1988 NCAA Division I-A football season


The 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Notre Dame winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title via a 34-21 defeat of previously unbeaten West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. With 4 of the final Top 5 teams being independents, 1988 became a focus for fans and critics who wondered how the traditional conferences would deal with the indies.
Notre Dame had several notable victories this season, including a 19-17 victory over #9 Michigan, won on a last drive field goal, which started off the championship season. The season's marquee game was a 31-30 victory over #1 Miami. Entering the game, Miami had a 36-game regular season winning streak, 20 straight road victories and a 16-game winning streak overall. This year was also the first time Notre Dame and USC had ever met when ranked #1 and #2. Most notable about this game is Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz's decision to leave behind two of his stars, Tony Brooks and Ricky Watters because they were late, cementing discipline as the main theme of this championship team.
This year's edition of the UCLA–USC rivalry game featured a second ranked USC and a fourth ranked UCLA. For the second year in a row the Rose Bowl berth was on the line but for USC it also had national title implications as the rivalry game with Notre Dame was the following week. USC beat UCLA but lost to Notre Dame, and then lost to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders ran the Wing T offense all the way to the Heisman Trophy and numerous rushing records.

Rule changes

Season summary

#1 and #2 progress

Bowl games

Final AP Poll

  1. Notre Dame
  2. Miami
  3. Florida State
  4. Michigan
  5. West Virginia
  6. UCLA
  7. Southern California
  8. Auburn
  9. Clemson
  10. Nebraska
  11. Oklahoma State
  12. Arkansas
  13. Syracuse
  14. Oklahoma
  15. Georgia
  16. Washington State
  17. Alabama
  18. Houston
  19. LSU
  20. Indiana

    Final Coaches Poll

  21. Notre Dame
  22. Miami
  23. Florida State
  24. Michigan
  25. West Virginia
  26. UCLA
  27. Auburn
  28. Clemson
  29. Southern California
  30. Nebraska
  31. Oklahoma State
  32. Syracuse
  33. Arkansas
  34. Oklahoma
  35. Georgia
  36. Washington State
  37. Alabama
  38. North Carolina State
  39. Indiana
  40. Wyoming

    Awards

Heisman Trophy

  1. Winner: Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, Jr. RB
  2. Rodney Peete, Southern California, Sr. QB
  3. Troy Aikman, UCLA, Sr. QB
  4. Steve Walsh, Miami, Jr. QB
  5. Major Harris, West Virginia, So. QB

    Other major awards