Amid controversy surrounding the computer-based Bowl
Championship Series, ESPN.com and FANSonly.com
couldn’t wait for a proposed playoff to determine
college football’s national champion. So they made
their own fictional playoff.
And the Oregon Ducks — shutout of the BCS national
title game — won the Virtual Championship Series in
the eight-team, computer-simulated program.
Sophomore tailback Onterrio Smith scored a seven-yard
touchdown with 1:20 remaining to seal Oregon’s 36-31
come-from-behind win over fifth-seed Florida in the
VCS title game. The comeback was the eleventh of Joey
Harrington’s career and fifth this season.
Smith returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown
early in the third quarter to cut the Gators’ lead to
28-26 (with the Ducks failing to convert the two-point
play).
A Jared Siegel field goal gave Oregon a one-point lead
heading into the fourth quarter, but Heisman runner-up
Rex Grossman led Florida on drive early in the fourth,
capped by a field goal to give the Gators the lead
again.
Then Harrington worked his virtual magic.
The Ducks went on a 13-play, 80-yard drive — finished
by Smith’s TD run — to seal the victory and their
first VCS title.
Again in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion, the No. 2
Ducks defeated No. 3 Colorado in the semifinal round
of the VCS playoff. With less than a minute to play,
Harrington hit sophomore Samie Parker for a 53-yard
score to give the Ducks a 43-36 win. Oregon scored 29
points in the fourth quarter against the Buffaloes.
In the first round, the Ducks eliminated No. 7
Illinois, 34-17.
While everything turned out perfect in the virtual
world, Oregon (10-1) hopes to end the 2001 season with
a school-record eleventh win against Colorado (10-2) in
the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day.
The real kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Sun
Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.