Florida is no longer the holder of my National Championship Belt. Here's the history of the belt. I gave it first to the Texas Longhorns, who earned the right to be called champions by virtue of their victory over the previous undisputed national champions, the USC Trojans, at the end of the 2005 college football season. In the style of various world boxing organizations, I said I would recognize as national champion only a team that defeats the existing national champion. In accordance with that method:
- On September 9, 2006, Ohio State gained the belt by defeating the Texas Longhorns 24-7.
- On January 8, 2007, Florida won the belt and the BCS by defeating the Buckeyes 41-14.
- On September 29, 2007, the Auburn Tigers took the belt with a 20-17 win at Florida.
- On October 20, 2007, LSU obtained the belt from Auburn with a 30-24 victory.
- On November 23, 2007, Arkansas won the title with a 50-48 victory.
- On January 1, 2008, Missouri took the belt away with a 38-7 win in the Cotton Bowl.
- On October 11, 2008, Missouri lost the title to Oklahoma State 28-25.
- On October 25, 2008, #1 Texas won back the belt by defeating Oklahoma State 28-24.
- On November 1, 2008, Texas Tech won the belt by defeating #1 Texas 39-33.
- On November 22, 2008, Oklahoma took the belt by defeating #2 Texas Tech 65-21.
- On January 8, 2009, Florida took the belt, and the BCS title, by beating the Sooners 24-14.
This season began with Charleston Southern, a team from the FCS, getting a crack at Florida's title. That could have tweaked the belt lineage for years. Instead, Florida went unbeaten through the regular season, losing the belt yesterday in the SEC championship to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama must defend their belt against Texas in the BCS Championship game on January 7, 2010. The winner of that game will own both the BCS National Championship and the Lex Icon College Football Championship Belt.
Curiously enough, there is now (and has been since July 2006), a website that also keeps track of this belt: http://www.collegefootballbelt.com/ Even more curiously, they retroactively began with a much earlier starting point -- Nebraska in 1972 -- but they have the same team as the current champion. In their list, however, UCLA has been the champion eight times since 1972. In the current system, the Bruins have been close a couple of times, but never champions, over the same period. Perhaps I should like the BCS better than the belt.
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