#TBT - Looking back at 2005

- Nicholas Eck

Every Thursday leading up to Kickoff 2015, we will look back at one of the past seasons and recall the year that was. Week 2 for this will be the 2005 season.

The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title game in many years.

The BCS lucked out as both Southern Cal and Texas ran the table as #1 and #2 respectively. It was the second season in a row that the top 2 teams stayed pat, giving the BCS one less controversy to deal with. Both the Trojans and Longhorns finished the regular season as the only two teams that were undefeated. 

This season also saw a emergence of the Central Florida program. 0-11 the previous season, the Golden Knights finished 8-5, an appearance in the C-USA Title game (44-27 loss to Tulsa), and a berth in the Hawaii Bowl. Penn State also turned a poor 2004 performance into a great 2005 season. 4-7 in 2004, the Nittany Lions finished 2005 with a 11-1 record, and a #3 ranking in the BCS.

Prior to the start of the season, Temple was "expelled" from the Big East and became an Independent program. Army also joined the ranks of Independents when they left the C-USA. 2005 saw the ACC play their first conference title game as Boston College joined from the Big East. Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida left Conference USA to join the Big East, to bring the membership in that league back up to eight. TCU also left Conference USA to join the Mountain West Conference as its ninth member.

Conference USA responded to the mass defections by adding Central Florida and Marshall from the Mid-American Conference, knocking the MAC's membership down from 14 to 12, and Rice, Southern Methodist, UTEP, and Tulsa from the WAC to get up to 12 members. Like the ACC, C-USA split into two divisions and started a conference championship game.

In response to their losses, the WAC added Idaho, New Mexico State and Utah State from the Sun Belt Conference while the Sun Belt picked up independent Florida Atlantic and Florida International, who had just transitioned from Division I-AA. Division I-A membership is now at 119 schools.

Conference Champions - *Tie breakers went to BCS representive*

ACC - Florida State (5-3, 8-5)

Big East - West Virginia (7-0, 11-1)

Big Ten - Penn State (7-1, 11-1)

Big 12 - Texas (8-0, 13-0)

C-USA - Tulsa (6-2, 9-4)

MAC - Akron (5-3, 7-6)

MWC - TCU (8-0, 11-1)

Pac-10 - Southern Cal (8-0, 12-1)

SEC - Georgia (6-2, 10-3)
Sun Belt - Arkansas State (5-2, 6-6)

WAC - Boise State (7-1, 9-4)

Top games of 2004

1. Texas 41 - Southern Cal 38 (Rose Bowl)

The game was a back-and-forth contest; Vince Young's third rushing touchdown of the game, gave the Longhorns a one-point lead with 19 seconds left to play. Texas's Rose Bowl win was the 800th victory in school history. 

2. Penn State 26 - Florida State 23 - 3OT (Orange Bowl)

The three-overtime game took over four hours. Florida State's kicking woes continued. Gary Cismesia's 38-yard attempt hit the right upright. Kevin Kelly hit a 29-yard field goal to give Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions the win over Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles.

3. Texas 38 - Michigan 37 (Rose Bowl)

Zac Taylor threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Nunn with 4:29 left, and Nebraska survived Michigan's lateral-filled, game-ending play to beat the No. 20 Wolverines 32-28.

Heisman Trophy Winner

Reggie Bush (JR) Southern Cal - RB (2541 points)

2. Vince Young (JR) Texas - QB (1608)

3. Matt Leinart (SR) Southern Cal - QB (797)

4. Brady Quinn (JR) Notre Dame - QB (191)

5. Michael Robinson (SR) Penn State - QB (49)

Epilogue

In the years following USC's 2004 season BCS title, it emerged that former Trojan running back Reggie Bush, who played for the team in 2004 (and 2005), had received illegal gifts in violation of NCAA rules. The subsequent NCAA investigation confirmed this, and the Trojan football program was hit with severe sanctions in the summer of 2010. Reggie Bush vacated the 2005 Heisman Trophy, runner-up Vince Young commented that he would not accept the trophy. The Heisman Trust later announced that the 2005 trophy was vacated, and no winner will be named for the season.

#TBT - Looking back at 2004

- Nicholas Eck

Starting today, and every Thursday leading up to Kickoff 2015, we will look back at one of the past seasons and recall the year that was. Our kickoff for this will be the 2004 season.

The 2004 NCAA Division 1-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for the two spots in the national title game (Orange Bowl), triggering controversy. In the 2003 season, no team finished the regular season unblemished, and five teams had finished with one loss. In 2004, the situation became even more complicated as five teams finished perfect, a record for the BCS era (tied in 2009). USC of the Pac-10, Oklahoma of the Big 12, Auburn of the SEC, Utah of the MW, and Boise State of the WAC all finished the regular season undefeated. USC and Oklahoma started the season #1 and #2 respectively, but the other three teams were handicapped by starting outside the top 15. Thus the BCS National Championship was played between USC and OU, while Auburn, Utah, and Boise were having to be content with other bowl games.

Along with controversy picking the national title game participants, there was some controversy selecting the BCS at-large teams. Utah was the first at-large team to receive a bid (higher BCS rank). California was expected to get an invite, being ranked fourth in the BCS entering the final week of the regular season; Texas, who had been left out of the BCS last season entered fifth in the final rankings. Both teams finished 10-1, but the Longhorns received enough support from poll voters to jump the Golden Bears in the final BCS poll, ensuring the final at-large bid.

The Associated Press, as a result of two consecutive seasons of BCS chicanery, prohibited the BCS from using their poll as part of the ranking formula. The AP poll was replaced by the Harris Interactive poll, and the AP continues to award it's own national championship trophy.

Prior to the start of the season, Miami (FL) and Virginia Tech left the Big East to join the ACC, giving the conference 11 members. Connecticut left the Independent ranks to join the Big East. Troy State also left their Independent status in the dust to join the Sun Belt Conference. Florida Atlantic made the leap from Division 1-AA to 1-A giving the big boys a total of 118 programs.

Conference Champions
*Tie breakers went to BCS representive*

ACC - Virginia Tech (7-1, 10-3)

Big East - Pittsburgh (4-2, 8-4)

Big Ten - Iowa (7-1, 10-2)

Big 12 - Oklahoma (8-0, 12-1)

C-USA - Louisville (8-0, 11-1)

MAC - Toledo (7-1, 9-4)

MWC - Utah (7-0, 12-0)

Pac-10 - Southern Cal (8-0, 13-0)

SEC - Auburn (8-0, 13-0)
Sun Belt - North Texas (7-0, 7-5)

WAC - Boise State (8-0, 11-1)

Top games of 2004

1. Southern Cal 55 - Oklahoma 19 (Orange Bowl)

The much-anticipated battle between #1 and #2 turned into a coronation for USC, which settled for a share of the National Championship last season. Heisman winner Matt Leinart threw a record five TD passes and the Trojans won the National Title over the Sooners.

2. Auburn 16 - Virginia Tech 13 (Sugar Bowl)

Auburn needed to blast Virginia Tech, and needed an Oklahoma win over USC in the Orange Bowl for a chance at split national champions. Instead, the Tigers built a 16 point lead on the Hokies, and then needed a couple of major blunders by the Hokies to hold on to a undefeated season.

3. Texas 38 - Michigan 37 (Rose Bowl)

In the week leading up to the game, Mack Brown and the Longhorns were barraged by questions about the worthiness to play in a BCS game. A winning kick put that controversy to rest. The Texas Longhorns proved that they did indeed belong in the Rose Bowl. It was the first ever matchup between two of college football elite programs.

Heisman Trophy Winner

Matt Leinart (JR) Southern Cal - QB (1325 points)

2. Adrian Peterson (FR) Oklahoma - RB (997)

3. Jason White (SR) Oklahoma - QB (957)

4. Alex Smith (JR) Utah - QB (635)

5. Reggie Bush (SO) Southern Cal - RB (597)

Epilogue

In the years following USC's 2004 season BCS title, it emerged that former Trojan running back Reggie Bush, who played for the team in 2004 (and 2005), had received illegal gifts in violation of NCAA rules. The subsequent NCAA investigation confirmed this, and the Trojan football program was hit with severe sanctions in the summer of 2010. Among these were the vacating of the last two wins of 2004 (including the Orange Bowl) and all wins in 2005 (they lost the Rose Bowl to Texas). After USC's appeal was denied, the BCS officially stripped them of the 2004 BCS title in 2011 and left the title for that year vacant.

Back from the Dead - The UAB story

- Nicholas Eck 

In December, in the midst of their first winning season since the 2004 season, UAB announced they would cut the football program. The Blazers also ended cutting their rifle and bowling programs in what President Ray Watts called "cost cutting measures." But six months later, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Blazers will live to play again. 

June 1st, the University of Alabama at Birmingham announced that the school would revive the football, rifle, and bowling programs. We could, like a lot of people in 'Bama, spend time talking about how Watts and the UA board of trustees screwed the pooch on the whole situation. Instead we are going to talk about the monumental task of getting the program ready for the 2016 season.

Creating a Roster

First things first: UAB doesn't have one.

Following the announcement last December, 56 players made the decisions to continue their careers elsewhere by transferring out of the program. According to Norm Reilly, UAB's football sports information director, he states that the number of transfers changes almost every other week.

"Number of players remaining with the program is to be determined," he said, "Not sure where you saw the number 56 for players having transferred. I have a few more than that, though the list has remained fluid since the announcement in December."

Pair that mass exodus with 19 seniors that just graduated, and 7 non-transferring juniors set to graduate by 2016, it seems almost impossible for UAB to comply with NCAA guidelines and field a team by 2016.

By spring 2016, the Blazers will have lost 82 players to graduation and transfers, leaving the program with 23 student-athletes to suit up for the 2016 season. That 23 athletes is only if they are will to chill one season and hit the gym in the meantime. 

But the issue of returning players is just a small part of the massive hill climb ahead of the Blazers. NCAA bylaws state that no program can sign more than 25 new scholarship players each year. If the NCAA doesn't bend the rules, based on the stupid nature of the school board, the squad will be forced to play with a very thin roster.

If the NCAA finds it in their black hearts to allow UAB to bend the rule to fix Watts' mistake, they still are recruiting in a state shared with Auburn, Alabama, and Troy. Hands down, they will not be getting cream of the crop talent, and prospects are going to be weary to sign with UAB.

However, if the NCAA does make UAB play by the rules, it could take the program at least three years just to bring in enough players to have a chance at competing in the FBS. And even then, they have to count on bringing in at least two classes that will play lame duck seasons in the process.

Home, Sweet Home

On top of players, UAB needs a new home.

Legion Field - the home of the Blazers, is a god awful place to play. Built in 1926, the field has turned into a sad excuse for a venue, and was one of the major factors when Watts brought down the hammer in December. 

Since Legion Field is off the table for a long-term solution, the University would ideally like to construct a new field on campus, but it has stated that they can not, and will not foot the bill. Private donors have pledged $7.5 million for an on-campus stadium, but that is not even close enough. Another option is for the Blazers to pair with the city government of Birmingham to build one off-campus, but the mayor has declared that "we do not have the resources to do that."

Securing a Conference

Conference USA rules stipulate that a university must maintain a football program in order to retain a spot within the conference. When UAB decided to chop their program, it raised the question of whether or not C-USA would allow UAB to stay.

Reilly admits that it is still "to be determined" whether or not UAB will be able to field a team in 2016, but Conference USA appears content to wait and won't penalize the Blazers:

"We are very pleased with the decision to bring back the football program at UAB. As a conference we are committed to football, and we welcome the good news that the UAB football program has been given another chance. From all indications, this program will now be able to count on a very strong foundation of community support upon which it will begin the re-building that will position it well for success into the future. Although the lengthy evaluation process was challenging, this final outcome makes it worth the wait. We look forward to working with our colleagues in Birmingham as they plan this exciting new chapter in UAB football.”

Getting back

Under first year head coach Bill Clark, UAB posted their first winning record in 10 years. Clark was named C-USA's coach of the year, and would've coached them to their second-ever bowl appearance had the announcement not been made when it was.

Nicely putting it, all the hard work that Clark put into bring this team back to some-what respectability was quickly flushed down the shitter because Watts and Co. didn't realize that most of the money brought into a school is from the football program. Clark now has no momentum, no players, no recruiting leverage, nothing but the warm fuzzies of his first season.

This will be a rebuild unlike anything since SMU survived the death penalty (if you call that surviving). You can and should celebrate UAB for saving it's team. But the next few years in Birmingham will require hard and painful work. The Board of Trustees may have failed in killing the Blazers, but they crippled it badly.