8. 2006 Florida Gators (13-1, 7-1 SEC)
The season: The Gators went 9-3 in coach Urban Meyer's first season in 2005 and weren't considered a national-championship contender, primarily because of their difficult schedule. The Gators opened the season with easy victories over Southern Mississippi and Central Florida, then played No. 13 Tennessee on the road. Florida trailed 17-7 early in the third quarter but won the game 21-20 on Chris Leak's 21-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Baker. After beating Kentucky 26-7 and Alabama 28-13, the Gators hosted No. 10 LSU at the Swamp. The Gators forced JaMarcus Russell into several mistakes. They then pulled away in the fourth quarter on Leak's 21-yard scoring pass to Baker and Reggie Nelson's 70-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 23-10 victory. Florida's only loss was 27-17 at Auburn. The Gators also beat No. 25 Georgia 21-14 and No. 8 Arkansas 38-28 in the SEC championship game.
Signature moment: Facing former coach Steve Spurrier in the Swamp, Gators defensive end Jarvis Moss blocked a potential game-winning 48-yard field goal with eight seconds left in a 17-16 victory over South Carolina. Florida also blocked an extra-point attempt and field goal try earlier in the game.
The championship game: After the Gators finished ahead of Michigan in the final BCS standings, they faced No. 1 Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz. The unbeaten Buckeyes were sizable favorites and took a 7-0 lead when Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. But the Florida defense harassed Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith throughout the contest. He completed only four of 14 passes for 95 yards, and he was sacked five times and held to minus-29 yards on 10 runs. The Gators won their second national championship in 10 years by a score of 41-14.
The stars: Leak finally won over the Gator Nation in his final season at quarterback, completing 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards with 23 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Tim Tebow was sensational as a freshman, leading the Gators with eight rushing touchdowns and three touchdown passes in limited action. Baker caught 60 passes for 920 yards with 10 touchdowns. The defense was led by All-America safety Nelson, who had six interceptions and numerous other big plays, and pass-rushing ends Moss and Derrick Harvey, who combined for 18½ sacks.
Why they're No. 8: The Gators avoided several close calls while playing perhaps the country's most difficult schedule. After Florida won five games by a touchdown or less, not many people were convinced the Gators deserved to play Ohio State for the national championship. But the Gators answered their critics by blowing the Buckeyes off the field.
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