College Football Quiz
Heisman, the Big House, the Iron Bowl, Saban and the 12 team playoff: 15 questions on Saturdays in the fall.
Which award is given each year to the most outstanding player in college football?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Trophy has been presented since 1935 by the Downtown Athletic Club and later the Heisman Trust, and it is voted on by sportswriters and former winners each December.
The trophy's stiff arm pose was modeled by Ed Smith, an NYU player who did not learn he was the model until 1982.
Which bowl game is nicknamed The Granddaddy of Them All?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, is the oldest bowl game, first played in 1902 and held every year since 1916, which earned it the nickname The Granddaddy of Them All.
The 1942 Rose Bowl was moved to Durham, North Carolina, over fears of a Japanese attack on the West Coast after Pearl Harbor.
Which university's football team is known as the Crimson Tide?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Alabama
The University of Alabama's teams have been called the Crimson Tide since a sportswriter used the phrase to describe their performance in a muddy 1907 game against Auburn.
Alabama's elephant mascot, Big Al, comes from a 1930 newspaper line describing the linemen as thundering onto the field like elephants.
Which stadium is nicknamed The Big House?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor is the largest stadium in the United States, with an official capacity of more than 107,000, and it has drawn crowds above 100,000 for every home game since 1975.
Fielding Yost had the 1927 stadium built with footings strong enough to allow expansion well beyond 100,000 seats.
Alabama's annual Iron Bowl rivalry game is played against which school?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Auburn
The Iron Bowl pits Alabama against in state rival Auburn and takes its name from Birmingham's steel industry, since the game was played there for decades before moving to campus sites.
The 2013 Kick Six, when Auburn returned a missed field goal 109 yards on the final play, is one of the most famous finishes in the series.
Which rivalry is known simply as The Game?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Michigan vs Ohio State
Michigan and Ohio State have met since 1897, traditionally on the final Saturday of the Big Ten regular season, and the matchup has decided conference titles and national championship hopes for decades.
Ohio State coach Woody Hayes famously refused to say the word Michigan, calling it only the school up north.
In which city is the annual Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma played?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Dallas
Texas and Oklahoma meet each October at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the State Fair of Texas, with the stadium split down the middle between burnt orange and crimson fans.
Dallas sits roughly halfway between the two campuses, which is why the neutral site has endured since 1929.
Who is the only player to win the Heisman Trophy twice?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Archie Griffin
Ohio State running back Archie Griffin won the Heisman in 1974 and 1975, and no player has repeated since, although several winners have returned to school and fallen short.
Griffin was also the first player to start in four Rose Bowls, playing in Pasadena every January from 1973 to 1976.
How many national championships did Nick Saban win as head coach of Alabama?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Six
Saban won six national titles at Alabama in the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020 seasons, and he added a seventh overall from his time at LSU in 2003.
Saban retired in January 2024 and joined ESPN's College GameDay as an analyst that fall.
Which program won the first College Football Playoff national championship in January 2015?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ohio State
Ohio State beat Oregon 42 to 20 in Arlington, Texas, with third string quarterback Cardale Jones starting after injuries to Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett.
The Buckeyes were the fourth and final seed in that first bracket and upset top seeded Alabama in the semifinal.
Which conference did Texas and Oklahoma join in 2024 after leaving the Big 12?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
SEC
Texas and Oklahoma officially joined the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024, expanding the SEC to 16 members and reshaping the landscape of college sport.
The same summer, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten.
Which program won back-to-back national championships after the 2021 and 2022 seasons?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Georgia
Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs beat Alabama in January 2022 and then routed TCU 65 to 7 in January 2023, the most lopsided title game in the playoff era.
Georgia's 2021 title was its first since 1980, ending a 41 year wait for the program.
Which school did two-way star Travis Hunter play for when he won the 2024 Heisman Trophy?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Colorado
Hunter played both wide receiver and cornerback for Colorado under coach Deion Sanders, logging more than 1,000 snaps and winning the Heisman over Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to draft Hunter second overall in April 2025 intending to play him both ways.
Which program won its first national championship by beating Miami in January 2026?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Indiana
Indiana beat Miami 27 to 21 in the title game on January 19, 2026, capping an unbeaten season under coach Curt Cignetti and quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who had won the Heisman weeks earlier.
Indiana finished 16 and 0, and Mendoza was the first Indiana player ever to win the Heisman Trophy.
Which FCS program stunned fifth ranked Michigan 34 to 32 in Ann Arbor in September 2007?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Appalachian State
Appalachian State blocked a last second field goal to beat Michigan in the Big House on September 1, 2007, in a result widely called the greatest upset in college football history.
The Associated Press changed its rules the following week to make FCS teams eligible for the Top 25 poll.
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All Sports quizzes →About the College Football Quiz
College football fills stadiums of more than 100,000 people every autumn Saturday. The Rose Bowl has been played since 1902, the Heisman Trophy since 1935, and Nick Saban won six national championships at Alabama alone.
These 15 questions cover the great programs, famous rivalries like the Iron Bowl and The Game, Heisman history from Jay Berwanger to Travis Hunter, and the College Football Playoff from its first champion to the 12 team era. The opening questions suit anyone who watches on New Year's Day, while the closing ones are for fans who remember the biggest upset in Michigan Stadium history.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
Who won the first College Football Playoff?
Ohio State beat Oregon 42 to 20 in January 2015 to win the first four team playoff.
When did the playoff expand to 12 teams?
The 12 team format began with the 2024 season, and Ohio State won the first expanded bracket in January 2025.
What is the Heisman Trophy?
The award given each December to the most outstanding player in college football, first presented in 1935.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- Which award is given each year to the most outstanding player in college football?
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Trophy has been presented since 1935 by the Downtown Athletic Club and later the Heisman Trust, and it is voted on by sportswriters and former winners each December. The trophy's stiff arm pose was modeled by Ed Smith, an NYU player who did not learn he was the model until 1982. - Which bowl game is nicknamed The Granddaddy of Them All?
Rose Bowl The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, is the oldest bowl game, first played in 1902 and held every year since 1916, which earned it the nickname The Granddaddy of Them All. The 1942 Rose Bowl was moved to Durham, North Carolina, over fears of a Japanese attack on the West Coast after Pearl Harbor. - Which university's football team is known as the Crimson Tide?
Alabama The University of Alabama's teams have been called the Crimson Tide since a sportswriter used the phrase to describe their performance in a muddy 1907 game against Auburn. Alabama's elephant mascot, Big Al, comes from a 1930 newspaper line describing the linemen as thundering onto the field like elephants. - Which stadium is nicknamed The Big House?
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor is the largest stadium in the United States, with an official capacity of more than 107,000, and it has drawn crowds above 100,000 for every home game since 1975. Fielding Yost had the 1927 stadium built with footings strong enough to allow expansion well beyond 100,000 seats. - Alabama's annual Iron Bowl rivalry game is played against which school?
Auburn The Iron Bowl pits Alabama against in state rival Auburn and takes its name from Birmingham's steel industry, since the game was played there for decades before moving to campus sites. The 2013 Kick Six, when Auburn returned a missed field goal 109 yards on the final play, is one of the most famous finishes in the series. - Which rivalry is known simply as The Game?
Michigan vs Ohio State Michigan and Ohio State have met since 1897, traditionally on the final Saturday of the Big Ten regular season, and the matchup has decided conference titles and national championship hopes for decades. Ohio State coach Woody Hayes famously refused to say the word Michigan, calling it only the school up north. - In which city is the annual Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma played?
Dallas Texas and Oklahoma meet each October at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the State Fair of Texas, with the stadium split down the middle between burnt orange and crimson fans. Dallas sits roughly halfway between the two campuses, which is why the neutral site has endured since 1929. - Who is the only player to win the Heisman Trophy twice?
Archie Griffin Ohio State running back Archie Griffin won the Heisman in 1974 and 1975, and no player has repeated since, although several winners have returned to school and fallen short. Griffin was also the first player to start in four Rose Bowls, playing in Pasadena every January from 1973 to 1976. - How many national championships did Nick Saban win as head coach of Alabama?
Six Saban won six national titles at Alabama in the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020 seasons, and he added a seventh overall from his time at LSU in 2003. Saban retired in January 2024 and joined ESPN's College GameDay as an analyst that fall. - Which program won the first College Football Playoff national championship in January 2015?
Ohio State Ohio State beat Oregon 42 to 20 in Arlington, Texas, with third string quarterback Cardale Jones starting after injuries to Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. The Buckeyes were the fourth and final seed in that first bracket and upset top seeded Alabama in the semifinal. - Which conference did Texas and Oklahoma join in 2024 after leaving the Big 12?
SEC Texas and Oklahoma officially joined the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024, expanding the SEC to 16 members and reshaping the landscape of college sport. The same summer, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. - Which program won back-to-back national championships after the 2021 and 2022 seasons?
Georgia Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs beat Alabama in January 2022 and then routed TCU 65 to 7 in January 2023, the most lopsided title game in the playoff era. Georgia's 2021 title was its first since 1980, ending a 41 year wait for the program. - Which school did two-way star Travis Hunter play for when he won the 2024 Heisman Trophy?
Colorado Hunter played both wide receiver and cornerback for Colorado under coach Deion Sanders, logging more than 1,000 snaps and winning the Heisman over Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to draft Hunter second overall in April 2025 intending to play him both ways. - Which program won its first national championship by beating Miami in January 2026?
Indiana Indiana beat Miami 27 to 21 in the title game on January 19, 2026, capping an unbeaten season under coach Curt Cignetti and quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who had won the Heisman weeks earlier. Indiana finished 16 and 0, and Mendoza was the first Indiana player ever to win the Heisman Trophy. - Which FCS program stunned fifth ranked Michigan 34 to 32 in Ann Arbor in September 2007?
Appalachian State Appalachian State blocked a last second field goal to beat Michigan in the Big House on September 1, 2007, in a result widely called the greatest upset in college football history. The Associated Press changed its rules the following week to make FCS teams eligible for the Top 25 poll.
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