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| Dan Fouts
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Revision as of 19:27, 8 January 2013

BCS National Championship Game
File:Uf2008CoachesTrophy.jpg
AFCA National Championship Trophy, awarded to the BCS National Champion.
StadiumCurrently on a four-year rotation between:
University of Phoenix Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Sun Life Stadium
Rose Bowl
until the end of the 2013 season.
LocationCurrently on a four-year rotation between:
Glendale, Arizona
New Orleans, Louisiana
Miami Gardens, Florida
Pasadena, California
until the end of the 2013 season.
Previous stadiumsSun Devil Stadium (1999, 2003)
Previous locationsTempe, Arizona (1999, 2003)
Operated1998–present
PayoutUS$18,000,000 (As of 2013[1])
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)
2013 matchup
Notre Dame vs Alabama (Alabama 42-14)
2014 matchup
(January 6, 2014)
50-yard line action for the national championship in Pasadena California, January 7, 2010

The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as NCAA Division I-A). The participants are the two highest-ranked teams in the BCS standings at the end of the regular college football season, currently (until the end of the current BCS television contracts in 2013) determined by averaging the results of the final weekly USA Today Coaches' Poll, Harris Interactive Poll of media, former players and coaches, and the average of six participating computer rankings.

Since the formation of the Bowl Championship Series, there have been several controversies regarding the schools selected to participate in the BCS National Championship Game. Most notably, following the 2003 season, the BCS ranking system selected the #3 ranked school in the Associated Press writers' poll, the University of Oklahoma, over the #1 ranked school in that poll, the University of Southern California, to participate in the National Championship Game (the Nokia Sugar Bowl) despite Oklahoma's decisive loss to Kansas State in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game. 2003 is the only season, to date, since the inception of the BCS in which the national championship has been split, with Louisiana State University winning the BCS national championship and the University of Southern California winning the AP national championship and the FWAA national championship.

The BCS National Championship for the 2011 season at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA was held on January 9, 2012, sponsored by Allstate, and televised on the ESPN television network. The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the LSU Tigers 21-0 in the first shutout in BCS National Championship history. The game was also the first time that two teams from the same conference (and, very controversially, also from the same division of the same conference) met for the BCS National Championship. This controversial result is largely credited as having been the catalyst to the swift decision in the 2012 off-season to move to a 4-team playoff which will replace the BCS single-game championship format after the 2014 season.

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 (now Pac-12) 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 from 1992 through 1997. However, these did not 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 became a separate bowl game unto itself, following New Year's Day. The BCS National Championship Game rotates its location among the Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, and Rose Bowl venues; however, the BCS National Championship Game is not coupled with those Bowls. For example, the 2011 Fiesta Bowl was a separate event from the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.

Game results

  • For Bowl Coalition championship game results from 1992–1994, see: Bowl Coalition
  • For Bowl Alliance championship game results from 1995–1997, see: Bowl Alliance
^^‡ 2004 BCS Championship vacated by NCAA due to sanctions against USC[2]
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, Louisiana
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, Florida
Torrance Marshall
2001 January 3, 2002 1 Miami (Florida)
(Big East) Champs
37 2 Nebraska
(Big 12) Div. Co-Champs
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] 1 Miami (Florida)
(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
(Big 12) Runner-Up
14 2004 Sugar Bowl Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
Justin Vincent
2004 January 4, 2005 1 USC (Vacated)[2]
(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[3]
(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, Louisiana
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
(SEC)
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)

* Miami and Virginia Tech moved to the ACC in 2004. Nebraska moved to the Big Ten in 2011. No current member of the Big East has played in a BCS championship game.

** LSU was beaten by Alabama, another SEC team. No SEC team has been beaten by another conference in the BCS championship game. LSU's loss to Alabama was the first shutout in the BCS Championship series.

† USC vacated their win in the 2005 Orange Bowl.

Game records

Team Performance vs. Opponent BCS Game Year
Most points scored 55, USC vs. Oklahoma 2005
Fewest points allowed 0, Alabama vs. LSU 2012
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
Individual Performance, Team vs. Opponent BCS Game 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 BCS Game 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 93, Ted Ginn Jr., Ohio State vs. Florida (TD) 2007
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

Criticisms and controversy

Critics of the current BCS championship argue against the internal validity of the current BCS National Championship, which is awarded to the winner of a single postseason game, the BCS National Championship game. Critics lament that the participants in this game are decided based upon polls, computers, popularity and biases, and not by previous on-field competition as is this the case in other major sports and every other level of college football, which employ playoff format championships. Often, the BCS system leads to controversies in which multiple teams finish seasons with equal records, and voters must distinguish the worthiness of their participation in the BCS National Championship game with no set formal criteria or standards. The end of the 2010 season is one of the best examples of this. Without providing any objective criteria for evaluation of these teams, the BCS also forces voters to impose their own standards and tiebreakers, and these voters often exclude superior teams to include teams with longer traditions or teams who are members of conferences perceived to be "better". Critics note that the system inherently fosters selection bias, and therefore, lacks both internal validity and consistency of data and external validity.[3]

Controversies concerning inclusion in the BCS National Championship Game are numerous. In 2001, for example, Oregon, second ranked in the AP poll, was bypassed in favor of Nebraska despite Nebraska's loss in its final regular season game to the University of Colorado in a blowout with a score of 62-36. In 2003, USC was not included in the BCS Championship Game, but beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and ended up #1 in the Associated Press final poll. The following season, in 2004, undefeated Auburn University, Boise State University and University of Utah teams were left out of the National Championship Game (the FedEx Orange Bowl), although those teams were undefeated as well. In 2008, the University of Utah was excluded from the BCS championship for a second time despite being the only undefeated Division I-A team at the end of the season and finished second behind 13–1 Florida. In 2009, five schools finished the regular season undefeated: Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, Texas Christian University, and Boise State; however, the BCS selected traditional powers Alabama and Texas to participate in the BCS National Championship Game as they were the top two teams in the BCS rankings.

The 2010 season is perhaps the best single example of the role of bias and the lack of internal and external validity controls in the BCS selection process. The 2010 season found three teams, Oregon, Auburn and TCU all with undefeated records. While TCU statistically led the other two teams in all three major areas,[4] having been ranked 1st in defense, 14th in offense [5] and 13th in special teams [6] the teams from the two automatic qualifying conferences, Oregon (PAC-12) and Auburn (SEC), were selected over the Horned Frogs for the 2011 National Championship game. Many voters cited TCU's membership in the non-automatic qualifying Mountain West Conference, which was perceived as having a somewhat weaker overall schedule, as one significant reason for their exclusion, despite TCU's undefeated record in 2010 and also having won all their 2009 regular season games as well, with their only loss coming in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.[7] Adding to the controversy were comments made by the president of Ohio State University, Dr. Gordon Gee, whose statement that teams that played "the little sisters of the poor" instead of the "murderer's row" of the automatic qualifier conference teams did not deserve any National Championship game consideration. Dr. Gee issued a statement of retraction and apology after TCU defeated Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl, Wisconsin having previously defeated Ohio State convincingly during the regular season. The exclusion of TCU from the 2011 National Championship game, and the ongoing controversial treatment of "BCS Buster" teams in general and the growing lack of patience with these inequities, was the real beginning of a serious playoff debate and the ultimate formation of the four team playoff that was agreed to a year and a half later.

Many critics of the Bowl Championship Series favor a larger championship tournament with eight to sixteen teams, similar to that administered by the NCAA for its Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, and Division III football championships. Others favor 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, the so-called "plus one" option. The SEC and ACC conferences have recently pushed for some form of playoff system. On June 24, 2009, the BCS presidential oversight committee rejected the Mountain West Conference's proposed eight-team playoff plan.[8]

In 2009, the NCAA ruled that former USC running back Reggie Bush was retroactively ineligible for the 2004 BCS National Championship Game, 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, the University of Southern California became the first school to lose a Bowl Championship Series National Championship due to NCAA sanctions, as the BCS President's Oversight Committee stripped USC of the 2004 title. As a result, there is no 2004 champion.

In addition, the BCS also nullified USC's participation in the 2006 Rose Bowl. (See attributions 1 and 2.)

Future

The game's location rotates among the sites of the BCS bowls. Future scheduled sites are as follows (note the years shown are for the game, which occurs in the calendar year following the corresponding NCAA football season):

During 2012, the BCS actively considered changes to the format that would begin with the 2014 football season that would extend the season by one game by either establishing a four school semifinal round that would determine the participants in the National Championship Game or by selecting the participants in the National Championship Game after the season's bowl games have been completed.[9] On June 26, 2012, the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee approved a four school playoff format, in which the participants will be determined by a selection committee, the semifinals will be played in existing bowl games on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and the final will be played six to ten days later at a neutral site selected through a competitive bidding process. [10] The new format will be in effect from the 2014-15 college football season through the 2025-26 season.

Media coverage

Television

From 1999 through 2006, 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 2006–07 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 (such as the 2010 edition)

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, 2012, 2013, and 2014.[11]

Year Network(s) Bowl Play-by-play announcer Color analyst(s) Sideline reporter(s) Studio host(s) Studio analyst(s) TV Rating[12]
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 Bob Saget 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 Eddie George, Emmitt Smith 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 TBD
2014 ESPN 2014 BCS National Championship Game TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
  Expected announcer, subject to change.

Spanish

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

Year

Radio

Since 1999 the BCS National Championship Game has been 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
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 Bert Man Jr Todd Blackledge Holly Rowe and Joe Schad

Since there is no NCAA Division I FBS playoff, the BCS National Championship game is one of several national championship selection processes in existence.

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) participate in a weekly Coaches' Poll published by USA Today; for its final poll of the season, the AFCA is contractually bound to select the BCS National Champion as the national champion[13] Thus, the winner of the game is awarded the AFCA National Championship Trophy in a postgame ceremony.

The BCS National Champion is also automatically awarded the National Football Foundation's MacArthur Trophy.[14]

The Associated Press and the Football Writers Association of America are independent and may award their national championship trophies to a school other than the BCS National Championship Game winner.

References

  1. ^ http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bowl_games_bowl_schedule.html
  2. ^ Miller, Ted (June 6, 2011). "University of Southern California stripped of '04 BCS NationalChampionship". ESPN. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  3. ^ Eight-team playoff would be ideal for college football – columnist – ESPN. Sports.espn.go.com (2008-05-20). Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
  4. ^ http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/feist2010
  5. ^ FEI Offensive Rankings By Team, FBS, 2010 http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/feist2010
  6. ^ FEI Special Teams Rankings By Team, FBS, 2010 http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/feist2010
  7. ^ 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"
  8. ^ College football: BCS presidents reject playoff plan, Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2009
  9. ^ http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2012/05/29/bcs-playoff-tv-deal-worth-at-least-3-billion/
  10. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2012-06-26/bcs-major-college-football-playoff-approved/55845112/1
  11. ^ ESPN, BCS agree to four-year deal for television, radio, digital rights
  12. ^ bcsfootball.org – TV Ratings
  13. ^ O'Toole, Thomas. (2009-01-14) Role of coaches' poll in BCS under review. Usatoday.Com. Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
  14. ^ MacArthur Trophy at the National Football Foundation