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spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i-1].body = "With only a season to go, it's not too early to talk about team of the decade in college football.Is it newly-crowned champion Florida or its BCS title game foe Oklahoma, which owns the decade's best record?
Florida joined SEC rival LSU as the only two-time BCS champion this decade. USC also has a pair of national titles, but one of them was a shared crown.
Ah, the Trojans. USC came thisclose to an unprecedented 3-peat and boasts three Heisman winners since the turn of the century.
What about Texas, which denied the Trojans in arguably the top game of the decade?
Top team? The 2001 Miami squad has to be considered among the greatest teams of all time.
NBCSports.com contributor Mike Woods looks at the top teams of the decade.";
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spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i-1].body = "
National titles: 2 (2006, 2008 AP/BCS)
Overall record: 87-29
Bowl record: 4-5
Heismans: 1 (Tim Tebow/’06)
Argument for: If Tim Tebow returns for his senior year, it’s not out of the question the Gators could win back-to-back national titles. If that should happen, they would be the only team to win three national titles this decade. But you’re right, that’s a lot of ifs.
Argument against: Ron Zook. From 2002-05, the Gators went 8-5, 8-5 and 7-5 under Zook, who took over for the highly-successful Steve Spurrier. That might play well in a lot of places, but not in Gainesville. Zook’s lackluster performance puts the Gators in a deep hole in which it will be difficult to crawl out of when it comes to the team of the decade argument.
2009 outlook: With Tebow and the entire defense returning, Florida figures to be in the title mix again.";
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spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i-1].body = "
National titles: 2 (2003 BCS and 2007 AP/BCS)
Overall record: 90-27
Bowl record: 7-2
Heismans: 0
Argument for: The Tigers are just one of two programs -- Florida just made it three -- to own two national titles this decade. That automatically qualifies to get into the finals of this debate. Throw in sustained excellence while playing in the SEC (five double-digit winning seasons in the past nine), arguably the toughest conference in the country year in and year out, and you have to be taken seriously.
Argument against: The 2003 national title was shared, as USC took top honors from the Associated Press. The 2007 champs were also the first BCS two-loss kings and some will undoubtedly say they backed into it as the top two ranked teams lost on the final weekend of the regular season. Other critics will point out that both 2003 and 2007 BCS title games were played at the Superdome, making them almost a home game. Unfair? Sure. But it won’t stop those who despise the Tigers.
2009 outlook: 2008 was a setback for the No. 7-ranked team in the preseason. LSU, which went 8-5, figures to be second fiddle to Alabama again in the SEC West. The good news? Likely the top recruiting class in the nation makes its way to Baton Rouge. ";
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spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i-1].body = "
National titles: 1 (2001 AP/BCS)
Overall record: 83-29
Bowl record: 6-3
Heismans: 0
Argument for: Miami was one of the undisputed kings of college football when the decade began, and its unbeaten 2001 national championship team may have been the best of this decade. Consider the ’Canes played six teams that finished ranked in the Top 25 and waxed them to the tune of a combined 254-79.
Argument against: The University of South Florida has won more games (26) the past three seasons than the once mighty ’Canes (19). Remind us again why they fired coach Larry Coker (59-15 in six years, one national championship)?
2009 outlook: This is a program that has fallen hard and fast. The climb back up will take much longer than the trip downhill. Don’t expect the Hurricanes to be much of a factor on the national landscape until the next decade … maybe.";
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spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i-1].body = "
National titles: 1 (2002 AP/BCS)
Overall record: 91-23
Bowl record: 4-5
Heismans: 1 (Troy Smith/’06)
Argument for: The Buckeyes have made three appearances in the title game and USC was the only other team to accomplish the feat in consecutive years.
Argument against: The Big Ten isn’t exactly the baddest bully on the block, so Ohio State’s overall mark can’t be considered as impressive as the others. Oh, and did you see those title game losses against Florida and LSU? And don't get a Miami fan started about the pass interference call in the 2002 title game.
2009 outlook: We'll find out pretty quickly if Ohio State is for real when USC comes to Columbus on Sept. 12. The Trojans embarrassed the visiting Buckeyes 35-3 early in the 2008 season.";
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spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i-1].body = "
National titles: 1 (2000 AP/BCS)
Overall record: 102-19
Bowl record: 4-5
Heismans: 2 (Jason White/’03, Sam Bradford '08)
Argument for: The Sooners have a national championship under their belt this decade and are the first team to reach 100 victories since 2000. They also just made their record fourth appearance in the BCS title game. Over the past nine seasons, they’ve won 11 or more games eight times, the only team among the contenders to accomplish that feat.
Argument against: If you lose three times in the title game, and are blown out in one of them, people start to look at you like you’re the Buffalo Bills. For as great as Oklahoma has been this decade, you can’t help but feel to some degree that it has underachieved. And one more thing: no, Jason White did not deserve to win the Heisman in 2003. Larry Fitzgerald did. Sorry, one more thing. You lost to Boise State. And how could we forget: Texas beat you, so you shouldn't have even made the title game this season.
2009 outlook: The forecast calls for more boom years for Boomer Sooner, especially with Heisman winning quarterback Sam Bradford returning for his junior season.
";
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spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i-1].body = "
National titles: 1 (2005 AP/BCS)
Overall record: 96-18
Bowl record: 6-2
Heismans: 0
Argument for: One magnificent victory over USC in the 2005 BCS title game will have a long shelf life. Toss in seven 10-win seasons and a solid bowl record, and this program reeks of success.
Argument against: Do we need to go any further than the Longhorns’ 3-6 record against conference rival Oklahoma? No, we don’t. It’s tough to argue a school can be the team of the decade when it’s only the second-best team in its own league. If you can somehow sell that, Wall Street has a job for you.
2009 outlook: Quarterback Colt McCoy is back, so Texas figure to be among the national title contenders again. Anyone think the Longhorns won't be ready to get 'revenge' against Oklahoma on Oct. 17?";
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spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i-1].body = "
National titles: 2 (2003 AP & 2004 AP/BCS)
Overall record: 93-22
Bowl record: 6-2
Heismans: 3 (Carson Palmer/’02, Matt Leinert/’04, Reggie Bush/’05)
Argument for: The Trojans came within a whisker of a three-peat and have 3 Heisman winners to point to. Since an 11-13 beginning to the decade, USC has gone an incredible 82-9 -- remember that 34-game winning streak? -- dominating college football like no other school. During that span the Trojans captured two national titles -- LSU and Florida are the only others to do that. Want more? Try an unprecedented seven straight Pac-10 titles, seven straight appearances in the final AP Top 4 and the winningest active coach in the game in Pete Carroll, who has never lost in November.
Argument against: One of their national titles was split with LSU, which won the BCS Championship but lost out to USC in the AP poll. Shouldn’t a school with 3 Heisman winners have more than 1 outright national title? Fair question. And if the NCAA ever gets to the bottom of this Reggie Bush/agent story, the Trojans’ story could change completely.
2009 outlook: A test, to say the least. The Trojans lose nine starters from the nation's best defense and the schedule could be the toughest in the nation (road games at Ohio State, Notre Dame, California, Oregon and Arizona State). But despite the loss of offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to Washington, the offense should be solid and another stellar recruiting class is making its way to Troy.";
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Boise State: OK, no national championships for this non-BCS conference team. But the Broncos have the best winning percentage in the decade (.860) thanks to a 98-16 record. Plus, they were the only unbeaten team in 2006 and their victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl will go down as one of the greatest college football games ever, if not the greatest. They put the little guys on the map and paved the way for other schools to follow in their footsteps, as WAC rival Hawaii did two seasons ago.
Appalachian State: The Mountaineers have not had a losing record this decade and won three straight FCS national championships (2005-07), posting a 39-6 record in the process. No victory, however, brought more attention to the program than their 2007 season-opening 34-32 win at No. 5 Michigan. That will be an image burned into our minds forever.
Grand Valley State: The Lakers have won four NCAA Division II titles this decade and appeared in five championship games. They've won 108 of 115 games since 2000 and posted at 40-game winning streak.
Mount Union: The undisputed kings of Division III with six national titles since 2000, including a 55-game winning streak, a record for all divisions, and an additional 37-game run. During that first streak, the Purple Raiders outscored opponents 2,552-641, which works out to an average final score of 46-12. Mount Union has appeared in eight of the nine Division III title games this decade."; spt_FBC_team_of_decade[i++] = new Array("spt_1219_FBCTeamOfDecade","Vote: Top team?","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data