- Mar 19, 2006
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Vince Young-led Texas the best team of the past 20 years
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Texas the best team of the past 20 years
- Thread starter Old School
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- Mar 19, 2006
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ESPN.com staff
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The college football world changed dramatically when the Bowl Championship Series was formed 20 years ago, giving the sport a definitive championship game for the first time. To celebrate 20 years of championship games, ESPN Analytics calculated overall, offensive and defensive ratings to find the true strength of a champion through a comparison of top college football programs across seasons. The model includes a giant network of all FBS college football teams that played approximately 15,000 games over 20 years and assigns each team to a game, score and home-field advantage indicator within each season. The network establishes a team's strength interrelated with every other team in the network and returns a rating measured in points above the average team (zero rating).
With that in mind, let's get to the list.
1. 2005 Texas Longhorns
The 2005 Longhorns are the top championship team of the past 20 years in large part because they claim the best player of the past 20 years. Quarterback Vince Young, remarkably, didn't win the Heisman Trophy that season, but he produced one of the greatest individual seasons in recent college football history, culminating with one of the greatest individual game performances the sport has ever seen. In the 2006 Rose Bowl against heavily favored USC, Young completed 30 of 40 passes, rushed for 200 yards and delivered the game-winning play, an 8-yard touchdown dash on fourth down with 19 seconds remaining. That play defined the BCS era. And turned Young into a legend. Young wasn't the only star for Texas, which also boasted a top-10 defense. Michael Huff was the Jim Thorpe Award winner and, like Young, became a top-10 NFL draft pick. Linemen Jonathan Scott and Rodrique Wright were consensus All-Americans, as well. The '05 Longhorns never lost. And saved their best for the biggest stage. -- Jake Trotter
2. 2008 Florida Gators
Urban Meyer has called his 2008 Gators the best to ever play the game. Meyer obviously has a bias, but he also has a legitimate point. Nineteen players from that team were eventually drafted, and Tim Tebow ranks among the greatest quarterbacks in college football history. He helped lead the Gators' offense to 611 points, the highest scoring total in SEC history, all while playing eight of the nation's top 30 defenses. But the offense went beyond him, with Percy Harvin, Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps, Louis Murphy, Aaron Hernandez and David Nelson making Florida virtually unstoppable. Defensively, Carlos Dunlap, Brandon Spikes and Joe Haden set the tone, giving Florida a nasty, aggressive edge. And then there's that "The Promise" speech Tebow made after an early season loss to Ole Miss, galvanizing the team to take its play to a championship level. Tebow took over late in the win over Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl, and the Gators' defense shut down the high-powered Sooners and Heisman winner Sam Bradford, holding them to 14 points and 363 total yards. -- Andrea Adelson
3. 2001 Miami Hurricanes
You could make the argument this team belongs at No. 1 for a host of reasons, starting with the biggest: its sheer talent. The roster featured 38 future NFL draft picks, including 17 who went in the first round. Among the 22 starters in the 2002 Rose Bowl win over Nebraska to clinch the national title, 18 were drafted -- 11 in the first round. The offense started with quarterback Ken Dorsey but featured Clinton Portis, Andre Johnson and Jeremy Shockey creating weekly mismatches. Frank Gore and Willis McGahee were backups. The defense was even better, with Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Jerome McDougle, Mike Rumph, D.J. Williams and Phillip Buchanon leading the way. Miami averaged 42.7 points and gave up an average of 9.8 points per game. If there's one knock, it's the schedule. Miami played in the Big East at the time, so its average opponent rank is not as good as '08 Florida or '05 Texas. The Hurricanes also had to survive scares late in the season against Boston College and Virginia Tech, and Nebraska was an inferior opponent in the championship game. That shouldn't detract from what this team accomplished. -- Adelson
4. 2013 Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles would gladly take on 2001 Miami in a debate over the most talented team. Every starter on the 2013 Florida State squad, plus kicker Roberto Aguayo, landed on an NFL roster. Jameis Winston won the Heisman Trophy as a redshirt freshman, throwing for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns with Rashad Greene, Kelvin Benjamin, Devonta Freeman and Nick O'Leary among the skill position talent. Defensively, Lamarcus Joyner, Telvin Smith and Tim Jernigan set the tone with a tenaciousness Florida State is still trying to match. Florida State set an NCAA record for points scored in a season with 723, but what made this team so impressive beyond the talent was how easy it made everything look. The Seminoles won their first 13 games by an average of 42.3 points per game. Nobody came within single digits until Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game. Trailing in the fourth quarter for the first time all season, Winston threw the game-winning TD to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left to seal the undefeated season. -- Adelson
The college football world changed dramatically when the Bowl Championship Series was formed 20 years ago, giving the sport a definitive championship game for the first time. To celebrate 20 years of championship games, ESPN Analytics calculated overall, offensive and defensive ratings to find the true strength of a champion through a comparison of top college football programs across seasons. The model includes a giant network of all FBS college football teams that played approximately 15,000 games over 20 years and assigns each team to a game, score and home-field advantage indicator within each season. The network establishes a team's strength interrelated with every other team in the network and returns a rating measured in points above the average team (zero rating).
With that in mind, let's get to the list.
1. 2005 Texas Longhorns
The 2005 Longhorns are the top championship team of the past 20 years in large part because they claim the best player of the past 20 years. Quarterback Vince Young, remarkably, didn't win the Heisman Trophy that season, but he produced one of the greatest individual seasons in recent college football history, culminating with one of the greatest individual game performances the sport has ever seen. In the 2006 Rose Bowl against heavily favored USC, Young completed 30 of 40 passes, rushed for 200 yards and delivered the game-winning play, an 8-yard touchdown dash on fourth down with 19 seconds remaining. That play defined the BCS era. And turned Young into a legend. Young wasn't the only star for Texas, which also boasted a top-10 defense. Michael Huff was the Jim Thorpe Award winner and, like Young, became a top-10 NFL draft pick. Linemen Jonathan Scott and Rodrique Wright were consensus All-Americans, as well. The '05 Longhorns never lost. And saved their best for the biggest stage. -- Jake Trotter
2. 2008 Florida Gators
Urban Meyer has called his 2008 Gators the best to ever play the game. Meyer obviously has a bias, but he also has a legitimate point. Nineteen players from that team were eventually drafted, and Tim Tebow ranks among the greatest quarterbacks in college football history. He helped lead the Gators' offense to 611 points, the highest scoring total in SEC history, all while playing eight of the nation's top 30 defenses. But the offense went beyond him, with Percy Harvin, Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps, Louis Murphy, Aaron Hernandez and David Nelson making Florida virtually unstoppable. Defensively, Carlos Dunlap, Brandon Spikes and Joe Haden set the tone, giving Florida a nasty, aggressive edge. And then there's that "The Promise" speech Tebow made after an early season loss to Ole Miss, galvanizing the team to take its play to a championship level. Tebow took over late in the win over Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl, and the Gators' defense shut down the high-powered Sooners and Heisman winner Sam Bradford, holding them to 14 points and 363 total yards. -- Andrea Adelson
3. 2001 Miami Hurricanes
You could make the argument this team belongs at No. 1 for a host of reasons, starting with the biggest: its sheer talent. The roster featured 38 future NFL draft picks, including 17 who went in the first round. Among the 22 starters in the 2002 Rose Bowl win over Nebraska to clinch the national title, 18 were drafted -- 11 in the first round. The offense started with quarterback Ken Dorsey but featured Clinton Portis, Andre Johnson and Jeremy Shockey creating weekly mismatches. Frank Gore and Willis McGahee were backups. The defense was even better, with Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Jerome McDougle, Mike Rumph, D.J. Williams and Phillip Buchanon leading the way. Miami averaged 42.7 points and gave up an average of 9.8 points per game. If there's one knock, it's the schedule. Miami played in the Big East at the time, so its average opponent rank is not as good as '08 Florida or '05 Texas. The Hurricanes also had to survive scares late in the season against Boston College and Virginia Tech, and Nebraska was an inferior opponent in the championship game. That shouldn't detract from what this team accomplished. -- Adelson
4. 2013 Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles would gladly take on 2001 Miami in a debate over the most talented team. Every starter on the 2013 Florida State squad, plus kicker Roberto Aguayo, landed on an NFL roster. Jameis Winston won the Heisman Trophy as a redshirt freshman, throwing for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns with Rashad Greene, Kelvin Benjamin, Devonta Freeman and Nick O'Leary among the skill position talent. Defensively, Lamarcus Joyner, Telvin Smith and Tim Jernigan set the tone with a tenaciousness Florida State is still trying to match. Florida State set an NCAA record for points scored in a season with 723, but what made this team so impressive beyond the talent was how easy it made everything look. The Seminoles won their first 13 games by an average of 42.3 points per game. Nobody came within single digits until Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game. Trailing in the fourth quarter for the first time all season, Winston threw the game-winning TD to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left to seal the undefeated season. -- Adelson
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,708
- 597
- 113
- 75
5. 2004 USC Trojans
The best team in conference history? It's certainly one of the primary teams in the discussion. Playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, the Trojans capped an undefeated season with the most lopsided championship game victory (55-19 against Oklahoma) in the BCS era. Even though QB Matt Leinart, RB Reggie Bush and RB LenDale White debuted with a national title the year before, it was during this year when they became household names. Leinart won the Heisman; White led the team in rushing; and Bush was the most exciting player in the country. Officially, USC was stripped of the title and vacated its final two wins of the season because of Bush's extra-benefits scandal, but an asterisk doesn't have memory-erasing powers. This was an all-time great team and should be remembered as such -- over the next two NFL drafts, USC had 16 players get selected. -- Kyle Bonagura
6. 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama has had plenty of menacing defenses throughout its storied history, but the 2011 defense was the first one in 26 years to lead the country in total defense, rushing defense, passing defense and scoring defense. The Crimson Tide held 12 of their 13 opponents to 14 points or fewer and smothered No. 1 LSU 21-0 in the BCS National Championship. The shutout win over LSU in New Orleans avenged Alabama's only loss of the season, a 9-6 overtime setback to the Tigers at home in a highly anticipated No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. There were 14 Alabama defenders who played in that game who would go on to be selected in the NFL draft. Sophomore quarterback AJ McCarron wrested the starting job from Phillip Sims the first week of the season and wound up being named offensive MVP in the title game after completing 23 of 34 passes for 234 yards against an LSU defense that was also loaded with future NFL talent. -- Chris Low
7. 2012 Alabama
Alabama won its third national championship in four years in 2012 and became the first team to repeat as undisputed national champion since Nebraska in 1994 and 1995. Of Nick Saban's five national championship teams at Alabama, the 2012 club might have been the most balanced on both sides of the ball. The Crimson Tide, led by McCarron, averaged 38.7 points per game, and all 11 offensive starters in the season opener that year against Michigan wound up on NFL rosters. Alabama rebounded from a home loss to No. 15 Texas A&M in November to beat No. 3 Georgia 32-28 in the SEC championship, then destroyed No. 1 Notre Dame 42-14 in the title game. The Tide's perennially strong defense was equally nasty that season, as it held 11 of its 14 opponents to 14 or fewer points. -- Low
8. 2015 Alabama
Coming off a bitter loss to Ohio State the year before in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Alabama stumbled again in the third week of the 2015 season in a home loss to No. 15 Ole Miss, which scored 24 points off five Alabama turnovers. All of a sudden, there were rumblings that Alabama's foundation might be cracking. All the Crimson Tide did from there was reel off 12 straight wins, beating seven nationally ranked teams along the way, to win Saban's fourth national championship at Alabama. Junior running back Derrick Henry rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy in what was Lane Kiffin's second season of calling the Tide's offensive plays. Alabama had to hold off Clemson and Deshaun Watson for a thrilling 45-40 victory in the national title game. Saban called for an onside kick in the fourth quarter of that game, and kicker Adam Griffith executed it perfectly, leading to the touchdown that put the Crimson Tide up for good. -- Low
The best team in conference history? It's certainly one of the primary teams in the discussion. Playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, the Trojans capped an undefeated season with the most lopsided championship game victory (55-19 against Oklahoma) in the BCS era. Even though QB Matt Leinart, RB Reggie Bush and RB LenDale White debuted with a national title the year before, it was during this year when they became household names. Leinart won the Heisman; White led the team in rushing; and Bush was the most exciting player in the country. Officially, USC was stripped of the title and vacated its final two wins of the season because of Bush's extra-benefits scandal, but an asterisk doesn't have memory-erasing powers. This was an all-time great team and should be remembered as such -- over the next two NFL drafts, USC had 16 players get selected. -- Kyle Bonagura
6. 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama has had plenty of menacing defenses throughout its storied history, but the 2011 defense was the first one in 26 years to lead the country in total defense, rushing defense, passing defense and scoring defense. The Crimson Tide held 12 of their 13 opponents to 14 points or fewer and smothered No. 1 LSU 21-0 in the BCS National Championship. The shutout win over LSU in New Orleans avenged Alabama's only loss of the season, a 9-6 overtime setback to the Tigers at home in a highly anticipated No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. There were 14 Alabama defenders who played in that game who would go on to be selected in the NFL draft. Sophomore quarterback AJ McCarron wrested the starting job from Phillip Sims the first week of the season and wound up being named offensive MVP in the title game after completing 23 of 34 passes for 234 yards against an LSU defense that was also loaded with future NFL talent. -- Chris Low
7. 2012 Alabama
Alabama won its third national championship in four years in 2012 and became the first team to repeat as undisputed national champion since Nebraska in 1994 and 1995. Of Nick Saban's five national championship teams at Alabama, the 2012 club might have been the most balanced on both sides of the ball. The Crimson Tide, led by McCarron, averaged 38.7 points per game, and all 11 offensive starters in the season opener that year against Michigan wound up on NFL rosters. Alabama rebounded from a home loss to No. 15 Texas A&M in November to beat No. 3 Georgia 32-28 in the SEC championship, then destroyed No. 1 Notre Dame 42-14 in the title game. The Tide's perennially strong defense was equally nasty that season, as it held 11 of its 14 opponents to 14 or fewer points. -- Low
8. 2015 Alabama
Coming off a bitter loss to Ohio State the year before in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Alabama stumbled again in the third week of the 2015 season in a home loss to No. 15 Ole Miss, which scored 24 points off five Alabama turnovers. All of a sudden, there were rumblings that Alabama's foundation might be cracking. All the Crimson Tide did from there was reel off 12 straight wins, beating seven nationally ranked teams along the way, to win Saban's fourth national championship at Alabama. Junior running back Derrick Henry rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy in what was Lane Kiffin's second season of calling the Tide's offensive plays. Alabama had to hold off Clemson and Deshaun Watson for a thrilling 45-40 victory in the national title game. Saban called for an onside kick in the fourth quarter of that game, and kicker Adam Griffith executed it perfectly, leading to the touchdown that put the Crimson Tide up for good. -- Low
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- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,708
- 597
- 113
- 75
9. 2009 Alabama
Saban's first national championship team at Alabama remains the only one under Saban to go through a season unbeaten. The Crimson Tide beat four top-20 teams away from home, but none was any sweeter than the 32-13 win over No. 1 Florida and Tebow in the SEC championship. The year before, the Gators and Tebow had ended Alabama's 12-game winning streak by knocking off the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide 31-20 in the SEC championship. Alabama held seven of its opponents that season to 10 or fewer points, thanks to a defense that finished second nationally in scoring, and sophomore running back Mark Ingram became the first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy. The Crimson Tide capped their first national championship in 17 years with a 37-21 victory over Texas in the BCS National Championship at the Rose Bowl, but no play was bigger that season than Terrence Cody's block of a Tennessee field goal attempt as time expired to preserve a 12-10 win over the Vols. -- Low
10. 1999 Florida State
There's no question the pressure was on Florida State in 1999, a year after a disappointing loss to Tennessee in the national championship game. The Seminoles started out ranked preseason No. 1, with a veteran quarterback in Chris Weinke, a star-studded group of receivers led by Peter Warrick, a strong defense that featured Corey Simon, Chris Hope and Derrick Gibson and one of the greatest kickers in college history, Sebastian Janikowski. Midway through the season, adversity hit: Warrick was suspended and fellow receiver Laveranues Coles dismissed after they got heavily discounted clothes at a department store. Warrick was suspended two games, ending his Heisman hopes. But Florida State kept winning, earning a spot in the national title game opposite dynamic Michael Vick and Virginia Tech. The Seminoles' fast and aggressive defense penned Vick in, and Florida State won 46-29 to become the first wire-to-wire national champion, not to mention Bobby Bowden's only undefeated team. Florida State had four consensus All-Americans, eight All-ACC first-team selections and 31 players who would go on to play in the NFL. -- Adelson
11. 2017 Alabama
For the second time under Saban, Alabama managed to win the national championship without winning the SEC West. The Crimson Tide won their first 11 games but were upended by Auburn in the regular-season finale. The College Football Playoff selection process fell Alabama's way, and the Crimson Tide grabbed the No. 4 seed. After beating Clemson in the semifinals, the Crimson Tide met Georgia in an all-SEC title game that will go down as one of the more thrilling finishes in college football history. Freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench in the second half and threw a game-winning touchdown pass on the final play in overtime to win it for Alabama. Despite being gutted by injuries at linebacker, Alabama led the country in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense. -- Low
5 of the top 11 .....ROLL TIDE......
Saban's first national championship team at Alabama remains the only one under Saban to go through a season unbeaten. The Crimson Tide beat four top-20 teams away from home, but none was any sweeter than the 32-13 win over No. 1 Florida and Tebow in the SEC championship. The year before, the Gators and Tebow had ended Alabama's 12-game winning streak by knocking off the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide 31-20 in the SEC championship. Alabama held seven of its opponents that season to 10 or fewer points, thanks to a defense that finished second nationally in scoring, and sophomore running back Mark Ingram became the first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy. The Crimson Tide capped their first national championship in 17 years with a 37-21 victory over Texas in the BCS National Championship at the Rose Bowl, but no play was bigger that season than Terrence Cody's block of a Tennessee field goal attempt as time expired to preserve a 12-10 win over the Vols. -- Low
10. 1999 Florida State
There's no question the pressure was on Florida State in 1999, a year after a disappointing loss to Tennessee in the national championship game. The Seminoles started out ranked preseason No. 1, with a veteran quarterback in Chris Weinke, a star-studded group of receivers led by Peter Warrick, a strong defense that featured Corey Simon, Chris Hope and Derrick Gibson and one of the greatest kickers in college history, Sebastian Janikowski. Midway through the season, adversity hit: Warrick was suspended and fellow receiver Laveranues Coles dismissed after they got heavily discounted clothes at a department store. Warrick was suspended two games, ending his Heisman hopes. But Florida State kept winning, earning a spot in the national title game opposite dynamic Michael Vick and Virginia Tech. The Seminoles' fast and aggressive defense penned Vick in, and Florida State won 46-29 to become the first wire-to-wire national champion, not to mention Bobby Bowden's only undefeated team. Florida State had four consensus All-Americans, eight All-ACC first-team selections and 31 players who would go on to play in the NFL. -- Adelson
11. 2017 Alabama
For the second time under Saban, Alabama managed to win the national championship without winning the SEC West. The Crimson Tide won their first 11 games but were upended by Auburn in the regular-season finale. The College Football Playoff selection process fell Alabama's way, and the Crimson Tide grabbed the No. 4 seed. After beating Clemson in the semifinals, the Crimson Tide met Georgia in an all-SEC title game that will go down as one of the more thrilling finishes in college football history. Freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench in the second half and threw a game-winning touchdown pass on the final play in overtime to win it for Alabama. Despite being gutted by injuries at linebacker, Alabama led the country in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense. -- Low
5 of the top 11 .....ROLL TIDE......
