[Editor's note: This is a continuing look at what my design would look like for this year and will walk backwards one year per week, until the dawn of the BCS era. For other years and a better look at my design look here.]

Qualifying teams

Miami, Nebraska, Colorado and Oregon would have qualified as the top group of teams. No other teams finished undefeated.

Tournament

Miami (FL) would host Oregon in the Orange Bowl while Nebraska and Colorado play in the Wild Card Game. The winners would advance to the National Championship Game. Colorado and Oregon may have been swapped to avoid a same conference semifinal.

Possible BCS Bowls

This year is the only year my design reverted to what the BCS accomplished. Due to the added games the BCS bowls would have been altered.

Fiesta: Florida vs. Maryland
Rose: Illinois vs. Stanford
Sugar: LSU vs. Virginia Tech*

*Virginia Tech would have become eligible as the field would have been expanded to the top 18 as not enough teams finished in the top 14 to fill all available spots. The BCS rankings only went to 15 that year, but the December 9th AP poll suggests Virginia Tech should have been in the top 18.

Teams in bold would have been tied to that berth, italics indicate a BCS berth would have been guaranteed. Numerous Big 12, SEC and PAC 10 teams were ineligible due to their conferences quota of two bowls.

What actually happened and a tier based plus one next.

What actually happened

This year was the only year where the BCS championship system is identical to my design.

BCS Games

NCG-Rose: Miami (FL) 37 Nebraska 14
Fiesta: Oregon 38 Colorado 16
Orange: Florida 56 Maryland 23
Sugar: LSU 47 Illinois 34

Tennessee, Texas, Stanford, Oklahoma, Washington State and S. Carolina were BCS eligible but not selected.

Controversy

Miami (FL) could have been crowned after the regular season.

The main question was who was Miami(FL) going to get to beat down in the BCS championship game. Nebraska edged Colorado despite losing to them in the Big 12 championship game in the final week of the season. Oregon was in close contention as well.

A Tier Based Plus-One

Semifinals

The games would have been rearranged to prevent teams from the same conference playing in the first round. Miami would have played Colorado and Nebraska would have played Oregon in the semifinal games.

Direct Participants

Illinois and Maryland would have earned a direct participation as the highest ranked automatic qualifying champion.

LSU would have been guaranteed a first round game.

Remaining Teams Eligible for a Second Bowl

BYU, Fresno State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Louisville, Stanford, Syracuse and Toledo would have been eligible for a second bowl game.

Possible first round games

Mid-West: BYU vs. LSU
North: Tennessee vs. Louisville
South: Florida vs. Texas
West: Fresno State vs. Stanford

An Improvement

Miami looked like they would have won given any system in 2001.