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Alabama’s matchup with Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 11 will be the fifth meeting between SEC and ACC schools with a title at stake.
And so far, the SEC has had the upper hand, winning three of the previous four matchups.
Here’s a look at the first four ACC-SEC national title games:
2013 season: Jameis Winston threw a 2-yard TD pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left and No. 1 Florida State edged No. 2 Auburn 34-31 to win the final national title of the BCS era.
The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner completed 6-of-7 passes for 77 yards on the game-winning 80-yard drive. Tre Mason rushed 34 times for 195 yards and a TD for Auburn, which led 21-3 with 5:01 left in the first half.
1998 season: Tee Martin threw 2 TD passes, including a 79-yarder to Peerless Price with 9:17 to go as Tennessee topped Florida State 23-16 in the Fiesta Bowl to win the first BCS national title.
It was the first national championship in 48 years for the Vols, who finished 13-0.
1996 season: Danny Wuerffel, who had won the Heisman Trophy a month earlier, threw for 3 TDs and ran for another as Florida swamped Florida State 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl for the Gators’ first national title.
The victory avenged Florida’s 24-21 loss in Tallahassee in November.
1958 season: Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon threw a 9-yard TD pass to Mickey Mangham in the third quarter for the only score in LSU’s 7-0 victory over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl for the Tigers’ first national championship. Cannon was named the game’s MVP.
Note: The Associated Press and United Press wire services named Maryland the 1951 national champion before the Terrapins topped Tennessee 28-13 in the Sugar Bowl. At the time, Maryland was a member of the Southern Conference before it became a charter member of the ACC in 1953.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
