Bowl Coalition
Encyclopedia
| Bowl Coalition | |
| In operation | (1992 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant... –94 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some... ) |
| Preceded by | National Polls |
| Succeded by | Bowl Alliance Bowl Alliance The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences... (1995 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.... –98 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL... ) |
| Number of Coalition bowls | 6 |
| Championship trophy awarded to winner | AFCA National Championship Trophy AFCA National Championship Trophy The AFCA National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded by the American Football Coaches Association to the winner of college football's BCS National Championship Game, which determines the national champion for purposes of the Coaches Poll... |
| Television Partner(s) | |
| Most Coalition bowl appearances | Florida St. Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... , Nebraska (3) |
| Most Coalition bowl wins | Florida St. Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... (3) |
| Most Coalition championships | Alabama University of Alabama The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States.... , Florida St. Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... , Nebraska (1) |
| Conference with most Coalition bowl appearances | ACC Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities... , Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... , Big 8 Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University... , SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... , SWC (6) |
| Conference with most Coalition bowl game wins | SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... (5) |
| Conference with most championships | ACC Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities... , Big 8 Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University... , SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... (1) |
| Last championship game | 1994 Orange Bowl 1994 Orange Bowl The 1994 Orange Bowl a 1993–1994 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1994, for the national championship. This 60th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State came into the game 11-1, and ranked first in the nation.... |
| Last champion | Florida St. Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... |
The Bowl Coalition was a predecessor of the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
that was formed through an agreement among college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl games and conferences for the purpose of forcing a national championship game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
between the top two teams and to provide quality bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
matchups for the champions of its member conferences. It was established for the 1992 season after co-national champions in both 1990 and 1991
1991 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split champion for the second consecutive season. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Washington Huskies finished the season undefeated and with the top ranking in a nationally recognized poll...
. The agreement was in place for the 1992, 1993, and 1994 seasons. It was supplanted by the Bowl Alliance
Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
.
Background
The Bowl Coalition consisted of five conferences—the SECSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, Big 8
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
, SWC, ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
and Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
--independent Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
, and six bowl games—the Orange, Sugar
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, Cotton, Fiesta
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
, Gator
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
and John Hancock
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
bowls.
Under the agreement, bowl bids would be extended to the five member conference champions plus five at-large teams. The at-large teams would come from a pool of the five member conferences' runners-up, the runner-up of the Pac-10, the SEC's third-place team (since the SEC started playing a championship game in the 1992 season; and its second-place team was tied to the Florida Citrus Bowl) and Notre Dame. The Orange, Sugar, Cotton and Fiesta Bowls were "Tier 1 Bowls" under the Coalition agreement, and the Gator and John Hancock Sun were "Tier 2 Bowls." The Orange, Sugar and Cotton bowls retained their long-standing agreements to invite the Big 8, SEC and SWC champs, respectively. However, the SEC, Big 8 and SWC champs would be released to play in another bowl if it was necessary to force a "title game." This did not happen in any of the three years, as either the Big East or ACC champion qualified for the championship in those years.
The top “host” team played the top “at-large” team in the host team’s affiliated bowl. Slots for the games were chosen by the "Bowl Poll," in which the points from the AP
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and Coaches
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
polls were combined. If the top 2 teams were both “at-large”, then the Fiesta would have hosted the "title game." The #3 team from the SEC hosted the Gator Bowl. The American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
agreed to rank the winner of the Bowl Coalition's "title game" as the top team in the final Coaches' Poll, thus guaranteeing the winner of the game at least a share of the national championship.
The formula worked perfectly in its first year. Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
, the Big East champion, was ranked first in both polls, while SEC champ Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
was ranked second. Miami was free to choose a bowl, so it opted to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Criticism
The Coalition was flawed in several respects. Most significantly, it didn't include the champions of the Big TenBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and Pac-10, both of whom were contractually obligated to play in the Rose Bowl. The Coalition's founders tried to get the Tournament of Roses Association to release the Big Ten and Pac-10 champions to play in a title game if one of them was ranked #1 or #2 in the Bowl Poll, but it refused to do so due to concerns about this potentially violating its television contract with ABC.
The possibility was also raised that an undefeated and untied team would not get a chance to play for the national championship, since poll rankings often differ. This actually occurred during the 1993 season
1993 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl...
. Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
and West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
both finished the season undefeated and untied. However, West Virginia, ranked #2 in the final regular season Coaches Poll, was ranked #3 in the final Coalition Poll behind #1 Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
and #2 Florida State. The margin between West Virginia and Florida State was large enough to drop the Mountaineers to third in the Bowl Poll, forcing them to settle for a berth in the Sugar Bowl.
Also, the Coalition did not include the so-called "mid-major
Mid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...
" I-A conferences—the WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
, Big West
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
and Mid-American
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
, as well as the other independents. However, it was argued that most of these schools did not have schedules strong enough to be legitimate title contenders. For example, when BYU won the national championship in 1984—the last time a team from a mid-major conference has won a national championship as of the 2010 season—some college football pundits argued that the Cougars did not play a legitimate schedule and should not be recognized as the national champion. The Cougars were the closest thing at the time to a major football power playing in a mid-major conference. They won 10 straight WAC championships from 1976 to 1985, and regularly defeated foes from the Pac-10, Big Ten and SWC during this time. Despite criticism of their schedule, the Cougars were a near-unanimous pick as national champion at the end of the season. The Coalition made it impossible for this to ever happen again. However, BYU's impact in college football would again put pressure on the upper-tier bowl agreements in the 1996 season.
Demise
The Bowl Coalition's demise came about, in large part, as the result of two events that occurred in the 1994 season. First, the Southwest Conference, which had seen a marked decline in its quality of play over the past decade, announced it would dissolve after the 1995 season. Also, Notre Dame slipped from 10–1–1 in 1992 and 11–1 in 1993 to 6–4–1 in 1994. Notre Dame was still invited to the Fiesta Bowl in the 1994 season, losing 41–24 to ColoradoColorado Buffaloes
The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
in a game played on January 2, 1995. The sudden fall of Notre Dame led some involved in the Bowl Coalition to be concerned about the possibility of Notre Dame failing to win the minimum six games to be eligible for a bowl invitation.
Eventually the Bowl Coalition became the Bowl Alliance, breaking up the Conference tie-ins and tweaking a system that still did not include the Big Ten and the Pac 10. Coincidentally, the last year of the Bowl Coalition was the only year that its formula didn't work out at all. Penn State went 12–0 in 1994 and was a consensus runner-up in all major polls to Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
. However, as the Big Ten champion, it was contractually obligated to play in the Rose Bowl, where it defeated the Pac 10's Oregon
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
. Meanwhile, Nebraska defeated Miami
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
in the Orange Bowl and was crowned national champion by both major polls.
The Pac-10 and Big Ten conferences later joined the group in a move that still receives criticism from some fans of each conference from perceived injustices, such as Oregon's exclusion from the championship game in 2001 when it was ranked second in both polls, and USC's exclusion in 2003 despite being ranked first in both polls used.
The current BCS was extracted from the Super Alliance.
Bowl Coalition championship game results
| Season | Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Site | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant... |
January 1, 1993 | 2 Alabama University of Alabama The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States.... (12-0) |
34 | 1 Miami University of Miami The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12... (11-0) |
13 | Sugar Bowl Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009... |
notes 1993 Sugar Bowl The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes... |
| 1993 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl... |
January 1, 1994 | 1 Florida St. Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... (11-1) |
18 | 2 Nebraska (11-0) | 16 | Orange Bowl | notes 1994 Orange Bowl The 1994 Orange Bowl a 1993–1994 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1994, for the national championship. This 60th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State came into the game 11-1, and ranked first in the nation.... |
| 1994 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some... * |
January 1, 1995 | 1 Nebraska (12-0) | 24 | 3 Miami University of Miami The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12... (10-1) |
17 | Orange Bowl | notes 1995 Orange Bowl The 1995 Orange Bowl a 1994-1995 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1995, for the national championship. This 61st edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Miami Hurricanes. Nebraska came into the game with a 12-0 and #1 AP ranking, whereas Miami came... |
Notes:
1992
| Game | Date | Winner | Con. | Score | Loser | Con. | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl... |
December 31, 1992 | Baylor Baylor Bears football The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:... (7-5) |
SWC #2 | 20 | 22 Arizona Arizona Wildcats football The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:... (6-5-1) |
At-large | 15 |
| Gator Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally... |
December 31, 1992 | 14 Florida (9-4) | SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... #3 |
27 | 12 N.C. State (9-3-1) | ACC Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities... #2 |
10 |
| Blockbuster Champs Sports Bowl The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic... |
January 1, 1993 | 13 Stanford Stanford Cardinal football The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The... (9-3) |
Pac-10 #2 | 24 | 21 Penn State (7-5) | Independent | 3 |
| Cotton | January 1, 1993 | 5 Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish football (1990–1999) -1990:-Rivalries:*Notre Dame beat Michigan State to claim the Megaphone Trophy.*Notre Dame beat Purdue to claim the Shillelagh Trophy.*In the Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry, Notre Dame beat Michigan.*Notre Dame beat USC to claim the Jeweled Shillelagh.... (10-1-1) |
Ind. | 28 | 4 Texas A&M 1992 Texas A&M Aggies football team The 1992 Texas A&M Aggies football team completed the season with a 12-1 record. The Aggies had a regular season Southwest Conference record of 7-0.-Schedule:-Stanford:-Louisiana State:-Tulsa:-Missouri:-Texas Tech:... (12-1) |
SWC | 3 |
| Fiesta 1993 Fiesta Bowl The 1993 IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 1993, was the 22nd edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the and the .-1st half:... |
January 1, 1993 | 6 Syracuse Syracuse Orange football The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision... (10-2) |
Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... #2 |
26 | 10 Colorado Colorado Buffaloes football The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,... (9-2-1) |
Big Eight Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University... #2 |
22 |
| Orange 1993 Orange Bowl The 1993 Orange Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1993. This 59th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Florida State Seminoles. Nebraska came into the game ranked number 11 at 9-2... |
January 1, 1993 | 3 Florida State 1992 Florida State Seminoles football team The 1992 Florida State Seminoles football team finished #2 in the AP and Coaches poll with an 11-1 record. The Seminoles offense scored 446 points while the defense allowed 186 points. Led by head coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles competed in the Orange Bowl.... (11-1) |
ACC Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities... |
27 | 11 Nebraska 1992 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1992 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:... (9-3) |
Big Eight Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University... |
14 |
| Sugar 1993 Sugar Bowl The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes... |
January 1, 1993 | 2 Alabama 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 college football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham,... (12-0) |
SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... |
34 | 1 Miami 1992 Miami Hurricanes football team The 1992 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1992 NCAA College Football season.-Schedule:-Awards and honors:*Gino Torretta, Davey O'Brien Award*Gino Torretta, Heisman Trophy *Gino Torretta, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award... (11-0) |
Big East | 13 |
1993
| Game | Date | Winner | Con. | Score | Loser | Con. | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock | December 24, 1993 | 19 Oklahoma Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... (8-3) |
Big 8#2 | 41 | Texas Tech 1993 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team The 1993 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented the Texas Tech University in the 1993 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Red Raiders offense scored 419 points while the defense allowed 335 points. Led by head coach Spike Dykes, the club competed in the .-Schedule:-Team Players... (6-5) |
SWC#2 | 10 |
| Gator Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally... |
December 31, 1993 | 18 Alabama 1993 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1993 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1993–94 college football season, competing in the Southeastern Conference Western Division... (8-3-1) |
SEC#3 | 24 | 12 North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels football The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566... (10-2) |
ACC#2 | 10 |
| Cotton | January 1, 1994 | 4 Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish football (1990–1999) -1990:-Rivalries:*Notre Dame beat Michigan State to claim the Megaphone Trophy.*Notre Dame beat Purdue to claim the Shillelagh Trophy.*In the Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry, Notre Dame beat Michigan.*Notre Dame beat USC to claim the Jeweled Shillelagh.... (10-1) |
Ind. | 24 | 7 Texas A&M 1993 Texas A&M Aggies football team The 1993 Texas A&M Aggies football team completed the season with a 10-2 record. The Aggies had a regular season Southwest Conference record of 7-0.-Schedule:-Louisiana State:-Oklahoma:-Missouri:-Texas Tech:-Houston:... (10-1) |
SWC | 21 |
| Fiesta 1994 Fiesta Bowl The 1994 IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 1994, was the 23rd edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Arizona Wildcats, and the Miami Hurricanes. The game featured the only shutout in Fiesta Bowl history, as Arizona shut-out Miami... |
January 1, 1994 | 16 Arizona 1993 Arizona Wildcats football team The 1993 Arizona Wildcats football team represented University of Arizona during the 1993 NCAA college football season. The offense scored 294 points while the defense allowed 161 points... (9-2) |
Pac-10 #2 | 29 | 10 Miami-FL 1993 Miami Hurricanes football team The 1993 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:-External links:... (9-2) |
Big East#2 | 0 |
| Sugar Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009... |
January 1, 1994 | 8 Florida (10-2) | SEC | 41 | 3 West Virginia 1993 West Virginia Mountaineers football team The 1993 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the regular season with a 11–0 and won the school's first Big East Conference championship. The team traveled to the , where they lost to the Florida Gators, 41–7. WVU finished the season 11–1.-Schedule:-season:The 1993 season began with... (11-0) |
Big East | 7 |
| Orange 1994 Orange Bowl The 1994 Orange Bowl a 1993–1994 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1994, for the national championship. This 60th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State came into the game 11-1, and ranked first in the nation.... |
January 1, 1994 | 1 Florida State 1993 Florida State Seminoles football team The 1993 Florida State Seminoles football team was the national champion of the 1993 college football season. The team finished with a 12-1 record.-Regular season:... (11-1) |
ACC | 18 | 2 Nebraska 1993 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1993 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:... (11-0) |
Big 8 | 16 |
1994
| Game | Date | Winner | Con. | Score | Loser | Con. | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1994 Sun Bowl The 1994 Sun Bowl was a post-season college football game played on December 29, 1994. The game pitted the unranked against the #20 North Carolina Tar Heels and eventual Texas head coach Mack Brown. The game was a seesaw offensive battle... |
December 30, 1994 | Texas Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... (8-3) |
SWC#2 | 35 | 19 North Carolina 1994 North Carolina Tar Heels football team -Schedule:... (8-3) |
ACC #2 | 31 |
| Gator 1994 Gator Bowl The 1994 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the and the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida on December 30, 1994... |
December 30, 1994 | Tennessee 1994 Tennessee Volunteers football team The 1994 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. Phillip Fulmer was the head coach.-Season:... (7-4) |
SEC#3 | 45 | 17Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hokies football The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over... (8-3) |
Big East #2 | 23 |
| Cotton 1995 Cotton Bowl Classic The 1995 Cotton Bowl was the 59th Cotton Bowl Classic. The USC Trojans defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 55-14. The Trojans took a 21-0 lead less than ten minutes into the game and led 34-0 at halftime. USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who finished with eight catches for a Cotton Bowl-record... |
January 2, 1995 | 21 USC (7-3-1) | Pac-10#2 | 55 | Texas Tech Texas Tech Red Raiders football under Spike Dykes -1986 Season:Coach: David McWilliamsCoach: Spike Dykes Source:-1987 Season:Coach: Spike DykesSource:-1988 Season:Coach: Spike DykesSource:-1989 Season:Coach: Spike DykesSource:-1990 Season:Coach: Spike DykesSource:... (6-5) |
SWC | 14 |
| Fiesta 1995 Fiesta Bowl The 1995 IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 1995, was the 24th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Colorado Buffaloes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.-1st half:... |
January 2, 1995 | 4 Colorado 1994 Colorado Buffaloes football team The 1994 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1994 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 439 points while the defense allowed 235 points. The team was led by head coach Bill McCartney.... (9-1) |
Big 8#2 | 41 | Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish football (1990–1999) -1990:-Rivalries:*Notre Dame beat Michigan State to claim the Megaphone Trophy.*Notre Dame beat Purdue to claim the Shillelagh Trophy.*In the Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry, Notre Dame beat Michigan.*Notre Dame beat USC to claim the Jeweled Shillelagh.... (6-4-1) |
Ind. | 24 |
| Sugar | January 2, 1995 | 7 Florida State Florida State Seminoles football The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... (9-1-1) |
ACC | 23 | 5 Florida (10-1-1) | SEC | 17 |
| Orange 1995 Orange Bowl The 1995 Orange Bowl a 1994-1995 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1995, for the national championship. This 61st edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Miami Hurricanes. Nebraska came into the game with a 12-0 and #1 AP ranking, whereas Miami came... |
January 1, 1995 | 1 Nebraska 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska... (12-0) |
Big 8 | 24 | 3 Miami 1994 Miami Hurricanes football team The 1994 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The club was coached by Dennis Erickson and played in the Orange Bowl. In the regular season, the only loss the Hurricanes suffered was against the Washington Huskies The 1994 Miami... (10-1) |
Big East | 17 |
- Rankings are from the Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(Writers Poll). Records and Rankings are prior to bowl games. - 1994 Season1994 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some...
: No. 2 Penn StatePennsylvania State UniversityThe Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
(11-0) played in and won the Rose Bowl on January 2, thus No. 3 MiamiUniversity of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
was still in the running to win the National Championship when it played on January 1. - After the 1993 game, the John Hancock Bowl reverted to its original name of the Sun Bowl.
- The Blockbuster Bowl was a coalition bowl in 1992, but not in 1993 or 1994. The John Hancock Bowl, with had previously pitted the final Coalition team against an at-large opponent, inherited the Blockbuster's coalition pick, and pitted the final two Coalition teams against each other in 1993 and 1994