| 1990 NCAA Division I-A season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Number of teams | 106[1] |
| Preseason AP No. 1 | Miami (FL)[2] |
| Postseason | |
| Duration | December 8, 1990 – January 1, 1991 |
| Bowl games | 19 |
| AP Poll No. 1 | Colorado |
| Coaches Poll No. 1 | Georgia Tech |
| Heisman Trophy | Ty Detmer (quarterback, BYU) |
| Champion(s) | Colorado (AP, FWAA) Georgia Tech (Coaches) |
| Division I-A football seasons | |
← 1989 1991 → | |
The 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split national championship and the ensuing controversy helped lead to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The national title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Buffaloes (11–1–1) took the AP poll while the Yellow Jackets (11–0–1) took the UPI Coaches poll by one vote over Colorado, 847 to 846. During the season Colorado had a particularly controversial victory over Missouri in what would later be known as the "Fifth Down Game". It was the only time in UPI Coaches poll history that a coach (Tom Osborne) changed his vote against the pre-bowl #1 after that #1 team won their bowl game. Unlike several seasons to come in the 1990s, the two teams that became split national champions could have actually met in a 1 vs. 2 bowl game. Georgia Tech's ACC champion status did not preclude them from taking their #2 ranking to the Orange Bowl to face the automatic Big-8 champion in #1 Colorado for a decisive title game. But the Orange Bowl committee wanted Notre Dame instead of Georgia Tech as the Buffaloes' opponent, because Notre Dame had a larger fan base and would accrue more money and better TV ratings than the Yellow Jackets would have.
- ^ "1990 NCAA Division IA Football Power Ratings". Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)