The Tigers finished No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 following a 22-19 victory against Oregon in the BCS championship Monday night. Auburn won its only other AP title in 1957, and the Tigers started 2010 further back than any champion since the poll expanded to 25 teams in 1989.
"We’re the best football team in the United State of America," Auburn coach Gene Chizik proclaimed after Wes Byrum’s 19-yard field goal as time expired gave the Tigers a thrilling win.
Auburn (14-0) began the season at No. 22. The previous lowest preseason ranking for a national champion in the Top 25 era was Oklahoma, which went from No. 19 to No. 1 in 2000. The Tigers received 56 of 59 first-place votes Monday night. One voter did not submit a ballot.
TCU (13-0) had to settle for No. 2 after beating Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. The Horned Frogs received the other three first-place votes and had their best finish in the AP poll since winning the 1938 national title.
Oregon finished third, a spot ahead of Pac-10 rival Stanford. Ohio State was fifth.
Auburn’s title makes it five straight for the Southeastern Conference, joining Florida (with two), LSU and Alabama. The Tigers had three other SEC West rivals ranked ahead of them at the start of the season—preseason No. 1 Alabama, Arkansas and LSU, but nobody realized what a difference their new quarterback would make.
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