The Greatest Tournament of All Time - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

2,046 teams have been eliminated, leaving only 2001 Miami and 1995 Nebraska to duke it out in the Championship Game. Who is the best team of all time? Read on and find out.

It's been nearly 7 months since the tournament began back in February, but this is the game everybody has been waiting for. These two teams are always at the top of the list when discussing the greatest college football teams of all time, so it's only fitting they meet here to settle the debate once and for all.

First Half:

It was clear right away that this was a battle featuring two heavyweights. If the 33 NFL draft picks in the starting lineups doesn't give you enough of an indication, the size and speed all over the field should convince you.

The interior of the Miami defensive line established themselves right away with Matt Walters and William Joseph making the first two tackles of the game right at the line of scrimmage. The Nebraska defense answered with a Grant Wistrom sack of Ken Dorsey. In fact, after three series of action there were just 19 yards of total offense and exactly 3 punts.

With the good field position, Miami scored first on a Ken Dorsey touchdown pass to Ethenic Sands. The drive only went 54 yards, but it gave the Hurricanes a 7-0 lead. The first quarter would end with Miami nursing a 7-3 lead.

Nebraska finally put together their first truly successful drive of the game, though, to bridge the first and second quarters. Tommie Frazier's quickness and passing accuracy led to an impressive 83 yard touchdown drive that ended in a Lawrence Phillips two yard touchdown plunge. Frazier completed two big passes on the drive, including one on third down in which the senior quarterback fired to receiver Clester Johnson while nearly horizontal to the ground and in the grasp of sack-master Jerome McDougle.


Miami answered quickly by finally gaining significant yardage on the ground. Clinton Portis carried for 12 yards on the first play of the drive, and Frank Gore capped a hard nosed drive with a nifty 19 yard touchdown run.

Looking to add to a 14-10 lead late in the second quarter, Ken Dorsey made his lone mistake of the ball game. Looking for Jeremy Shockey over the middle, Dorsey underestimated linebacker Terrell Farley's athleticism and Farley leapt in the air to make the interception at his own 24 yard line.

Nebraska capitalized with a hard nosed drive of their own that saw I-Backs Lawrence Phillips and Ahman Green grind out yard after yard. The running game perfectly set up a Frazier play action pass to Jon Vedral for a 28 yard touchdown. Nebraska would take a 17-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.


Scoring Summary:

FIRST QUARTER
8:47 MIA TD - Ethenic Sands 17 yard pass from Ken Dorsey
5:32 NEB FG - Kris Brown 37 yard Field Goal
SECOND QUARTER
13:41 NEB TD - Lawrence Phillips 2 yard run
9:02 MIA TD - Frank Gore 19 yard run
2:11 NEB TD - Jon Vedral 28 yard pass from Tommie Frazier

Second Half:

After picking up some much needed momentum just before halftime, Nebraska came out of the locker room and gave it all back. Ken Dorsey started putting some things together through the air, finding Shockey and Andre Johnson multiple times on the first two series of the second half. But the Blackshirts kept finding ways to make stops.

It wasn't until a costly interception thrown by Tommie Frazier that the floodgates opened. Dorsey went 5-for-6 on the ensuing possession, including a 17 yard touchdown pass to Shockey. Not only did the touchdown give Miami a 21-17 lead, it also showed that Dorsey was able to find holes in the Nebraska secondary and capitalize on them.


Tommie Frazier is one of the greatest college football players of all time, though, so you know Nebraska wasn't finished yet.

Frazier took things into his own hands early in the fourth quarter, calling his own number and keeping on the option and on quarterback draws while marching the Huskers down the field. He put Nebraska back on top with a 25 yard quarterback draw for a touchdown. Frazier finished with 57 rushing yards on the drive.

Ken Dorsey came up big again in answering Frazier's touchdown. Leading a brilliant, balanced drive, Clinton Portis and Dorsey traded off picking up first downs. On a play action pass on second and short, Dorsey pumped and fired a 33 yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson streaking down the right sideline.

The Hurricane drive chewed up 86 yards and over 5 minutes of game time, and clearly took a lot out of the Nebraska defense.

Tommie Frazier took the field again with 7 minutes left and needing just a field goal to regain the lead. He once again kept on the option and picked up 15 yards on first down. But linebackers Jonathan Vilma and Chris Campbell stepped up their game and forced a punt with three straight tackles in the backfield.

Nebraska was forced to punt and Miami answered with the controversial move to play it close to the vest. Larry Coker and offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski abandoned the big play passing game that had worked so well in the second half in favor of the running game in hopes of running out the clock. Clinton Portis and Willis McGahee were stuffed on three straight plays.

That gave Tom Osborne's Huskers one final chance to put points on the board and take home the title. But with time winding down the Miami defense was able to pin their ears back and rush the passer, knowing that Nebraska was going to have to cut back significantly on their strength (the running game) in order to move the ball down the field.

Facing fourth and long and just seconds remaining on the clock, Frazier was left with no other options than a hail mary from his own 43 yard line. His pass was picked off by none other than Ed Reed, who returned it 88 yards for a meaningless touchdown that put the exclamation point on a great game and a great tournament.

Scoring Summary:

THIRD QUARTER
7:47 MIA TD - Jeremy Shockey 17 yard pass from Dorsey
4:30 NEB FG - Brown 40 yard Field Goal
FOURTH QUARTER
12:24 NEB TD - Frazier 25 yard run
7:07 MIA TD - Andre Johnson 33 yard pass from Dorsey
0:00 MIA TD - Ed Reed 88 yard interception return (no PAT)

FINAL SCORE

2001 Miami 34
1995 Nebraska 27




GAME STATS

TEAM STATS                95 NEB           01 MIA
Rushes - Yards            55-253           37-112
Comp-Att-Int              8-17-2           21-34-1
Passing Yards             121              301
Sacks                     3                0
Fumbles-Lost              1-0              1-1
Time of Poss.             29:13            30:47

BRACKET OF CHAMPIONS - Final Four

Game 2:How They Got Here:

Texas won the BCS National Champion for the 2005 college football season by defeating USC, a team that was widely regarded one of the best ever prior to the Rose Bowl. That got the Longhorns the #2 overall seed in The Greatest Tournament of All Time. Texas won five games in Bracket #2 and earned a spot in the Bo Region of the Bracket of Champions. The Longhorns won four more games in order to take part in this Final Four match.

Nebraska was the AP National Champion for the 1995 college football season. They picked up the #11 overall seed in The Greatest Tournament of all Time. The Cornhuskers cruised through five wins in Bracket #11 to earn the top spot in the Woody Region of the Bracket of Champions. Four wins later and the Huskers find themselves right where they expected to be all along - in the Final Four.

First Half:

You can't ask for a better quarterback matchup than this one. Tommie Frazier vs Vince Young, two players that went out on top with super-human performances in championship games. Strangely, and somewhat telling of the status of the award, neither quarterback owns a Heisman Trophy.

On the opening drive of the game, Nebraska's Frazier showed why he is regarded as one of the greatest college football players of all time. After Lawrence Phillips carried for a 22 yard gain on the first play of the game, Frazier took an option keeper 21 yards. And on the third play of the drive Frazier popped back in the pocket after giving an option look and threw a 37 yard touchdown bomb to Reggie Baul to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead.

The Texas defense tightened up quickly, though. All American defensive tackle Rod Wright and defensive end Brian Robison got good penetration and kept Frazier from being able to get to the corner. Linebacker Aaron Harris and safety Michael Huff teamed up to slow down I-Backs Phillips and Ahman Green. Over the next 22 minutes they held one of the greatest offenses of all time to exactly zero points.


The Nebraska defense had Vince Young to contend with. Thanks to athletic linebacker Terrell Farley, used as a spy on Young for much of the first half, Texas didn't get on the score board until David Pino kicked a 46-yard field goal five minutes into the second quarter.

After finally putting the first quarter struggles behind them, Vince Young and the Longhorns went on a scoring binge. Young avoided the rush and hit Billy Pittman with a 27-yard touchdown pass, but Pino missed the extra point attempt. Young followed up another strong series by the defense with a 42 yard touchdown run. Just like that Texas was up on the favored Huskers 16-7.

Tommie Frazier answered (as he always did) by leading a methodical 13-play touchdown drive that nearly shaved the final four-and-a-half minutes entirely off the second quarter clock. He capped the drive with a 2-yard option keeper for the score. But Nebraska trailed 16-14 at the half.

Second Half:

Tommie Frazier was the story in the third quarter. The senior bookended a Ramonce Taylor touchdown and two point conversion with a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Gilman and a remarkable tackle-shredding 75-yard touchdown run as the clock expired on the third quarter.


The run not only gave Frazier over 100 yards rushing in the QUARTER, it also gave Nebraska the lead again, 28-24, and got the Nebraska fans in the crowd rocking.

But Vince Young answered with a remarkable drive of his own. Young was 3-for-3 using his favorite target, tight end David Thomas, for 47 yards on the drive. He also had two zone-read keepers for 27 yards to put the Longhorns in scoring position. The Blackshirts tightened up in the red zone and held Texas to 4th and 5 from the 9 yard line where Mack Brown made the gutsy call to go for it. Young came through by avoiding a Grant Wistrom sack and running it in for a touchdown and the lead.


The Nebraska offensive line, clearly starting to finally exert their dominance over a very good Texas defensive line, took over on the ensuing possession. Another 13-play drive saw Nebraska run the ball 12 times for 78 yards. Fullback Jeff Makovicka capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run as the Huskers wrestled the lead back again, 35-31.

From there Terrell Farley and the Nebraska defense took over. Everywhere Vince Young went, there was Farley. Farley batted down two passes and picked up two sacks on Texas' final three drives of the ball game as they only netted a long field goal by David Pino.

In a see-saw affair, that saw the two teams combine for nearly 1,000 yards of offense, it was Nebraska's defense in the final 7 minutes that won them the game. Vince Young finished with almost 100 yards rushing to go along with 277 yards passing, but Tommie Frazier out-shined VY with 201 rushing yards and 164 passing yards.

FINAL SCORE:
1995 Nebraska 35
2005 Texas 34

BRACKET OF CHAMPIONS - Final Four

Game 1

How They Got Here:

Florida State was the AP National Champion for the 1993 college football season. That got them the #32 overall seed in The Greatest Tournament of All Time, which was the top spot in Bracket #32. The Seminoles won five games in Bracket #32 and earned a spot in the Bear Region of the Bracket of Champions. FSU won four more games in order to take part in this Final Four match.

Miami won the BCS National Championship for the 2001 college football season. They picked up the #4 overall seed in The Greatest Tournament of all Time, which was the top spot in Bracket #4. The Hurricanes cruised through five wins in Bracket #4 to earn the top spot in the JoePa Region of the Bracket of Champions. Four wins later and Miami finds themselves against an old rival in the Final Four.

First Half:

After a first quarter that saw the two rivals feeling each other out while the defenses dictated tempo, Miami jumped on the Seminoles. The running game kicked in for the Hurricanes as Clinton Portis ran for 56 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter en route to building a 17-3 lead.

Watching Miami pile up over 200 yards of offense while maintaining a decisive edge in the momentum department, Florida State found themselves in dire need of a score prior to halftime. Charlie Ward rose to the occasion, directing the 2 minute offense to perfection. He was 5-for-5 on the drive until it stalled out in the red zone. Mike Rumph knocked away a pass and Jamaal Green picked up a sack as the Hurricanes held FSU out of the end zone and forced a field goal attempt.


Scott Bentley nailed the 30-yard field goal attempt to give the Seminoles at least a little something to take into the locker room, despite trailing 17-6.

Second Half:

The third quarter was controlled entirely by the defenses. Defensive coordinators Mickey Andrews and Randy Shannon traded brilliant series after brilliant series until Warrick Dunn finally broke loose with 2:11 left in the quarter. The freshman took a screen pass from Charlie Ward, broke a D.J. Williams tackle and raced 36 yards down the sideline, providing easily the biggest play of the second half.

Miami's defense bowed up once again and held Florida State to just a field goal attempt. Bentley calmly booted a 42 yarder through the uprights and suddenly the Seminoles trailed by just a touchdown and a two point conversion, 17-9.

In the fourth quarter the momentum finally started to swing Florida State's way. Derrick Brooks and the defense had held Miami scoreless for a solid 25+ minutes and looked to be in control, so they seemingly only needed their Heisman Trophy winning quarterback to step up and make some plays to potentially steal a victory from one of the most talented teams in the tournament.

That's exactly what the senior quarterback did. With FSU trailing 17-9 and just 6:14 left on the clock, Ward began to work his magic. He marched the Seminoles quickly down the field, mixing in a 24 yard run to get his teammates on the bench excited for the first time all game. He followed that play up with a 29 yard touchdown pass to Kez McCorvey.

Trailing by two with just over 5 minutes on the clock, Bobby Bowden elected to go for two. Ward's pass attempt was knocked away by Chris Campbell in the end zone, preserving Miami's 17-15 lead.

But on the second play of the ensuing drive, Ken Dorsey threw a pass over the middle to Daryl Jones who was hammered by safety Devin Bush. The ball came loose and the Seminoles came out with the ball and yet another jolt of energy.

Charlie Ward took the field with even more swagger and completed two straight passes to Matt Frier. Then lightning struck when he found Tamarick Vanover streaking down the sideline all alone in an apparent blown coverage. Ward tossed the ball out to Vanover who took it into the end zone to complete the 34-yard scoring strike and the comeback. Bentley kicked the extra point to make it a 22-17 lead with just 3:56 left.

Four minutes is a lont time, though, especially with Ken Dorsey and an immensely talented offense ready to take over. Sure enough, Dorsey kept his head and got the sputtering Hurricane offense moving for the first time in the second half. Using his favorite targets Andre Johnson and Jeremy Shockey, as well as a pair of perfectly timed draw plays to Clinton Portis, Dorsey led a touchdown drive that put Miami back on top 24-22.

That left Charlie Ward just 1:42 to perhaps perform one more miracle. For the third consecutive time, Ward drove FSU down the field with the help of his talented receiving corps. After three straight completions, a 27-yard pass to Kevin Knox put the Seminoles in field goal range. A short completion to Frier and a Sean Jackson run set up FSU at the 27-yard line with 2 seconds on the clock, leaving Scott Bentley to try a 44-yard field goal attempt for the win.

If you know anything about this rivalry you can probably guess what happened next.


Bentley missed it wide right.

FINAL SCORE:
2001 Miami 24
1993 Florida State 22

FINAL FOUR PREVIEW - 1995 Nebraska

1995 NEBRASKA (12-0)

AP National Champions
#11 overall seed - Woody Region Winner


Head Coach: Tom Osborne
Off. Coord.: Tom Osborne
Def. Coord.: Charlie McBride
QB Coach: Turner Gill
RB Coach: Frank Solich
OLB Coach: Tony Samuel

Schedule                 Result
@ Oklahoma State         W 64-21
@ Michigan State         W 50-10
Arizona State            W 77-28
Pacific                  W 49-7
Washington State         W 35-21
Missouri                 W 57-0
Kansas State (#7)        W 49-25
@ Colorado (#5)          W 44-21
Iowa State               W 73-14
@ Kansas (#9)            W 41-3
Oklahoma                 W 37-0
FIESTA BOWL
(National Championship Game) 
vs Florida (#2)          W 62-24

Average Score:         53.2 - 14.5
Against Top 25:            4-0
Against Top 10:            4-0

Tournament               Results
2005 Oregon State        W 60-13
2007 Boise State         W 47-21
1995 Miami, Ohio         W 45-17
1996 Penn State (#7)     W 41-20
1977 Alabama (#2)        W 35-21
1989 Miami (#1)          W 31-20
2004 Auburn (#2)         W 33-20
1988 Miami (#2)          W 29-24
1987 Florida State (#2)  W 37-23
NEXT UP:
2005 Texas (#1)

Average Score:         39.8 - 19.9
Top 10 teams Defeated:      6
National Champs Defeated:   1

*NOTE: Numbers in parenthesis indicate final AP Ranking

STARTING LINEUP
(BOLD = All American)
(NFL Draft Selection in parenthesis)

OFFENSE
QB Tommie Frazier
IB Ahman Green (3rd Rd, 1998)
FB Jeff Makovicka
WR Reggie Baul
WR Clester Johnson
TE Mark Gilman
LT Chris Dishman (4th Rd, 1997)
LG Aaron Taylor (7th Rd, 1998)
C Aaron Graham (4th Rd, 1996)
RG Steve Ott
RT Eric Anderson

Key Backups:
IB Lawrence Phillips (1st Rd, 1996)
RT Adam Treu (3rd Rd, 1997)
IB Damon Benning
IB Clinton Childs
QB Brook Berringer
WR Jon Vedral
FB Brian Schuster
WR Brendan Holbein
FB Joel Makovicka (4th Rd, 1999)
TE Sheldon Jackson (7th Rd, 1999)

DEFENSE
DE Jared Tomich (2nd Rd, 1997)
DT Christian Peter (5th Rd, 1996)
DT Jason Peter (1st Rd, 1998)
DE Grant Wistrom (1st Rd, 1998)
WLB Terrell Farley
MLB Doug Colman (6th Rd, 1996)
SLB Jamel Williams (5th Rd, 1997)
CB Tyrone Williams (3rd Rd, 1996)
FS Tony Veland (6th Rd, 1996)
ROV Mike Minter (2nd Rd, 1997)
CB Michael Booker (1st Rd, 1997)

Key Backups:
MLB Phil Ellis
LB Jon Hesse (7th Rd, 1997)
SLB Jay Foreman (5th Rd, 1999)
WLB Ryan Terwilliger
ROV Octavious McFarlin
DE Chad Kelsay (7th Rd, 1999)
CB Eric Stokes (5th Rd, 1997)
CB Mike Fullman
S Eric Warfield (7th Rd, 1998)
DE Mike Rucker (2nd Rd, 1999)

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Kris Brown (7th Rd, 1999)
P Jesse Kosch
KR Clinton Childs
PR Mike Fullman

AWARD WINNERS

Tommie Frazier - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Maxwell Award, Big 8 Offensive POY, Sporting News POY

Nebraska in the Tournament
Overall Record: 98-31 (76.0%)
# of Teams in the Tournament: 32
# of Teams in Bracket of Champions: 10
Against Texas: 1-3
Against Miami: 4-3
Against Florida State: 2-3

Tom Osborne in the Tournament
Overall Record: 79-20
# of Teams in the Tournament: 21 (All with Nebraska)
# of Teams in Bracket of Champions: 9

FINAL FOUR PREVIEW - 2005 Texas

2005 TEXAS (13-0)

BCS National Champions
#2 overall seed - Bo Region Winner


Head Coach: Mack Brown
Notable Assistant Coaches:
Off. Coord.: Greg Davis
Def. Coord.: Gene Chizik
DB Coach: Duane Akina

2001 Schedule            Result
Louisiana-Lafayette      W 60-3
@ Ohio State (#4)        W 25-22
Rice                     W 51-10
@ Missouri               W 51-20
vs Oklahoma (#22)        W 45-12
Colorado                 W 42-17
Texas Tech (#20)         W 52-17
@ Oklahoma State         W 47-28
@ Baylor                 W 62-0
Kansas                   W 66-14
@ Texas A&M              W 40-29
Big XII Championship Game
Colorado                 W 70-3
ROSE BOWL
(BCS National Championship Game)
vs USC (#2)              W 41-38

Average Score:         50.2 - 16.4
Against Top 25:            4-0
Against Top 10:            2-0

Tournament                Results
1997 Navy                 W 48-17
2005 Tulsa                W 48-17
2002 Florida State (#21)  W 42-19
1981 Nebraska (#11)       W 32-20
1983 BYU (#7)             W 41-26
1985 Oklahoma (#1)        W 30-21
2000 Florida State (#5)   W 31-26
1991 Miami (#1)           W 27-21
1987 Miami (#1)           W 30-24
NEXT UP:
1995 Nebraska (#1)

Average Score:          36.6 - 21.2
Top 10 teams Defeated:       5
National Champs Defeated:    3

*NOTE: Final AP Ranking in parenthesis

STARTING LINEUP
(BOLD = All American)
(NFL Draft selection in parenthesis)

OFFENSE
QB VINCE YOUNG (1st Rd, 2006)
RB Selvin Young
WR Limas Sweed (2nd Rd, 2008)
WR Billy Pittman
WR Brian Carter
TE David Thomas (3rd Rd, 2006)
LT JONATHAN SCOTT (5th Rd, 2006)
LG Kasey Studdard (6th Rd, 2007)
C Lyle Sendlein
RG Will Allen
RT Justin Blalock (2nd Rd, 2007)

Key Backups:
RB Jamaal Charles (3rd Rd, 2008)
RB Ramonce Taylor
RB Henry Melton (4th Rd, 2009)
WR Quan Cosby
OT Tony Hills (4th Rd, 2008)
WR Nate Jones
TE Neale Tweedie

DEFENSE
DE Brian Robison (4th Rd, 2007)
DT RODRIQUE WRIGHT (7th Rd, 2006)
DT Frank Okam (5th Rd, 2008)
DE Tim Crowder (2nd Rd, 2007)
OLB Robert Killebrew
MLB Aaron Harris
OLB Rashad Bobino
CB Cedric Griffin (2nd Rd, 2006)
S MICHAEL HUFF (1st Rd, 2006)
S Michael Griffin (1st Rd, 2007)
CB Tarell Brown (5th Rd, 2007)

Key Backups:
CB Aaron Ross (1st Rd, 2007)
LB Drew Kelson
DT Larry Dibbles
S Marcus Griffin
DE Brian Orakpo (1st Rd, 2009)
DT Derek Lokey
OLB Eric Foreman
CB Brandon Foster
DT Roy Miller (3rd Rd, 2009)

SPECIAL TEAMS
K David Pino
P Richmond McGee
KR Ramonce Taylor
PR Aaron Ross

AWARD WINNERS

Vince Young - Davey O'Brien Award, Maxwell Award
Michael Huff - Jim Thorpe Award

Texas in the Tournament
Overall Record: 55-29 (65.5%)
# of Teams in the Tournament: 30
# of Teams in Bracket of Champions: 2
Against Nebraska: 3-1
Against Miami: 3-2
Against Florida State: 2-3

Mack Brown in the Tournament
Overall Record: 39-19 (32-10 with Texas)
# of Teams in the Tournament: 20 (11 with Texas)
# of Teams in Bracket of Champions: 2

FINAL FOUR PREVIEW - 1993 Florida State

1993 FLORIDA STATE (12-1)

AP National Champions
#32 overall seed - Bear Region Winner

Head Coach: Bobby Bowden
Notable Assistant Coaches:
Off. Coord.: Brad Scott
Def. Coord.: Mickey Andrews
QB Coach: Mark Richt

1993 Schedule            Result
@ Kansas                 W 42-0
@ Duke                   W 45-7
Clemson (#23)            W 57-0
@ North Carolina (#19)   W 33-7
Georgia Tech             W 51-0
Miami (#15)              W 28-10
Virginia                 W 40-14
Wake Forest              W 54-0
@ Maryland               W 49-20
@ Notre Dame (#2)        L 24-31
N.C. State               W 62-3
@ Florida (#5)           W 33-21
ORANGE BOWL
(National Championship Game)
vs Nebraska (#3)         W 18-16

Average Score:         41.2 - 9.9
Against Top 25:            5-1
Against Top 10:            2-1

Tournament               Results
2004 Kansas              W 40-9
2008 Kansas              W 42-14
1989 Houston (#14)       W 35-23
1978 Michigan (#5)       W 27-16
1977 Texas (#4)          W 31-19
1986 Oklahoma (#3)       W 23-20
1994 Florida State (#4)  W 31-20
1996 Ohio State (#2)     W 24-16
1996 Florida (#1)        W 29-27
NEXT UP:
2001 Miami (#1)

Average Score:          31.3 - 18.2
Top 10 teams Defeated:       6
National Champs Defeated:    1

*NOTE: Final AP Rankings in parenthesis

STARTING LINEUP
(BOLD = All American)
(NFL Draft selection in parenthesis)

OFFENSE
QB CHARLIE WARD (1st Rd, 1994 NBA Draft)
RB Sean Jackson (4th Rd, 1994)
FB William Floyd (1st Rd, 1994)
WR Kevin Knox (6th Rd, 1994)
WR Kez McCorvey (5th Rd, 1995)
WR Matt Frier
LT Juan Laureano
LG Lewis Tyre
C Clay Shiver (3rd Rd, 1996)
RG Patrick McNeil
RT Marvin Ferrell

Key Backups:
RB Warrick Dunn (1st Rd, 1997)
WR Tamarick Vanover (3rd Rd, 1995)
TE Lonnie Johnson (2nd Rd, 1994)
FB Pooh Bear Williams
RB Zack Crockett (3rd Rd, 1995)
WR Omar Ellison (5th Rd, 1995)
QB Danny Kanell (4th Rd, 1996)

DEFENSE
DE James Roberson
DT Toddrick McIntosh (7th Rd, 1994)
DT Jon Nance
DE Derrick Alexander (1st Rd, 1995)
OLB DERRICK BROOKS (1st Rd, 1995)
MLB Todd Rebol
OLB Ken Alexander
CB Clifton Abraham (5th Rd, 1995)
S Devin Bush (1st Rd, 1995)
S Richard Coes
CB Corey Sawyer (4th Rd, 1994)

Key Backups:
DE Reinard Wilson (1st Rd, 1997)
DE Tyrant Marion
DT Chris Cowart
LB Sam Cowart
LB Henri Crockett (4th Rd, 1997)
CB Byron Capers (7th Rd, 1997)
CB Corey Fuller (2nd rd, 1995)
DE Orpheus Roye (6th Rd, 1996)

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Scott Bentley
P Sean Liss

AWARD WINNERS

Bobby Bowden - Home Depot Award
Charlie Ward - Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award


Florida State in the Tournament
Overall Record: 103-31 (76.9%)
# of Teams in the Tournament: 32
# of Teams in Bracket of Champions: 9
Against Miami: 4-1
Against Nebraska: 3-2
Against Texas: 3-2

Bobby Bowden in the Tournament
Overall Record: 103-31
# of Teams in the Tournament: 32 (All with Florida State)
# of Teams in Bracket of Champions: 9

FINAL FOUR PREVIEW - 2001 Miami

2001 MIAMI (12-0)

BCS National Champions
#4 overall seed - JoePa Region Winner


Head Coach: Larry Coker

Notable Assistant Coaches:
Off. Coord.: Rob Chudzinski
Def. Coord.: Randy Shannon
O-Line Coach: Art Kehoe
DB Coach: Mark Stoops

2001 Schedule            Result
@ Penn State             W 33-7
Rutgers                  W 61-0
@ Pittsburgh             W 43-21
Troy                     W 38-7
@ Florida State (#15)    W 49-27
West Virginia            W 45-3
Temple                   W 38-0
@ Boston College (#21)   W 18-7
Syracuse (#14)           W 59-0
Washington (#19)         W 65-7
@ Virginia Tech (#18)    W 26-24
ROSE BOWL
(BCS National Championship Game)
vs Nebraska (#8)         W 37-14

Average Score:        42.7 - 9.8
Against Top 25:           6-0
Against Top 10:           1-0

Tournament               Results
1984 Wyoming             W 49-10
1988 Colorado            W 35-10
1996 Syracuse (#21)      W 35-16
1995 Notre Dame (#11)    W 35-17
1977 Kentucky (#6)       W 28-13
1980 Florida State (#5)  W 24-17
2008 Florida (#1)        W 27-19
2001 Florida (#3)        W 31-16
1991 Washington (#2)     W 27-17
NEXT UP:
1993 Florida State (#1)

Average Score:          32.2 - 15.0
Top 10 Teams Defeated:       5
National Champs Defeated:    2

*NOTE: Final AP Rankings in parenthesis

STARTING LINEUP

(BOLD = All American)
(NFL Draft selection in parenthesis)

OFFENSE     
QB Ken Dorsey (7th Rd, 2003)
HB Clinton Portis (2nd Rd, 2002)
FB Najeh Davenport (4th Rd, 2002)
WR Andre Johnson (1st Rd, 2003)
WR Daryl Jones (7th Rd, 2002)
TE JEREMY SHOCKEY (1st Rd, 2002)
LT BRYANT MCKINNIE (1st Rd, 2002)
LG Sherko Haji-Rasouli
C Brett Romberg
RG Martin Bibla (4th Rd, 2002)
RT JOAQUIN GONZALEZ (7th Rd, 2002)

Key Backups:
RB Frank Gore (3rd Rd, 2006)
RB Willis McGahee (1st Rd, 2003)
WR Kevin Beard
WR Ethenic Sands
WR Jason Geathers
RB Jarrett Payton

DEFENSE
DE Jerome McDougle (1st Rd, 2003)
DT Matt Walters (5th Rd, 2003)
DT William Joseph (1st Rd, 2003)
DE Andrew Williams (3rd Rd, 2003)
OLB D.J. Williams (1st Rd, 2004)
MLB Jonathan Vilma (1st Rd, 2004)
OLB Chris Campbell
CB Mike Rumph (1st Rd, 2002)
FS James Lewis (6th Rd, 2002)
SS ED REED (1st Rd, 2002)
CB Phillip Buchanon (1st Rd, 2002)

Key Backups:
DE Jamaal Green (4th Rd, 2003)
DT Vince Wilfork (1st Rd, 2004)
CB Markese Fitzgerald
LB Howard Clark
DE John Square
CB Alfonso Marshall (7th Rd, 2004)
FS Sean Taylor (1st Rd, 2004)
FS Maurice Sikes

SPECIAL TEAMS
K TODD SIEVERS
P Freddie Capshaw
KR Andre Johnson
PR PHILLIP BUCHANON (1st Rd, 2002)

AWARD WINNERS

Larry Coker - Bear Bryant Award
Ken Dorsey - Maxwell, Big East Offensive POY
Joaquin Gonzalez - Academic Heisman
Bryant McKinnie - Outland Trophy


Miami in the Tournament
Overall Record: 89-27 (76.7%)
# of Teams in the Tournament: 28
# of Teams in Bracket of Champions: 7
Against Florida State: 1-4
Against Nebraska: 3-4
Against Texas: 2-3

Larry Coker in the Tournament
Overall Record: 19-5
# of Teams in the Tournament: 6 (All with Miami)
# of Teams in Bracket of Champions: 1

WOODY REGION FINAL

1995 NEBRASKA

vs
1987 FLORIDA STATE

1995 Nebraska
#11 overall seed - winners of Bracket #11

1987 Florida State
#35 overall seed - winners of Bracket #35

WOODY REGION RECAP

Woody Region Preview
Round of 64 Results [Part I] [Part II]
Round of 32 Results
Sweet Sixteen Results

GAME RECAP

Considering the 1987 Florida State team was the only team still alive in this round not to win a national championship, it should come as no surprise that Tom Osborne's 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers took the field with a swagger and the confidence they could claim the final ticket to the Final Four.

The Huskers got off to a fast start. Lawrence Phillips took a hand off from Tommie Frazier 61 yards for a touchdown on just the fourth play of the ball game. It was all downhill from there for Bobby Bowden's Seminoles.

Nebraska's offensive line dominated from start to finish. Center Aaron Graham controlled nose tackle Odell Haggins for much of the game, allowing Phillips and fellow I-Backs Ahman Green and Damon Benning to repeatedly pound the middle of the defense. Fullbacks Jeff Makovicka and Brian Schuster won their battles with the linebacking corps, which allowed the tailbacks to turn 4 and 5 yard runs into 12 and 15 yard runs. As a result, safety Stanley Shiver ended up as the Seminoles leading tackler, and Nebraska finished with a whopping 417 rushing yards.


The lone bright spot for Florida State was Deion Sanders. The All American returned a punt for a touchdown early in the second quarter that briefly gave the Seminoles hope they could climb back into the game. He was also excellent in pass coverage, but unfortunately he was no help against the Nebraska running game.

Danny McManus put up big numbers in the passing game (27-for-47 for 334 yards), but it was mostly out of necessity. He also threw two interceptions, one to Michael Booker and the other to Eric Stokes.


Senior quarterback Brook Berringer even got in the game on the last couple drives as Tom Osborne rested his starters in preparation for the Final Four.

FINAL SCORE
1995 Nebraska - 37
1987 Florida State - 23

BO REGION FINAL

2005 TEXAS

vs
1987 MIAMI

2005 Texas
#2 overall seed - winners of Bracket #2

1987 Miami
#7 overall seed - winners of Bracket #7

BO REGION RECAP

Bo Region Preview
Round of 64 Results [Part I] [Part II]
Round of 32 Results
Sweet Sixteen Results

GAME RECAP

The only region that went according to seed, this was also regarded as the toughest region in the Bracket of Champions. The Regional Final pitted the 2005 national champion Texas Longhorns against the 1987 national champion Miami Hurricanes.

Michael Irvin has had a whale of a tournament up to this point, but the Texas secondary (Cedric Griffin, Michael Huff, Michael Griffin, Tarell Brown, and Aaron Ross as the nickel) is by far the best that he has had to face.

That matchup proved to be inconsequential as Miami lost despite another big game by #47. Irvin put up another 100 yards and scored two more touchdowns in the losing effort.

The key to the game ended up being none other than Vince Young. Despite facing a tremendous Miami defense, Young stepped his game up another notch and led the Longhorns to 30 points.

Young finished yet another game with over 200 yards passing and at least 100 yards rushing. He also accounted for all three Texas touchdowns. Limas Sweed caught the last touchdown pass in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter that proved to be the decisive score.

Young also threw a screen pass that Ramonce Taylor took 33 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Taylor weaved through the Hurricane defense and juked All America safety Bennie Blades inside the ten yard line to get in the end zone.

This win over Jimmy Johnson's #7 seeded Miami team proved to the doubters that the Longhorns have the mettle to play with the elites in the Final Four of The Greatest Tournament of All Time.

FINAL SCORE
2005 Texas - 30
1987 Miami - 24

JOEPA REGION FINAL

1991 WASHINGTON

vs
2001 MIAMI

1991 Washington
#21 overall seed - winners of Bracket #21

2001 Miami
#4 overall seed - winners of Bracket #4

JOEPA REGION RECAP

JoePa Region Preview
Round of 64 Results [Part I] [Part II]
Round of 32 Results
Sweet Sixteen Results

GAME RECAP

For the second consecutive game the Washington offense faltered. Unfortunately this time the Huskie's defense wasn't able to bail them out.

All America safety Ed Reed stepped up in a big way to make sure his Hurricanes advanced to the Final Four as expected. Reed had an interception and two forced fumbles to go along with his 7 solo tackles. He single-handedly took away the middle of the field, making it difficult for Mario Bailey to pick up any significant yardage after the catch. Additionally, the Miami front seven had their way up front. Washington's top two tailbacks, Beno Bryant and Jay Barry only combined for 78 yards rushing in the game.

In fact, the only positive contributions on offense came from speedy tailback Napoleon Kaufman. The freshman only had two carries in the first half, but once it became apparent that his athleticism was needed against the Hurricane defense, he began to see more action. He had 9 carries in the second half for 55 yards and a touchdown, but by that point it was too late for the Huskies to climb back into the game.


The Miami offense had similar struggles early on, but compiled enough big plays to build and sustain a comfortable lead. Tight end Jeremy Shockey caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Ken Dorsey in the second quarter, and freshman tailback Frank Gore put Don James and Washington away for good late in the third quarter with a 54-yard touchdown run.

FINAL SCORE
2001 Miami - 27
1991 Washington - 17

BEAR REGION FINAL

1996 FLORIDA

vs
1993 FLORIDA STATE

1996 Florida
#24 overall seed - winners of Bracket #24

1993 Florida State
#32 overall seed - winners of Bracket #32

BEAR REGION RECAP

Bear Region Preview
Round of 64 Results [Part I] [Part II]
Round of 32 Results
Sweet Sixteen Results

GAME RECAP

Danny Wuerffel and Charlie Ward were two of the greatest college quarterbacks the state of Florida has ever seen. So this Elite Eight matchup was a special treat for fans of both teams in the state. Neither quarterback disappointed either.

Wuerffel, as per his scouting report, kept cool in the face of a heated pass rush. Florida State defensive linemen Derrick Alexander and Toddrick McIntosh broke through on several occasions, only to see the Heisman Trophy winner get rid of the ball just before taking the hit.

Seminole defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews had to call off the blitz by the second half because Wuerffel was having so much success with the quick passing game. In fact, Florida took a 17-13 lead into halftime on the strength of Wuerffel's 199 yards and 2 touchdowns passing.


But Charlie Ward stepped up his game in the third quarter, and the FSU defense followed suit. On the opening drive of the second half, Ward led a 76-yard scoring march in which he accounted for every yard (55 passing, 21 rushing). Kez McCorvey caught the 12-yard touchdown pass to give the Seminoles the lead. It was a lead they would never relinquish.

On the ensuing possession, Clifton Abraham made an excellent play to pick off a pass from Wuerffel that set up a field goal.

After torching the 'Noles for 91 yards receiving in the first half, Reidel Anthony was held to a single catch (for 7 yards) in the second half thanks to a lock-down performance by All American cornerback Corey Sawyer. The Gators eventually manufactured 10 points in the second half, but Florida State held the momentum throughout the half.

FINAL SCORE:
1993 Florida State - 29
1996 Florida - 27

Bracket of Champions - Sweet 16 - JoePa Region

BRACKET OF CHAMPIONS

JOEPA REGIONAL
Sweet Sixteen

Results
(seed) year school - score

(5) 1999 Florida State - 23
(21) 1991 Washington - 27
The "Purple Reign" defense surprised everyone by assaulting the potent Florida State offense and leading 1991 Washington to an upset win over 1999 Florida State.


Steve Emtman once again led a charge by the defensive line that forced FSU quarterback Chris Weinke to hurry his reads and make bad throws. Washington compiled just 2 sacks, but hit Weinke four times while he was in the throwing motion, forcing two interceptions. Linebacker Dave Hoffman returned one of those interceptions for a touchdown, and corner Walter Bailey returned another one inside the 10 yard line, which set up another Husky touchdown. Those two plays swung the whole momentum of the game and offset the fact that the Washington offense only had 212 yards on the day.


Peter Warrick nearly outgained the Huskies on his own (146 receiving yards, 48 yards rushing), but his performance, along with the Seminole defense's marvelous outing, were all for naught thanks to the big turnovers.

(141) 2001 Florida - 16
(4) 2001 Miami - 31
Rex Grossman's remarkable run in the Bracket of Champions came to a screeching halt against the loaded 2001 Hurricanes.

Miami picked off Grossman four times en route to the biggest blowout of the round. Phillip Buchanon had two interceptions, and Ed Reed and James Lewis had the other two.

On the other side of the ball, Ken Dorsey was steady in the passing game and Clinton Portis ran for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. Miami piled up 241 rushing yards and 465 total yards of offense.

JoePa Region Final
(4) Miami vs (21) 1991 Washington
The winner goes to the Final Four

Bracket of Champions - Sweet 16 - Bo Region

BRACKET OF CHAMPIONS

BO REGIONAL
Sweet Sixteen

Results
(seed) year school - score

(2) 2005 Texas - 27
(15) 1991 Miami - 21
Vince Young once again found a way to get the 2005 Longhorns a victory. This time he victimized the 1991 Hurricane defense to the tune of 165 rushing yards and 181 passing yards. Young accounted for all three Texas touchdowns, including a 17-yard pass to Limas Sweed, a 12-yard run, and a highlight reel 71-yard scoring jaunt.


Gino Torretta struggled to find open receivers against an excellent Longhorn secondary of Cedric Griffin, Michael Huff, Michael Griffin, and Terrell Brown, but he didn't throw any interceptions.

The win sets up a potential "rematch" of Vince Young against Matt Leinart and USC (a year earlier). Stay tuned to see if it plays out.

(10) 2004 USC - 27
(7) 1987 Miami - 28
Unlike the Dennis Erickson's '91 squad, Jimmy Johnson's '87 Hurricanes found a way to win and advance against a USC team many thought had a chance to go all the way in this tournament. For the second consecutive round, Michael Irvin came up with 2 clutch touchdown catches from Steve Walsh as he put his teammates on his back and carried them into the Final 8.

USC took a 7-0 lead on their first drive of the game with a Matt Leinart touchdown pass to Dwayne Jarrett capping an 80 yard drive. From there the Trojans kept Miami at arm's length for the majority of the game, leading 17-14 at halftime.

The fourth quarter was a doozy. The Trojans, up 24-21, appeared to be marching toward a game clinching touchdown with the clock winding down. But All America safety Bennie Blades made an All America-type play on 3rd and 7, acrobatically flying in to knock away a sure touchdown pass to a seemingly wide open Dominique Byrd. That forced Pete Carroll to settle for a 29-yard field goal attempt, which Ryan Killeen knocked through the uprights for a 27-21 lead with just 1:37 left to play.


That's when Irvin went to work. The Hurricanes took over on their own 27 yard line and Gino Torretta immediately targeted Irvin. Irvin caught the first two passes on the drive, giving Miami two consecutive first downs. After a Brett Perriman catch, Irvin caught another ball to set the Hurricanes up at the USC 33 yard line with 42 seconds remaining. On the next play, Irvin ran a post pattern and Torretta hit him in stride. Irvin caught the ball in traffic and carried Justin Wyatt into the end zone for the game winning touchdown.

Bo Region Final
(2) 2005 Texas vs (7) 1987 Miami
The winner goes to the Final Four

Bracket of Champions - Sweet 16 - Woody Region

BRACKET OF CHAMPIONS

WOODY REGIONAL
Sweet Sixteen

Results
(seed) year school - score

(27) 1988 Miami - 24
(11) 1995 Nebraska - 29
1995 Nebraska has been steamrolling everybody in this tournament so far, including the '89 Hurricanes in the Round of 64. So the Huskers were going to cruise past the '88 Hurricanes on into the Final 8, right? Not so fast, my friend.


This is already the fifth meeting between these two schools in the Bracket of Champions, and by now they know each other intimately. The '95 Huskers had their mettle tested for the first time all tournament and they responded by eking out a win over Jimmy Johnson's Canes.

Miami jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after forcing a turnover on Nebraska's first offensive possession and converting it into a Cleveland Gary touchdown run. They held Tommie Frazier and the offense once again on the ensuing possession and Carlos Huerta tacked on a field goal for a 10-0 first quarter advantage.

The Nebraska offense struggled mightily against the Miami defense, thanks in large part to a defensive line that featured Russell Maryland, Greg Mark, and Bill Hawkins. But the Huskers scratched and clawed for every yard they could get while the defense stepped up. Tyrone Williams and Michael Booker each registered interceptions off All America quarterback Steve Walsh, and Terrell Farley sacked Walsh in the end zone late in the second half for a safety and a much needed jolt of energy.

Trailing 17-12 to start the third quarter, I-Backs Lawrence Phillips and Ahman Green started to wear down on the Miami defense. Nebraska rushed for 141 yards in the second half, cutting the Miami lead to just 2 points (24-22) with two and a half minutes remaining.


Tommie Frazier proceeded to lead a remarkable 80-yard game clinching drive that culminated in a Lawrence Phillips game winning 15-yard touchdown run.

(14) 2000 Oklahoma - 23
(35) 1987 Florida State - 24
In the third meeting between these two schools in the Bracket of Champions, Florida State took a 2-1 "series" lead by pulling off a minor upset of the national champion 2000 Sooners.

Defensive backs Deion Sanders, Martin Mayhew, and LeRoy Butler blanked Oklahoma receivers Curtis Fagan, Antwone Savage, and Andre Woolfolk, which allowed the front seven to put pressure on quarterback Josh Heupel. After being hit several times over the last two rounds - something Heupel didn't get used to during the 2000 season - he finally started to show signs of panic in the pocket. He fumbled once after getting sacked by Odell Haggins, and threw an ill-advised interception to linebacker Paul McGowan trying to avoid another sack.


The Oklahoma defense performed admirably, but they were put in bad position one too many times. After taking over on the OU side of the field for a fifth time in the game, Danny McManus led the Seminoles on a short drive that ended with Derek Schmidt's game winning 32-yard field goal.

Woody Region Final
(11) 1995 Nebraska vs (35) 1987 Florida State
The winner clinches a berth in the Final Four

Bracket of Champions - Sweet 16 - Bear Region

BRACKET OF CHAMPIONS

BEAR REGIONAL
Sweet Sixteen

Results
(seed) year school - score

(32) 1993 Florida State - 24
(48) 1996 Ohio State - 16
Corey Sawyer and the defense carried the '93 Seminoles to another victory.

1993 Florida State moved one step closer to the Final Four by holding the Ohio State offense to just 266 total yards and a single touchdown. Sawyer contributed an amazing interception at the goal line late in the third quarter that took the wind out of the Buckeyes sails for good.

John Cooper rotated his two quarterbacks (Joe Germaine, Stanley Jackson) and never really developed a rhythm offensively. Other than this 88-yard touchdown drive, the Buckeyes were lifeless on offense.


(24) 1996 Florida - 29
(121) 2008 USC - 23
2008 USC was able to make a run in this tournament that surpassed expectations thanks in large part to a great defense that held opponents to just 16 points per game over the first seven rounds. Considering the quality of opponents they have faced, that's quite an impressive stat.

However, Steve Spurrier was able to neutralize the strong USC linebacking corps and put his Gators in position to make plays. Danny Wuerffel and the receivers followed through with enough big plays to put it in the end zone three times against the mighty Trojan D.

Ike Hilliard in particular had a good day finding holes in the USC secondary. Hilliard had 4 receptions for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Florida defense had a good day as well. Sophomore linebackers Mike Peterson and Jevon Kearse displayed impressive athleticism against the run and the pass. Kearse even picked up a safety when he smacked tailback Stafon Johnson in the end zone in the second quarter.

Bear Region Final
(24) 1996 Florida vs (32) 1993 Florida State
The winner clinches a berth in the Final Four

Bracket of Champions - Sweet Sixteen Preview

We started with 2,048 teams, and after seven rounds and six months we're down to an elite group of 16 teams. All of these teams have had to beat seven quality opponents, and all of them are still in the running to be crowned The Greatest Team of All (My Life)Time.

The following is a brief preview of the Sweet Sixteen.

(click the bracket for a larger image)
2005 Texas (13-0)
Coach: Mack Brown
(BCS National Champions)
Seed: 2 - Winner of Bracket #2
Bo Region

2001 Miami (12-0)
Coach: Larry Coker
(BCS National Champions)
Seed: 4 - Winner of Bracket #4
JoePa Region

1999 Florida State (12-0)
Coach: Bobby Bowden
(BCS National Champions)
Seed: 5 - Winner of Bracket #5
JoePa Region

1987 Miami (12-0)
Coach: Jimmy Johnson
(AP National Champions)
Seed: 7 - Winner of Bracket #7
Bo Region

2004 USC (13-0)
Coach: Pete Carroll
(BCS National Champions)
Seed: 10 - Winner of Bracket #10
Bo Region

1995 Nebraska (12-0)
Coach: Tom Osborne
(AP National Champions)
Seed: 11 - Winner of Bracket #11
Woody Region

2000 Oklahoma (13-0)
Coach: Bob Stoops
(BCS National Champions)
Seed: 14 - Winner of Bracket #14
Woody Region

1991 Miami (12-0)
Coach: Dennis Erickson
(AP National Champions)
Seed: 15 - Winner of Bracket #15
Bo Region

1991 Washington (12-0)
Coach: Don James
(Coaches Poll National Champions)
Seed: 21 - Winner of Bracket #21
JoePa Region

1996 Florida (12-1)
Coach: Steve Spurrier
(AP National Champions)
Seed: 24 - Winner of Bracket #24
Bear Region

1988 Miami (11-1)
Coach: Jimmy Johnson
(#2 in final AP Poll)
Seed: 27 - Winner of Bracket #27
Woody Region

1993 Florida State (12-1)
Coach: Bobby Bowden
(AP National Champions)
Seed: 32 - Winner of Bracket #32
Bear Region

1987 Florida State (11-1)
Coach: Bobby Bowden
(#2 in final AP Poll)
Seed: 35 - Winner of Bracket #35
Woody Region

1996 Ohio State (11-1)
Coach: John Cooper
(#2 in final AP Poll)
Seed: 48 - Winner of Bracket #48
Bear Region

2008 USC (12-1)
Coach: Pete Carroll
(#3 in final AP Poll)
Seed: 121 - Winner of Bracket #8
Bear Region

2001 Florida (10-2)
Coach: Steve Spurrier
(#3 in final AP Poll)
Seed: 141 - Winner of Bracket #13
JoePa Region

B.o.C. - JOEPA REGION - Round 2

BRACKET OF CHAMPIONS

JOEPA REGIONAL
Round of 32

RESULTS
(seed) year school - score

(5) 1999 Florida State - 32
(156) 1996 Nebraska - 20
The turnover bug bit the '96 Cornhuskers again, and the defense couldn't contain Chris Weinke and company as the '99 Seminoles marched into the Sweet 16.

Weinke burned an aggressive Nebraska secondary to the tune of 312 yards and 3 touchdowns while defensive tackle Corey Simon disrupted the Nebraska offense by collapsing the interior line on nearly every play that he was in the game. Nebraska was only able to run for 161 yards - well below their average - and turning the ball over four times (3 fumbles, 1 interception) didn't help either.

(21) 1991 Washington - 26
(12) 1989 Notre Dame - 20
Speaking of blowing up the option before it has a chance to get moving down the line, Steve Emtman did just that against Tony Rice and the Notre Dame offense.


Rocket Ismail scored both of Notre Dame's touchdowns, one on a 55-yard punt return and the other on a 44-yard reception, but the rest of the Irish offense stalled. Emtman was a thorn in Rice's side, hitting the senior quarterback often just a split second after the ball was snapped. Linebacker Chico Fraley cleaned up the rest of the running game, registering 11 tackles (4 for loss) on Notre Dame running backs Ricky Watters and Anthony Johnson.


For Washington it was just the opposite. Beno Bryant found plenty of room to run, gaining 140 yards behind star offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy. Kennedy and company controlled the line of scrimmage, neutralizing the impact of All America defensive tackle Chris Zorich.

(141) 2001 Florida - 31
(84) 1982 Nebraska - 30
Rex Grossman continued his string of clutch performances while Nebraska continued their stumble here in the Round of 32.

The Nebraska offense exploded out to a 17-0 first quarter lead in which they held a 169-to-27 edge in total yards. But Steve Spurrier didn't let his Gators quit. Spurrier made a gutsy call to go with backup quarterback Brock Berlin after falling behind 17-0, despite the fact that Grossman had been on fire the last three games. Spurrier's gamble worked because Berlin led a touchdown drive (with the aid of a questionable call by the officials that helped take some of the wind out of Nebraska's sails) and when Grossman returned to the game he was more fired up than ever.

Over the final two and a half quarters of the game, Grossman threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, while DT Ian Scott and LB Andra Davis tightened up their assignments against Turner Gill and the Nebraska offense. Despite an offensive line that featured Dave Rimington and Dean Steinkuhler, Florida was able to use their quickness and a series of timely run blitzes to contain Mike Rozier and Roger Craig just enough to put the Fun 'N Gun offense in a position to win the game in the fourth quarter.

And that's exactly what Grossman and the offense did. Robert Gillespie took a swing pass from Grossman 23 yards with just a minute left on the clock for the game winning touchdown.

(36) 2008 Florida - 19
(4) 2001 Miami - 27
Flexing their muscles again, Larry Coker's Hurricanes (by way of Butch Davis' recruiting) found yet another way to win here in the Bracket of Champions. Miami beat Florida at their own game. Kevin Beard returned a punt for a touchdown and Chris Campbell forced a fumble by Brandon James on a punt return that set up another Miami score to give the Hurricanes a big advantage in the special teams department - an area the 2008 Gators typically dominated.


Tim Tebow was largely ineffective against a speedy defense that hammered him on every play, whether he carried the ball or not. Vince Wilfork and company clogged the middle to take away Tebow's advantage in the short yardage game, and linebackers Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams, and Chris Campbell were turned loose on the junior quarterback. Tebow finished the game with just 32 rushing yards to go along with 2 interceptions.

Sweet 16 Matchups:
(5) 1999 Florida State vs (21) 1991 Washington
(4) 2001 Miami vs (141) 2001 Florida

B.o.C. - BO REGION - Round 2

BRACKET OF CHAMPIONS

BO REGIONAL
Round of 32

RESULTS
(seed) year school - score

(2) 2005 Texas - 31
(95) 2000 Florida State - 26
Vince Young and Michael Griffin starred for Texas as they made a win over a loaded Florida State team that played for the national title look relatively easy.

Griffin picked off Chris Weinke twice as the Longhorns teamed up to contain a stellar FSU receiving corps made up of Marvin "Snoop" Minnis, Anquan Boldin, Atrews Bell, and Javon Walker. Weinke threw for 276 yards, but considering the talented receivers all over the field and the two interceptions - not to mention the victory - it was not a bad day at all for the Longhorns defense.


The Seminole defense, on the other hand, had a hard time containing Vince Young. All American defensive end Jamal Reynolds didn't get as many shots on the quarterback as he normally did during the 2000 season because Jonathan Scott, Justin Blalock and the rest of the offensive line provided excellent protection. Even when Reynolds or Darnell Dockett or David Warren did manage to penetrate the pocket, Young merely sidestepped the rush and scrambled for big chunks of yards. Young finished with 137 rushing yards to go along with his two touchdown passes to tight end David Thomas.

(18) 1994 Penn State - 24
(15) 1991 Miami - 27
In a matchup of undefeated teams, both had plenty of offensive firepower, but it was Penn State's lack of a top flight defense that cost them the game. To secure a spot in the Sweet Sixteen in The Greatest Tournament of All Time you've got to be loaded on both sides of the ball. Joe Paterno's squad simply couldn't make enough stops in the fourth quarter to pull out a win.

Kerry Collins and the passing game kept the Nittany Lions in contention for much of the ball game, though. In fact, Bobby Engram burned All American safety Darryl Williams for a 37-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter to give Penn State a 7-3 lead. Collins threw for 257 yards, but Ki-Jana Carter couldn't balance out the offense, rushing for just 56 yards against Michael Barrow and the Miami defense.

On the other side of the ball, receiver Lamar Thomas torched the Penn State secondary to the tune of 5 receptions for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns, both coming in the second half.

(10) 2004 USC - 31
(87) 1983 Nebraska - 30
In one of the best games of the tournament so far, 2004 USC edged out 1983 Nebraska. In a game full of offensive fireworks, it was the USC defense that provided the play of the game.

There was plenty of chatter about a potential upset coming into this game. Many thought Nebraska's "Big Three" on offense - QB Turner Gill, RB Mike Rozier, and WR Irving Fryar - could score enough points to knock off the mighty Trojans. Well, USC answered the bell by jumping out to a quick, impressive 17-0 lead on the strength of a 45-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Bush and a 2-yard touchdown run by LenDale White.

Nebraska answered, though, when Turner Gill found adjusted to the speed of USC's defense and perfected the timing with Rozier on the option. Rozier took an option pitch 39 yards for a touchdown to get the Huskers back in the game. Then after a Bret Clark interception, Gill capped a 44-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. Just like that it was a game again.

The second half featured more big plays, including a 60 yard touchdown pass from Matt Leinart to Steve Smith and a touchdown run by Nebraska offensive lineman Dean Steinkuhler on the famous "Fumblerooskie" play.

With USC leading 31-24 late in the fourth quarter, Turner Gill marched the Huskers down the field on an impressive 67 yard scoring drive that culminated in a 25-yard touchdown run by Jeff Smith. Instead of kicking the extra point to send the game to overtime, Tom Osborne, sensing that his team was getting worn down at the hands of the uber-athletic Trojans, decided to go for two and the win. Gill rolled right and fired, but cornerback Eric Wright made a great play to knock the ball away and secure the win for USC.

(26) 1997 Nebraska - 25
(7) 1987 Miami - 26
In the tournament's first battle of undefeated National Champions, Jimmy Johnson's 1987 Hurricanes emerged victorious over Tom Osborne's 1997 Cornhuskers.

This was a defensive battle for most of the game. Miami was the first team ever to hold this Nebraska team to under 300 yards rushing, and linebacker Randy Shannon secured two points for the Hurricanes when he tackled Ahman Green in the end zone after he muffed an option toss from Scott Frost.

The Nebraska defense held strong too, with Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter making things difficult for quarterback Steve Walsh (11-for-27 for 178 yards) all day. But receiver Michael Irvin simply willed his team to victory with a pair of tackle-shedding touchdown catch-and-runs that will be replayed over and over if the '87 Hurricanes continue to advance in this tournament.

Sweet 16 Matchups:
(2) 2005 Texas vs (15) 1991 Miami
(7) 1987 Miami vs (10) 2004 USC