BCS Era Ends with Exclamation Point – From the Bird’s Nest

The Bowl Championship Series is now history after sixteen years of doing its best to pit the top two teams in the nation against each other.

Almost every season there was some controversy.  Fans started calling it the BS.  And, enough clamoring was done to where there will be a four team playoff next year for the National Championship.

And #5's fans will moan and complain.

But no one will be moaning about the way the BCS went out.

Florida State's touchdown with 13 seconds left gave the Seminoles their third national title, 34-31 over Auburn.  It broke the SEC string of seven consecutive national titles.

And, this one had just about everything.

The underdog Tigers took a 21-3 lead as their defense dominated the 'Noles and Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, who looked rattled and lost.  But coach Jimbo Fisher jumpstarted his team by calling for a fake punt in Seminoles' territory in the second quarter.  The gamble worked, the 'Noles went on to get a touchdown and FSU was back in the game.

Big plays on special teams made all the difference in this one.  Lou Groza Award winner Roberto Aguayo kicked two field goals.  FSU's fake punt led to a touchdown.  And, Levonte Whitfield's electrifying 100 yard kickoff return answered an Auburn score with four and a half minutes to go.

One of the many stories in this game was how would Winston handle the pressure, especially if he was faced with leading his team to a score to win the game.

His results weren't very good in the first half.  The second half was a much different story.  Winston finished 20-35 for 237 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns.  The freshman looked like a senior on the final drive.  He was 7-9 passing in the fourth quarter.  And, with the game on the line, he looked like a Heisman Trophy winner.

When he was finished, FSU was in the record books for the biggest comeback (18 points) in the history of the BCS.  And, that record won't be broken.

The BCS is no more because too many thought it WAS broken.

But for the final night, it was absolutely beautiful.