What if? A look back at the BCS era if a four-team playoff was in effect

Sam Bradford and Oklahoma were ranked No. 4 in the final BCS standings of 2007. Using the BCS standings as seeds, if there was a four-team playoff that year, OU would have faced No. 1 Ohio state in the semifinals. AP PHOTO

Under the proposal approved by university presidents Tuesday, a selection committee will choose four teams for a college football playoff.

It’s impossible to predict how a committee would’ve voted, but the BCS standings are a good enough measure to look at the past.

Here’s how the new four-team playoff system would’ve looked in the BCS era, with seeds determined by the final BCS standings.

1998

* No. 1 Tennessee (12-0) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (10-1)

* No. 2 Florida State (11-1) vs. No. 3 Kansas State (11-1)

How it actually went down: Tennessee beat Florida State 23-16 to win the first BCS championship.

1999

* No. 1 Florida State (11-0) vs. No. 4 Alabama (10-2)

* No. 2 Virginia Tech (11-0) vs. No. 3 Nebraska  (11-1)

How it actually went down: Chris Weinke and Florida State beat Michael Vick and Virginia Tech 46-29 in the Sugar Bowl for the championship.

2000

* No. 1 Oklahoma (12-0) vs. No. 4 Washington (10-1)

* No. 2 Florida State (11-1) vs. No. 3 Miami (10-1)

How it actually went down: Oklahoma’s defense shut down Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke and Florida State for a 13-2 victory in the Orange Bowl, claiming the Sooners’ seventh national title. Miami, which beat Florida State during the regular season and Washington, which beat Miami, each claimed they belonged in the national title game against the Sooners and won BCS bowls.

2001

* No. 1 Miami (11-0) vs. No. 4 Oregon (10-1)

* No. 2 Nebraska (11-1) vs. No. 3 Colorado (10-2)

How it actually went down: Miami beat Nebraska in the Rose Bowl for the national championship, and Oregon topped Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl. The year was controversial because Colorado beat Nebraska and went on to win the Big 12 championship, making the Huskers the first non-conference champion to play for the title.

2002

* No. 1 Miami (12-0) vs. No. 4 USC (10-2)

* No. 2 Ohio State (13-0) vs. No. 3 Georgia (12-1)

How it actually went down: Ohio State beat Miami 31-24 in double overtime at the Fiesta Bowl to win the national championship.

2003

* No. 1 Oklahoma (12-1) vs. No. 4 Michigan (10-2)

* No. 2 LSU (12-1) vs. No. 3 USC (11-1)

How it actually went down: Oklahoma was declared the greatest college football team ever by some, but was blown away 35-7 by Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game. The Sooners remained the top-ranked team in the final BCS standings, however, and lost to No. 2 LSU 21-14 in the national title game. USC handled Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl to give us our only split national title — so far — of the BCS era.

2004

* No. 1 USC (12-0) vs. No. 4 Texas (10-1)

* No. 2 Oklahoma (12-0) vs. No. 3 Auburn (12-0)

How it actually went down: USC massacred OU 55-19 in the Orange Bowl, leaving little doubt about its worthiness of the national championship. However, Auburn slipped by No. 8 Virginia Tech 16-13 in the Sugar Bowl, leaving the Tigers unbeaten but without a chance to be national champions.

2005

* No. 1 USC (12-0) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (9-2)

* No. 2 Texas (12-0) vs. No. 3 Penn State (10-1)