Doug Pensinger/Getty Images I was a senior in high school in 1996, and I had a new girlfriend, colleges to apply to, etc., so my attention span was probably a bit more limited this fall than it was in others. Plus, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State both stunk, so the the local media weren’t spending quite as much time and detail on the sport. That said, here’s what I remember about 1996: That amazing Rose Bowl. It’s almost hard to fathom, but less than 20 years ago, Arizona State came within 19 seconds of winning a national title. The path was about to be clear — No. 1 Florida State was going to lose to No. 2 Florida on the evening of January 1, and while Steve Spurrier’s Gators would probably steal some No. 1 votes with their dominant performance over the Seminoles, they probably weren’t going to surpass an unbeaten team that had just taken down Ohio State (and had whooped still-awesome Nebraska earlier in the year). But Joe Germaine found David Boston from five yards out, setting the table for Spurrier’s national title. The right team winning the national title. I was rooting desperately for ASU because I love underdogs, and I remember being annoyed that Florida won the title instead … but I also remember being terrified of that Florida team. …
Continue Reading: 1996 had a classic upset, a classic Rose Bowl, and a terrifying national champion
