1995 NCAA Division I - A football season The 1995 NCAA Division I - A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s . Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl . This match up was only possible because of the new Bowl Alliance . Under the old system , Nebraska would have been tied to the Orange Bowl and Florida to the Sugar Bowl . The Bowl Alliance created a national championship game which would rotate between the Orange , Sugar , and Fiesta Bowls free of conference tie - ins and featuring the # 1 and # 2 teams as chosen by the Bowl Alliance Poll . The Pac 10 and Big Ten chose not to participate , keeping their tie - ins with the Rose Bowl . Nebraska was showing signs of dynasty , playing in its third consecutive national title game , and became the first school to claim back to back titles since the 1970s . This was an amazingly dominant Nebraska team , averaging 52 points per game and a 39 point average margin of victory , including a 62 - 24 victory over Florida . Interestingly , this lopsided victory came after Florida was picked by many sportswriters to win the game . Ohio State almost managed to create a national title controversy , going into its final regular season game against Michigan undefeated and ranked # 2 . Had they finished the season # 2 the Bowl Alliance would have been unable to pit # 1 vs . # 2 as the Big Ten champ was tied to the Rose Bowl . Fortunately for the Bowl Alliance , Michigan upset Ohio State , but Buckeye running back Eddie George still managed to win the Heisman Trophy . Things were lively in the state of Florida , where the Florida Gators won their third straight SEC championship . started the season # 1 , but lost an ACC game for the first time ever when stopped a last minute drive a few inches from the end zone , knocking them out of the national title race . However , Northwestern was able to steal the show as the year ' s Cinderella story . Its only regular season loss came against . Northwestern began the season with an upset of Notre Dame and went on to defeat Michigan and Penn State later in the season . Undefeated in the Big Ten after decades as a doormat , the Wildcats went on to face USC in the Rose Bowl . However , the Wildcats lost to the Trojans in what was a see - saw game until USC pulled away in the fourth quarter . The Southwest Conference played its final game ever , an 18 – 17 win over . Four of its members would join the Big 8 to form the Big 12 ; the other four were split between the WAC and the newly formed Conference USA . The Hall of Fame Bowl , originally played in Birmingham , then moved to Tampa , Florida gained corporate sponsorship , and was now known as the Outback Bowl . The Freedom Bowl was discontinued and the Holiday Bowl absorbed its WAC tie - in . The Las Vegas Bowl game between and was the first ever to use the college overtime system , which was adopted nationwide the following year . University of North Texas upgraded to Division 1 - A football this season bringing the total number of teams to 108 . # 1 and # 2 Progress . + Ohio State , a Big Ten school , was not part of the Bowl Alliance . Florida was # 3 during weeks 11 through 13 . Heisman Trophy Voting . " The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award is given to the Most Outstanding Player of the year " < br > Winner : Eddie George , Ohio State , Running Back ( 1460 votes )