10 greatest college football national championship games
By Zach Bigalke
8. Tennessee wins BCS title 23-16 in 1999 Fiesta Bowl vs. Florida State
The Bowl Championship Series came online in 1998, and Tennessee took full advantage of the opportunity. A year after Heisman winner Peyton Manning graduated, his successor Tee Martin led the Volunteers to the national championship in a 23-16 takedown of Florida State as Mark Richt’s offense was unable to crack the John Chavis defense of the Volunteers.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Volunteers got things going with a short touchdown pass from Martin to Shawn Bryson. Then Marcus Outzen threw an interception that Dwayne Goodrich returned 54 yards to give Tennessee a 14-0 lead. The Seminoles chipped away to go into the locker room down only by five against the Volunteers.
Like the first quarter, the third quarter came and went without adding any more points to the scoreboard. Tennessee added to their lead in the fourth quarter as Martin found Peerless Price for a 79-yard touchdown pass, and Jeff Hall added a 23-yard field goal to go up 23-9.
Outzen managed to score a garbage-time touchdown on the ground for the Seminoles, but it proved too little too late for their national title dreams. Bobby Bowden’s squad was forced to watch as the Volunteers celebrated with the crystal football in the Arizona night.
After the game, Florida State placed blame for their defeat at the feet of a grueling pre-bowl practice schedule that wore down the team before they could even take the field against Tennessee. Excuses or no excuses, though, the thriller in the desert allowed Tennessee to claim their first national championship since 1967.