Interesting question... let's break down the numbers.

Record: Basically equal.
FL St = 12-1,
ND = 11-1,
AU = 11-0.

Big Wins (opp w/ 9+ wins): Big Edge Florida State
FL St = 5
ND = 2
AU = 2

Losses: Slight Edge Auburn
FL St = 1 (24-31 vs 11-1 Notre Dame)
ND = 1 (39-41 vs 9-3 Boston College)
AU = 0

Strength of Schedule (Opp W-L): Edge Florida State
FL St = 92-62
ND = 73-68
AU = 54-56

Margin of Victory: Edge Florida State
FL St = 31.31
ND = 17.67
AU = 14.64


The numbers say Florida State easily. I'd put the top ten for 1993 at...

1. Florida State (12-1)
2. Nebraska (11-1)
3. West Virginia (11-1)
4. Auburn (11-0)
5. Florida (11-2)
6. Notre Dame (11-1)
7. Wisconsin (10-1)
8. Boston College (9-3)
9. Penn State (10-2)
10. Ohio State (10-1)

Nebraska should at least be in the conversation. If Florida State is in the mix despite losing head-to-head to Notre Dame, then Nebraska should get the same consideration. Florida State needed some last-second luck and a couple of sketchy calls to beat Nebraska, in front of a partisan Florida crowd. And this was essentially the same Nebraska team that would destroy everything in its path for the next two years, which reflects well on the 1993 team.

gotta go with FSU. watched the FSU-ND game and felt like the better team did not win. Nebraska had the foundation of a great team to come. Being in SEC country, i could not count out Terry Bowden's bunch at Auburn though.

Maybe FSU, but that FSU - N.D. game was not as close as the score, FSU added a junk score at the end to pull it closer if I remember correctly - People back then were primarily focused the "loss" coloumn and were willing to give N.D. the benefit of the doubt losing on a last second field goal, vs. F.S.U, who, despite how they may have looked, did get outright beat by N.Dame. Also remember, Bobby did a lot of P.R. work to help get in the title game, and alot of people at the time thought F.S.U. got bumped in the polls as a Bobby Bowden lifetime achievement award; **doesn't mean they weren't the best team,** but the idea of FSU even playing for the title was fairly controversial at the time. The atmosphere was eerily similar to the post regular season atmosphere of this past year....

I tend to agree that Notre Dame outplayed Florida State in that game by a healthy margin.

It was crazy too because Jeff Burris literally got his hands on five would-be interceptions and dropped them all. If he had grabbed just one of those I think the momentum would have swung even further for the Irish and had them flirting with a 40-point afternoon against a legitimately good defense.

Also, in regard to your rankings, Ed:
1. Florida State (12-1)
2. Nebraska (11-1)
fine, see above.
3. West Virginia (11-1)
NO way. 2 loss Florida put an absolute beatdown on West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl. Lower.
4. Auburn (11-0)
Fine.
5. Florida (11-2)
Lower than N/D. 2 losses, one to eventual national champion FSU, and a close loss mid season to Auburn; I'd put N.D. ahead as FSU beat UF in gainesville in fairly close hardfought game, but still lost).
6. Notre Dame (11-1)
Higher, see above.
7. Wisconsin (10-1)
No comment/memory of this team.
8. Boston College (9-3)
Didn't they lose to Navy the week after the upset of Notre Dame?
9. Penn State (10-2)
No comment/memory of this team
10. Ohio State (10-1)
No comment/memory of this team.

I'd go:
FSU / Notre Dame (same record, but N.D. wins outright head to head, which I weight more than others)
Nebraska
Auburn

the rest however you want, but with Florida ahead of West Virginia.

I think Auburn was on television probation (along with the Bowl ban) that year (I could be wrong. I recall listening to some of their games on the radio that year), and thus nobody got to see how good or not they really were.

In 1993 OSU and Wisconsin tied. Remember those? I recall both teams entering the game in the top five and both moving down after the game (which really makes no sense at all if that indeed happened like I remember).

The biggest thing I notice about 1993 what happened in 94 and 95. Nebraska didnt lose. If they would have beaten FSU in that Orange Bowl, Tommy Frazier's teams would be remembered as the best ever and not just some of the best. Eddie George likely doesnt win the Heisman in 95, and it would have made the Jake Plummer led Arizona State win over Nebraska in 96 one of the biggest benchmarks in college football history (I would say upset, but they did come within a last second Joe Germaine drive in the Rose Bowl of winning the national title).

But the kick was missed at the end of the 94 Orange Bowl and FSU won.