BCS National Championship Game

BCS National Championship Game
Stadium Four-year rotation between:
University of Phoenix Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Hard Rock Stadium
Rose Bowl
Location Four-year rotation between:
Glendale, Arizona
New Orleans, Louisiana
Miami Gardens, Florida
Pasadena, California
Previous stadiums Sun Devil Stadium (1999, 2003)
Previous locations Tempe, Arizona (1999, 2003)
Operated 1999–2014
Payout US$23,900,000 (2014 game[1])
Preceded by Bowl Alliance (199597)
Bowl Coalition (199294)
Succeeded by College Football Playoff National Championship (2015)
Sponsors
Tostitos (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011), Nokia (2000, 2004), FedEx (2001, 2005, 2009), AT&T (2002), Allstate (2008, 2012), Citi (2006, 2010), Discover (2013), Vizio (2014)
2014 matchup
No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn (Florida State 34–31)
The view from the 50-yard line for the 2010 BCS National Championship at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California (Alabama vs. Texas)

The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college football season as one of four designated bowl games, and beginning in the 2006 season as a standalone event rotated among the host sites of the aforementioned bowls.

The game was organized by a group known as the Bowl Championship Series, consisting of the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Orange Bowl, which sought to match the two highest-ranked teams in a championship game to determine the best team in the country at the end of the season. The participating teams were determined by averaging the results of the final weekly Coaches' Poll, the Harris Poll of media, former players and coaches, and the average of six computer rankings. The Coaches' Poll was contractually required to name the winner of the game as its No. 1 team on the final postseason ranking; hence, the AFCA National Championship Trophy was presented to the winning team during a post-game ceremony.

The methodologies of the BCS system and its selections proved to be controversial. Although in most years the winner of the BCS National Championship would also be designated as the national champion by other organizations and polls (such as the Associated Press poll), the 2003 season was a major exception, as the BCS rankings chose the AP's No. 3-ranked team, the University of Oklahoma, over the No. 1-ranked team in that poll, the University of Southern California, to participate in the national title game (the Sugar Bowl) despite Oklahoma's loss to Kansas State University in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game. That was the only season during the BCS era when the national championship was split, with Louisiana State University winning the BCS national championship and the University of Southern California winning the AP national championship, plus the football writers' national championship.

The BCS National Championship Game was played for the final time in 2014 after the same organizing group established a new system, the College Football Playoff, a four-team single elimination tournament, as the successor to the BCS.

History

The first BCS Championship Game was played at the conclusion of the 1998 college football season in accordance with an agreement by the Big Ten Conference, the Pac-10 Conference, and the Rose Bowl Game to join the "Bowl Alliance" system. The expanded format was called the Bowl Championship Series.

The Bowl Alliance and its predecessor, the Bowl Coalition, featured championship games in the 1992–1997 seasons. However, these could not always ensure a matchup between the top two ranked teams because of the lack of participation by the Big Ten and Pac-10.

The BCS National Championship Game was initially rotated among the four participating bowl games: the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. However, beginning with the 2006 season, the BCS National Championship Game was added as a separate contest, played after New Year's Day. The game rotated its location among the Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, and Rose venues.

Game results

Season Date Winner Loser Bowl Game Site MVP
1998 January 4, 1999 1 Tennessee
SEC Champs
23 2 Florida State
ACC Co-Champs
16 1999 Fiesta Bowl Sun Devil Stadium
Tempe, Arizona
Peerless Price
Dwayne Goodrich
1999 January 4, 2000 1 Florida State
ACC Champs
46 2 Virginia Tech
Big East Champs
29 2000 Sugar Bowl Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans
Peter Warrick
2000 January 3, 2001 1 Oklahoma
Big 12 Champs
13 2 Florida State
ACC Champs
2 2001 Orange Bowl Pro Player Stadium
Miami
Torrance Marshall
2001 January 3, 2002 1 Miami (FL)
Big East Champs
37 2 Nebraska
At-large
14 2002 Rose Bowl Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Ken Dorsey
Andre Johnson
2002 January 3, 2003 2 Ohio State
Big Ten Co-Champs
31 1 Miami (FL)
Big East Champs
24 2003 Fiesta Bowl Sun Devil Stadium
Tempe, Arizona
Craig Krenzel
Mike Doss
2003 January 4, 2004 2 LSU
SEC Champs
21 1 Oklahoma
At-large
14 2004 Sugar Bowl Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans
Justin Vincent
2004 January 4, 2005 1 USC
Pac-10 Champs
55 2 Oklahoma
Big 12 Champs
19 2005 Orange Bowl Pro Player Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
Matt Leinart
2005 January 4, 2006 2 Texas
Big 12 Champs
41 1 USC
Pac-10 Champs
38 2006 Rose Bowl Rose Bowl Stadium
Pasadena, California
Vince Young (offense)
Michael Huff (defense)
2006 January 8, 2007 2 Florida
SEC Champs
41 1 Ohio State
Big Ten Champs
14 2007 BCS National Championship Game University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Chris Leak (offense)
Derrick Harvey (defense)
2007 January 7, 2008 2 LSU
SEC Champs
38 1 Ohio State
Big Ten Champs
24 2008 BCS National Championship Game Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans
Matt Flynn (offense)
Ricky Jean-Francois (defense)
2008 January 8, 2009 2 Florida
SEC Champs
24 1 Oklahoma
Big 12 Champs
14 2009 BCS National Championship Game Dolphin Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
Tim Tebow (offense)
Carlos Dunlap (defense)
2009 January 7, 2010 1 Alabama
SEC Champs
37 2 Texas
Big 12 Champs
21 2010 BCS National Championship Game Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Mark Ingram (offense)
Marcell Dareus (defense)
2010 January 10, 2011 1 Auburn
SEC Champs
22 2 Oregon
Pac-10 Champs
19 2011 BCS National Championship Game University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Michael Dyer (offense)
Nick Fairley (defense)
2011 January 9, 2012 2 Alabama
At-large
21 1 LSU
SEC Champs
0 2012 BCS National Championship Game Mercedes-Benz Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
AJ McCarron (offense)
Courtney Upshaw (defense)
2012 January 7, 2013 2 Alabama
SEC Champs
42 1 Notre Dame
Independent
14 2013 BCS National Championship Game Sun Life Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
Eddie Lacy (offense)
C.J. Mosley (defense)
2013 January 6, 2014 1 Florida State
ACC Champs
34 2 Auburn
SEC Champs
31 2014 BCS National Championship Game Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Jameis Winston (offense)
P.J. Williams (defense)

Records by team

Team Appearances Wins Losses Win Pct Title Season(s)
Florida State 4 2 2 .500 1999, 2013
Oklahoma 4 1 3 .250 2000
Alabama 3 3 0 1.000 2009, 2011, 2012
LSU 3 2 1 .667 2003, 2007
Ohio State 3 1 2 .333 2002
Florida 2 2 0 1.000 2006, 2008
Auburn 2 1 1 .500 2010
Miami (FL) 2 1 1 .500 2001
Texas 2 1 1 .500 2005
USC 2 1† 1 .500 2004
Tennessee 1 1 0 1.000 1998
Nebraska 1 0 1 .000 -
Notre Dame 1 0 1 .000 -
Oregon 1 0 1 .000 -
Virginia Tech 1 0 1 .000 -

Records by conference

Conference Wins Losses Winning Teams Losing Teams
SEC 9*** 2** Alabama (3), Florida (2), LSU (2), Tennessee, Auburn Auburn, LSU
Big 12 2 5 Oklahoma, Texas Oklahoma (3), Nebraska*, Texas
ACC 2 2 Florida State (2) Florida State (2)
Big East 1 2 Miami (FL)* Miami (FL)*, Virginia Tech*
Big Ten 1 2 Ohio State Ohio State (2)
Pac-12 1† 2 USC Oregon, USC
Independent 0 1 None Notre Dame

Note: Conference affiliations are contemporaneous with the game, which may differ from the current alignment.

* The American Athletic Conference was known as the Big East during the 1991–2012 seasons. Because of a split between the non-FBS schools and FBS schools, the conference adopted its present name for the 2013 season.

* Miami (FL) and Virginia Tech moved to the ACC in 2004.

* Nebraska moved to the Big Ten in 2011.

** LSU's loss in the 2012 BCS Championship Game was to fellow SEC member Alabama.

*** Alabama's win in the 2012 BCS Championship Game was over fellow SEC member LSU.

USC vacated its win in the 2005 Orange Bowl.

Game records

Team Performance vs. Opponent Year
Most Points 55, USC vs. Oklahoma 2005
Fewest points allowed 0, Alabama vs. LSU 2011
Most Points Combined 79, Texas vs. USC 2006
First downs 30, Texas vs. USC 2006
Rushing yards 289, Texas (36 att.) vs. USC 2006
Passing yards 374, Oregon vs. Auburn 2011
Total yards 556, Texas (289 rush, 267 pass) vs. USC 2006
Total plays 85, Auburn vs. Oregon 2011
Largest comeback 18, Florida State vs. Auburn 2014
Individual Performance, Team vs. Opponent Year
Total offense 467, Vince Young, Texas (267 pass, 200 rush) vs. USC 2006
Rushing yards 200, Vince Young (QB), Texas (19 att.) vs. USC 2006
Rushing TDs 3, Vince Young (QB), Texas vs. USC 2006
Passing yards 363, Darron Thomas, Oregon vs. Auburn (28-41-2, 2 TD) 2011
Passing TDs 5, Matt Leinart, USC vs. Oklahoma 2005
Receptions 11, Kellen Winslow Jr., Miami vs. Ohio State (122 yards, 1 TD) 2003
Receiving yards (tie) 199, Peerless Price, Tennessee vs. Florida State (4 rec., 1 TD) 1999
Receiving yards (tie) 199, Andre Johnson, Miami vs. Nebraska (7 rec., 2 TD) 2002
Receiving TDs 3, Steve Smith, USC vs. Oklahoma 2005
Field goals 5, Jeremy Shelley, Alabama vs. LSU 2012
Tackles 18, James Laurinaitis, Ohio State vs. LSU 2008
Sacks 3, Derrick Harvey, Florida vs. Ohio State 2007
Interceptions 2, Sean Taylor, Miami vs. Ohio State 2003
Long Plays Performance, Team vs. Opponent Year
Touchdown run 65, Chris "Beanie" Wells, Ohio State vs. LSU 2008
Touchdown pass 79, Tee Martin to Peerless Price, Tennessee vs. Florida State 1999
Kickoff return 100, Levante Whitfield, Florida State vs. Auburn (TD) 2014
Punt return 71, DeJuan Groce, Nebraska vs. Miami (TD) 2002
Interception return 54, Dwayne Goodrich, Tennessee vs. Florida State (TD) 1999
Punt 63, A.J. Trapasso, Ohio State vs. LSU 2008
Field goal 46, David Pino, Texas vs. USC 2006
Pass 81, Darron Thomas to Jeff Maehl, Oregon vs. Auburn 2011

Heisman Trophy winners in BCS title games

Season Player School Result Stats Notes
2000 Chris Weinke Florida State W 51-25-2 274, 0 TD; 4-7 rush
2001 Eric Crouch Nebraska L 15-5-1 62, 0 TD; 22-114 rush
2003 Jason White Oklahoma L 37-13-2, 102, 0 TD; 7-(-46) rush
2004 Matt Leinart USC W 35-18-0 332, 5 TD; 2-(-11) rush Win later vacated
2005 Reggie Bush USC L 13-82 1 TD; 6-95, 0 TD rec Heisman later vacated
2006 Troy Smith Ohio State L 14-4-1, 35, 0 TD; 10-(-29) rush
2008 Sam Bradford Oklahoma L 41-26-2, 256, 2 TD; 2-(-18) rush
2009 Mark Ingram Alabama W 22-116, 2 TD
2010 Cam Newton Auburn W 34-20-1, 265, 2 TD; 22-64 rush
2013 Jameis Winston Florida State W 35-20-0, 237, 2 TD; 11-26 rush

Criticisms and controversy

Critics of the BCS National Championship argued against the internal validity of a so-called national championship being awarded to the winner of a single postseason game. Critics lamented that the participants were selected based upon polls, computer rankings, popularity and human biases, and not by on-field competition, as in other major sports and all other levels of college football, which employed tournament-format championships. Often, the BCS system led to controversies in which multiple teams finished the season with identical records, and voters distinguished the worthiness of their participation in the BCS National Championship with no set of formal criteria or standards. The end of the 2010 season was one of the best examples of this. Without any objective criteria for evaluation of the teams, the BCS forced voters to impose their own standards and tiebreakers. Critics noted that the system inherently fostered selection bias, and therefore lacked both internal validity and external validity.[2]

Controversies surrounding teams' inclusion in the BCS National Championship Game were numerous. In 2001, Oregon, ranked second in the AP poll, was bypassed in favor of Nebraska despite Nebraska's 62-36 blowout to Colorado in its final regular season game. In 2003, USC was not included in the championship game, but beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and ended up No. 1 in the final AP poll. The following season, undefeated Auburn, Boise State, and Utah teams were left out of the national title game (the Orange Bowl). In 2008, the University of Utah was excluded from the BCS championship for a second time despite being the only undefeated FBS team and finished second in the final AP poll behind Florida. In 2009, five schools finished the regular season undefeated: Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State; however, the BCS formula selected traditional powers Alabama and Texas to participate in the BCS National Championship Game.

In 2010, three teams, Oregon, Auburn, and TCU, all finished the year with undefeated records. While TCU statistically led the other two teams in all three major phases of the game[3] (1st in defense, 14th in offense [4] and 13th in special teams [5]) the teams from the two automatic qualifying conferences, Oregon (Pac-12) and Auburn (SEC), were selected over the Horned Frogs for the 2011 national title game. Many voters cited TCU's membership in the non-automatic qualifying Mountain West Conference, perceived as having weaker teams, as one significant reason for their exclusion, despite TCU's undefeated regular-season records in both 2010 and the previous year.[6] Adding to the controversy were comments made by the president of Ohio State University, Gordon Gee, who said that teams which played "the little sisters of the poor" instead of the "murderer's row" of teams in the automatic qualifier conferences did not deserve any national title game consideration. Gee retracted his statement and apologized after TCU defeated Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl (the Badgers had convincingly defeated Ohio State during the regular season).

Many critics of the Bowl Championship Series favored a tournament with eight to sixteen teams, similar to those administered by the NCAA for its Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, and Division III football championships. Others favored adopting the incremental step of adding a single post-bowl championship game between the winners of two BCS games among the top four ranked teams in the BCS standings, a so-called "plus one" option. On June 24, 2009, the BCS presidential oversight committee rejected the Mountain West Conference's proposed eight-team playoff plan.[7]

In 2009, the NCAA ruled that former USC running back Reggie Bush was retroactively ineligible for the 2004 BCS National Championship, the 2005 Orange Bowl vs. Oklahoma, for receiving various illegal benefits. In May 2011, the NCAA rejected all appeals of USC's penalties, which included Bush's ineligibility and a two-year bowl ban. On June 6, 2011, USC became the first school to lose a Bowl Championship Series national title due to NCAA sanctions when the BCS presidential oversight committee stripped the school of its 2004 title. As a result, there is no 2004 BCS champion, although USC retained its 2004 AP national title. Additionally, the BCS also nullified USC's participation in the 2006 Rose Bowl. (See attributions 1 and 2.)

Future

During 2012, the BCS actively considered changes to the format for the 2014 football season, to either to extend the season by one game by establishing a four-school semifinal round or by selecting the participants in the national championship game after the season's bowl games were completed.[8] On June 26, 2012, the BCS presidential oversight committee approved a four-school playoff format, in which the participants are determined by a selection committee. The semifinals are played as existing bowl games on or around New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The championship game is played approximately a week later at a neutral site selected through a competitive bidding process. [9] The new format, known as the College Football Playoff is to be in effect from the 2014 college football season through the 2025 season.

Media coverage

Television

From 1999 through 2005, ABC broadcast eight BCS National Championship Games pursuant to broadcasting rights negotiated with the BCS and the Rose Bowl, whose rights were offered separately. Beginning with the 2006 season, FOX obtained the BCS package, consisting of the Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and the BCS National Championship Games hosted by these bowls, with ABC retaining the rights to the Rose Bowl and BCS National Championship Games hosted by the Rose Bowl.

On November 18, 2008, the BCS announced that ESPN had won the television rights to the BCS National Championship Game, as well as the other four BCS bowls, for 2011–2014.[10]

Year Network(s) Bowl Play-by-play announcer Color analyst(s) Sideline reporter(s) Studio host(s) Studio analyst(s) TV Rating[11]
1999 ABC Fiesta Bowl Keith Jackson Bob Griese Lynn Swann John Saunders Todd Blackledge 17.2
2000 ABC Sugar Bowl Brent Musburger Gary Danielson Lynn Swann and Jack Arute John Saunders Terry Bowden 17.5
2001 ABC Orange Bowl Brad Nessler Bob Griese Lynn Swann and Jack Arute John Saunders Terry Bowden 17.8
2002 ABC Rose Bowl Keith Jackson Tim Brant Lynn Swann and Todd Harris John Saunders Terry Bowden 13.9
2003 ABC Fiesta Bowl Keith Jackson Dan Fouts Lynn Swann and Todd Harris John Saunders Terry Bowden 17.2
2004 ABC Sugar Bowl Brent Musburger Gary Danielson Lynn Swann and Jack Arute John Saunders Terry Bowden and Craig James 14.5
2005 ABC Orange Bowl Brad Nessler Bob Griese Lynn Swann and Todd Harris John Saunders Craig James and Aaron Taylor 13.7
2006 ABC Rose Bowl Keith Jackson Dan Fouts Todd Harris and Holly Rowe John Saunders Craig James and Aaron Taylor 21.7
2007 FOX 2007 BCS National Championship Game Thom Brennaman Barry Alvarez and Charles Davis Chris Myers Chris Rose Emmitt Smith, Eddie George and Jimmy Johnson 17.4
2008 FOX 2008 BCS National Championship Game Thom Brennaman Charles Davis Chris Myers Chris Rose Eddie George, Urban Meyer and Jimmy Johnson 17.4
2009 FOX 2009 BCS National Championship Game Thom Brennaman Charles Davis Chris Myers Chris Rose Eddie George, Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson 15.8
2010 ABC 2010 BCS National Championship Game Brent Musburger Kirk Herbstreit Lisa Salters and Tom Rinaldi Chris Fowler and Rece Davis Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Pete Carroll, Lou Holtz and Mark May 17.2
2011 ESPN
ESPN 3D
2011 BCS National Championship Game Brent Musburger Kirk Herbstreit Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi Chris Fowler Desmond Howard, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban 16.1
2012 ESPN 2012 BCS National Championship Game Brent Musburger Kirk Herbstreit Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi Chris Fowler Lee Corso, Gene Chizik and Chip Kelly 14.0
2013 ESPN 2013 BCS National Championship Game Brent Musburger Kirk Herbstreit Heather Cox and Tom Rinaldi Chris Fowler Urban Meyer and Desmond Howard 17.5
2014 ESPN 2014 BCS National Championship Game Brent Musburger Kirk Herbstreit Heather Cox and Tom Rinaldi Chris Fowler Lee Corso, Nick Saban and Desmond Howard 15.7

Spanish

As part of ESPN's contract with the BCS, ESPN Deportes provided the first Spanish-language U.S. telecast of the BCS National Championship Game in 2012.

Radio

From 1999 to 2014, the BCS National Championship Game was broadcast on ESPN Radio.

Year Network Play-by-play announcer Color analyst(s) Sideline Reporter
1999 ESPN Radio Ron Franklin Mike Gottfried Adrian Karsten
2000 ESPN Radio Ron Franklin Mike Gottfried Adrian Karsten
2001 ESPN Radio Ron Franklin Mike Gottfried Adrian Karsten
2002 ESPN Radio Ron Franklin Mike Gottfried Adrian Karsten
2003 ESPN Radio Ron Franklin Mike Gottfried Adrian Karsten
2004 ESPN Radio Ron Franklin Mike Gottfried Adrian Karsten
2005 ESPN Radio Ron Franklin Mike Gottfried Erin Andrews
2006 ESPN Radio Ron Franklin Bob Davie Dave Ryan
2007 ESPN Radio Brent Musburger Bob Davie and Todd Blackledge Lisa Salters
2008 ESPN Radio Brent Musburger Kirk Herbstreit Lisa Salters
2009 ESPN Radio Brent Musburger Kirk Herbstreit Lisa Salters
2010 ESPN Radio Mike Tirico Jon Gruden and Todd Blackledge Wendi Nix
2011 ESPN Radio Mike Tirico Jon Gruden Joe Schad
2012 ESPN Radio Mike Tirico Todd Blackledge Holly Rowe
2013 ESPN Radio Mike Tirico Todd Blackledge Holly Rowe and Joe Schad
2014 ESPN Radio Mike Tirico Todd Blackledge Holly Rowe and Joe Schad

During the BCS era, there was no NCAA Division I FBS playoff, and the BCS National Championship Game was just one of several national championship selection processes in existence.

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) participated in a weekly Coaches' Poll published by USA Today; for its final poll of the season, the AFCA was contractually bound to select the BCS National Champion as its No. 1 team.[12] Thus, the winner of the game was awarded the AFCA National Championship Trophy in a postgame ceremony.

The BCS National Champion was also automatically awarded the National Football Foundation's MacArthur Trophy.[13]

The Associated Press and the Football Writers Association of America were independent of the BCS system; their national championship trophies could have been awarded to a school other than the BCS National Championship Game winner.

References

  1. College Football Bowl Schedule. Collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
  2. Pat Forde (May 20, 2008). "Eight-team playoff would be ideal for college football". ESPN. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  3. Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | 2010 FEI RATINGS, SPECIAL TEAMS. Football Outsiders. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
  4. FEI Offensive Rankings By Team, FBS, 2010 http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/feist2010
  5. FEI Special Teams Rankings By Team, FBS, 2010 http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/feist2010
  6. TCU lost the highly controversial 2010 Fiesta Bowl to Boise State, in which two non-AQ teams were paired against each other to avoid the possibility of two AQ teams losing to "BCS Busters"
  7. College football: BCS presidents reject playoff plan, Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2009
  8. BCS Playoff TV Deal Worth At Least $3 Billion. Forbes (2012-05-29). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
  9. BCS presidents approve four-team major college playoff –. Usatoday.com (2012-06-27). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
  10. ESPN, BCS agree to four-year deal for television, radio, digital rights
  11. bcsfootball.org – TV Ratings Archived October 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  12. O'Toole, Thomas. (January 14, 2009) Role of coaches' poll in BCS under review. Usatoday.Com. Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
  13. MacArthur Trophy at the National Football Foundation
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