Bill I agree that circumstances had everything to do with that FSU/UF game ending up being the game that determined the Nat'l Championship. But while it wasn't BCS it was Bowl Coalition wasn't it? We have had more that one time where the end of season circumstances determined who would be in a game, it's where a playoff would really make a difference.
I'll have to defer to you on the fact that AZ and USC are the 2 best PAC10 Defenses, I'll concede USC is a great defense. They have 5* talent out the wazzou in South Central But I haven't followed Az to know enough to say they are the 2nd best defense in the PAC10. But I did get the following quote off ESPN.COM Not exactly a ringing endorsement. But I will concede that Mike Stoops is aknowledged to be a great defensive coach. It seems to me that since he left OU, OU defenses haven't been quite as good. So it's not hard to sell me that he has slowly built Az up to be a good, maybe very good defense.
That 1996 Gator team was one helluva team that blasted just about every team thay faced that year. At the end of the season they were dinged up pretty good on the OL and still gave unbeaten Florida State a whale of a game in Tally....one in which UF lost by 7 and had a tying TD called back late for OL holding. It was a great team that wholly vindicated that loss in New Orleans 6 weeks later and they had nothing to be sorry for to anyone with respect to the national title victory.
That '96 Nebraska team was a helluva team that blasted everybody on it's schedule, had a huge game with one of Colorado's best teams in very bad weather the week before the B12 championship game, a lot of the team got sick and they weren't 100% for the Texas game. They lost an exciting but close game to Texas. While we'll never know if they would have beaten UF had they played, they certainly had no trouble the year before with UF.
It was the Bowl Coalition Terry but there was no computer set up or agreement for the Coaches Poll to vote the winner number one. If Arizona State had not lost and Florida won anyway then Arizona State would have been the NC, Florida would only have had the pleasure of knocking FSU out of the running.
In those rematches in the bowls it's seems to me like the team that lost the first game seems to have the emotional edge and wins the rematch.
I believe that is a legitimate thought Terry. But in the case of Florida and FSU in 96 if winning the National Championship wasn't enough incentive for FSU then I don't know what would be. I do believe that year we had the better team and we did have more incentive because of feelings about FSU hitting Wuerffel after he released the ball time after time. Spurrier made an issue of the way FSU played that seemed to take Bobby Bowden aback. Then both teams got a lot of penalties in the Sugar Bowl game but the Gators were more off sides, motion etc and the Noles got a lot of 15 yard penalties including 2 at the same time late in the game for 30 yards. What wasn't discussed a lot was that the referees in Tally were SEC refs. Anyway I'll take it however it happened but it couldn't happen again with the BCS rules.
If you don't think 1996 Florida was a great team you disappoint me in your obvious lack of insight into college football.
If you don't remember what a great team Neb was at that same time you've forgotten how bad they beat the Gators just 1 year earlier. While we could assume that UF got better the next year, it would be a mistake to assume that Neb declined or stayed the same. That was a great Neb team in the middle of a great run. Don't forget Neb was Nat'l Champion in 94, 95, maybe the best team in '96 but timing of the loss to Texas did them in, and Shared the Nat'l Championship with Mich in '97. We'll never know and I don't mean to downgrade the UF Nat'l Championship they were a great team as well that year. But to non-Gator fans it might not seem as clear cut that UF was the best team in college football that year. Like a lot of years the timing of losses was very important.
What the heck was that all about? I didn't see any post here saying the 96 Gator team was not a great team. Geez.
Memories are sometimes short Terry. Nebraska lost twice in 1996 and while they were a good team....better than most...they were not the same juggernaut of the '95 champions led by Tommie Frazier, Lawrence Phillips and a few others. Also...while a pretty good team in 1995....12-0 regular season....Florida's Spurrier was too stubborn to go to the shotgun formation for his high scoring offenses until Tom Osborne schooled him that night vs. Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl. In 1996 Spurrier did go to the shotgun vs. the equally fierce pass rushes of Alabama and FSU and the adjustment paid off in spades. The '06 Florida team obliterated most of it's opponents....they didn't just beat them. Again...the 24-21 loss to #2 ranked....unbeaten FSU was avenged mightily in the Sugar Bowl by 52-20.
Great teams beat - not necessarily "obliterate" - ALL of their opponents. The ND national championship team of 1977 had one loss. It was not a great team but it was the national champion. I am quite satisfied with that. The 1996 Florida team was not a great team because it lost a game. No one would argue its right to the national championship after beating FSU, but a great team? No. Give it a rest.
Well Sid....the team that beat Florida...at home in Doak Campbell....was no slouch and could have been the second best team on the field that season. They were 12-0 and ranked number 1 heading into the bowl season.
Let me correct something. I should have said that it was a great team in Florida football history as was the '77 team in ND football history. When I said that they both were not "great" teams I was referring to the great teams in the overall history of NCAA football. People outside the ND family won't even remember the '77 team. Same with people outside the Florida family re: the '96 team. But inside the families those teams hold their rightful place among the great teams in school history.
Now we are going to argue over great or just good? Sid I'll tell you why the 96 team was great in the mind of Gator fans. That was the first time we won a NC. That team will live in Gator lore forever. Spurrier coaching and Wuerffel at QB. And to make it more better , we got to beat the hated Noles for the Championship. So I'm not going to say they were great because of beating most opponents so bad, but because they led us where Gators have never been before. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 8) 8) 8)
Yeah I forgot that '96 Husker team was ambushed in the desert by ASU to open the season, they were looking for a 3-peat and most people conceded to start the season that they were odds on favorites to do just that. They were a great team though, very deep, very tough defense, terrific offense. It would have been interesting to see them play the Gators again. But it doesn't matter, end of season circumstances left us with the Noles/Gators as the match up. If not for that upset by Texas, Neb would have played for the Nat'l Title vs FSU in the Sugar Bowl, not UF. Gators got new life from Texas.... You're welcome!! The Neb record from 94-95-96-97 was 3 undefeated seasons and 3 Nat'l Championships and narrow miss at playing for the 4th Nat'l Championship.
Terry, Nebraska during that time frame was about as good/great football teams as I've ever seen. And yes, thank you.
Don't stop guys, great thread going on here, keep it going! BTW, Nebraska got SCREWED (Mike Ditka said so) in the 94 OB by FSU and the refs. Should have been 4 NC's from 93-97.