The College Football National Championship Game is nearly upon us as the Georgia Bulldogs get set to face the Texas Christian Horned Frogs in a battle for the coveted College Football Playoff Trophy. For the ‘Dawgs, Monday night’s matchup represents an opportunity to repeat as national champions – a distinction few programs have earned. But also presents the possibility of ignominy if UGA fails to prevail.
USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg put together his top-10 teams to have just missed out on repeating as college football national champions, in no particular order. In what should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the sport for the last couple of decades, Florida’s 2009 season made the cut. Here is what Myerberg had to say on the subject.
2009 Florida (13-1)
The only thing that stopped Florida from playing for a second title in a row and a third in four seasons under [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag] was the burgeoning Alabama dynasty, which beat the then-No. 1 Gators 32-13 in the SEC championship on the way to claiming the first of Nick Saban’s six titles with the Crimson Tide. Florida rebounded to swamp Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl in the final game of [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag]’s college career to finish 13-1 and No. 3 in the Coaches Poll.
No doubt that season was a heartbreaker — possibly literally, considering stress from the failure ostensibly resulted in Meyer being put under medical observation dealing with illnesses many believe were cardiac-related. The Gator Nation would not mind seeing Kirby Smart get denied his chance to do what Meyer could not, and if TCU emerges victoriously, the schadenfreude from the Orange and Blue faithful will be palpable.
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