Alabama, Florida State and Oregon are 1-2-3 in BCS standings

The 16th and last season of the BCS standings kicked off Sunday with Alabama on top and a lot of commotion below.

Alabama, the two-time defending BCS champion, is the first BCS leader this year with an average of .984.

In a mini-shocker, Florida State is No. 2 by a slight .935 to .932 margin over No. 3 Oregon.

Oregon is No. 2 in both polls used in the BCS formula but is No. 4 in the computers while Florida State is No. 1 in that index.

Oregon has the toughest part of its schedule remaining as its final five Pac-12 opponents have a combined record of 25-8.

Ohio State is No. 4, followed by Missouri.

Stanford, which fell to No. 13 in the polls after its loss to Utah, rebounded in a big way with Saturday’s win over UCLA.

The Cardinal shot to No. 6 in the BCS standings, followed by Miami, Baylor, Clemson and Texas Tech.

UCLA debuted at No. 12.

Alabama is trying to become the first team to win three consecutive national titles since Minnesota in the early 1930s.

USC came close in 2005, falling a couple inches short of defeating Texas in the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl.

Alabama also thought it was denied a rightful three peat in 1966 after Notre Dame settled for a 10-10 tie against Michigan State to clinch a disputed poll championship.

The BCS was implemented in 1998 as a way to pair No. 1 vs. No. 2 in a sport that was long paralyzed by intricate bowl contracts that sometimes prevented the top teams from playing.

The BCS became possible when the Rose Bowl agreed to join and it has somehow lasted 16 years using a combination of polls and computers to pick the top two teams.

Next year, a 13-person selection committee will replace the BCS and choose the top four teams for a playoff.

The BCS has generally done a good job in pairing No. 1 vs. No.2 with a few epic exceptions.

In 2003, USC was No. 1 in both polls but finished No. 3 in the BCS standings and had to play in the Rose Bowl instead of the Sugar Bowl’s championship game.

LSU defeated Oklahoma for the BCS title but the Associated Press broke ranks and awarded the title to USC.

Controversy erupted in 2006 when Florida edged Michigan out for the No. 2 spot, and again 2011 when Alabama got to the title game without winning its own division of the SEC.

Here are a few facts and figures entering the last BCS season:

--Oklahoma has spent the most weeks at No. 1 in the BCS standings, 20, despite winning only one championship in 2000.

--Ohio State and USC are second with 15 weeks at No. 1.

--LSU and Alabama have each spent 10 weeks on top but have won five of the first 15 BCS titles.

--Ohio State, which won the title in 2002, spent 12 consecutive weeks at No. 1 -- the last eight weeks of 2006 and the first four weeks of 2007.

--The first No. 1 in BCS history was, of all teams, UCLA. The Bruins opened on top in October 1998 and spent one week there before falling to No. 3. UCLA has never been back to No. 1.