NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — The 16th and final BCS Championship game is upon us. It is an era that will be remembered for its controversy and chaos, but must be noted as infinitely superior to the previous system, in which tradition trumped logic and the top two teams rarely met at the end of the season. Most importantly, it paved the way for college football to finally have a playoff.
Here’s a look back at every BCS Championship game, ranked from worst to best:
15. Alabama 21, LSU 0
Jan. 9, 2012 (New Orleans)
Unless you were from Louisiana or Alabama, this rematch from six weeks prior held virtually no appeal. LSU’s offense crossed the 50-yard line only once, while Crimson Tide kicker Jeremy Shelley’s five field goals marked the only scoring until a Trent Richardson 34-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
14. Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14
Jan. 7, 2013 (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
The hype was enormous for this matchup of undefeated, legendary programs, with Alabama looking for its third title in four years and Notre Dame hoping for its first national championship since 1988. Instead, the Tide decimated the Fighting Irish, taking a 28-0 lead into halftime — which became 35-0 — while not surrendering a point until late in the third quarter.
13. Oklahoma 13, Florida State 2
Jan. 3, 2001 (Miami)
The defending champion-Seminoles controversially made the title game over Miami, then failed to produce a point until getting a safety in the game’s final minute. Sooners running back Quentin Griffin scored the game’s only touchdown on a 10-yard run midway through the fourth quarter of an almost unwatchable game.
12. Miami 37, Nebraska 14
Jan. 3, 2002 (Pasadena, Calif.)
Nebraska suffered a humiliating loss in the Big 12 Championship, yet somehow was selected anyway, suffering another embarrassment against an undefeated juggernaut filled with future NFL stars. Andre Johnson caught the first of his two touchdown passes for 50 yards in the first quarter and Miami took a 34-0 lead into the half, with touchdowns also scored by Clinton Portis and Jeremy Shockey. Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch ran for 114 yards, but was limited to 62 yards passing.
11. USC 55, Oklahoma 19
Jan. 4, 2005 (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
The Trojans have since vacated this title due to Reggie Bush’s ineligibility, but the memory of their dominance remains. In a game that featured four of the five Heisman finalists that season (Matt Leinart, Bush, Adrian Peterson and Jason White), Oklahoma opened with an early touchdown, but then allowed 28 straight points, with Leinart — the Heisman winner — throwing for 332 yards and five touchdowns.
10. Florida 41, Ohio State 14
Jan. 8, 2007 (Glendale, Ariz.)
This is when the SEC’s string of dominance began, with the first of seven straight national titles. Buckeyes receiver Ted Ginn Jr. got the game off to an exhilarating start with a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but the Gators’ twin-quarterback system of Chris Leak and freshman Tim Tebow worked to perfection, combining for three touchdowns and carrying Florida to a 34-14 halftime lead.
9. LSU 38, Ohio State 24
Jan. 7, 2008 (New Orleans)
For the second straight year, the Buckeyes opened with an early lead, 10-0, but fell apart again, allowing 31 unanswered points. Ohio State fell to 0-9 in bowl games against the SEC, as Tigers quarterback Matt Flynn threw for four touchdowns and LSU won its second BCS title.
8. LSU 21, Oklahoma 14
Jan. 4, 2004 (New Orleans)
LSU slowed Oklahoma’s top-ranked offense, led by Heisman winner Jason White, to 31 points below its scoring average, taking a 21-7 lead in the third quarter after a Marcus Spears interception return for a touchdown. Incredibly, the system designed to crown a unanimous champion failed to do so, as USC finished first in the AP Poll, resulting in split national champions for the fourth time in 14 seasons.
7. Florida State 46, Virginia Tech 29
Jan. 4, 2000 (New Orleans)
The Seminoles held a 28-7 lead in the second quarter, but redshirt freshman Michael Vick led an incredible comeback, rushing for 97 yards, as the Hokies took a 29-28 lead entering the fourth quarter. Florida State responded with 18 straight points, with Peter Warrick sealing the game on a 43-yard touchdown reception, one of his three total touchdowns in the game.
6. Alabama 37, Texas 21
Jan. 7, 2010 (Pasadena, Calif.)
Alabama jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead after injuring Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy on their first drive, but true freshman replacement Garrett Gilbert brought Texas back within three points in the final six minutes after connecting with Jordan Shipley for two touchdowns. The Tide then forced a fumble and got late touchdowns from Heisman winner Mark Ingram, and Trent Richardson, who each ran for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns.
5. Tennessee 23, Florida State 16
Jan. 4, 1999 (Tempe, Ariz.)
The first BCS title game came after Michigan and Nebraska split the 1997 national championship, finishing undefeated, but not facing each other in a bowl game. The Volunteers entered the season with lower expectations following Peyton Manning’s departure, but they ended higher than they had been in 47 years, with Peerless Price’s 199 yards receiving. Tennessee running back Travis Henry fumbled in the final two minutes, but the Seminoles sealed their fate when cornerback Steve Johnson picked off Marcus Outzen.
4. Florida 24, Oklahoma 14
Jan. 8, 2009 (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
It wasn’t the prettiest game for the previous two Heisman winners — Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford — but Tebow Time was at its peak, leading the way in a game tied in the fourth quarter. The Gators quarterback threw for two touchdowns, ran for 109 yards and found David Nelson for a four-yard touchdown pass to give Florida a 10-point lead with 3:07 left, giving Urban Meyer his second national championship in three seasons.
3. Auburn 22, Oregon 19
Jan. 10, 2011 (Glendale, Ariz.)
An unexpected low-scoring affair got wild in the final minutes. Oregon’s LaMichael James scored on a 2-yard pass from Darron Thomas with 2:33 left, with Thomas then finding Jeff Maehl for the game-tying two-point conversion. Cam Newton played well through a back injury, but the Tigers’ play of the game belonged to freshman running back Michael Dyer, who managed to avoid hitting the ground on a game-changing 37-yard run, which helped set up Wes Bynum’s 19-yard field goal with no time left.
2. Ohio State 31, Miami 24, 2OT
Jan. 3, 2003 (Tempe, Ariz.)
The Hurricanes’ 34-game winning streak was in jeopardy after they were held to seven points in the first half, and lost Willis McGahee early in the fourth quarter to a devastating knee injury, but Miami kicker Todd Sievers forced overtime with a 40-yard field goal to end regulation. Buckeyes running back Maurice Clarett scored his second touchdown in the second overtime for Ohio State’s first national title since 1968, but Miami fans will always dispute a controversial pass interference call on defensive back Glenn Sharpe — on fourth down in the first overtime — when the incompletion would have given the Hurricanes the title.
1. Texas 41, USC 38
Jan. 4, 2006 (Pasadena, Calif.)
The only BCS season that saw two teams hold the top two rankings the entire season ended with what may have been the greatest college football game ever.
The Trojans had won two straight national championships and 34 straight games, but Texas quarterback Vince Young stole the spotlight of a back-and-forth shootout, featuring 32 fourth-quarter points. Young led the Longhorns back from a 12-point fourth quarter deficit by amassing 467 total yards and three rushing touchdowns, including the game-winning 8-yard run into the corner of the end zone — on fourth-and-5 — with 19 seconds remaining.