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First Intercollegiate game
Rutgers University vs. Princeton University
Rutgers won by a score of 6-4 -
No Games Played
After several teams started fielding teams, there was no football played in 1871 because of an outrage of the extreme violence. Particularly in a game played against Rutgers and Princeton. -
First Intercollegiate Rules Created
On October 20, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to codify the first set of intercollegiate football rules. -
Walter Camp
Camp's most famous change, the establishment of the line of scrimmage and the snap from center to quarterback, was passed in 1880. -
Time rules
In 1887, game time was set at two halves of 45 minutes each. -
Officiating
1887, two paid officials—a referee and an umpire—were mandated for each game. -
Army vs. Navy
First instance of the Army–Navy Game. Navy won 24–0. -
Night Game
The first nighttime football game was played in Mansfield, Pennsylvania on September 28, 1892 between Mansfield State Normal and Wyoming Seminary and ended at halftime in a 0–0 tie.[ -
First Helmet
The Army-Navy game of 1893 saw the first documented use of a football helmet by a player in a game. Joseph M. Reeves had a crude leather helmet made by a shoemaker in Annapolis and wore it in the game after being warned by his doctor that he risked death if he continued to play football after suffering an earlier kick to the head. -
Forward Pass
It is thought that the first forward pass in football occurred on October 26, 1895 in a game between Georgia and North Carolina when, out of desperation, the ball was thrown by the North Carolina back Joel Whitaker instead of punted and George Stephens caught the ball. -
First Conference
The nation's first college football league, the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives (also known as the Western Conference), a precursor to the Big Ten Conference, was founded in 1895. -
President Roosevelt takes Action
On October 9, 1905, Roosevelt held a meeting of football representatives from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, he lectured them on eliminating and reducing injuries. -
Make the Game Safe
December 28, 1905, 62 schools met in New York City to discuss rule changes to make the game safer. -
Creation of IAAUS
As a result of meeting in New York, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States was formed in 1906. The IAAUS was the original rule making body of college football, but would go on to sponsor championships in other sports. -
Creation of NCAA
The IAAUS would get its current name of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1910, which still sets rules governing the sport. -
1st Heisman
In 1935, New York City's Downtown Athletic Club awarded the first Heisman Trophy to University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger, who was also the first ever NFL Draft pick in 1936. -
Team Ranks
In 1936, the Associated Press began its weekly poll of prominent sports writers, ranking all of the nation's college football teams. Since there was no national championship game, the final version of the AP poll was used to determine who was crowned the National Champion of college football. -
BCS
In 1998, a new system was put into place called the Bowl Championship Series. For the first time, it included all major conferences (ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10, and SEC) and four major bowl games (Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta). -
College Football Playoff
The CFP is a four-team tournament whose participants are chosen and seeded by a 13-member selection committee. -
OSU National Champions!!!!!
In the first season of the College Football Playoff, Ohio State was selected as the No. 4 team, where they defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl 42–35. The win advanced the Buckeyes to the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, where they defeated Oregon 42–20 to capture the 2014 national championship.