led the FBS in total yards and set the single-season passer-rating record.

Before transferring to LSU, the 2023 Heisman winner played three seasons for which school?

He won the Sun Devils' starting job as a true freshman in 2019.

Which quarterback's second place in the 2023 Heisman voting was Washington's best ever finish?

He also won the Maxwell Award after leading the nation in passing yards.

Where did Oregon's Bo Nix, third in the 2023 Heisman vote, play his first three college seasons?

He was the 2019 SEC Freshman of the Year before transferring west.

Which Ohio State receiver won the 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award and finished fourth in Heisman voting?

The son of the Colts Hall of Famer went fourth overall to Arizona in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Which undefeated Power Five champion was left out of the 2023 four-team College Football Playoff?

It was the first time an unbeaten Power Five champion had been excluded; the committee cited the loss of quarterback Jordan Travis.

Against which opponent did FSU quarterback Jordan Travis suffer his career-ending injury in November 2023?

The Seminoles still finished 13–0 and beat Louisville for the ACC title without him.

Georgia's 63–3 win over the Seminoles in the 2023 Orange Bowl set what record?

The 60-point margin broke Georgia's own record of 58, set against TCU in the title game a year earlier.

Alabama's 27–24 win in the 2023 SEC Championship Game ended Georgia's winning streak at how many games?

It was the longest winning streak in SEC history and had begun in the 2021 Orange Bowl semifinal.

In the 2023 Iron Bowl, Milroe's fourth-down winning touchdown to Bond came from how many yards?

Bond nicknamed the play 'Gravedigger'; it came with 31 seconds left and turned out to be Nick Saban's last Iron Bowl.

Which team handed Alabama its only regular-season loss of 2023, winning 34–24 in Tuscaloosa in September?

It was the second leg of a home-and-home series, and the Longhorns' final season in the Big 12.

Quinn Ewers set a Big 12 Championship Game record with how many passing yards in 2023?

He also threw four touchdowns as Texas won its first Big 12 title since 2009 in its final season in the league.

Michigan won the 2023 Big Ten Championship Game 26–0 over which team?

It was the last Big Ten title game of the divisional era; the East Division finished 10–0 in those matchups.

The 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes were nicknamed the "Best Worst Team Ever" because of what combination?

Offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the head coach's son, was told in October he would not be retained.

Who was Michigan's acting head coach for the November 2023 win over Ohio State?

Both teams entered undefeated for the second straight year; Moore was later promoted to head coach when Harbaugh left.

How many games did the Big Ten suspend Jim Harbaugh in November 2023 over sign-stealing?

He missed Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State, then returned for the Big Ten title game.

Which Michigan staffer was at the centre of the 2023 sign-stealing scandal?

The NCAA said he called his network of scouts the 'KGB' and referred to sideline footage as 'dirty film'.

Jim Harbaugh left Michigan weeks after the 2023 title to coach which NFL team?

He signed on January 24, 2024, returning to a franchise he had played for as a quarterback in 1999–2000.

Michigan beat Alabama 27–20 in the 2024 Rose Bowl semifinal. How was the game decided?

Roman Wilson's touchdown with 94 seconds left forced overtime; the Tide were stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 3.

On what date did Nick Saban announce his retirement after the 2024 Rose Bowl?

He left after 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa and seven national titles overall.

Who did Alabama hire from Washington to replace Nick Saban, days after the title game?

He had just led the Huskies to a 14–1 season and their first Pac-12 title since 2018.

Washington beat Texas in the 2024 Sugar Bowl semifinal by what score?

It made the Huskies only the second Pac-12 team ever to win a College Football Playoff game.

The 2023 Washington Huskies were the first team to do what since the Pac-12 expanded to 12 teams in 2011?

They clinched it with the Apple Cup win over Washington State, then beat Oregon again in the title game.

The 2023 Pac-12 Championship Game between Washington and Oregon was notable for being what?

All but two members left the conference for 2024, leaving Oregon State and Washington State to arrange a Mountain West scheduling deal.

Which two schools were left behind when the Pac-12 collapsed in 2023?

They signed a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for 2024 and became a two-team conference.

Deion Sanders coached which school in his first FBS season, 2023?

He arrived from Jackson State and turned over nearly the entire roster through the transfer portal.

Deion Sanders' first FBS game as head coach was a 45–42 upset of which national runner-up?

Shedeur Sanders threw for a school-record 510 yards and Travis Hunter played 147 snaps on both sides of the ball.

After a 3–0 start and enormous hype, what record did Coach Prime's Buffaloes finish with in 2023?

They went 1–8 in Pac-12 play, and even the spring game had drawn a record 47,277 fans.

Two-way star Travis Hunter played how many total snaps in his FBS debut in September 2023?

Playing corner and receiver, he was the game's most talked-about player and would win the Heisman a year later.

Northwestern fired longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald in July 2023 after an investigation into what?

Interim replacement David Braun went 8–5 and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Texas A&M fired Jimbo Fisher in 2023 with a record buyout of roughly how much?

He was 6–4 at the time of the firing and never returned to coaching, joining the ACC Network in 2025.

Which Big Ten coach was fired in September 2023 over harassment allegations by Brenda Tracy?

Michigan State suspended him after two games and dismissed him on September 27.

Northwestern's David Braun started 2023 on an interim basis and ended it with which honor?

He was made the permanent coach on November 15 after a road win at Wisconsin.

What milestone was Missouri's 14–3 win over Ohio State in the December 2023 Cotton Bowl?

Eliah Drinkwitz's team had started 5–0, including a 61-yard walk-off field goal by Harrison Mevis to beat Kansas State.

Ole Miss beat Penn State 38–25 in the Peach Bowl to reach a program-first milestone. What was it?

Lane Kiffin's Rebels were five-point underdogs in front of 71,230 fans.

Which league did Liberty's Flames join for their 13–0 regular season in 2023?

First-year coach Jamey Chadwell won the league title at the first attempt; Oregon then thumped the Flames 45–6 in Glendale.

James Madison went 11–1 in 2023 but was initially barred from a bowl. Why?

Their waiver was denied twice, but a shortage of bowl-eligible teams got them into the Armed Forces Bowl anyway.

Georgia Tech upset No. 17 Miami in 2023 after the Hurricanes made what mistake in the final 40 seconds?

The Yellow Jackets recovered the fumble and scored to win 23–20.

The January 2023 national championship game, capping the 2022 season, saw Georgia beat TCU by what score?

The 58-point margin was then the biggest in any FBS bowl game and made Georgia the first repeat champion since Alabama in 2012.

The 2023 Army–Navy Game was played at which NFL venue?

It was a rare departure from Philadelphia, which has hosted 90 of the 124 meetings.

Which 2023 rule change was borrowed from the NFL to shorten games?

The clock now stops for first downs only inside the final two minutes of each half, reversing a rule from 1968.

Fresno State's September 2023 home opener against Eastern Washington was the first FBS game to do what?

The Bulldogs' experiment came as broadcasters chased new audiences amid realignment.

Michigan's 2023 title was the program's first national championship since which year?

That earlier title, under Lloyd Carr, was shared with Nebraska; 2023 was the first consensus crown since 1948.

Which Alabama quarterback went first overall in the April 2023 NFL Draft?

Carolina had traded up with Chicago for the pick, in a draft held outside Union Station in Kansas City.

Michigan's starting back set a school single-season record in 2023 with how many rushing TDs?

He also finished as the school's all-time leader with 58 rushing scores.

Which cornerback was named defensive MVP of the January 2024 national championship game?

Michigan's 15-0 finish made it only the fourth FBS champion to do so, after 2018 Clemson, 2019 LSU and 2022 Georgia.

Whom did Washington hire from Arizona in January 2024 to replace Kalen DeBoer?

DeBoer had left for Alabama two days after Nick Saban's retirement; Jim Harbaugh then departed Michigan for the Chargers on January 24.

Roughly how many US viewers watched the Michigan-Washington title game, the most since 2020?

That was a 45% jump on the previous year, though the Michigan-Alabama Rose Bowl semifinal drew even more.

Which two schools played their first FBS seasons in 2023 after joining Conference USA?

Both began transitioning from FCS in 2022; the NCAA that October raised the FCS-to-FBS application fee from $5,000 to $5 million.

Which former independent joined the Big 12 in 2023 alongside Cincinnati, Houston and UCF?

Six schools moved from Conference USA to the American to backfill the departures, and 2023 was Army's last season as an FBS independent.

Which school announced a self-imposed bowl ban for 2023 over hosting recruits during the COVID dead period?

The announcement came on August 29 while an NCAA infractions case was still ongoing.

Which unranked team upset No. 9 Clemson 28-7 on Labor Day night 2023?

Two months later Kansas knocked off No. 6 Oklahoma 38-33, and Oklahoma State beat the Sooners in Bedlam the following week.

Which network picked up ACC games formerly on Bally Sports in 2023 after Diamond Sports' bankruptcy?

The same network also acquired the Barstool Sports-produced Arizona Bowl broadcast; 2023 was the final year of the SEC on CBS.

Which duo joined NBC Sports in 2023 as the lead commentary team for Big Ten Saturday Night?

2023 was the first year of the Big Ten's deals with CBS, NBC/Peacock and Fox; Greg McElroy took Blackledge's old ESPN chair.