BCS Championship: Where Does Auburn-Oregon Rank Historically in BCS Title Games?
The BCS has been a controversial system since it's induction beginning in the 1998 season. Many have criticized its use, and I think it's safe to say the vast majority of college football fans across the country would prefer a playoff system.
However, in the 13 seasons this system has been in place, they have produced some very intriguing matchups for its national championship game, including tonight's game. It has also produced some absolute stinkers.
Auburn and Oregon put on a show tonight and will go down as one of the best BCS title games in history, but where does the game rank historically amongst all the title games in the BCS era?
No. 13: 2004 USC vs. Oklahoma
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This was a pretty damn good football game, for about 10 minutes.
Oklahoma came out and struck first blood, grabbing an early lead off of a Jason White TD strike, but USC ripped off 28 unanswered points before Oklahoma knocked in a field goal. Following the Sooner FG, USC ripped off 27 more unanswered points on their way to putting a double nickel on what was supposed to be a pretty good OU defense.
Matt Leinart was the game's MVP, throwing for five TD passes, and USC won their first BCS crown after being passed over for the game in 2003.
USC 55 OU 19
No. 12: 2001 Miami vs. Nebraska
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This was another historic matchup that wound up having brutal results. Miami was the team of the 80s and Nebraska was the team of the 90s under Tom Osborne, and the two teams met in the 2002 Rose Bowl (2001 season.)
Unfortunately for fans, this thing got ugly in a hurry. The Hurricanes raced to a 34-0 halftime lead over the Cornhuskers and then coasted to the finish. Ken Dorsey and Andre Johnson shared MVP accolades, and the Hurricanes won bragging rights in the early 2000's.
Miami 37 Nebraska 14
No. 11: 2006 Florida vs. Ohio State
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Until this season, Ohio State, had NEVER beaten an SEC team in a bowl game. In the 2007, BCS National Title Game (2006 season), OSU was supposed to finally shake that statistic, as they were seven-point favorites.
It looked like it may be a rout in favor of the Buckeyes after Ted Ginn, Jr. took back the opening kick, but Florida slammed the door shut on that idea by halftime with a 34-14 lead.
Florida would go on to win the game, and OSU was forced to hear about SEC speed for at least another year.
UF 41 OSU 14
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 10: 2007 LSU vs. Ohio State
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For the second consecutive season in the BCS National Title Game, THE Ohio State Buckeyes were matched up against an SEC opponent, but this time odds-makers weren't about to make the same mistake they made the previous season.
LSU was playing a de-facto home game at the Superdome in New Orleans, and the Buckeyes opened as five-and-a-half point dogs, but the people of Columbus were anxious for another shot to beat an SEC team for the title.
Once again the Bucks jumped out of the gates and grabbed an early 10-0 lead, but LSU forced multiple turnovers en route to 31 straight points. The Buckeyes got a late score to keep it respectable on the scoreboard, but this one was all Tigers from the first quarter on.
LSU 38 OSU 24
No. 9: 1999 FSU vs. Virginia Tech
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In the second installment of the BCS series, the national title game was the 2000 Sugar Bowl (1999 season) and the matchup featured two of the most electric players in the history of college football: Michael Vick of VT and Peter Warrick of FSU.
Both players lived up to their billing, with Warrick scoring three times (two receiving and one punt return) and Vick throwing for 225 yards and rushing for 97 more, in what was actually a very competitive football game for three quarters.
The Seminoles wound up pulling away, outscoring the Hokies by a tally of 18-0 in the fourth quarter. Warrick wound up winning the game's MVP, and the Seminoles became the first team to be ranked No. 1 in the AP poll wire-to-wire.
FSU 46 VT 29
No. 8: 2000 Oklahoma vs. FSU
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If you love defense, this actually may be one of your favorite BCS title games, but the game was overshadowed by some controversy. Florida State was included in the game despite being ranked behind the Miami Hurricanes in both the AP and Coaches polls.
For the first time, the computers had lashed out against the system, but the Seminoles were in and the game must go on.
This was a defensive slugfest, as Oklahoma was only able to muster up 13 points, but that wound up being far more than enough. The Sooners held a 13-0 lead in the fourth quarter when FSU was awarded a late safety, but Oklahoma would hold on.
OU 13 FSU 2
No. 7: 2009 Alabama vs. Texas
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The 2010 BCS National Championship Game, in my opinion, had all the makings of one of the best BCS games in the history of the system. Alabama sported one of the nation's most ferocious defenses, and Texas had one of the country's most prolific offenses led by QB Colt McCoy.
Unfortunately, McCoy was knocked out of the game on Texas' fifth play from scrimmage. Alabama then capitalized on the shell shocked Longhorns running out to a 24-6 halftime lead.
However, Texas made a ballgame out of it behind the arm of true freshman backup QB Garrett Gilbert. Texas made it a three-point game with a little over six minutes remaining in the game, but Alabama's one-two punch (Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson) scored two touchdowns in the game's final two minutes to give the Crimson Tide another national title.
Bama 37 Texas 21
No. 6 2003 LSU vs. Oklahoma
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This was another title game lost in the controversy of the BCS. In what may be the most egregious omission in BCS title game history, USC was left out of the game despite being ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches Poll.
Oklahoma was included in the game despite being blown out in their conference championship game by Kansas State, and they went on to play the champions of the SEC, LSU.
The game was a back-and-forth defensive battle in the first half with LSU holding a 14-7 lead at the break. In the third quarter, LSU's defense gave them the break that won the game when defensive lineman Marcus Spears returned a pick to give the Tigers a two-score lead which they would never relinquish.
LSU 21 OU 14
No. 5: 1998 UT vs. FSU
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The first BCS title game was played as the 1999 Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona and featured the consensus No. 1 and 2 teams in Tennessee and Florida State.
The fans were curious of what the BCS would give them and what they got was a damn good football game. The Vols broke out to an early 14-0 lead, but the Seminoles rebounded and cut the lead to five at the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, UT QB Tee Martin hooked up with Peerless Price for a 70-yard score that gave the Vols a two-score advantage. The Seminoles did get a touchdown to cut the lead to seven, and then with about two minutes left, UT RB Travis Henry fumbled, giving the Noles a shot to tie before an interception by Tennessee's Steve Johnson sealed the deal.
UT 23 FSU 16
No. 4: 2008 UF vs. Oklahoma
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The 2009 BCS National Championship Game (2008 season) featured two great offenses, two great defenses, and the two of the best players in the nation in Heisman winner Sam Bradford and 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow.
The Gators were 5-and-one-half-point favorites but found themselves in an absolute battle, trading four touchdowns with the Sooners in the game's first 48 minutes. With about 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, a Jonathon Phillips' chip shot gave UF a three-point lead.
The Gators then got the ball back and went on a signature drive, punching it in to give the Gators a 24-14 lead and seal the victory.
UF 24 OU 14
No. 3: 2010 Auburn vs. Oregon
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Tonight's game was nothing like the nation expected. Vegas had the over/under on this one set at 72, and I'm betting that a lot of people took the over in this game which featured the nation's two premier offenses in Oregon and Auburn.
However, the defenses decided to come to play. Oregon and Auburn spent four quarters tonight absolutely slugging it out, and while the two teams gave up plenty of yardage on the night, both units were able to get stops when it counted.
Oregon's main goal was to stop Cam Newton, and they were somewhat successful holding Newton to just 64 yards on 22 carries (although he did throw for 265 and two scores.) Auburn's goal was to shut down Oregon's dynamic rushing attack, and they were also successful.
Auburn tailback Michael Dyer wound up being the unsung hero as Auburn won the game following a drive that featured two huge runs by the freshman setting up the game-winning field goal by Wes Byrum.
Auburn 22 Oregon 19
No. 2: 2002 OSU vs. Miami
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The 2003 Fiesta Bowl served as the national championship game for the 2002 college football season, and featured what many considered to be one of the greatest teams ever, the 2002 Miami Hurricanes, against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Miami was a MASSIVE 11-and-one-half-point favorite in this game, and many just assumed the Hurricanes would take their second straight crown and continue their pursuit of college football's all-time longest winning streak. They were wrong.
The Buckeyes scrapped and clawed and fought and at one point lead 17-7 in the third quarter before the Hurricanes were able to send the game to overtime on a Todd Sievers' 40-yard FG as time expired.
In the first overtime, Miami scored first, and OSU needed a touchdown to force a second OT. On a controversial 4th-and-3 call, Miami was called for pass interference on what would have been a game-ending incomplete pass. OSU got a fresh set of downs and scored to force a second overtime, where they went on to win the game.
OSU 31 Miami 24 (2OT)
No. 1: 2005 Texas vs. USC
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This one was pretty much a no-brainer and may be the greatest college football game ever played. I am, of course, talking about the 2006 Rose Bowl (2005 season) which served as college football national title game.
USC and Texas featured some of the biggest names that college football has seen in the last decade. Bush and Leinart both had Heisman trophies under their belts for the Trojans, and that Young guy from Texas turned out to be pretty good too.
USC was a big favorite, coming off two straight seasons in which they won at least a share of the national title as well as a gaudy 34-game winning streak, but Texas had an answer in Vince Young.
Young had what many consider to be the single greatest performance in the history of college football, passing for 267 yards and rushing for 200 more to go along with three scores.
His finest moment came with less than 20 seconds left, when the Longhorns faced a 4th-and-5 from the USC 9-yard line. Young dropped back to find his receivers covered. He then bolted for the corner and found pay-dirt with just one second left, giving Texas a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
Texas 41 USC 38
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
