College Football Playoff: It’s not time for expansion
3. The BCS usually got it right
While the BCS did provide college football fans with a few complete duds for championship games, they mostly got it right. The inaugural edition was held on Jan. 4, 1999 to determine the BCS National Champion for the 1998 season. It was a matchup between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida State Seminoles where the Vols edged the ‘Noles 23-16. Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles were a BCS favorite in the early years having appeared in the first three BCS title games. FSU managed to dominate Virginia Tech in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, and Oklahoma shutdown the ‘Noles in the 2001 Orange Bowl.
The second controversial No. 2 selection was in the 2002 Rose Bowl where Miami faced Nebraska. The Oregon Ducks, quarterbacked by Joey Harrington, felt they belonged in the Rose. Miami dominated the Cornhuskers, a familiar Miami national title opponent from the 80’s and 90’s. By 2002 it seemed the BCS got it right as Ohio State beat Miami in double overtime, before LSU edged Oklahoma by seven the following year.
A lopsided 2005 Orange Bowl between Oklahoma and the USC Trojans gave way to the 2006 Rose Bowl often regarded as the greatest game in the BCS Championship era. The Texas Longhorns and Vince Young beat the USC Trojans dual-Heisman Trophy winners in Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush with seconds to go in the ballgame.
The BCS format saw three more close games with Florida beating Oklahoma by 10 in the 2009 BCS Championship Game before another epic starring Cam Newton for Auburn. Newton’s Tigers beat the Oregon Ducks 22-19. Alabama then won two lopsided BCS Championship Games over LSU and Notre Dame before the BCS era ended in a thriller. Jameis Winston and Florida State knocked off the Auburn Tigers 34-31 with a come from behind drive.
Throughout the BCS era, half of the games would be considered close games and only two or three of the matchups seemed confusing and two main games involved the Miami Hurricanes. Three of the five College Football Playoff seasons will result in a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup in the championship game which means the BCS would’ve gotten it right.