By Jc Nevils
There will always be a he-said-she-said debate about who the best teams of all time are, especially depending on age, but some stand out above the rest. Here, we take a look at the best and most dominant teams since the turn of the century.
The 2001 Canes just may be the best team I have ever seen with my own eyes. They were no match for every opponent they faced that season, defeating opponents by a whopping 32.9 points per game. The 2001 squad boasted 38 draft picks, including 17 first- rounders. With players like Andre Johnson , Clinton Portis , Jeremy Shockey , and Ed Reed leading the way, it was a sight to see. They also had Kellen Winslow, Vince Wilfork , and Sean Taylor as backups. What an embarrassment of riches.
The Trojans rolled their way all season to a BCS national championship over Oklahoma, 55-19. This dominant performance was an accumulation of what had been happening all year. Of course, they had a few tough games, but that’s just college football. Led by Heisman Trophy winner, Matt Leinart and future Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush along with Lendale White and others, there was no stopping them.
Before the Longhorns went on to win the 2005 BCS National Championship over the heavily favored USC, they had been in a long drought of winning in general. That changed once Vince Young became the full-time starter in 2004. He led them to a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan, which set the stage for a Heisman-worthy season in 2005. However, Reggie Bush ended up winning the Heisman Trophy.
This only enraged Young and the Longhorns, setting up what may be the best college football game ever. Texas pulled it out behind Young’s last-second touchdown run, cementing his legendary status forever. Other stars on that team included Jamal Charles, Michael Huff, and Michael Griffin, among others.
January 4, 2006
— Andscape (@andscape) January 4, 2020
Rose Bowl
Texas. USC.
Vince Young:
- 267 passing yards
- 200 rushing yards
- 3 TDs
- Game-winning TD run
pic.twitter.com/VpLAa1xuXv
The Florida Gators during Urban Meyer ’s heyday could give anyone a run for their money on the talent alone. Add some coaching to that, and you get two BCS championships in three years. While they weren’t the best bunch off the field, you couldn’t question their play on it. They were loaded with players such as Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin , the Pouncey twins, Aaron Hernandez , Joe Haden, and even Cam Newton, just to name a few. The 2006 national championship team was loaded as well, but not as dominant. Florida went on to defeat Oklahoma and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford in the Orange Bowl, 24-14.
In honor of Swamp Kings dropping, let’s take a look at how good that 2008 National Championship team was:
— Florida Gators (@gatorsszn) August 23, 2023
13-1 (8-1) SEC
BCS National Champs
SEC Champs
Beat #4 LSU 51-21
Beat #8 Georgia 49-10
Beat #24 South Carolina 56-6
Beat #23 Florida St 45-15
Beat #1 Alabama 31-20
Beat #2… pic.twitter.com/P1NHHNzX8s
After a season where they thought they were fully back but came up short to Florida, 2009 would certainly be the year. They welcomed back everyone en route to becoming only the third team in college football history to ever go 14-0 in a season. They were led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, Butkus Award winner Rolando McClain, and Julio Jones, along with a plethora of other studs. They would beat the reigning national champs, Florida, 32-13 in the SEC championship, then go on to defeat Texas, in a rout, 37-21 for the title.
Led by only the second freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy, in Jameis Winston, they went on to defeat Auburn in the last BCS championship game. They also had a total of 10 All-Americans along with playmakers everywhere, including Lou Groza winner (Best Kicker) Roberto Aguayo, Rimington winner (Top Center) Bryan Stork, Lamarcus Joyner, Jalen Ramsey, Kelvin Benjamin, and Devontae Freeman just to name a few.
2013 Florida State Seminoles..
— CFBLIVE247™ (@CFBLive247_) June 10, 2023
Record | 14-0
ACC record | 9-0
Largest margin of victory | 66 points
Overall score vs every opponent | 664-170
Heisman winner | W
Conference Championship | W
National Championship | W
• FSU scored 30 points or more in all 14 games
• FSU… pic.twitter.com/veyR6S7ySK
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