Top 10 of the Last 10:The Original BCS Buster

Recap:
10.Redskins/Rams from 2006

In 1991, the NCAA Board of Trustees and AD's of various Division 1-A schools met to discuss a way to determine a National Championship following the 2nd year in a row where 2 teams had to share it(Colorado and Georgia Tech in 1990 and Washington/Miami in 1991). It was then they formed the Bowl Coalition. The Bowl Coalition was designed to put the 2 best schools against each other for the National Championship. The first game under the Coalition was deemed a success as Alabama beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl to win the title.

However, in 1993, the Coalition was dented. In the final 3 weeks of the season, 2 Notre Dame beat 1 Florida State but lost to 18 Boston College the following week. No one had any idea who would face Nebraska for the championship. The day after the final games were played it was announced that the Noles would play the Huskers for the title, despite losing to 1-lost Notre Dame and being selected over unbeaten West Virginia. FSU would beat Nebraska off a last second field goal, Notre Dame beat Texas A&M and Florida blew out WVU. FSU's victory left a bad taste in the mouths of Notre Dame and WVU fans. The Bowl Alliance would finally die in 1994 after Penn State, going 13-0 wasn't given the National Championship(Nebraska would win it beating Miami).

Notre Dame won the Game of the Century but not the Championship.

So as a result, the Bowl Coalition was replaced by the Bowl Alliance. In the first year of the Bowl Alliance, Nebraska blew out Florida in the battle between the two best teams(which shows the greatness of the 1995 Huskers). However, people were infuriated in the 1996 Season. On the next to last game of the year for the Gators, they lost by 3 to Florida State at Tallahassee, seemingly eliminating them. However, they were selected to play in the title game over unbeaten Arizona State(who lost to Ohio State by 3 in the Rose Bowl). At the end, the Gators shut up most critics(sound familiar?) blowing the Noles out 52-20.

The Gators were outplayed in Tallahassee and in Tempe, but not in New Orleans.

The Bowl Alliance wasn't renewed following the 3rd season(which ended with Michigan and Nebraska sharing the National Championship). They then decided a whole new system(which would eliminate the classic ACC/Big East vs Big 8 format for the Orange Bowl along with the Pac 10/Big 10 Rose Bowl format)to determine the 2 best teams. Within the first season, however the BCS experienced a major flaw. Kansas State was unbeaten, but lost to Texas A&M in the Big XII title game and was No.3 in the BCS Standings. However, Florida(8) and Ohio State(4) was selected to go the BCS Bowl Games over them. Another flaw was that Tulane(13-0) didn't receive a bid to none of the BCS games due to their schedule. This would ignite the BCS criticisms about its Championship determination and how its unfair to mid-major teams.

Shaun King wanted to go to New Orleans or Miami but ended up in Memphis, instead.

Another mid-major struck it big in 1999, as Marshall went 13-0 and won the MAC Conference. However, the BCS wasn't impressed and the Herd ended up playing in the Motor City Bowl. In 2003, no team was unbeaten in College Football(a rarity in College Football) and as a result, 6 teams finished with one-loss including BCS Conference Schools:Oklahoma, LSU, and USC. The other 3 were Mid-Major Schools:Miami(Ohio), Boise State, and TCU. Controversy erupted over which 2 schools should play for the championship and should Miami, TCU, and Boise State be in any of the BCS games.

As it turned out, LSU and Oklahoma would face off in the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship, USC would face Michigan in the Rose Bowl for a share of the National Championship, Miami would face Louisville in the GMAC Bowl, and Boise State faced TCU in the Fort Worth Bowl(which I dubbed The "Mid-Major" National Championship). As it turned out, Boise beat TCU(in THE Bowl Game of the Year cuz the rest sucked), Miami beat Louisville, USC blew out Michigan(yes they were doing in 2004 too), and LSU beat Oklahoma. This leads to the 2004 season and the story of the Utah Utes.

Utah began Football in 1892 and initially was fairly successful playing in the Rocky Mountain conference(including 3 straight unbeaten seasons). The team was one of the few successful in the 20's, 30's, and 40's(only 5 losing seasons from 1920-1950). However, the Utes would stumble being 8-1 one season the 2-7 the next. Under Bill Meek, the Utes would enjoy mix results and wouldn't play in a Bowl from 1964-1992. It was 1992 that Utes Football would be revived from the dead.

Within 2 years, the Utes would be 10-2 and knocked off Arizona in the Freedom Bowl to cap off their first win in 30 years. Utah would continue to enjoy success with 5 consecutive winning seasons. However, Ron McBride's steam would run out, following a 5-6 year in 2002. In the offseason, the Utes hired Bowling Green Coach, Urban Meyer. In the 03 season, the Utes went 10-2 and beat Southern Miss in the Liberty Bowl. With initial success with Meyer and a star in Alex Smith at Quarterback, the pieces in the puzzle were in place for the 2004 Season.

It all began on September 2, 2004 as the Utes kicked off with a 41-21 blowout of Texas A&M. From there, the Utes would ride out to consecutive blowouts of Arizona and Utah State(both on the road). The Utes continued dominating blowing out Air Force(49-35), New Mexico(28-7), North Carolina(46-16), UNLV(63-28), San Diego State(51-28), Colorado State(63-31), Wyoming(45-28), and rival, BYU(52-21). The BCS couldn't deny the record of Utah and as a result, the Utes finished 5th in the AP, and 6th in the Coaches and BCS polls.

The Utes, in 2004, was part of 5 unbeaten schools heading into the Bowl season(along with USC, Auburn, Oklahoma, and Boise State)and some were questioning whether or not they'd be playing for the National Championship or even in a BCS Bowl Game. On selection Sunday, Boise State would play in the Liberty Bowl, Auburn in the Sugar Bowl, and USC/Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl(the National Championship), while Utah was forced to play a less-than-appealing team for the Utes, the Pittsburgh Panthers. In 2004, the Big East had lost Miami and Virginia Tech and the conference went from the Number 3 BCS conference to dead last and the least appealing of the 6. Many fans of the Utes were upset believing that they could contend with SC, OU, and Auburn but they knew the only way to prove they have some worth was a victory in the Fiesta Bowl.

On New Years Day, 2005, the stage was set in Tempe, Arizona, as the Utes faced off against the Panthers. From the get-go, the game was a blow out. A 4 yard run would give the Utes a 7-0 lead and they lead 14-0 at Halftime. In the 2nd half, Alex Smith would be firing and the Utah had convinced all the non-believers by taking a 28-0 lead in the 3rd Quarter. Pittsburgh would only score once in the game, as Palko connected with Lee to make it 28-7. But Utah wasn't done as a hook and ladder gave them a 35-7 victory. Smith finished 29/37 for 328 yards and 4 touchdowns while Palko went 22/40 for 251 yards and 1 touchdown.

Following the game, Auburn would beat Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl and USC would blow out Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, to give the Trojans their first BCS Championship(they were voted AP in 2004). Utah(nor Auburn for that matter)would not be given a share of the championship(instead I declared them Mid-Major National Champion and voted them No.2 in the final Basford 10 poll)overall the Utes finished at No.4 in the final AP Poll(OU being ahead, which still makes no sense to me). However, the keys to that team would be lost as Alex Smith would be drafted No.1 to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft and Urban Meyer left to coach at Florida. Utah, would finish 7-5 in 2005 and 8-5 in 2006, and while Urban Meyer was passed over in 2004 for the National Championship, he'd finally win it in 2006 with Gators.