Where Gators rank among best teams of 2000s

The last 25 years of college football have been nothing short of phenomenal as the gridiron game continues to grow in popularity here in North America. The new millennium has been pretty good for the Florida Gators as well, who won two of their three national championships during the past decade and a half of competition.

So, where do the Orange and Blue’s best teams stand among the rest of the national landscape over that stretch? The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel took a stab at that query with his recently published rankings for the 25 best college football teams of the 2000s.

Both of UF’s title-winning teams, led by Urban Meyer, made the cut — but barely. The 2006 squad snuck in at No. 25 while the 2008 champions came in at No. 17.

Take a look at the breakdowns for both of Florida’s top teams of the 2000s.

2006: No. 25

AP All-Americans: LB Brandon Siler, CB Ryan Smith, S Reggie Nelson

Signature wins: No. 2 Ohio State (41-14 in BCS championship), No. 3 LSU (23-10), No. 15 Arkansas (38-28), No. 23 Georgia (21-14,) at No. 25 Tennessee (21-20)

Loss: at No. 9 Auburn (27-17)

“Urban Meyer’s first national title team wasn’t overpowering during the regular season, then exploded when it mattered most. Freshman receiver Percy Harvin broke open the SEC title game against then-No. 8 Arkansas with a 67-yard touchdown run. And defensive ends Jarvis Moss and Derrick Harvey led an incredible performance against season-long No. 1 Ohio State, holding Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and the Buckeyes to 82 total yards.”

2008: No. 17

AP All-Americans: QB Tim Tebow, LB Brandon Spikes, AP Percy Harvin

Signature wins: No. 5 Oklahoma (24-14 in BCS championship), No. 6 Alabama (31-20 in SEC championship), No. 13 Georgia (49-10), at No. 21 Florida State (45-15)

Loss: No. 14 Ole Miss (31-30)

“After stumbling against Ole Miss in the fourth game, reigning Heisman winner Tebow made an inspirational speech at his news conference that wound up on a plaque after the Gators delivered Urban Meyer’s second national title. Tebow led the nation in pass efficiency, Harvin was electric with big plays and the defense, led by Spikes, cornerback Joe Haden and defensive end Carlos Dunlap, held an Oklahoma team averaging 54 points per game to just 14 in the BCS title game.”

Methodology

Season-long dominance (using average scoring margin)Big wins (using end-of-season AP poll rankings)Schedule strength (using College Football Reference’s ratings)Elite talent (using NFL Draft numbers over a three-year span)No bad losses (either a blowout, or to a mediocre opponent)

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