Colleges

Let the arguing begin all over

Times staff writer Tom Jones ranks the eight national championships won by teams from the state of Florida.

By Tom Jones
Published January 7, 2007

No contest. This is the best team to come out of Florida and, a case could be made, the best college team ever. The Hurricanes went 12-0 with an average margin of victory of 34 points, including embarrassing routs of nationally ranked Syracuse (59-0), Washington (65-7) and Penn State (33-7). They then won the national championship by sprinting to a 30-0 lead in a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl. This team had an incredible 16 players who went on to be NFL first-round draft picks.

Led by Chris Weinke, who would win the 2000 Heisman Trophy, and four AP All-Americans, the Seminoles went wire-to-wire at No. 1, outscoring teams by an average of 34-14. They beat five ranked opponents, including a tough 30-23 win over the Gators at the Swamp. In the national title game, they shut down Virginia Tech freshman quarterback Michael Vick in a 46-29 victory.

The 1986 Hurricanes were better, but despite losing stars such as Vinny Testeverde, Alonzo Highsmith and Jerome Brown, the 1987 team won coach Jimmy Johnson the national title that eluded them the year before. With sophomore quarterback Steve Walsh, UM drilled Florida and Arkansas to start the season and only once gave up more than 17 points - a 26-25 win over FSU. It beat No. 1 Oklahoma 20-14 in the Orange Bowl to win the title.

FSU had help this season. After No. 1 Notre Dame beat the Seminoles by a touchdown in South Bend, the Irish were upset by Boston College, allowing FSU to sneak back into the national championship game, where it survived 18-16 against Nebraska. Heisman winner Charlie Ward led the way that season, completing 70 percent of his passes for more than 3,000 yards.

Okay, Florida fans will howl that this Gators team is ranked fifth on our list. They were great, but here's our thought: They had two cracks at FSU and the national title. They lost by three at FSU in November, then got a second chance, crushing the 'Noles 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl. Still, what a team. Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel had an off-the-charts QB rating of 170.6 as the Gators rolled up 46 points per game.

Not a truly great team, but, hey, it went undefeated. The 'Canes got a break thanks to the phrase "wide right." FSU kicker Gerry Thomas missed a 34-yard field goal to allow Miami to eke out a 17-16 victory against the top-ranked 'Noles. Miami closed out its perfect season with an easy 22-0 victory against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

Led by Cortez Kennedy, the Hurricanes had one of the best defenses ever assembled. They did not, however, go undefeated. FSU knocked off Miami in midseason. But Miami rallied and scored a huge victory by knocking off No. 1 Notre Dame. Miami's 33-25 victory against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl combined with Notre Dame's victory over top-ranked Colorado in the Orange Bowl gave Miami its third national title.

Last on this list because it lost its opener to Florida 28-3. Led by QB Bernie Kosar, the Hurricanes rallied to win 10 straight, including victories against FSU and Notre Dame. It was ranked No. 4 going in New Year's Day, but thanks to a series of upsets and a failed two-point conversion by Nebraska, the Hurricanes beat the Cornhuskers 31-30 in the Orange Bowl to win the state's first national championship.

[Last modified January 7, 2007, 10:43:26]