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Best of the best? The Trojans of 2004 rank No. 1 in the BCS era.
It is the end of an era in college football. Florida State and Auburn will meet on Monday night in the VIZIO BCS National Championship, the final chapter in the 16-year history of the Bowl Championship Series. A new, four-team playoff system arrives next fall, and the field will be opened for more worthy teams to contend for a title.
1. 2004 USC Trojans (13-0)
USC pummeled opponents all year, including a 55-19 demolition of Oklahoma in the title game, the biggest blowout in BCS championship game history. The Trojans later had to vacate two wins and the championship crown due to NCAA violations.
2. 2008 Florida Gators (13-1)
In six victories over ranked opponents, four of whom were ranked in the top six at the time of the game, Florida won by a combined score of 256-86. The Gators were exceptionally efficient in all three phases of the game.
3. 2010 Auburn Tigers (14-0)
The Tigers won seven games decided by a single score, but Auburn distinguished itself from those close calls with an undefeated record against the fourth-toughest schedule in the nation in 2010 and the best opponent-adjusted offense on our list.
4. 2005 Texas Longhorns (13-0)
Texas won 10 games by at least three scores, including a 70-3 victory in the Big 12 championship game, and capped the season with Vince Young's late-game heroics over USC in the Rose Bowl.
5. 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide (14-0)
The first and only undefeated team so far in Nick Saban's dominant run in Tuscaloosa, the 2009 Crimson Tide beat previously undefeated Florida and Texas in their final two games to take the BCS crown. Also, they ranked in the top five of our opponent-adjusted offense and defense measures.
6. 2005 USC Trojans (12-1)
The best runner-up on our list (as with 2004, the Trojans' wins would later be vacated), USC averaged 50 points per game in the regular season. The Trojans let a 38-26 lead with five minutes left in the title game against Texas slip away.
7. 2001 Miami Hurricanes (12-0)
The Hurricanes held seven opponents to a touchdown or less and coasted in the BCS championship game, but Miami's best regular-season opponent lost four games overall, and its title game opponent (Nebraska) ranks last on our list.
8. 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide (13-1)
The blowout championship victory against Notre Dame ranks as the best single-game, opponent-adjusted victory of the past seven years. Alabama's two other top wins were narrow escapes over LSU and Georgia.
9. 2006 Florida Gators (13-1)
Florida leapfrogged Michigan on the final weekend of the year to get into the BCS title game, then dominated Ohio State 41-14 for Urban Meyer's first crown.
10. 2011 LSU Tigers (13-1)
LSU lost the title game by 21 points, but the Tigers rank ahead of Alabama on our list due to the toughest schedule in the country in 2011, with regular-season victories over the Rose Bowl champion, Orange Bowl champion and BCS champion.
11. 1999 Florida State Seminoles (12-0)
Bobby Bowden's only undefeated team in Tallahassee, the Seminoles were the first team in NCAA history to be ranked No. 1 continuously from the preseason through the postseason, capped off with a 17-point win over Virginia Tech in the BCS championship.
12. 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1)
Alabama avenged a regular-season loss to LSU with a 21-0 victory over the Tigers in the BCS championship and posted the best opponent-adjusted defensive efficiency we've measured, forcing three-and-outs on 59.7 percent of opponent possessions.
13. 2013 Florida State Seminoles (13-0)
No team on this list has dominated its opposition as consistently or effectively as Florida State has this season. The Seminoles rank No. 1 in both offensive points per possession (4.3 in non-garbage-time drives) and defensive points per possession (0.9), a net margin (3.4) that that is more than three standard deviations better than average. Another big win in the BCS title game would push Florida State into the top 10 on this list, and perhaps even further.
The only thing holding the Seminoles back from reaching the top is their overall strength of schedule. Including the Auburn game in our calculations, Florida State ranks 66th overall in our FEI measure of schedule difficulty, the lowest of any title participant since 2003 (which is as far back as we have our schedule ratings). An undefeated championship would still be impressive, but one that several of the teams on this list would have also achieved -- and against much tougher schedules.
14. 2003 LSU Tigers (13-1)
The Tigers went 2-1 and were outscored 43-41 in three regular-season games against ranked opponents, but they dominated Georgia in the SEC championship and held Oklahoma to only 154 total yards in the BCS title game.
15. 1998 Tennessee Volunteers (13-0)
The first champion of the BCS era, Tennessee was only occasionally dominant, and its 10-point win over Mississippi State in the SEC championship was only the fourth-most-efficient win against the 8-5 Bulldogs that year.
16. 2002 Miami Hurricanes (12-1)
The Hurricanes averaged 41.9 points per game in the regular season against a schedule that featured only one top 10 opponent (Florida State). A double-overtime loss to the Buckeyes in the championship kept them from claiming the crown.
17. 2000 Oklahoma Sooners (13-0)
Dominating wins over Nebraska and Texas were the highlights of the Sooners' résumé in Bob Stoops' only championship season; a five-point win over a 3-8 Oklahoma State team in November was less than impressive.
18. 1998 Florida State Seminoles (11-2)
The Seminoles rank as the best two-loss team on our list thanks to six victories over top 25 teams in our alternate FEI ratings that came by an average of 18 points each.
19. 2007 LSU Tigers (12-2)
The Tigers lost twice in triple overtime and had four wins by a touchdown or less. LSU ranked outside of the top 10 in both offensive and defensive points per possession in 2007.
20. 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes (14-0)
The Buckeyes won their only BCS championship in their first trip to the title game, a double-overtime thriller after having won five regular-season games by six points or fewer.
21. 2008 Oklahoma Sooners (12-2)
The record-setting offense posted five straight 60-point games leading into the BCS title game, but the Sooners were held to only 14 points against Florida, three touchdowns fewer than their previous low.
22. 2010 Oregon Ducks (12-1)
The Ducks' offense led the nation in points and yards per game for the season, but Auburn held them in check in the red zone, allowing only 19 points on five trips past the Tigers' 20-yard line.
23. 2013 Auburn Tigers (12-1)
The Tigers haven't been as impressive as the Seminoles this year, and our FEI projections give Auburn only a 37 percent chance of winning the title game. That can be overcome if the Tigers can manage big plays on both sides of the ball. Florida State ranks No. 1 in explosive drives, earning at least 10 yards per play on 29 percent of its possessions -- Auburn's defense ranks 93rd, allowing explosive drives on 16 percent of opponent drives. The Tigers have big-play potential themselves (24 percent of possessions), but the Seminoles also rank No. 1 in limiting opponent explosive drives (4 percent).
More than once this season, Auburn has found a way to create the right play in the right moment and win when it matters most. If the Tigers take down Florida State in the BCS championship game, they still won't be ranked alongside their 2010 championship team according to our rankings, but they'll be just as thrilled.
24. 2000 Florida State Seminoles (11-2)
The Seminoles ran roughshod over most of their schedule, as well they should have since they faced just three top-25 opponents according to our rankings -- and they lost two of those three games.
25. 2004 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1)
Oklahoma dominated its Big 12 opposition, holding five conference foes to 10 points or fewer while averaging more than 33 points per game in Big 12 play before being crushed by USC in the championship.
It is the end of an era in college football. Florida State and Auburn will meet on Monday night in the VIZIO BCS National Championship, the final chapter in the 16-year history of the Bowl Championship Series. A new, four-team playoff system arrives next fall, and the field will be opened for more worthy teams to contend for a title.
1. 2004 USC Trojans (13-0)
USC pummeled opponents all year, including a 55-19 demolition of Oklahoma in the title game, the biggest blowout in BCS championship game history. The Trojans later had to vacate two wins and the championship crown due to NCAA violations.
2. 2008 Florida Gators (13-1)
In six victories over ranked opponents, four of whom were ranked in the top six at the time of the game, Florida won by a combined score of 256-86. The Gators were exceptionally efficient in all three phases of the game.
3. 2010 Auburn Tigers (14-0)
The Tigers won seven games decided by a single score, but Auburn distinguished itself from those close calls with an undefeated record against the fourth-toughest schedule in the nation in 2010 and the best opponent-adjusted offense on our list.
4. 2005 Texas Longhorns (13-0)
Texas won 10 games by at least three scores, including a 70-3 victory in the Big 12 championship game, and capped the season with Vince Young's late-game heroics over USC in the Rose Bowl.
5. 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide (14-0)
The first and only undefeated team so far in Nick Saban's dominant run in Tuscaloosa, the 2009 Crimson Tide beat previously undefeated Florida and Texas in their final two games to take the BCS crown. Also, they ranked in the top five of our opponent-adjusted offense and defense measures.
6. 2005 USC Trojans (12-1)
The best runner-up on our list (as with 2004, the Trojans' wins would later be vacated), USC averaged 50 points per game in the regular season. The Trojans let a 38-26 lead with five minutes left in the title game against Texas slip away.
7. 2001 Miami Hurricanes (12-0)
The Hurricanes held seven opponents to a touchdown or less and coasted in the BCS championship game, but Miami's best regular-season opponent lost four games overall, and its title game opponent (Nebraska) ranks last on our list.
8. 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide (13-1)
The blowout championship victory against Notre Dame ranks as the best single-game, opponent-adjusted victory of the past seven years. Alabama's two other top wins were narrow escapes over LSU and Georgia.
9. 2006 Florida Gators (13-1)
Florida leapfrogged Michigan on the final weekend of the year to get into the BCS title game, then dominated Ohio State 41-14 for Urban Meyer's first crown.
10. 2011 LSU Tigers (13-1)
LSU lost the title game by 21 points, but the Tigers rank ahead of Alabama on our list due to the toughest schedule in the country in 2011, with regular-season victories over the Rose Bowl champion, Orange Bowl champion and BCS champion.
11. 1999 Florida State Seminoles (12-0)
Bobby Bowden's only undefeated team in Tallahassee, the Seminoles were the first team in NCAA history to be ranked No. 1 continuously from the preseason through the postseason, capped off with a 17-point win over Virginia Tech in the BCS championship.
12. 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1)
Alabama avenged a regular-season loss to LSU with a 21-0 victory over the Tigers in the BCS championship and posted the best opponent-adjusted defensive efficiency we've measured, forcing three-and-outs on 59.7 percent of opponent possessions.
13. 2013 Florida State Seminoles (13-0)
No team on this list has dominated its opposition as consistently or effectively as Florida State has this season. The Seminoles rank No. 1 in both offensive points per possession (4.3 in non-garbage-time drives) and defensive points per possession (0.9), a net margin (3.4) that that is more than three standard deviations better than average. Another big win in the BCS title game would push Florida State into the top 10 on this list, and perhaps even further.
The only thing holding the Seminoles back from reaching the top is their overall strength of schedule. Including the Auburn game in our calculations, Florida State ranks 66th overall in our FEI measure of schedule difficulty, the lowest of any title participant since 2003 (which is as far back as we have our schedule ratings). An undefeated championship would still be impressive, but one that several of the teams on this list would have also achieved -- and against much tougher schedules.
14. 2003 LSU Tigers (13-1)
The Tigers went 2-1 and were outscored 43-41 in three regular-season games against ranked opponents, but they dominated Georgia in the SEC championship and held Oklahoma to only 154 total yards in the BCS title game.
15. 1998 Tennessee Volunteers (13-0)
The first champion of the BCS era, Tennessee was only occasionally dominant, and its 10-point win over Mississippi State in the SEC championship was only the fourth-most-efficient win against the 8-5 Bulldogs that year.
16. 2002 Miami Hurricanes (12-1)
The Hurricanes averaged 41.9 points per game in the regular season against a schedule that featured only one top 10 opponent (Florida State). A double-overtime loss to the Buckeyes in the championship kept them from claiming the crown.
17. 2000 Oklahoma Sooners (13-0)
Dominating wins over Nebraska and Texas were the highlights of the Sooners' résumé in Bob Stoops' only championship season; a five-point win over a 3-8 Oklahoma State team in November was less than impressive.
18. 1998 Florida State Seminoles (11-2)
The Seminoles rank as the best two-loss team on our list thanks to six victories over top 25 teams in our alternate FEI ratings that came by an average of 18 points each.
19. 2007 LSU Tigers (12-2)
The Tigers lost twice in triple overtime and had four wins by a touchdown or less. LSU ranked outside of the top 10 in both offensive and defensive points per possession in 2007.
20. 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes (14-0)
The Buckeyes won their only BCS championship in their first trip to the title game, a double-overtime thriller after having won five regular-season games by six points or fewer.
21. 2008 Oklahoma Sooners (12-2)
The record-setting offense posted five straight 60-point games leading into the BCS title game, but the Sooners were held to only 14 points against Florida, three touchdowns fewer than their previous low.
22. 2010 Oregon Ducks (12-1)
The Ducks' offense led the nation in points and yards per game for the season, but Auburn held them in check in the red zone, allowing only 19 points on five trips past the Tigers' 20-yard line.
23. 2013 Auburn Tigers (12-1)
The Tigers haven't been as impressive as the Seminoles this year, and our FEI projections give Auburn only a 37 percent chance of winning the title game. That can be overcome if the Tigers can manage big plays on both sides of the ball. Florida State ranks No. 1 in explosive drives, earning at least 10 yards per play on 29 percent of its possessions -- Auburn's defense ranks 93rd, allowing explosive drives on 16 percent of opponent drives. The Tigers have big-play potential themselves (24 percent of possessions), but the Seminoles also rank No. 1 in limiting opponent explosive drives (4 percent).
More than once this season, Auburn has found a way to create the right play in the right moment and win when it matters most. If the Tigers take down Florida State in the BCS championship game, they still won't be ranked alongside their 2010 championship team according to our rankings, but they'll be just as thrilled.
24. 2000 Florida State Seminoles (11-2)
The Seminoles ran roughshod over most of their schedule, as well they should have since they faced just three top-25 opponents according to our rankings -- and they lost two of those three games.
25. 2004 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1)
Oklahoma dominated its Big 12 opposition, holding five conference foes to 10 points or fewer while averaging more than 33 points per game in Big 12 play before being crushed by USC in the championship.
