re: ESPN's best teams in the past 20 years

I don't believe 2005 texas was the best team. They had the best performance in the Rose Bowl but they were not the overall best National Championship team of the BCS era. That would be Miami 2001. USC 2004 would be right behind that.

Alabama 2009 is correct. That was Saban's best team at Bama. This team could run, throw and had the best D in America. Also had Leigh Tiffin as kicker who was money in 2009.

I'm not convinced that LSU 2011 should be in there. Yes, I know who they beat, blah blah and they had a great defense but their offense was non existent in some games and was inconsistent all year. They didn't have a great TEAM. 2003 was LSU's best TEAM. If you are gonna include teams that DIDN'T win it all that conversation would start with 2009 Florida. That may be the best team, along with 1983 Nebraska, that I ever saw that didn't win it all.

People get caught up in "star power" of teams vs how good teams were. How effecient was the offense, how good was the D in all categories, how were 3rd down conversions, QB rating, number of 3 and outs. Those things make a great team. How exciting a team was, or how spectacular they were in one phase is a different argument. Bama 1992 had the best defense I've ever seen but would not sniff the greatest of all time TEAMS list.