The 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State named national champions, defeating Virginia Tech in the BCS Sugar Bowl.
Virginia Tech also had a remarkable season behind freshman quarterback Michael Vick, who was being touted as college football's best player.
Vick was outshone in the national championship game by Florida State wide receiver Peter Warrick.
Two programs, each playing as independents, changed their names prior to the season: In the preseason AP Poll, No.
The other highly ranked teams had not begun their seasons, and the next AP Poll featured No.
2 Penn State had an even closer call, needing a late field goal and a block of a potential game-tying kick with time running out to preserve a 20–17 win over rival Pittsburgh.
8 Miami as the Nittany Lions followed a crucial fourth-down stop with a 79-yard touchdown pass to win 27–23.
4 Michigan held eventual Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne without a single rushing yard in the second half of the Wolverines' 21–16 victory at No.
21 Alabama for a thriller in which the Crimson Tide's Shaun Alexander ran for four touchdowns, including game-tying scores both at the end of regulation and in overtime.
Alabama missed the extra point on the latter touchdown, but an offsides penalty gave their kicker a second chance, and this time he converted the point-after for a 40-39 finish which was Florida's first loss at home in five years.
11 Michigan State as the Spartans' Bill Burke and Plaxico Burress set school records for passing and receiving yards.
16 Syracuse 62–0; not only did the Hokies' offense put on a show, but the defense also returned two fumbles and an interception for touchdowns.
October 23: Clemson coach Tommy Bowden nearly pulled off an upset against his father Bobby's top-ranked Florida State team, but the Seminoles escaped with a 17–14 victory.
2 Penn State looked ineffective on offense, but the Nittany Lions converted three turnovers into touchdowns in a 31–25 win at No.
16 Purdue which moved coach Joe Paterno into third place on the all-time wins list.
3 Nebraska also struggled to hold onto the ball, losing three fumbles (including a crucial one at their opponent's 2-yard line) in a 24–20 loss at No.
The first BCS standings, released after this weekend's games, had the same top four but placed Kansas State at No.
The top five remained the same in the AP Poll, and Florida's big victory was sufficient to move the Gators from sixth to fourth place in the BCS standings.
Unranked Minnesota completed a 4th-and-16 pass to set up a game-winning field goal and stun No.
2 Penn State 24–23; after their hot start, the Nittany Lions would lose all of their remaining regular-season games by a touchdown or less.
In a last-ditch effort, Michael Vick led the Hokies on a 58-yard drive resulting in a field goal which put them back on top 22–20 as time expired.
4 Florida won 20–3 at South Carolina to clinch a spot in the SEC Championship Game.
9 Wisconsin breezed past Iowa 41–3 to win the Big Ten title and a spot in the Rose Bowl.
2 Virginia Tech, the only other undefeated squad in the major conferences, blew out Temple 62–7.
3 Nebraska blew a 27–3 fourth-quarter lead over Colorado and gave the Buffaloes a chance to win in regulation, but a missed field goal sent the game to overtime.
After Colorado opened the extra period with a field goal, Eric Crouch's one-yard touchdown run gave the Cornhuskers a 33–30 win and a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game.
The top five remained the same in the next AP Poll; the BCS standings had Florida fourth and Tennessee fifth.
After the favored Gators scored the first touchdown, the Crimson Tide ran off 34 points in a row on their way to a 34–7 victory.
2 Virginia Tech were the obvious choices to play for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl.
11 Marshall, who finished undefeated but was not part of a major conference, went up against Brigham Young in the Motor City Bowl.