Bowl Championship Series

General
The Bowl Championship Series, better known as the BCS, is the postseason format for theNCAA Division I-A national football championship. Although the NCAA does not officially recognise it as a national title, it is still important to the teams that win it. The BCS consists of 5 bowl games, 4 of which are in the first few days of January, while the Championship game is one week later. The BCS Bowls are the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and finally, the National Title Game.

Controversy
Many people dislike the system, but most conferences like it, and thats the way it will stay until 2012, when they redo television contracts. People say it does not give a fair chance to the teams not in BCS conferences to win the National Title.

Rankings reflect the final BCS standings. Win-Loss data is prior to BCS Bowl.

1998–99 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 1998 regular season:
 * Friday, January 1, 1999 - Rose Bowl Game presented by AT&T: #9 Wisconsin (10-1, Big Ten champion) 38, #5 UCLA (10-1, Pac-10 champion) 31
 * Friday, January 1, 1999 - Nokia Sugar Bowl: #4 Ohio State (10-1, At-large) 24, #6 Texas A&M (11-2, Big 12 champion) 14
 * Saturday, January 2, 1999 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #8 Florida (9-2, At-large) 31, #15 Syracuse (8-3, Big East champion) 10
 * Monday, January 4, 1999 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, (National Championship): #1 Tennessee (12-0, BCS #1, SEC champion) 23, #2 Florida State (11-1, BCS #2, ACC champion) 16

1999–2000 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 1999 regular season:
 * Saturday, January 1, 2000 - Rose Bowl Game presented by AT&T: #7 Wisconsin (9-2, Big Ten champion) 17, #22 Stanford (8-3, Pac-10 champion) 9
 * Saturday, January 1, 2000 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #8 Michigan (9-2, At-large) 35, #4 Alabama (10-2, SEC champion) 34 (OT)
 * Sunday, January 2, 2000 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #3 Nebraska (11-1, Big 12 champion) 31, #5 Tennessee (9-2, At-large) 21
 * Tuesday, January 4, 2000 - Nokia Sugar Bowl (National Championship): #1 Florida State (11-0, BCS #1, ACC champion) 46, #2 Virginia Tech (11-0, BCS #2, Big East champion) 29

2000–01 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2000 regular season:
 * Monday, January 1, 2001 - Rose Bowl Game presented by AT&T: #4 Washington (10-1, Pac-10 champion) 34, #17 Purdue (8-3, Big Ten champion) 24
 * Monday, January 1, 2001 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #6 Oregon State (10-1, At-large) 41, #11 Notre Dame (9-2, At-large) 9
 * Tuesday, January 2, 2001 - Nokia Sugar Bowl: #3 Miami (FL) (10-1, Big East champion) 37, #7 Florida (10-2, SEC champion) 20
 * Wednesday, January 3, 2001 - FedEx Orange Bowl (National Championship): #1 Oklahoma (11-0, BCS #1, Big 12 champion) 13, #2 Florida State (10-1, BCS #2, ACC champion) 2

2001–02 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2001 regular season:
 * Tuesday, January 1, 2002 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #4 Oregon (10-1, Pac-10 champion) 38, #3 Colorado (10-2, Big 12 champion) 16
 * Tuesday, January 1, 2002 - Nokia Sugar Bowl: #13 LSU (9-3, SEC champion) 47, #8 Illinois (10-1, Big Ten champion) 34
 * Wednesday, January 2, 2002 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #5 Florida (9-2, At-large) 56, #10 Maryland (10-1, ACC champion) 23
 * Thursday, January 3, 2002 - Rose Bowl Game presented by AT&T (National Championship): #1 Miami (11-0, BCS #1, Big East champion) 37, #2 Nebraska (11-1, BCS #2) 14

2002–03 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2002 regular season:
 * Wednesday, January 1, 2003 - Rose Bowl Game presented by PlayStation 2: #7 Oklahoma (11-2, Big 12 champion) 34, #6 Washington State (10-2, Pac-10 champion ) 14
 * Wednesday, January 1, 2003 - Nokia Sugar Bowl: #3 Georgia (12-1, SEC champion) 26, #14 Florida State (9-4, ACC champion) 13
 * Thursday, January 2, 2003 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #4 Southern California (10-2, Automatic "3-4 Rule" ) 38, #5 Iowa (11-1, At-large) 17
 * Friday, January 3, 2003 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (National Championship): #2 Ohio State (13-0, BCS #2, Big Ten champion) 31, #1 Miami (FL) (12-0, BCS #1, Big East champion) 24 (2 OT)

2003–04 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2003 regular season:
 * Thursday, January 1, 2004 - Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi: #3 Southern California (11-1, Pac-10 champion) 28, #4 Michigan (10-2, Big Ten champion) 14
 * Thursday, January 1, 2004 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #9 Miami (10-2, Big East champion) 16, #7 Florida State (10-2, ACC champion) 14
 * Friday, January 2, 2004 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #5 Ohio State (10-2, At-large) 35, #10 Kansas State (11-3, Big 12 champion) 28
 * Sunday, January 4, 2004 - Nokia Sugar Bowl (National Championship) #2 LSU (12-1, BCS #2, SEC champion) 21, #1 Oklahoma (12-1, BCS #1) 14

2004–05 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2004 regular season:
 * Saturday, January 1, 2005 - Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi: #4 Texas (10-1, Automatic "3-4 Rule" ) 38, #13 Michigan (9-2, Big Ten champion) 37
 * Saturday, January 1, 2005 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #6 Utah (11-0, MWC champion, Automatic non-AQ) 35, #21 Pittsburgh (8-3, Big East champion) 7
 * Monday, January 3, 2005 - Nokia Sugar Bowl: #3 Auburn (12-0, SEC champion) 16, #8 Virginia Tech (10-2, ACC champion) 13
 * Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - FedEx Orange Bowl (National Championship): #1 Southern California (12-0, BCS #1, Pac-10 champion) 55, #2 Oklahoma (12-0, BCS #2, Big 12 champion) 19‡

‡ Pursuant to NCAA sanctions, running back Reggie Bush was declared retroactively ineligible for the 2005 Orange Bowl. The NCAA has formally vacated the Trojans' victory, but USC remains the 2004 BCS national champion pending a decision by the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee. No decision will be made in that regard until USC's appeal is exhausted. The 2004 BCS championship will be vacated permanently if USC's appeal fails.

2005–06 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2005 regular season in chronological order:
 * Monday, January 2, 2006 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #4 Ohio State (9-2, Automatic "3-4 Rule" ) 34, #6 Notre Dame (9-2, Automatic ) 20
 * Monday, January 2, 2006 - Nokia Sugar Bowl: #11 West Virginia (10-1, Big East champion) 38, #7 Georgia (10-2, SEC champion) 35
 * Tuesday, January 3, 2006 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #3 Penn State (10-1, Big Ten champion) 26, #22 Florida State (8-4, ACC champion) 23 (3 OT)
 * Wednesday, January 4, 2006 - Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi (National Championship): #2 Texas (12-0, BCS #2, Big 12 champion) 41, #1 Southern California (12-0, BCS #1, Pac-10 champion) 38

2006–07 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2006 regular season in chronological order:
 * Monday, January 1 - Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi: #5 Southern California (10-2, Pac-10 champion) 32, #3 Michigan (11-1, Automatic "3-4 Rule" ) 18
 * Monday, January 1 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #8 Boise State (12-0, WAC Champion, Automatic non-AQ) 43, #10 Oklahoma (11-2, Big 12 champion) 42 (OT)
 * Tuesday, January 2 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #6 Louisville (11-1, Big East champion) 24, #14 Wake Forest (11-2, ACC champion) 13
 * Wednesday, January 3 - Allstate Sugar Bowl: #4 LSU (10-2, At-large) 41, #11 Notre Dame (10-2, At-large) 14
 * Monday, January 8 - Tostitos BCS National Championship: #2 Florida (11-1, BCS #2, SEC champion) 41, #1 Ohio State (12-0, BCS #1, Big Ten champion) 14

2007–08 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2007 regular season in chronological order:
 * Tuesday, January 1 - Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi: #7 Southern California (10-2, Pac-10 champion) 49, #13 Illinois (9-3, At-large) 17
 * Tuesday, January 1 - Allstate Sugar Bowl: #5 Georgia (10-2, At-large) 41, #10 Hawaii (12-0, WAC Champion, Automatic non-AQ) 10
 * Wednesday, January 2 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #9 West Virginia (10-2, Big East champion) 48, #4 Oklahoma (11-2, Big 12 champion) 28
 * Thursday, January 3 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #8 Kansas (11-1, At-large) 24, #3 Virginia Tech (11-2, ACC champion) 21
 * Monday, January 7 - Allstate BCS National Championship: #2 LSU (11-2, BCS #2, SEC champion), 38, #1 Ohio State (11-1, BCS #1, Big Ten champion) 24

2008–09 season
These BCS bowl games were played following the 2008 regular season in chronological order:
 * Thursday, January 1 - Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi: #5 Southern California (11-1, Pac-10 champion) 38, #8 Penn State (11-1, Big Ten champion) 24
 * Thursday, January 1 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #19 Virginia Tech (9-4, ACC champion) 20, #12 Cincinnati (11-2, Big East champion) 7
 * Friday, January 2 - Allstate Sugar Bowl: #6 Utah (12-0, MWC champion, Automatic non-AQ) 31, #4 Alabama (12-1, At-large) 17
 * Monday, January 5 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #3 Texas (11-1, Automatic "3-4 Rule" ) 24, #10 Ohio State (10-2, At-large) 21
 * Thursday, January 8 - FedEx BCS National Championship: #2 Florida (12-1, BCS #2, SEC champion) 24, vs. #1 Oklahoma (12-1, BCS #1, Big 12 champion) 14

2009–10 season
These BCS games were played following the 2009 regular season in chronological order:
 * Friday, January 1, 2010 - Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi: #8 Ohio State (10-2, Big Ten Champion) 26, #7 Oregon (10-2, Pac-10 Champion) 17
 * Friday January 1, 2010 - Allstate Sugar Bowl: #5 Florida (12-1, At-large) 51, #3 Cincinnati (12-0, Big East Champion) 24
 * Monday, January 4 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: #6 Boise State (13-0, WAC Champion, At-large) 17, #4 TCU (12-0, MWC Champion, Automatic non-AQ) 10
 * Tuesday, January 5 - FedEx Orange Bowl: #10 Iowa (10-2, At-large) 24 vs #9 Georgia Tech (11-2, ACC Champion) 14
 * Thursday, January 7 - Citi BCS National Championship Game: #1 Alabama (13-0, BCS #1, SEC Champion) 37 vs #2 Texas (13-0, BCS #2, Big 12 Champion) 21

2010-11 season
The following BCS games will be played following the 2010 regular season:
 * Jan. 1 - Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio (Pasadena)
 * Jan. 1 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.)
 * Jan. 3 - Discover Orange Bowl (Miami)
 * Jan. 4 - Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans)
 * Jan. 10 - 2011 Tostitos National Championship Game (Glendale, Ariz.)

BCS Bowl wins and appearances by conference
* Virginia Tech played for both the ACC and Big East, and played in BCS bowl games for both conferences. Note that while Miami has been a member of both the Big East and ACC, it has only been to a BCS Bowl as a member of the Big East.

** Although the Mountain West and WAC do not automatically qualify for BCS bowls, some of their appearances are not considered at-large bids because of the rule allowing the highest ranked team from a non-automatic-qualifying conference to receive an automatic bid if they are in the top 12. Boise State's bid in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl is the only time a team from a non-automatic-qualifying conference has received an at-large bid as TCU received the automatic bid in 2010.