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After 16 years, it's time to say goodbye to the BCS, and usher in the College Football Playoff.
But before we do, we've come up with our all-BCS-era team (1998-2013), based on the years players were in the system:
Offense
QB: Matt Leinart, USC (2003-05) -- A strong case could be made for Texas' Vince Young or Florida's Tim Tebow here. But Leinart won two national titles, and was a play away from winning a third. He also finished in the top six of the Heisman voting in three seasons as USC's starting quarterback, winning the trophy in 2004. Young's '05 championship game performance is more remembered, but Leinart shredded Oklahoma in the title game the year before with five touchdown passes. He finished his career with 10,693 passing yards and 99 touchdowns, and never once had a double-digit interception season.
RB: Ron Dayne, Wisconsin (1998-99) -- Dayne's career rushing record of 7,125 yards still stands today. He capped a marvelous career with a marvelous senior season, racking up 2,034 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground to lead the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. Dayne won the Heisman, and captured the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards, both given to the top player in college football. He also won the Doak Walker (best running back) and was the Big Ten offensive player of the year.
RB: Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma (2004-06) -- Nicknamed "A.D." because he could run "All Day," Peterson set an FBS freshman record with 1,925 rushing yards while finishing second to Leinart in the '04 Heisman voting. Injuries plagued his next two seasons, but he still was a force and rushed for more than 1,000 yards to finish with 4,041 career rushing yards and 41 touchdowns before turning pro early.
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh (2002-03) -- No receiver has come as close to winning the Heisman as Fitzgerald did in '03. Fitzgerald had a monster sophomore campaign, with 92 receptions, 1,672 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns, but was narrowly edged in the Heisman voting by Oklahoma quarterback Jason White. He still won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver as well as the Walter Camp before becoming the third overall pick in the NFL draft.
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State (2009-11) -- Blackmon joined Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree as the only receiver to win the Biletnikoff twice. In those two seasons, Blackmon put up 233 receptions, 3,304 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns. Blackmon gets the slight nod over Crabtree, because Oklahoma State won its first Big 12 title with Blackmon at wideout, while the Red Raiders came up just short with Crabtree.
TE: Kellen Winslow Jr., Miami (2001-03) -- Winslow was a matchup nightmare for opponents during his tenure at Miami. His final two seasons, Winslow had 117 receptions and 1,331 receiving yards, and in '03 won the Mackey Award as college football's top tight end.
OT: Joe Thomas, Wisconsin (2003-06) -- Thomas started 38 games for Wisconsin, and was a dominating force up front. He was the first Badger to win the Outland Trophy, given to college football's top interior lineman, and was a unanimous All-American. Wisconsin went 31-7 with Thomas manning left tackle.
OT: Bryant McKinnie, Miami (2000-01) -- McKinnie played only two seasons with the Hurricanes after transferring from junior college. But the 6-foot-9, 330-pound left tackle was, literally, a big piece of Miami's '01 national championship team. That season, McKinnie won the Outland, and was the only offensive lineman of the BCS era to finish in the top 10 of the Heisman voting.
G: Barrett Jones, Alabama (2009-12) -- Though Jones finished his career as a center, he started it as a guard. Over four years, Jones made 49 starts across the offensive line, and was part of three national championship teams. He won the Outland as a junior, then the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center, as a senior.
G: David Yankey, Stanford (2010-13) -- Yankey just capped a sparkling career with the Cardinal. Yankey was a unanimous All-American this past season, and a consensus All-American as a junior. With Yankey in the lineup, Stanford won two Pac-12 titles and compiled a record of 34-7 over three seasons.
C: Maurkice Pouncey, Florida (2007-09) -- Pouncey became just the seventh true freshman in Florida history to start an opener, and he would be a foundational piece up front for the Gators for the next three seasons. Pouncey won the Rimington and was a consensus All-American in '09, and was a big part of Florida's national championship team in '08. Pouncey left school a year early, and became the highest-drafted center in 11 years.
AP: Percy Harvin, Florida (2006-08) -- With Harvin assaulting defenses as a rusher, a receiver and a returner, the Gators reeled off two national championships. The SEC freshman of the year scored a touchdown in Florida's national championship win over Ohio State in '06. Then he capped his college career with 170 yards rushing and receiving and a touchdown in the Gators' national title victory over Oklahoma in '08. Harvin finished his career with 1,929 yards receiving and 1,852 yards rushing to become one of two FBS receivers since '96 to total more than 1,500 yards in each category.
Defense
DE: Terrell Suggs, Arizona State (2000-02) -- Suggs still holds the FBS season record with 24 sacks in '02. He won the inaugural Ted Hendricks Award, given to the nation's top defensive end, and captured the Nagurski Award as college football's most outstanding defensive player. Suggs finished his career with an FBS-record 44 sacks and 14 forced fumbles.
DE: Julius Peppers, North Carolina (1999-01) -- Peppers led the nation with 15 sacks as a sophomore. Then as a junior, he won the Lombardi Award, as college football's best lineman or linebacker, and the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player. Peppers, who also played for the North Carolina basketball team, tallied 30½ sacks in his career before becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
DT: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (2005-09) -- There was no more dominant defensive tackle during the BCS era than Suh. After registering 12 tackles and 24 tackles for loss, he placed fourth in the Heisman voting in '09, and won a host of national awards, including the Outland, Lombardi, Nagurski and Bednarik. Suh too went on to become the second overall pick in the draft.
DT: Glenn Dorsey, LSU (2004-07) -- Dorsey had a tremendous senior season during the Tigers' run to the '07 national championship. Dorsey won the Lombardi, Outland and Nagurski trophies, was a unanimous All-American and was named the SEC defensive player of the year. He also was the top overall pick in the following NFL draft.
LB: Luke Kuechly, Boston College (2009-11) -- Kuechly was a tackling machine for the Eagles. After leading the nation in tackles his final two seasons, Kuechly finished second in FBS history with 532 career tackles, despite playing only three years. Kuechly won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker, and also captured the Nagurski and Lombardi trophies.
LB: James Laurinaitis, Ohio State (2005-08) -- Laurinaitis was the cornerstone of the Ohio State linebacking corps his final three seasons in Columbus. He was a three-time consensus All-American, and won the Butkus and Nagurski awards. He was also twice selected as the Big Ten defensive player of the year, and was part of four Big Ten championship teams.
LB: Patrick Willis, Ole Miss (2003-06) -- Willis' only two other scholarship offers out of his Tennessee high school were from Memphis and Arkansas State. He made the rest of the SEC pay for overlooking him, leading the conference in tackles his final two seasons. Willis was also a two-time first-team All-American, the SEC defensive player of the year and a Butkus winner.
CB: Champ Bailey, Georgia (1998) -- Bailey only had one year in the BCS era, but it was a prolific season on defense, offense and special teams. Never coming off the field his final year at Georgia, Bailey totaled three interceptions and 52 tackles and hauled in 47 receptions for 744 yards and five touchdowns while returning kicks and punts. He won the Nagurski and was a consensus All-American.
CB: Patrick Peterson, LSU (2008-10) -- Peterson was college football's most dynamic cornerback/returner since Bailey. On top of ranking in the top 10 nationally in kick and punt returns his junior year, Peterson earned the Bednarik and the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back. He also was a unanimous All-American and the SEC defensive player of the year.
S: Roy Williams, Oklahoma (1999-01) -- Williams was a major part of Oklahoma's revival at the turn of the millennium. He was one of the Sooners' best players on the '00 national championship team, before winning the Thorpe and Nagurski awards in '01. That year, he also was the Big 12 defensive player of the year and a unanimous All-American while placing seventh in the Heisman voting.
S: Ed Reed, Miami (1998-01) -- Reed was a consensus All-American in '00 and a unanimous selection in '01 as the leader of Miami's national championship defense. Reed was a finalist for the Thorpe, but lost out to Roy Williams. He also was honored as the Big East defensive player of the year, and set a Miami record with 21 career interceptions.
Special teams
K: Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State (1997-1999) -- Janikowski was the first and only two-time recipient of the Lou Groza Award, given to college football's top kicker. Janikowski left school early and became just the third place-kicker in NFL history to be taken in the first round of the draft.
P: Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech (2010-12) -- Allen became Louisiana Tech's first unanimous All-American. He also was the first and only player to win the Ray Guy Award in back-to-back seasons as the nation's top punter.
KR: Ted Ginn Jr., Ohio State (2004-06) -- Ginn doubled as game-breaking returner and receiver for the Buckeyes. He set a Big Ten record with six career punt return touchdowns, and returned the opening kick for a touchdown in the '06 national title game against Florida. Offensively, Ginn finished his career with 135 receptions for 1,943 yards and 15 touchdowns.
PR: Reggie Bush, USC (2003-05) -- The '05 Heisman winner was one of the most explosive players of the BCS era. A member of two national title teams, Bush was a threat to score any time he touched the ball on offense or special teams. His final season, he rushed for 1,740 yards while averaging a national-best 8.7 yards per carry. He also returned three punts for touchdowns in his career. Bush had to give his Heisman back, but he also won the Doak Walker and Walter Camp awards.
But before we do, we've come up with our all-BCS-era team (1998-2013), based on the years players were in the system:
Offense
QB: Matt Leinart, USC (2003-05) -- A strong case could be made for Texas' Vince Young or Florida's Tim Tebow here. But Leinart won two national titles, and was a play away from winning a third. He also finished in the top six of the Heisman voting in three seasons as USC's starting quarterback, winning the trophy in 2004. Young's '05 championship game performance is more remembered, but Leinart shredded Oklahoma in the title game the year before with five touchdown passes. He finished his career with 10,693 passing yards and 99 touchdowns, and never once had a double-digit interception season.
RB: Ron Dayne, Wisconsin (1998-99) -- Dayne's career rushing record of 7,125 yards still stands today. He capped a marvelous career with a marvelous senior season, racking up 2,034 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground to lead the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. Dayne won the Heisman, and captured the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards, both given to the top player in college football. He also won the Doak Walker (best running back) and was the Big Ten offensive player of the year.
RB: Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma (2004-06) -- Nicknamed "A.D." because he could run "All Day," Peterson set an FBS freshman record with 1,925 rushing yards while finishing second to Leinart in the '04 Heisman voting. Injuries plagued his next two seasons, but he still was a force and rushed for more than 1,000 yards to finish with 4,041 career rushing yards and 41 touchdowns before turning pro early.
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh (2002-03) -- No receiver has come as close to winning the Heisman as Fitzgerald did in '03. Fitzgerald had a monster sophomore campaign, with 92 receptions, 1,672 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns, but was narrowly edged in the Heisman voting by Oklahoma quarterback Jason White. He still won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver as well as the Walter Camp before becoming the third overall pick in the NFL draft.
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State (2009-11) -- Blackmon joined Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree as the only receiver to win the Biletnikoff twice. In those two seasons, Blackmon put up 233 receptions, 3,304 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns. Blackmon gets the slight nod over Crabtree, because Oklahoma State won its first Big 12 title with Blackmon at wideout, while the Red Raiders came up just short with Crabtree.
TE: Kellen Winslow Jr., Miami (2001-03) -- Winslow was a matchup nightmare for opponents during his tenure at Miami. His final two seasons, Winslow had 117 receptions and 1,331 receiving yards, and in '03 won the Mackey Award as college football's top tight end.
OT: Joe Thomas, Wisconsin (2003-06) -- Thomas started 38 games for Wisconsin, and was a dominating force up front. He was the first Badger to win the Outland Trophy, given to college football's top interior lineman, and was a unanimous All-American. Wisconsin went 31-7 with Thomas manning left tackle.
OT: Bryant McKinnie, Miami (2000-01) -- McKinnie played only two seasons with the Hurricanes after transferring from junior college. But the 6-foot-9, 330-pound left tackle was, literally, a big piece of Miami's '01 national championship team. That season, McKinnie won the Outland, and was the only offensive lineman of the BCS era to finish in the top 10 of the Heisman voting.
G: Barrett Jones, Alabama (2009-12) -- Though Jones finished his career as a center, he started it as a guard. Over four years, Jones made 49 starts across the offensive line, and was part of three national championship teams. He won the Outland as a junior, then the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center, as a senior.
G: David Yankey, Stanford (2010-13) -- Yankey just capped a sparkling career with the Cardinal. Yankey was a unanimous All-American this past season, and a consensus All-American as a junior. With Yankey in the lineup, Stanford won two Pac-12 titles and compiled a record of 34-7 over three seasons.
C: Maurkice Pouncey, Florida (2007-09) -- Pouncey became just the seventh true freshman in Florida history to start an opener, and he would be a foundational piece up front for the Gators for the next three seasons. Pouncey won the Rimington and was a consensus All-American in '09, and was a big part of Florida's national championship team in '08. Pouncey left school a year early, and became the highest-drafted center in 11 years.
AP: Percy Harvin, Florida (2006-08) -- With Harvin assaulting defenses as a rusher, a receiver and a returner, the Gators reeled off two national championships. The SEC freshman of the year scored a touchdown in Florida's national championship win over Ohio State in '06. Then he capped his college career with 170 yards rushing and receiving and a touchdown in the Gators' national title victory over Oklahoma in '08. Harvin finished his career with 1,929 yards receiving and 1,852 yards rushing to become one of two FBS receivers since '96 to total more than 1,500 yards in each category.
Defense
DE: Terrell Suggs, Arizona State (2000-02) -- Suggs still holds the FBS season record with 24 sacks in '02. He won the inaugural Ted Hendricks Award, given to the nation's top defensive end, and captured the Nagurski Award as college football's most outstanding defensive player. Suggs finished his career with an FBS-record 44 sacks and 14 forced fumbles.
DE: Julius Peppers, North Carolina (1999-01) -- Peppers led the nation with 15 sacks as a sophomore. Then as a junior, he won the Lombardi Award, as college football's best lineman or linebacker, and the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player. Peppers, who also played for the North Carolina basketball team, tallied 30½ sacks in his career before becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
DT: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (2005-09) -- There was no more dominant defensive tackle during the BCS era than Suh. After registering 12 tackles and 24 tackles for loss, he placed fourth in the Heisman voting in '09, and won a host of national awards, including the Outland, Lombardi, Nagurski and Bednarik. Suh too went on to become the second overall pick in the draft.
DT: Glenn Dorsey, LSU (2004-07) -- Dorsey had a tremendous senior season during the Tigers' run to the '07 national championship. Dorsey won the Lombardi, Outland and Nagurski trophies, was a unanimous All-American and was named the SEC defensive player of the year. He also was the top overall pick in the following NFL draft.
LB: Luke Kuechly, Boston College (2009-11) -- Kuechly was a tackling machine for the Eagles. After leading the nation in tackles his final two seasons, Kuechly finished second in FBS history with 532 career tackles, despite playing only three years. Kuechly won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker, and also captured the Nagurski and Lombardi trophies.
LB: James Laurinaitis, Ohio State (2005-08) -- Laurinaitis was the cornerstone of the Ohio State linebacking corps his final three seasons in Columbus. He was a three-time consensus All-American, and won the Butkus and Nagurski awards. He was also twice selected as the Big Ten defensive player of the year, and was part of four Big Ten championship teams.
LB: Patrick Willis, Ole Miss (2003-06) -- Willis' only two other scholarship offers out of his Tennessee high school were from Memphis and Arkansas State. He made the rest of the SEC pay for overlooking him, leading the conference in tackles his final two seasons. Willis was also a two-time first-team All-American, the SEC defensive player of the year and a Butkus winner.
CB: Champ Bailey, Georgia (1998) -- Bailey only had one year in the BCS era, but it was a prolific season on defense, offense and special teams. Never coming off the field his final year at Georgia, Bailey totaled three interceptions and 52 tackles and hauled in 47 receptions for 744 yards and five touchdowns while returning kicks and punts. He won the Nagurski and was a consensus All-American.
CB: Patrick Peterson, LSU (2008-10) -- Peterson was college football's most dynamic cornerback/returner since Bailey. On top of ranking in the top 10 nationally in kick and punt returns his junior year, Peterson earned the Bednarik and the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back. He also was a unanimous All-American and the SEC defensive player of the year.
S: Roy Williams, Oklahoma (1999-01) -- Williams was a major part of Oklahoma's revival at the turn of the millennium. He was one of the Sooners' best players on the '00 national championship team, before winning the Thorpe and Nagurski awards in '01. That year, he also was the Big 12 defensive player of the year and a unanimous All-American while placing seventh in the Heisman voting.
S: Ed Reed, Miami (1998-01) -- Reed was a consensus All-American in '00 and a unanimous selection in '01 as the leader of Miami's national championship defense. Reed was a finalist for the Thorpe, but lost out to Roy Williams. He also was honored as the Big East defensive player of the year, and set a Miami record with 21 career interceptions.
Special teams
K: Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State (1997-1999) -- Janikowski was the first and only two-time recipient of the Lou Groza Award, given to college football's top kicker. Janikowski left school early and became just the third place-kicker in NFL history to be taken in the first round of the draft.
P: Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech (2010-12) -- Allen became Louisiana Tech's first unanimous All-American. He also was the first and only player to win the Ray Guy Award in back-to-back seasons as the nation's top punter.
KR: Ted Ginn Jr., Ohio State (2004-06) -- Ginn doubled as game-breaking returner and receiver for the Buckeyes. He set a Big Ten record with six career punt return touchdowns, and returned the opening kick for a touchdown in the '06 national title game against Florida. Offensively, Ginn finished his career with 135 receptions for 1,943 yards and 15 touchdowns.
PR: Reggie Bush, USC (2003-05) -- The '05 Heisman winner was one of the most explosive players of the BCS era. A member of two national title teams, Bush was a threat to score any time he touched the ball on offense or special teams. His final season, he rushed for 1,740 yards while averaging a national-best 8.7 yards per carry. He also returned three punts for touchdowns in his career. Bush had to give his Heisman back, but he also won the Doak Walker and Walter Camp awards.
@ Williams over Sean Taylor
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