January 1, 2000
Orange Bowl Goes to Overtime
Michigan 35 Alabama 34 (OT)
The first FedEx Orange Bowl of the new millennium saw an overtime thriller between the University of Alabama and the University of Michigan end with a 35-34 overtime victory for the Wolverines.
January 3, 2001
Sooners Earn National Title
Oklahoma 13 Florida State 2
Oklahoma entered the game with a perfect 12-0 record, but was still considered the underdog to No. 2 Florida State, two-times the national champs in the ‘90s.
January 2, 2002
Offensive Showcase for Gators
Florida 56 Maryland 23
Heisman runner-up Rex Grossman did not start, but relieved Brock Berlin and completed 20 of 28 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns to lead Florida to a 56-23 victory over Maryland. The Gators air attack was led by MVP Taylor Jacobs who turned in a 10-catch, Orange Bowl-record 170-yard, two-touchdown performance. The 170 yards were 11 more than the record held by Alabama's Ray Perkins (1966) and Florida's Travis Taylor (1999).
January 2, 2003
Palmer Leads USC Rout of Iowa
Southern California 38 Iowa 17
The 2003 FedEx Orange Bowl match-up between Southern California and Iowa restored a traditional postseason match-up between Big Ten and Pac-10 conference champions. It was just a tad further east than normal. This traditional Pasadena match-up played out instead in South Florida and created a tremendous amount of interest on the national scene. In the end, it was the perfect ending to a storied season and collegiate career for So. California’s star-quarterback Carson Palmer.
January 1, 2004
In-State Rivals Meet in Orange Bowl
Miami 16 Florida State 14
The 2004 FedEx Orange Bowl saw one of the fiercest annual rivalries meet for the first time in a bowl setting. The Hurricanes Jarett Payton ran for 131 yards in his final collegiate performance to take home the MWP. Freshman kicker Jon Peattie converted three field goals and the Miami defense shut out Florida State in the second half in a 16-14 win.
January 4, 2005
Heisman Winners Face-Off
So California 55 Oklahoma 19
2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart faced off against 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White as the Orange Bowl hosted its 18th National Championship, six of which have included Oklahoma.
January 3, 2006
Penn State Wins in Triple Overtime
Penn State 26 Florida State 23 (3OT)
It’s not very often when a game lives up to all the hype, but the 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl was one for the ages.In a game that lasted nearly five hours, it was Penn State that outlasted Florida State.
January 2, 2007
Conference Champions Collide
Louisville 24 Wake Forest 13
The 73rd Orange Bowl Classic was a contest between first-time participants, Wake Forest and Louisville.
January 3, 2008
Dream Season Continues for Kansas
Kansas 24 Virginia Tech 21
In a classic match up between the nation’s second ranked scoring defense in the Virginia Tech Hokies (15.5 ppg) against the nation’s second ranked scoring offense in the Kansas Jayhawks (44.3 ppg), something had to give in the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl. Kansas (12-1), perhaps the biggest surprise in college football during the season, won in its first Bowl Championship Series game to set a team record for victories. The previous year, the Jayhawks went 6-6. The Hokies would finish the year 11-3.
January 1, 2009
Tech Earns First BCS Win
Cincinnati 7 Virginia Tech 20
The opening moments were filled with just about every problem Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer feared his team would have against Cincinnati.
January 8, 2009
Gators Ride Tebow, Defense to Title
Florida 24 Oklahoma 14
In a game that featured two of the county's most dynamic offenses and two Heisman Tropy winning quarterbacks, it was the defensive grudge match between the second-ranked Florida Gators and top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners that dominated the 2009 BCS National Championship.