THIRD ROUND - Bracket 47 Results

BRACKET #47

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(82) 2001 Oregon - 24
(431) 1983 Michigan - 23
Michigan started off strong, but Harrington magic prevailed in the end. Quarterback Steve Smith had good chemistry with TE Sim Nelson in the first quarter, and the running of Rick Rogers opened up a play action pass to Triando Markray that went 67 yards for a touchdown. Michigan held a 17-7 lead at halftime, but Joey Harrington and the Ducks took over in the second half. Harrington directed three scoring drives - all spanning over 75 yards - and lived up to his "Captain Comeback" nickname. Onterrio Smith helped out along the way, rushing for 66 yards and catching a touchdown pass in the second half alone.

(338) 1984 Oklahoma State - 16
(175) 1987 Nebraska - 26
Quarterback Steve Taylor led the Huskers out to an early 14-0 lead on two touchdown passes and never looked back. Thurman Thomas only eeked out 45 yards rushing against the Blackshirts.



(210) 1999 Kansas State - 27
(303) 2006 Wisconsin - 19
Bret Bielema's first Wisconsin squad was often criticized for playing a weak schedule, and it finally caught up to them in this tournament. Ironically, the Badgers run came to an end against Bill Snyder and Kansas State - a school renowned for playing weak schedules. Linebacker Mark Simoneau brought the lumber and knocked around Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill all game long. Safety Jarrod Cooper locked up on TE Travis Beckum and held him scoreless. David Allen broke the game open early in the third quarter with a 78-yard punt return that set up an easy Jonathan Beasley touchdown.



(559) 1990 San Jose State - 20
(47) 1989 Tennessee - 28
After a close call in the second round, the '89 Volunteers dismissed San Jose State with relative ease in the third round. Reggie Cobb had a 79-yard touchdown run and Alvin Harper caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Andy Kelly in the win. Spartan QB Ralph Martini caught fire for a short time in the fourth quarter and tacked on a couple late touchdowns to make the score look closer than it actually was. But tailback Sheldon Canley could never get going against Johnny Majors' tough Tennessee front seven.



Bracket Semifinals:
(82) 2001 Oregon vs (175) 1987 Nebraska
(47) 1989 Tennessee vs (210) 1999 Kansas State

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 18 Results

BRACKET #18

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(18) 1994 Penn State - 36
(495) 2003 Maryland - 23
The mighty Penn State offense rolled through yet another opponent, putting 36 points on the board against a solid Maryland team. Even Shawne Merriman's 3 sacks couldn't shake up PSU quarterback Kerry Collins, who threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns. Ki-Jana Carter was slowed down largely due to Terp safety Madieu Williams playing in the box most of the game. Maryland quarterback Scott McBrien played a gutsy game, escaping the Nittany Lion rush time after time. But he got little help from the running game (Bruce Perry and Josh Allen), and simply couldn't keep pace with Penn State.

(751) 2000 TCU - 21
(239) 2007 Kansas - 27
The underrated Kansas defense loaded up to slow down LaDainian Tomlinson and managed to hold the talented tailback to just under 100 yards in the game. LaTarence Dunbar picked up some of the slack, returning a punt for a touchdown, but TCU quarterback Casey Printers couldn't beat the defense with his arm because Aqib Talib and Darrell Stuckey were back there in the Jayhawk secondary. Each came away with an interception in the ballgame. The Kansas passing game, on the other hand, came up with the big play when they needed it. Todd Reesing found Marcus Henry on a 72-yard touchdown bomb early in the fourth quarter for what gave KU the deciding 27-21 margin.



(146) 2003 Ohio State - 20
(658) 1990 Oklahoma - 23
An underrated Oklahoma team that was flawless in the 1990 season - other than a 3 game losing streak in the middle of the season - showed Jim Tressel's Buckeye's who the boss was in the trenches. In yet another upset in this tournament by the '90 Sooners, they controlled the trenches and put up over 300 yards rushing against a supposedly superior foe. The Ohio State defensive line of Will Smith, Tim Anderson, Darrion Scott, and Simon Fraser may be athletic, but when Oklahoma backs Kenyon Rasheed, Dewell Brewer, and Otis Taylor came running downhill at them time after time they couldn't withstand the beating.

(402) 1990 Michigan - 23
(111) 2000 Oregon State - 26
Ken Simonton was the story for Oregon State in this third round matchup. The 5-foot-7 tailback carried the ball 32 tims for 167 yards to keep the chains moving all game long. Simonton reached the end zone twice, but his hard nosed running set the Beavers up in the red zone several times, which led to kicker Ryan Cesca kicking 4 short field goals in the game. On the other side of the ball, a fast Oregon State defense swarmed Michigan tailbacks Jon Vaughn and Ricky Powers, and hit quarterback Elvis Grbac repeatedly. In fact, fullback Jarrod Bunch was the only Wolverine to have any success.

Bracket Semifinals:
(18) 1994 Penn State vs (239) 2007 Kansas
(111) 2000 Oregon State vs (658) 1990 Oklahoma

THIRD ROUND - Bracket #13 and #52 Results

BRACKET #13



(13) 1988 Notre Dame - 31
(525) 2000 Clemson - 17

Quite possibly Lou Holtz's best team in the tourny, they did not disappoint in this one, as Tommy Bowden had no answer for the Notre Dame D. The Defensive trio of Chris Zorich, Mike Stonebreaker and Frank Stams, shut down the rushing offense of the Tigers and limited the dynamic Woodrow Dantzler to a very rough day. Clemson started out strong on the opening drive as Dantzler hit Rod Gardner on the games first play for 58 yards and set up a short Travis Zachary touchdown. Then a fumble by QB Tony Rice on their opening drive set up another short yardage touchdown by Zachary and Clemson was up 14-0 after 5 minutes, it looked the upset of the tournament. But then the Rocket took off and returned the next kickoff for a 82 yard touchdown, then the rest of the afternoon Woodrow was pounded into the turf and was limited to 60 yards total offense in the second half. Also the Irish offense stabilized with Tony Rice and he led them to the next round. Stat line: LB Frank Stams 10 tackles 6 Tfls 4 sacks.

(269) 1985 UCLA - 25
(244) 2005 TCU - 24

In a game that game down to one play it was UCLA wideout Mike Sherrard in the back of the end zone and getting the one foot down over TCU DB Marvin White to give the Bruins their only touchdown of the day and secure the victory and move on to the next round. UCLA kicker John Lee was the story in this one kicking 6 FG's as the TCU defense played a great game until the the very last play. DL Chase Ortiz and Tommy Blake were the 3rd down specialists in this one stifling the Bruin offense 10 times in the redzone, keeping the score close all game. With the score 18-17, QB Tye Gunn filling in for the injured Jeff Ballard ran for a 25 yard touchdown to put the Frogs up 24-18. After a very good 50 yard kick off return by Mel Farr Jr. at the 3 minute mark it set up the drive to cap the victory.


(141) 2001 Florida - 37
(372) 1979 Purdue - 16

The Fun and Gun was alive and well in this one as the Gators had their way with the very overmatched Purdue squad led by Jim Young. Purdue QB Mark Herrman was sacked 8 times on the day and was knocked out the game several times in this one. Gator DL Alex Brown led the charge with 5 sacks and Tron Lafavor 2 sacks, Mike Nattiel and Andra Davis with 1 each limited the Boilermakers to only 160 yards total offense. The Gator secondary also showed up with Lito Sheppard picking off two passes (one for a TD) and Marquand Manuel getting the other as this was over before it started. The Gator OL gave QB Rex Grossman all day to pick apart the defense and hit 8 different players with 2 or more receptions on the day. TB Ernest Graham also rushed for 150 yards and this Florida team maybe one to watch in the next round. The is another team in which it is probably the coaches best as Steve Spurrier leds these Gators to the next round.


(397) 2007 BYU - 20
(116) 1987 Syracuse - 26

This was a battle between two prolific offenses from two decades. BYU led by Max Hall and the Cuse QB Don McPhearson, but it was a defensive play by DL Rob Burnett that sealed the victory for the Orangemen. Max Hall who passed for 340 yards was pressed on the last play and chased down by Burnett and fumbled into the waiting arms of LB Terry Bowden, which set up a 25 yard touchdown from McPhearson to WR Tommy Kane to put the Orange up for good.

Bracket Semifinals:
(13) 1988 Notre Dame vs (269) 1985 UCLA
(116) 1987 Syracuse vs (141) 2001 Florida

----------------------------

BRACKET #52

(77) 1993 Notre Dame - 31
(589) 2007 Cincinnati - 23
The pesky Bearcats almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tourny, but it was a Bobby Taylor interception of Dustin Grutza, and returned it for a touchdown in the 4th to seal the victory for the Irish. DL Brian Young's pressure on Grutza forced him to make a quick decision and it cost the Bearcats the game. Despite the interception the Bearcats D held the Irish to only 320 total offense. DT Terril Byrd got 5 TFLS and the dynamic duo of DeAngelo Smith and Mike Mickens each had a intercepion of QB Kevin McDougal. The star for the Irish offense in this game was RB Lee Becton who carried the Irish for 120 yards and 2 TD's, also WR Lake Dawson also added a 32 yard touchdown. So Brian Kelly in his 1st year with the Bearcats, came close to pulling off the upset of the tournament.

(333) 1994 Colorado State - 26
(180) 1997 UCLA - 34

In another close game it took the special teams of Colorado State to keep the game close but it was Cade McNown to Danny Farmer too much as the Bruin slide by to the next round. Colorado State used a Fake punt by Punter Matt McDougal to complete a pass to DB Andre Strode streaking down the sideline to cut the lead to 20-17. After a long drive by the Bruins to get down to the 32 yard line, a blocked FG by Ram DB Ray Jackson brought the Rams down to the UCLA 19. After 3 plays, Anthony Hill then pitched to EJ Watson and he pushed in way in the endzone to give the Rams their first lead of the game at 23-20(Rams missed the xp). After the fireworks of the Rams special teams were over it was the Cade to Farmer show. At the start of the 4th quarter Cade hit Farmer on one drive 6 times and set up a short Skip Hicks 5 yard TD, then later in the 4th after a UCLA S Shaun Williams interception of QB Anthony Hill, Danny Farmer caught a 62 yard touchdown to secure the 3rd round victory. Stat line: Skip Hicks 15 carries 141 yards.




(205) 2000 Oregon - 20
(308) 1996 Alabama - 21

In a very close battle, it was a Interception of Joey Harrington by Alabama DB Fernando Bryant in the final drive to seal the victory for the Tide. Joey Harrington was batted around in the first half by Michael Myers and Duane Rudd limiting him to only 120 yards passing at the half. In the second half it was all Harrington, with his team down 14-0, he hit WR Keenan Howry for a 60 yard TD and then on the next drive found a wide open Justin Peele in the end zone to knot the game up at 14-14. Then the game came down to four plays in the 4th quarter, Bama QB Freddie Kitchens, who played very close to vest all day tried to thread the needle to WR Calvin Hill but it was picked off by Oregon Ball hawk Rashad Bauman. Then on the following play Joey Harrington hit TB Maurice Morris in the flat and he did the rest scoring from 42 yards out and making the score 20-14(missed XP by Josh Frankel, who kick was tipped by DT Ozell Powell). After that the Tide went on a methodical 14 play drive with RB tandem Dennis Riddle and Shaun Alexander, and a crucial 3rd down completion to TE Rod Rutledge to set up the 5 yard screen up the middle score by Riddle, which gave the Tide the 21-20 advantage. But Joey Harrington didn't give up he took the Ducks down the field in 1 minute 30 but force it into double coverage and Deshea Townsend tipped the ball into the waiting hands of Fernando Bryant. Great Game!



(461) 2003 Bowling Green - 21
(52) 2002 USC - 37

This was a game of Run vs the Pass, and the pass was just too much. Bowling Green pounded the ball for 344 yards on the ground and USC threw for 424 as the Trojans move on to the next round. USC jumped all over the Falcons as Carson Palmer scored on his first 3 drives with two scores to Keary Colbert and one to Mike Williams to go out to the 21-0 lead. The Falcons looked really overmatched. But then Bowling Green coach Urban Meyer rallied his troops at the end of 1st quarter and the team responded as run game woke up and Raishuan Stover busted thru the Trojan DL and rumbled 66 yards for the Falcons first score, then on a fumble by Sultan McCullough, RB BJ Lane scored on a 14 yard run to cut the lead to 21-14. Another USC fumble by Mike Williams put the ball into Bowling QB Josh Harris with 1 minute left before the half and he drove the team 48 yards for the 6 yard scamper to knot the game at 21-21 at the half. USC coach was livid in the halftime speech to his team and they came out with a vengence after the half as Carson Palmer hit Kareem Kelly for a 52 yard score and Sultan McCullough made up for a fumble early in the game and plunged in for a 4 yard score to pull away from Urban Meyer Falcons. To add insult to injury the Trojans DB Troy Polamalu pounded QB Josh Harris in his endzone to get the safety and the Trojans celebrated by doing a tribute to the old fun bunch, which sent Urban Meyer thru the roof. Stat lines: Bowling Green RB PJ Pope 146 yards 1 TD, RB Raishaun Stover 107 yards 1 TD, USC RB Sultan McCullough 132 yards 1 TD, 9 different USC players caught a pass from Carson Palmer, Carson Palmer 372 yards 4 TD, Bowling Green had 5 sacks to USC 1.

Bracket Semifinals:
(77) 1993 Notre Dame vs (180) 1997 UCLA
(52) 2002 USC vs (308) 1996 Alabama

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 36 Results

BRACKET #36
this post was guest written by C.Rock.

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(93) 2004 Utah - 37
(420) 2004 Michigan - 24
Contrary to what some experts might have thought, this Utah team is for real. Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said "I told our boys that all they needed to do was watch the game film of Utah's Fiesta Bowl matchup with Pittsburgh and they'd know what I've been talking about. Well, I assure you that whoever, whether it be a Wolverine fan or player, is a believer in these Utes now." Alex Smith side stepped LaMarr Woodley all afternoon while picking on Marvin Jackson to hit his favorite target Paris Warren to the tune of 14 catches for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns. Chad Henne had a respectable first half hooking up with Braylon Edwards for 6 completions but it was the Eric Weddle interception returned for a touchdown at the end of the second quarter that deflated Michigan for good.

(349) 2003 Utah - 22
(164) 1995 Colorado - 30
Apparently Urban Meyer spent so much time game planning for his matchup with 2004 Michigan that he left 1995 Colorado on the backburner. John Hessler played pitch and catch with Rae Carruth all day as Morgan Scalley and Eric Weddle were left befuddled in the secondary. The final blow for Utah came on their potential game tying drive as Matt Russell showed why he was a great one by stripping Brandon Warfield of the ball and recovering the fumble himself to seal the deal.

(221) 2004 Georgia - 19
(292) 2003 Georgia - 20
This game must have felt like a spring scrimmage to the Georgia fans. David Greene circa 2004 went play for play with David Greene circa 2003. The first half played out as one might have thought, tied up 13-13 at halftime. Early in the second half, '03 David Greene found Reggie Brown('03) on a crossing route that tied up All America safety Thomas Davis('04) allowing Brown('03) to take it to the house. With time running down in the fourth quarter, David Greene('04) found Leonard Pope(the only offensive star not playing double duty) for a 15 yard score bringing '04 Georgia within one point at 20-19. In what will remain a controversial call for years to come, Mark Richt tried to outsmart Mark Richt with a fake extra point attempt. Hoping that '03 Richt wouldn't notice, '04 Richt put David Greene('04) in the game as the holder, only to have him roll left on the fake. All-American David Pollack('03) having recognized the move at the snap swung wide and was able to bat down Greene's('04) two point pass attempt to Fred Gibson('04) who was sitting wide open in the back corner of the end zone thus setting off one of the wildest celebrations in the tournament as no fan could decide whether to cheer or look on in utter confusion in what Richt - the 2004 version - must have been thinking.



(548) 2002 North Carolina State - 17
(36) 2008 Florida - 39
Urban Meyer led his National Champion Florida Gators into this matchup with Chuck Amato's Wolfpack thinking of nothing more than just another speed bump en route to winning The Greatest Tournament of All Time. Philip Rivers and Jericho Cotchery never got in rhythm in this one as Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap and Major Wright turned up the heat causing 4 turnovers in the first half. Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin took those 4 turnovers and turned them into a 23-0 lead before NC State knew what hit them. Amato riled up the troops at halftime, but was never able to make up any ground as the Pack fell to a real heavyweight in the tournament with little more than a whimper. We very well could be headed for an Urban Meyer vs Urban Meyer bracket 36 final.



Bracket Semifinals:
(93) 2004 Utah vs (164) 1995 Colorado
(36) 2008 Florida vs (292) 2003 Georgia

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 29 Results

BRACKET #29
this post was guest written by C.Rock.

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(29) 1997 Tennessee - 30
(541) 2000 Michigan - 23
Peyton Manning exacted revenge on Michigan for his Heisman Snub in 1997 by tossing the ball all over the field to the tune of 361 yards and 2 TD's. The explosive Michigan offense was reigned in by Al Wilson and the rest of the Vols defense - Phillip Fulmer couldn't have drawn up better game plan. By the end of the game, Drew Henson decided that taking these sorts of beatings aren't his cup of tea, making baseball his most likely sport of choice for a professional career.



(285) 1996 Tennessee - 26
(228) 1979 Central Michigan - 20
Some wonder if Central Michigan truly earned their seed in this tournament with their arguably weak schedule. The Chips had their chance to "Shock the World", as tailback Willie Todd had plastered all over the locker room leading up to this matchup. Unfortunately for Central Michigan, Peyton Manning and Coach Fulmer had a few tricks up their sleeves. The Chips stayed within striking distance the majority of the game but Tennessee put it away late in the fourth quarter. CMU QB Gary Hogeboom connected with Mike Ball on a last second Hail Mary to make the score look closer than the game actually was.

(157) 1998 Wisconsin - 27
(356) 1982 Tulsa - 17
Tulsa countered the freight train known as Ron Dayne with their own Michael Gunter. Unfortunately for the Golden Hurricane, the Badgers had All American Tom Burke anchoring the front which proved to be more than enough to shut down Tulsa's go-to guy. Dayne, on the other hand, found the going fairly easy and chugged to a pedestrian 22 carries for 160 yards and 2 TD's.



(413) 1986 Washington - 16
(100) 2006 Ohio State - 27
Don James' early versions of Purple Reign hadn't seen a QB with the athletic ability of Troy Smith before and it showed as Ohio State held the Husky offense off the field while putting together time consuming offensive drives. The first drive UW got on offense was a costly one as Chris Chandler suffered what would prove to be a tournament ending concussion. Without Chandler under center, the Buckeyes zoned in on the running game not allowing much to happen for Washington. Bucks won this one going away.

Bracket Semifinals:
(29) 1997 Tennessee vs (285) 1996 Tennessee
(100) 2006 Ohio State vs (157) 1998 Wisconsin

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 31 Results

BRACKET #31

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(98) 1999 Michigan - 22
(415) 1978 Arkansas - 21
Dan Hampton and the Arkansas front seven bucked up and held Michigan tailback Anthony Thomas to just 64 rushing yards. So quarterback Tom Brady stepped up and bailed the Wolverines out. David Terrell and Marcus Knight each caught 6 passes in leading Big Blue past the Hogs. But Lou Holtz's squad made it much closer than the experts predicted.

(354) 1994 Utah - 33
(159) 1978 Notre Dame - 40 (3 OT)
Utah was 2-1 against Notre Dame in this tournament heading into this game, and it looked like the Utes might steal another one from the Irish here. But Joe Montana and Vagas Ferguson led a comeback in the fourth quarter, and tacked on 17 points in the three overtime periods. So when Dave Waymer picked off Mike McCoy in the third overtime, it gave the Irish the win, setting up yet another matchup with Michigan.

(226) 1986 Michigan - 25
(287) 1991 Notre Dame - 26
Speaking of Notre Dame vs Michigan, here's another matchup between the two schools. Coming into the ballgame Notre Dame was just 1-3 against Michigan in this tournament, but once again found a way to break the trend and sneak out with a win. Jim Harbaugh played great for the Wolverines, but the defense suffered a critical breakdown late in the fourth quarter. On third down and 13 at their own 14 yard line with just 3:23 left on the clock, Rick Mirer found a wide open Lake Dawson down the sideline for a 53-yard pass and catch that eventually set up the game winning field goal.

(543) 2001 Fresno State - 23
(31) 2008 Texas - 39
Bo Jackson Trophy winner Colt McCoy proved once again that he was worthy of every award thrown his way. The junior quarterback not only out-performed his counterpart, David Carr, in the passing game (22-of-26 for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns), he tacked on 2 rushing touchdowns as well. David Carr must have been having flash forwards to his days with the Houston Texans because Will Muschamp turned his Longhorn defense loose on the senior quarterback, compiling 6 sacks. Texas wins going away and awaits Lou Holtz's '91 Notre Dame squad in the Bracket 31 semi-finals.

Bracket Semifinals:
(98) 1999 Michigan vs (159) 1978 Notre Dame
(31) 2008 Texas vs (287) 1991 Notre Dame

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 34 Results

BRACKET #34

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(34) 2004 Oklahoma - 26
(479) 1981 USC - 16
The Oklahoma defense came to play against Marcus Allen and the Trojans. USC's excellent offensive line (Roy Foster, Don Mosebar, Bruce Matthews) clearly wasn't used to the speed OU brought at linebacker. Lance Mitchell and Rufus Alexander made plays all over the field and helped keep Allen out of the end zone altogether. And this time QB John Mazur couldn't lead the Trojans back.



(290) 1991 Nebraska - 29
(223) 2004 Louisville - 34
The Nebraska offense didn't have any troubles moving the ball against Bobby Petrino's defense. The problem was John Parella and the defense couldn't put any pressure on Stefan LeFors, allowing the Louisville quarterback to sit back in the pocket and throw for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns. QB Keithen McCant was smooth running the Nebraska offense, and Derek Brown added 143 yards rushing, but it wasn't enough.



(162) 1997 Kansas State - 27
(351) 1984 SMU - 17
Jerry Ball and the SMU defense managed to slow down Michael Bishop and the high flying K-State attack. Unfortunately quarterback Don King was harassed by the Wildcat defense all night. The Mustang offense only managed 10 points against a defense that featured LB Jeff Kelly, DE Darren Howard, and S Jarrod Cooper. The other SMU points came on a Kit Case interception return for touchdown in the second quarter.

Make sure and check out those crazy Big XII south standings in this video clip about Michael Bishop.


(607) 1977 Grambling - 17
(95) 2000 Florida State - 34
Eddie Robinson's best Grambling team finally met it's demise against the 2000 Seminoles here in the third round. Chris Weinke was picked off by Everson Walls once, but he threw for 411 yards and 4 touchdowns. Marvin "Snoop" Minnis caught three of those TD passes, and Atrews Bell caught the other.

Bracket Semifinals:
(34) 2004 Oklahoma vs (223) 2004 Louisville
(95) 2000 Florida State vs (162) 1997 Kansas State

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 23 Results

BRACKET #23

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(106) 1989 Florida State - 26
(407) 2004 Virginia Tech - 20
LeRoy Butler and the Seminoles ended the '04 Hokies' run in this tournament by neutralizing the pass rush of Darryl Tapp and Jim Davis off the edge. So let's take a look at the top 10 Virginia Tech plays from the 2004 season.



(362) 1995 Penn State - 23
(151) 1987 LSU - 27
Wally Richardson and the Nittany Lions fell victim to Mike Archer's LSU squad. Harvey Williams ran for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win.

(234) 1985 Air Force - 22
(279) 1988 Clemson - 20
Danny Ford thought his Clemson team had the win wrapped up taking a 20-15 lead with just over 4 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But Air Force quarterback Bart Weiss led the Falcons on a brilliant 78-yard touchdown drive that ate up the remaining 4 minutes of game play.



(490) 2001 Florida State - 16
(23) 1997 Michigan - 27
The Michigan defense claimed another victim. Charles Woodson picked off Chris Rix twice and caught a touchdown pass for the Wolverines.



Bracket Semifinals:
(106) 1989 Florida State vs (151) 1987 LSU
(23) 1997 Michigan vs (234) 1985 Air Force

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 42 Results

BRACKET #42

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(42) 2004 Texas - 26
(471) 1998 Nebraska - 20
Texas ended Nebraska's 47-game home winning streak during the 1998 season, and now the Longhorns are ending '98 Nebraska's run in The Greatest Tournament of All Time. The Husker defense managed to slow down Cedric Benson, but Vince Young got loose on a couple of long runs to turn the tide of the game.



(298) 2002 Alabama - 19
(215) 2008 Alabama - 21
Who is the best Alabama coach of the decade, Nick Saban or Dennis Franchione? That argument was settled on the field her in this third round game. Safety Rashad Johnson came up big for the '08 squad, making 8 tackles, a sack, an interception, and 3 passes broken up. Franchione's '02 Tide offense never got in sync thanks in large part to Johnson.



(170) 1984 Washington - 30
(343) 2003 Michigan - 33 (2 OT)
Washington blew a big lead and Michigan completed the come-from-behind victory on a 19-yard touchdown run by Chris Perry in the second overtime. With the Huskies nursing a 17-3 lead early in the third quarter, Hugh Millen threw an ill advised pass while in the grasp that got picked off by Jacob Stewart and returned for a touchdown. That play flipped the momentum of the game and suddenly John Navarre and the offense opened up.



(426) 1997 Washington - 24
(87) 1983 Nebraska - 41
The Nebraska scoring explosion claimed another victim here in the third round. One of the few teams in this tournament still rolling through opponents, the '83 Huskers rolled up 556 yards (401 rushing) and 41 points on the Huskies. Mike Rozier out-rushed his counterpart, Rashaan Shehee, 198 to 72 and scored four touchdowns.



Bracket Semifinals:
(42) 2004 Texas vs (215) 2008 Alabama
(87) 1983 Nebraska vs (343) 2003 Michigan

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 28 Results

BRACKET #28

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(101) 1993 West Virginia - 27
(613) 1988 Alabama - 18
The loss of RB Bobby Humphrey finally caught up to the Tide. Without a running game, Alabama couldn't keep the chains moving and found many promising drives stall out. West Virginia canceled out the "Derrick Thomas Advantage" by running right at the terrorizing linebacker.



(357) 1982 New Mexico - 19
(156) 1996 Nebraska - 37
DeAngelo Evans had a big game for the Huskers, running for 174 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter teamed up to shut down UNM tailback Mike Carter.

(229) 1987 Texas A&M - 21
(284) 1989 Arkansas - 20
In a matchup featuring two old Southwest Conference rivals, Keith Woodside carried the day for the Aggies. On just 11 carries, Woodside piled up 132 yards and a touchdown against Bubba Barrow and the Razorback defense. Ken Hatfield's wishbone offense put up the yards, but couldn't capitalize in the clutch.

(540) 1979 Baylor - 13
(28) 1981 Pittsburgh - 27
Jackie Sherrill reserved yet another ticket for the Bracket 28 semi-finals (he also coached the '87 Aggies in this bracket) by riding junior quarterback Dan Marino and a stout defense. Baylor tailback Walter Abercrombie only managed 32 yards on 19 carries against a Pitt defensive front that featured Bill Maas, Michael Woods, and All American linebacker Sal Sunseri.



Bracket Semifinals:
(101) 1993 West Virginia vs (156) 1996 Nebraska
(28) 1981 Pittsburgh vs (229) 1987 Texas A&M

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 37 Results

BRACKET #37

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(37) 1980 Pittsburgh - 28
(476) 2006 Texas - 17
Sophomore quarterback Dan Marino threw 3 touchdown passes for Pitt, out-dueling freshman Colt McCoy of the Longhorns. WR Dwight Collins caught two of Marino's TD passes, and the Panther defense held Texas to just 42 rushing yards.

(732) 1990 Virginia - 26
(220) 2001 Texas - 33
Mack Brown managed to pull out this third round victory thanks to quarterback Chris Simms' 3 touchdown passes. Roy Williams, Sloan Thomas, and Bo Scaife each caught touchdown passes en route to outscoring the Wahoos.



(165) 1987 Auburn - 21
(348) 1977 San Diego State - 16
Claude Gilbert's underrated San Diego State squad fought hard, but couldn't get by this challenge. Auburn LB Aundray Bruce was a terror, racking up a sack and 4 tackles for loss in leading a Tiger defense that held the Aztecs to half their scoring average.

(421) 1977 North Texas - 17
(92) 1979 Houston - 21
Bill Yeoman topped Hayden Fry in a Texas showdown here in the third round. The Houston defense was the story, with defensive linemen Leonard Mitchell and Hosea Taylor taking charge in the trenches. UNT running back Michael Jones only managed 27 yards on the ground, while Houston fullback John Newhouse hit paydirt twice.

Bracket Semifinals:
(37) 1980 Pittsburgh vs (220) 2001 Texas
(92) 1979 Houston vs (165) 1987 Auburn

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 30 Results

BRACKET #30

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(30) 1994 Nebraska - 30
(542) 1978 Florida State - 17
Nebraska turned Brook Berringer's arm loose in order to get by the '78 Seminoles in this third round contest. Berringer, playing in place of the injured Tommie Frazier, made several big plays in the passing game thanks to nose guard Ron Simmons and the FSU defense loading up to stop Lawrence Phillips. On the third play of the game, Berringer found Clester Johnson for a 63-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter he found Reggie Baul for a 44-yard to give the Huskers a 17-7 lead. Berringer threw for 273 yards in the game.



(286) 1995 Kansas State - 28
(227) 2002 Iowa - 24
Travis Ochs and Chris Canty were the two key players for Kansas State in this third round win. Ochs was able to cover Iowa's star TE Dallas Clark, as well as lend a hand slowing down Fred Russell in the running game. Canty forced two turnovers, an interception and a fumble recovery.



(158) 2007 Georgia - 23
(355) 1981 Alabama - 20
Matthew Stafford paced the Georgia offense with 236 yards and 2 touchdowns, despite going up against a solid Alabama secondary.



(414) 1997 LSU - 23
(99) 2003 USC - 30
LSU came out firing on all cylinders, but turned the ball over too many times in the second half and blew their chance at an upset. Running backs Kevin Faulk and Rondell Mealey each had touchdown runs as the Tigers piled up 133 yards rushing in the first half. Anthony McFarland and the LSU defense even managed to hold Matt Leinart and the USC offense to just 10 first half points. But quarterback Herb Tyler turned the ball over three times in the second half, one of which was returned 43 yards for a touchdown by Shaun Cody, as the Trojans rallied to win and advance.



Bracket Semifinals:
(30) 1994 Nebraska vs (286) 1995 Kansas State
(99) 2003 USC vs (158) 2007 Georgia

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 35 Results

BRACKET #35

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(94) 1980 Georgia - 22
(606) 1980 Ohio State - 20
This barn burner featured two teams from the 1980 season. Tailback Calvin Murray ran for 130 tough yards to keep Ohio State in the game to the bitter end. But you-know-who (Herschel Walker) came through in the end to knock the upset minded Buckeyes out of the tournament. The freshman plowed into the end zone from 2 yards out with 5 minutes remaining to give the Bulldogs the victory.

(350) 1989 Nebraska - 27
(163) 1991 Michigan - 28
Quarterback Gerry Gdowski did his best to keep Nebraska in the game, running and passing for over 100 each. But Desmond Howard showed why he was the runaway Heisman winner in 1991 by returning a punt 92 yards for the game winning touchdown with just 1:58 left in the game. When asked about it after the game, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said if he had it to do all over again he would never punt the ball to Howard in that situation again.



(222) 1986 LSU - 22
(291) 2001 Syracuse - 19
Defense was once again the name of the game - for a half anyway. LSU picked up a safety and Dwight Freeney racked up 3 sacks in the first half as Syracuse fought their way to a 9-5 halftime advantage. But LSU quarterback Tommy Hodson led two gutsy touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to propel the Tigers past R.J. Anderson and the Orange.

(547) 2002 Penn State - 19
(35) 1987 Florida State - 32
The Florida State defense managed to contain Penn State running back Larry Johnson, and Martin Mayhew picked off Zack Mills in the effort. Sammy Smith ran for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns to pace the Seminoles ground-oriented offense.



Bracket Semifinals:
(94) 1980 Georgia vs (163) 1991 Michigan
(35) 1987 Florida State vs (222) 1986 LSU

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 17 Results

BRACKET #17

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(17) 1992 Alabama - 29
(496) 2007 Oregon - 20
The '92 Crimson Tide defense continued their rampage through Bracket 17. Oregon had arguably the best offense in the bracket, with trigger man Dennis Dixon and stud tailbacks Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson. But defensive linemen John Copeland and Eric Curry manhandled the Oregon O-Line, stifling the potent running game.



(273) 1988 Michigan - 17
(240) 1980 Alabama - 20
The Alabama offense held the ball the majority of the first half, enabling the Tide to transfer a 13-0 halftime lead into a third round victory. Linebacker Thomas Boyd made 15 tackles and played a major role in holding Michigan (Tony Boles, Leroy Hoard) to just 67 rushing yards.



(145) 2001 Nebraska - 33
(368) 1988 Southern Miss - 19
Southern Miss quarterback Brett Favre didn't have enough firepower surrounding him in the Golden Eagle offense to overcome Eric Crouch and the Huskers. Crouch ran for 186 yards, 95 on an impressive touchdown jaunt in the second quarter, and Dahrran Diedrick added 108 yards and a touchdown in the blowout.



(401) 1988 Washington State - 26
(112) 2007 LSU - 37
Washington State was actually able to puncture the loaded Tiger defense thanks to the play of Mike Utley and the offensive line. They were able neutralize the LSU defensive line and give quarterback Timm Rosenbach time to throw. Unfortunately the Cougars couldn't stop the LSU offense at all. The Tigers amassed 522 yards and had an answer for every Wazzu score.

Bracket Semifinals:
(17) 1992 Alabama vs (240) 1980 Alabama
(112) 2007 LSU vs (145) 2001 Nebraska

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 48 Results

BRACKET #48

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(81) 1988 USC - 23
(432) 1985 Baylor -16
Larry Smith's Trojans topped Grant Teaff's Bears in this third round matchup.

(337) 1986 Nebraska - 24
(176) 1991 Penn State - 26
The intense pregame warm-ups (see video below) didn't help the Cornhuskers in their third round loss to '91 Penn State. QB Tony Sacca kicked his play up a notch after underperforming in the first two rounds. Charles Fryar and the Nebraska secondary couldn't keep up with Nittany Lion wideouts O.J. McDuffie and Terry Smith, who combined for 15 catches and 263 yards. Wingback Dana Brinson took a reverse 53 yards for a touchdown to get Nebraska back in the game in the third quarter, but Keith Jones and the I-Backs couldn't get the running game going enought to pull out the victory.



(209) 1994 Miami - 23
(304) 1991 Iowa - 16
Another Miami team advances in a ho-hum performance against Leroy Smith and the '91 Hawkeyes. Frank Costa out-dueled Matt Rodgers at quarterback, but there wasn't a lot of offense in this third round game. Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, and the rest of the Hurricane defense shut down Iowa tailback Mike Saunders.

(560) 1982 Texas - 16
(48) 1996 Ohio State - 30
John Cooper's best Ohio State team closed this episode of Texas with ease. It was so easy for the Buckeyes that freshman David Boston returned a punt for a touchdown with only 8 men on the field. The cornerback duo of Shawn Springs and Antoine Winfield locked down on Texas receivers Herkie Walls and Brent Duhon, limiting the Longhorns to just 32 passing yards.



Bracket Semifinals:
(81) 1988 USC vs (176) 1991 Penn State
(48) 1996 Ohio State vs (209) 1994 Miami

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 57 Results

BRACKET #57

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(57) 1997 Florida - 31
(456) 1997 Colorado State - 20
Florida State put an end to Sonny Lubick and Colorado State, knocking the last Rams team left in the field out of the tournament. Doug Johnson threw for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Gators, while CB Fred Weary and the defense contained QB Moses Moreno.

(313) 1992 Georgia - 23
(200) 2005 West Virginia - 22
The last time West Virginia took the field against Georgia, they caught the Bulldogs off guard in the 2006 Sugar Bowl at the end of the 2005 season. This time Ray Goff had Georgia ready to play. Linebacker Randall Godfrey and the Dawg defense bent, but did not break against Rich Rodriguez's speedy running attack (QB Pat White, RB Steve Slaton). Meanwhile Garrison Hearst made a couple of highlight reel runs, including a 33-yard weaving scamper for six in the fourth quarter that gave Georgia the lead for good.

(185) 1996 Colorado - 29
(328) 2008 Texas Tech - 28
Colorado seems to be Mike Leach's achilles heel. The coach is just 1-3 against Colorado since taking over the Texas Tech program, and the Buffaloes got to him again here in this third round tournament matchup. QB Koy Detmer piled up the yards on pace with Graham Harrell, and Rae Carruth matched Michael Crabtree touchdown for touchdowns. The difference in the game was a Colorado defens that held the Red Raiders to as many touchdowns as they had failed fourth down conversions (four each in this game).

Even though the 2008 Texas Tech team is now gone from the tournament, I'm sure the fans in Lubbock won't mind watching the Michael Crabtree catch and score against Texas one more time:


(441) 1999 Wisconsin - 23
(72) 2001 Tennessee - 24
In a matchup of power (Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne) vs power (Tennessee DTs John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth), the Vols had the last laugh. It was tight for a while, though. The Vols defense held Dayne in check, forcing QB Brooks Bollinger to make plays with his arm to keep the Badgers in the game. Bollinger did just that for a little while, finding Chris Chambers in the end zone twice in the third quarter, taking a 23-17 lead in the process. But Travis Stephens broke off a 24-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Vols the final 24-23 margin.



Bracket Semifinals:
(57) 1997 Florida vs (313) 1992 Georgia

(72) 2001 Tennessee vs (185) 1996 Colorado

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 8 Results

BRACKET #8

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(121) 2008 USC - 28
(633) 1991 Colorado - 13

Pete Carroll's stifling defense, paced by lightning-quick DT Fili Moala, handled Bill McCartney's Colorado offense en route to an easy third round victory. Deon Figures and the Buffalo secondary held their own against Trojan QB Mark Sanchez, but the offense simply wasn't able to manufacture points. Colorado finished with just 178 total yards and 11 first downs in the game.

(377) 1986 Auburn - 21
(136) 1997 Georgia - 22
Brent Fullwood rushed for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns for Auburn, but Jim Donnan's Georgia Bulldogs persevered and put together a game winning field goal drive in the final minute to steal the victory away from the upset minded Tigers. Mike Bobo confidently led a 57-yard drive with time running out, finding go-to receiver Hines Ward three times for 32 of the 57 yards. After sophomore kicker Hap Hines kicked the game winning 37-yard field goal, Georgia fans went nuts and stormed the field.



(249) 2001 Oklahoma - 20
(264) 1982 Arizona State - 17
Defense defense defense. Each of these teams featured two All Americans on the defensive side of the ball - Rocky Calmus and Roy Williams for the Sooners, Mike Richardson and Vernon Maxwell for the Sun Devils - which meant yards were hard to come by. Neither quarterback Nate Hybl nor Todd Hons had good days. In fact, the teams only combined for 473 yards of offense. OU defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson returned a fumble 33 yards for a touchdown in the middle of the third quarter, and that turned out to be the final score of the ballgame.



(505) 2007 Hawaii - 18
(8) 2002 Ohio State - 31
Ohio State's defense took a page out of the Georgia playbook and assaulted record setting QB Colt Brennan with a barrage of blitzes. Will Smith led the way with 3 of the Buckeyes 7 sacks on the day. Cie Grant added 2 sacks, and Mike Doss returned a Brennan fumble for six points in a runaway victory.

Bracket Semifinals:
(121) 2008 USC vs (136) 1997 Georgia
(8) 2002 Ohio State vs (249) 2001 Oklahoma

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 49 Results

BRACKET #49

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(49) 1997 Florida State - 31
(561) 2003 Kansas State - 22
FSU safety Dexter Jackson was tasked with spying K-State quarterback Ell Roberson, and he ended up being the key to the Seminoles victory. Darren Sproles broke free on a couple of long runs, but Jackson and the Florida State defense held Ell Roberson to just 9 rushing yards on 19 attempts.



(305) 1996 North Carolina - 26
(208) 2001 Colorado - 20
Gary Barnett and the 2001 Colorado Buffaloes matched up with Mack Brown one more time, but this time it was Brown's Tar Heels who came out on top. It might have helped not having Chris Simms at quarterback, but I digress. The North Carolina defense, the team's calling card, showed up big time in this third round matchup. Dre' Bly picked off two Craig Ochs passes, but the real story was up front where Greg Ellis, Vonnie Holliday, and Mike Pringley controlled the line of scrimmage. The unit was key in holding the powerful Buff running attack (Chris Brown, Bobby Purify) to under 100 yards on the day.

And wouldn't you know it? The Tar Heel victory sets up a Bracket 49 semi-final matchup between Mack Brown and his nemesis (while at Carolina), Bobby Bowden and the 1997 Seminoles. Will Brown pick up another measure of revenge? Stay tuned to find out.

(177) 1987 Oklahoma - 23
(336) 1978 Texas - 14
Somewhat surprisingly, this is just the second matchup of these two Red River Rivals in The Greatest Tournament of All Time - so far. Barry Switzer and the Sooners topped the Longhorns yet again, with dazzling QB Jamelle Holieway leading the way with 132 yards rushing to go along with his 43-yard touchdown pass to TE Keith Jackson.



(433) 1999 Florida - 20
(80) 1991 Florida - 29
Steve Spurrier pulled double duty in this third round game coaching both of these Florida teams. At the end of the day, the younger Steve Spurrer, with Errict Rhett in tow, topped the elder Spurrer by a score of 29-20. Defense and the running game were the name of the game for the '91 squad. Rhett piled up 151 yards rushing, and the '91 Gator secondary, led by safety Will White, seemed to jump all the routes run by the '99 Gator wideouts (Darrell Jackson, Travis Taylor, Jabar Gaffney).

Bracket Semifinals:
(49) 1997 Florida State vs (305) 1996 North Carolina
(80) 1991 Florida vs (177) 1987 Oklahoma

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 16 Results

BRACKET #16

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(113) 2003 LSU - 24
(625) 1999 Miami - 16
The LSU defense overwhelmed Kenny Kelly and the Miami offense en route to eliminating Butch Davis' Hurricanes. Kelly turned the ball over four times thanks to the pressure applied by the LSU defensive front (Marcus Spears, Chad Lavalais, Kyle Williams, Marquise Hill). LSU corners Corey Webster and Travis Daniels also had a good day in man coverage, keeping Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne from being factors in the contest.



(369) 1992 Washington - 30
(144) 1998 UCLA - 31
UCLA never panicked despite falling behind in this game on four different occasions. The Washington defense, which played very well in the first two rounds of the tournament, couldn't stop Bob Toledo's UCLA offense here in the third round. Every time Washington would take the lead, the Bruins answered with a touchdown, including the game winning touchdown pass from Cade McNown to Brian Poli-Dixon with 1:01 left in the game. Napoleon Kaufman rushed for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns in a losing effort for the Huskies.



(241) 1993 Wisconsin - 24
(272) 1983 Clemson - 22
Danny Ford's 5-2 defense, paced by defensive linemen Terence Mack & William DeVane and linebacker Eldridge Milton, looked to be up to the challenge of shutting down Wisconsin's powerful running game. But Brent Moss and Terrell Fletcher began to wear down the Tigers stop unit in the second half. The Badger duo carried the ball a total of 49 times in the game, and amassed 98 yards in the fourth quarter with the game on the line to win and advance.



(497) 2003 Nebraska - 14
(16) 1998 Tennessee - 26
Al Wilson and the Tennessee defense had to face Missouri QB Brad Smith in the first round, so they were prepared for Nebraska's Jammal Lord. Lord struggled to break loose as the Vol defense forced him to pitch on the option nearly every time, and kept him in the pocket on passing plays. Lord did manage to make one big play with his arm - a 56-yard touchdown pass to tight end Matt Herian at the end of the second quarter to pull the Huskers within 6 points. But Tee Martin threw a touchdown pass to Peerless Price on the Vols opening possession of the second half and kept Nebraska at arms length the rest of the way.



Bracket Semifinals:
(113) 2003 LSU vs (144) 1998 UCLA
(16) 1998 Tennessee vs (241) 1993 Wisconsin

THIRD ROUND - Bracket 6 Results

BRACKET #6

Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.

RESULTS - Round of 512

(6) 1982 Penn State - 28
(518) 1983 Tennessee - 14
The '82 Nittany Lions defeated the '83 Vols by getting after quarterback Alan Cockrell. Penn State defensive end Walker Lee Ashley sacked Cockrell three times and forced two fumbles. The pressure forced Cockrell into throwing two interceptions as well. The turnovers did not leave Reggie White and the Tennessee defense in good field position, as three of Penn State's touchdown drives were 35 yards or less.

(262) 1982 Florida State - 24
(251) 1980 Miami - 22
Bobby Bowden's Seminoles topped Howard Schnellenberger's Hurricanes in a tightly contested rivalry matchup here in the third round. FSU quarterback Kelly Lowrey threw two touchdown passes and tailback Ricky Williams added 82 yards and a touchdown. For Miami, sophomore quarterback Jim Kelly threw for 201 yards, but didn't get much help from the running game.

(134) 1992 Notre Dame - 30
(646) 1999 Utah - 20
This was the third consecutive Notre Dame team 1999 Utah has had to play in the tournament. After taking care of 1986 Notre Dame in the first round, they upset 2006 Notre Dame in the second round. The third Notre Dame team turned out to be the charm, though, as the 1992 squad finally eliminated the '99 Utes. Lou Holtz's offensive line won the battle up front, which meant running backs Reggie Brooks (132 yards, 1 td) and Jerome Bettis (76 yards, 1 td) had some room to run. The Utah offense had weapons of their own (RB Mike Anderson, WR Steve Smith, QB Darnell Arceneaux), but struggled to move the ball on several occasions due to the disruptive presence of DT Bryant Young.



(635) 1985 Fresno State - 20
(123) 1991 Florida State - 35
Florida State dominated Fresno State on their way to advancing to the Bracket 6 semi-finals. Amp Lee ran for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Seminoles, while Terrell Buckley and the secondary forced Fresno quarterback Kevin Sweeney into one of his worst games.



Bracket Semifinals:
(6) 1982 Penn State vs (262) 1982 Florida State
(123) 1991 Florida State vs (134) 1992 Notre Dame