Now that the crystal football is making its way to Tuscaloosa, it is time to determine who ruled the ‘Aughts in college football. Here are my rankings of college football’s National Champions in the 2000s.
1. 2001 Miami Hurricanes – The debate starts and ends here. This team was absolutely loaded from top to bottom, as Larry Coker’s first team inherited a massive amount of talent from the just departed Butch Davis. Their starting lineup included Ken Dorsey, Clinton Portis, Najeh Davenport, Jeremy Shockey, Andre Johnson, Bryant McKinnie, Jerome McDougal, William Joseph, Jonathan Vilma, Mike Rumph, Philip Buchanon, and oh yeah, Ed Reed. For some reason they got dropped at one point from #1 to #2 in the polls and promptly responded by trouncing #14 Florida State 49-27 in Tallahassee. The closest they came to losing was a 26-24 road victory over a very game Virginia Tech squad. Their Rose Bowl triumph over Nebraska (which really shouldn’t have been there) was not nearly as close as the 37-14 score would indicate. The next couple of teams on this list were very good, too, but this one is the undisputed champ of the decade… and I hate to say it, because I can’t stand “the U.”
2. 2004 USC Trojans – Ranked #1 from start to finish, only two teams lost by less than a touchdown to these guys (both conference opponents on the road). I’m trying to remember why a great many people thought Oklahoma would beat them in the Orange Bowl, a 55-19 embarrassment known better for Ashlee Simpson’s “performance” than competitive football. Matt Leinart won the Heisman. What’s so impressive about this team is that over 50 players who suited up for them in 2004 have suited up for NFL teams. Think about that for a minute. Leinart was flanked by Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Winston Justice, Steve Smith, Keith Rivers, Lofa Tatupu… you could go on and on. A great team.
3. 2005 Texas Longhorns – This team will be remembered for Vince Young playing the best game possible in the best college football game I’ve ever seen – the epic 41-38 Rose Bowl victory for the National Championship. They went on the road and beat #4 Ohio State by three in the second week of the season. Apart from that, they decimated every other opponent, including Oklahoma State on the road after falling behind by three touchdowns early. They obliterated Colorado 70-3 in the Big 12 Championship Game as well. Apart from Young, this team also boasted the talents of Limas Sweed, Michael Huff, and Michael Griffin. They may be the most underappreciated team of the decade only because their victory over USC was considered an upset.
4. 2008 Florida Gators – Yeah, I know there are undefeated teams I haven’t listed yet, but if you put these guys on a neutral field this is the fourth best team of the decade in my opinion. Led by junior QB Tim Tebow and bolstered by the likes of Percy Harvin, Brandon Spikes, and Brandon James, they vanquished a solid Oklahoma team in the BCS Championship Game to pick up the school’s second title in three years. Their most memorable game, however, might have been their only hiccup of the year, a 31-30 loss at home to an Ole Miss team that was better than anyone at that time thought. Tebow gave that famous postgame speech and they ran the table after that, including a big win in the SEC title game against then #1 Alabama.
5. 2003 USC Trojans – They started the year with a 23-0 pasting at #6 Auburn and their only loss of the year was in triple OT at their top conference foe California. Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and company were only beginning to realize how good they could be. They finished as AP #1 but were kept out of the BCS title game, even after Oklahoma got beat 35-7 by Kansas State in the Big 12 title game. The Trojans responded with a convincing 28-14 triumph over #4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl to claim a share of the championship and send playoff proponents into a tizzy.
6. 2006 Florida Gators – In Urban Meyer’s second season as coach, the Gators, led by underappreciated senior QB Chris Leak, won the National Championship when they absolutely schooled favored Ohio State 41-14 in the title tilt (even after Ted Ginn, Jr. had returned the opening kickoff for a TD). They rebounded to beat #8 Arkansas in the SEC title game and then whip the Buckeyes. Leak was flanked by Reggie Nelson, Dallas Baker, Brandon Siler, and a freshman QB named Tim Tebow who came in on short yardage and at the goal line. This team is not remembered as especially dominant, but that is mainly because they played probably the most grueling schedule of any team this decade. Their only loss was a ten point loss at ranked Auburn in an ESPN Saturday night game that was much closer than the final score and could’ve gone either way.
7. 2003 LSU Tigers – So why pick ‘03 USC ahead of ‘03 LSU on this list? It boils down to a couple of things: USC’s strength the year before and the year after this season go to show that they had superior talent, and USC’s triple-OT road loss to California is more impressive than LSU’s twelve-point home loss to a Ron Zook 8-5 Florida team. Still, these Tigers were good, with a maturing offense and stout defense. Led by Matt Mauck, Justin Vincent, Joseph Addai, Devery Henderson, Michael Clayton, Marquis Hill, and Chad Lavalais. After trouncing #5 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game to finish the regular season as one of the three top one loss teams, they beat BCS #1 Oklahoma 21-14 in the Sugar Bowl to claim their share of the National Championship.
8. 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes – In their second year under Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes figured to be at least a year away from competing for the National Championship. Opening the season #13, Ohio State creamed a couple of lesser opponents before getting a big win over #10 Washington State. Once the Big Ten schedule commenced, fans got to know the name Maurice Clarett, who broke out as a freshman and became the biggest rushing threat that year in college football. They finished the regular season undefeated after beating rival #12 Michigan 14-9, but were considered huge underdogs to defending champion and unbeaten Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. After falling behind early they came back to lead by a touchdown at halftime. The game eventually went to double overtime after a controversial pass interference on Miami kept the game alive after the Hurricanes thought they’d won in the first overtime. Clarett scored a 5-yard TD and then the Buckeyes defense stopped Miami to pull off the upset and lay claim to the championship.
9. 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide – In their third year under coach Nick Saban, the Tide won their first title since 1992 behind the running of Heisman winner Mark Ingram. Seeking to avenge a loss in the ‘08 SEC title game to Florida and to atone for a shellacking by Utah in the following Sugar Bowl, the Tide began the season with a mission to win it all. Greg McElroy was a not-flashy, no-mistakes type of QB who got the job done, while a defense led by Terrence Cody and Rolando McClain stuffed opponents. Julio Jones provided explosiveness at the receiver position and Javier Arenas was always a threat to return a kick for a TD. A blocked FG saved the Tide from a home loss to Tennessee, then they were fortunate to overcome Auburn in the Iron Bowl before soundly beating #1 Florida in an SEC title rematch. In the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl, the Tide overcame early mistakes from coaches and players and was fortunate with a first quarter injury to opposing quarterback Colt McCoy. Alabama stormed to a 24-6 halftime lead and withstood a Longhorns rally before pulling away for a 37-21 victory.
10. 2000 Oklahoma Sooners – Look up “sneaking up on people” in a slang dictionary and a picture of the 2000 Sooners should be the definition. Although ranked in the top 2o to start the season, no one outside of Oklahoma thought this squad has a chance to be elite. Coach Bob Stoops’s squad ran the table under the leadership of quarterback Josh Heupel. If the 63-14 thrashing of #11 Texas in the Red River shootout was a statement game that Sooner football was back to another era of glory, follow up wins over #2 Kansas State and #1 Nebraska let everyone know. Still, the Sooners were a considerable underdog to defending champion Florida State in the Orange Bowl. However, their stout defense held the potent Seminole offense to zero points and the offense did enough to win 13-2.
11. 2007 LSU Tigers – This team had the talent to be higher on the list, but because they are the first and only two-loss National Champion of the decade they are at the bottom here (although I’m kind of hypocritical because put them on a neutral field and I think they jump to as high as 7). In the Tigers’ defense, their two losses were both in triple overtime, one on the road to Kentucky’s best team of the decade and the other at home to Arkansas in a game where Darren McFadden went crazy. This was also an insane season in which Appalachian State beat Michigan and Kansas, California, Missouri, Boston College, and South Florida all at one point looked like they might play for the National Championship. Led by Matt Flynn, Jacob Hester, Early Doucet, Craig Steltz, and Glenn Dorsey, LSU won a tough SEC to make it to the championship game in New Orleans against Ohio State. There, they handed the Buckeyes their second consecutive 41-14 loss in the title game, making LSU the first team to win two BCS National Championships.
Others receiving votes: 2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers, 2006 Appalachian State Mountaineers, 2005 Appalachian State Mountaineers. 
