2008 NCAA FBS Season [Archive]

January 9 - Texas did not get the chance to represent the Big XII South in the league's championship game. Instead, Oklahoma, a team the Longhorns beat head-to-head on a neutral field, went to Kansas City and dismantled the Missouri Tigers. The win punched the Sooners ticket to the BCS National Championship Game. Meanwhile, Texas had to settle for a trip to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.

Oklahoma went on to lose to the Florida Gators, while Texas defeated Ohio State. Meanwhile, USC destroyed Penn State in the Rose Bowl and Utah completed the nation's only undefeated campaign, downing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. As a result, four teams finished the season with legitimate claims that they should be the national champion.

Texas (12-1) has earned the 2008 Rogers Poll National Championship for their complete body of work. However, they are closely followed by #2 Florida (13-1), #3 USC (12-1), and #4 Utah (13-0). Oklahoma (12-2) finishes the season ranked #5. Boise State (12-1), Alabama (12-2), Penn State (11-2), TCU (11-2), and Texas Tech (11-2) round out the top ten.

In addition to top 10 finishers Utah, Boise State, and TCU, the non-AQ conferences placed three others in the Top 25. #14 Ball State (12-2), #18 Rice (10-3), and #25 BYU (10-3) all had fantastic seasons. The top ten non-AQ schools are rounded out by #26 Tulsa (11-3), #37 Western Michigan (9-4), #38 East Carolina (9-5), and #45 Air Force (8-5).

The Big XII placed 5 teams in the final Top 25. The SEC and Pac-10 each placed 4. The Mountain West and Big Ten conferences each had 3 representatives, while the Big East had 2. The ACC, C-USA, WAC, and MAC each had one.

Check out the complete rankings here.