By 
Five of the nation’s top major conference teams won titles in week 14 of college football to earn coveted spots in BCS bowl games. The best of the best includes Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, Oregon, and Georgia Tech.
In the nation’s biggest game before bowl season, the Crimson Tide of Alabama (13-0) avenged last year’s loss to the Florida Gators (12-1) by easily beating Florida, 32-13, to win the SEC Championship and the right to compete for the National Championship.
The Gators, who won the national title last year, must have been embarrassed since they came into the matchup leading the nation in scoring defense (9.83 points per game) and total defense (233.08 points per game). Alabama, which had the nation’s second-best scoring defense (10.83 ppg) and third-best total defense (233.92 ypg), proved superior.
Florida just couldn’t handle Tide star running back Mark Ingram, who rushed for 113 yards and 3 touchdowns. Alabama’s Greg McElroy threw for 239 yards and a touchdown to win the Most Valuable Player award.
Alabama last won a national championship in 1992. Florida won national titles in 2006 and 2008 and was trying to win 3 titles in 4 years.
Texas (13-0) needed a 46-yard field goal from Hunter Lawrence as time expired to turn around a monstrous defensive effort by Nebraska (9-4) and win the Big 12 Championship, 13-12, and the right to play Alabama. for the national title on January 1, 7.
The Cornhuskers’ solid defense excelled in almost pulling off a big upset. Few fans realized how good Husker’s defense was. Nebraska was third in the nation in scoring defense (11.08 ppg) and 11th in total defense (291.42 ypg), and believe me, Texas found out why.
Longhorn quarterback Colt McCoy nearly lost the game for Texas by diving for a pass in the final moments and holding the ball too long before throwing it. Officials determined the ball hit the ground out of bounds with 1 second left, allowing Lawrence to make his dramatic game-winning field goal. Nebraska’s defense sacked McCoy 9 times, which isn’t saying much about the protection of the Longhorns’ offensive line.
Oklahoma denied Texas a shot at the national title game last year, even though the Longhorns beat the Sooners in the regular season. Many fans thought Texas should have played Florida for the title last year; now they will.
The Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0), down 21 points, needed Tony Pike’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Armon Binns with 33 seconds remaining to complete their narrow 45-44 victory over Pittsburgh (9-3) to win the Big Game. Eastern Championship. and the right to face Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
Pittsburgh’s Dion Lewis rushed for 194 yards and 3 touchdowns, and the Panthers led Cincinnati 31-10 earlier in the game, but it wasn’t enough to stop the nation’s fifth-leading scoring offense. Cincinnati averaged more than 39 points per game before the competition, and coach Brian Kelly’s extended, fast-hitting offense exposed Pittsburgh’s lack of defense.
Kelly, who went 10-3 in Cincinnati as a freshman, went 11-3 last year and is now 12-0 heading into the Sugar Bowl. He was signed by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who defeated Charlie Weis after 5 years and a record of 35-27.
In the biggest game in Oregon football history, Oregon (10-2) beat Oregon State (8-4), 37-33, when Duck running back LaMichael James rushed 52 yards to give Oregon a 34-33 lead with 1: 20 left in the 3rd quarter. James would finish with 166 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.
The stakes were high as this year’s Civil War was a winner-takes-all battle with the Pac-10 Championship and the right to face Ohio State (10-2) in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State had won the Big Ten Championship before by beating Iowa.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2) needed Jonathan Dwyer’s 15-yard touchdown run with 1:20 remaining to defeat Clemson (8-5), 39-34, to win the Atlantic Coast Championship and a berth. at the Orange. Bowl vs. Iowa (10-2).
Houston’s luck ran out against East Carolina (9-4) as the Pirates beat the Cougars 38-32 to capture the Major Conference USA middleweight title. East Carolina’s title was their second in a row and proved once again that defense, not offense, wins championships more often.
Houston has the highest-scoring offense in the nation (44+ ppg), but its hog defense ranks 110th out of 120 major college teams. East Carolina’s scoring defense ranks 31st (over 21 points per game) and their total defense ranks 68th; at least the Panthers had a defense and used it to win another C-USA title.
BCS Game 5, the Fiesta Bowl, will feature two undefeated teams from the top half: Mountain West Conference champion Texas Christian (12-0) and Mountain West Conference champion Boise State (13-0). the Western Athletic Conference. The matchup marks the first time that two teams without automatic bids from the top 6 conferences have met in a coveted BCS game.
Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley