Remember when New Year’s Day bowl games meant something? Now the BCS has a bowl week. The Rose and Sugar kicked off the BCS bash on Friday. The Fiesta, Orange and BCS National Championship follow this week. So what are the top BCS games of all time? Glad you asked:
10. 2006 Sugar: West Virginia 38, Georgia 35
This game looked like it was going to be a blowout as West Virginia jumped out to a 28-0 lead by the opening minute of the second quarter. Georgia fought back, getting within a field goal in the second half, but couldn’t pull of the miraculous upset. Mountaineers freshman running back Steve Slaton was named the game’s MVP, rushing for 204 yards and three touchdowns.
The BCS has only been around since the 1998 season, so trimming 47 games to a list of the 10 best wasn’t difficult. The bigger debate was over pecking order. How much weight did our experts give to the four national title games in our top 10? Was drama (2006 Orange Bowl) more important than offensive fireworks (2000 Sugar Bowl)? And what about individual breakout games? In the end, the 2005 Rose Bowl between Texas and USC stole the show, receiving all but one first-place vote from our seven-man panel. Game – Points
1. Texas 41, USC 38, 2005 Rose Bowl* – 68
2. Boise State, 43, Oklahoma 42, OT, 2007 Fiesta Bowl – 62
3. Ohio State 31, Miami 24, 2OT, 2003 Fiesta Bowl* – 52
4. Texas 38, Michigan 37, 2004 Rose Bowl – 39
5. Penn State 26, Florida State 23, 3OT, 2006 Orange Bowl – 38
6. Florida State 46, Virginia Tech 29, 2000 Sugar Bowl* – 35
7. Michigan 35, Alabama 34, 2000 Orange Bowl – 32
8. Texas 24, Ohio Sate 21, 2009 Fiesta Bowl – 21
9. Tennessee 23, Florida State 16, 1999 Fiesta Bowl* – 20
10. West Virginia 38, Georgia 35, 2006 Sugar Bowl – 18
9. 1999 Fiesta:
Tennessee 23, Florida State 16 *
Tennessee controlled most of the game, but Florida State made it interesting late in the fourth quarter. The Vols led, 23-9, but the Seminoles got within a touchdown and Tennessee running back Travis Henry fumbled with less than two minutes left. However, Florida State quarterback Marcus Outzen threw an interception to seal the Seminoles’ fate. Vols cornerback Dwayne Goodrich and receiver Peerless Price shared MVP honors.
8. 2009 Fiesta:
Texas 24, Ohio State 21
Poor Ohio State. Kicked around in the previous two national title games by SEC heavyweights, the Buckeyes came into this one looking to prove they belonged. They led, 21-17, late in the fourth quarter when Colt McCoy burst their bubble, hitting Quan Cosby on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left in the game.
7. 2000 Orange:
Michigan 35, Alabama 34 ( OT)
Tom Brady, playing in his final college game, tossed four touchdown passes. Alabama’s Shaun Alexander scored three times, and Crimson Tide safety Phillip Weeks blocked a field goal attempt at the end of regulation to force OT. Alas, the game ended with a dud when Bama kicker Ryan Pflugner missed a PAT that would have forced a second overtime.
6. 2000 Sugar: Florida State 46, Virginia Tech 29 *
Florida State was the first team in history to be preseason No. 1 and remain there throughout the entire season. The Seminoles were led by the game’s MVP Peter Warrick, who caught touchdown passes of 64 and 43 yards and returned a punt for a score. Virginia Tech’s freshman phenom quarterback Michael Vick threw for 225 yards and a touchdown and ran for 97 yards and a score.
5. 2006 Orange: Penn State 26, Florida State 23 (3 OT)
The longest BCS game to date, fittingly, featured the two winningest coaches in NCAA history. Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles and Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions battled for four hours — and missed a combined four field goals with the game on the line — before Penn State’s Kevin Kelly connected on a 29-yarder in the third overtime.
4. 2004 Rose: Texas 38, Michigan 37
An instant classic in the days before Michigan football crumbled into mediocrity. The Wolverines and Longhorns combined for 796 yards of offense in a game that featured breakout performances by Vince Young and Steve Breaston, three lead changes in the final five minutes and a game-winning Texas field goal with two seconds left in regulation.
3. 2003 Fiesta: Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (2 OT) *
In the first national championship to go into overtime, Ohio State ended Miami’s 34-game winning streak. Buckeyes running back Maurice Clarett rushed for a five-yard touchdown to give the Buckeyes the lead in the second overtime and Miami couldn’t answer. The Hurricanes got down to the 2-yard line, but the Buckeyes stopped Miami on the next four plays.
2. 2007 Fiesta: Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (OT)
Indisputably the wildest finish on this list. The Broncos tied the game with seven seconds left on a hook-and-ladder play, and then followed an Oklahoma overtime touchdown with one of their own — on a halfback pass. Down one, Boise State went for the two-point conversion, breaking out the old “Statue of Liberty” to pull off the biggest upset of the BCS era.
1. 2006 Rose: Texas 41, USC 38 *
Vince Young would have won the Heisman Trophy if the voting was held after this national championship game. The Texas quarterback passed for 267 yards and rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns, including an 8-yard scramble on fourth down with 19 seconds remaining to stun a loaded USC team featuring Heisman winners Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.
* – BCS National Championship Game
