Once again we're gobsmacked by the routine passage of time: Ten years have passed like that, and to commemorate the artificially grouped events therein, the Doc Sat team is counting down the best of 2000-09. Today's category: Best Teams.

1. Miami (2001) and Texas (2005). Take your pick.

As you might expect, Doc Saturday's usual four-man panel turned in top-10 ballots that generally disagreed on every point, with one notable exception: All of us agreed that the two best teams of the decade, without question, came out of Miami in '01 and Texas in '05, two dominant, balanced, undefeated BCS champions that ran roughshod over tough schedules and have stocked NFL rosters for years hence. We did not agree on which team to put on top.

The Hurricanes, assembled by Butch Davis and fully resurgent in their first year under his successor, Larry Coker, led the nation in scoring defense behind an insane depth chart that included an incredible nine future first-round draft picks -- Phillip Buchanon, Ed Reed, Mike Rumph, William Joseph, Jerome McDougal, Sean Taylor, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams and Vince Wilfork -- opposite an offense led by stars Andre Johnson, Jeremy Shockey, Clinton Portis and four future NFL offensive linemen in front of the Big East Player of the Year, quarterback Ken Dorsey. We won't get into embarrassment of riches further down the depth chart, in the name of brevity.

Man for man, those 'Canes may be the most monolithically talented outfit ever assembled, and played like it en route to a perfect regular season, a 37-14 Rose Bowl rout over Nebraska and possibly the most undisputed national championship in the history of the sport. And yet Texas, the only national champion of the decade to average 50 points per game, matched the '01 Hurricanes note for dominant note just four years later behind the most electric individual athlete of the era, Vince Young:

There's no reason to split hairs: Both teams were exceptionally dominant against first-rate opposition and rank easily among the greatest teams of all time. But if you insist ...

1. Texas (2005). Because the Longhorns have one notch on their resumé that Miami doesn't in the epic Rose Bowl comeback against the USC juggernaut at its peak, arguably the greatest single win by any team of this decade, and maybe of the last several.

If USC had held on to win, we'd be arguing about those Trojans in this spot, and that's not the case with any team on the Hurricanes' otherwise impressively deep schedule in 2001.

2. Miami (2001). But I still would not want to line up against this bunch under any circumstances.

3. USC (2004). Led by Heisman-winning quarterback Matt Leinart and the nation's stingiest defense, the best of Pete Carroll's Trojan dynasty won by 25.2 points per game and smoked undefeated Oklahoma -- a mere one-point underdog after a season-long pas de deux with SC for No. 1 in the polls -- by 36 in the Orange Bowl to finish 13-0.

4. Florida (2008). The 13-1 Gators are the best team on the list with a loss, winning each of their last ten by double digits to join '01 Miami and '05 Texas as the only BCS champs with an average margin of victory over 30 points per game. Besides the prolific, Tebow-led offense, UF finished in the top 15 nationally in every major defensive category and led the country in non-offensive touchdowns.

5. USC (2005). The Trojans spent the entire season at No. 1 and reign as probably the most hyped team on this list thanks to an offense that averaged 579 yards and 49 points per game, and boasted the unmatched star power of back-to-back Heisman winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. But the "greatest team ever" now appears vastly overrated thanks to the mediocre defense's collapse in the Rose Bowl loss to Texas.

T-6. LSU (2003) The darkhorse Tigers led the nation in total and scoring defense, spanked preseason SEC favorite Georgia twice and completely shut down Heisman winner Jason White in the Sugar Bowl to finish 13-1 and place the program firmly among the national elite for the first time in decades. Yes, this is properly regarded as a split championship with Associated Press No. 1 USC, but in lieu of the dream Tiger-Trojan showdown, LSU's schedule gives it the narrow edge here.

T-6. Auburn (2004). Pending a successful finish by Florida or Alabama this year, the other Tigers are still the only undefeated SEC team of the decade, yet ironically aren't among the league's four BCS champions in that span despite beating five ranked teams and leading the nation in scoring defense. Again, Tigers-Trojans for all the marbles exists only in our dreams.

8. Oklahoma (2000). One of the most surprising national champions of any decade came from way back in the polls to finish undefeated in Bob Stoops' second year, beating four teams in the AP's final top 12 by double digits along the way.

9. Texas (2008). The Longhorns topped 35 points in 10 of 12 regular-season games and finished with four wins over teams in the final polls, eventually setting a new standard for Best Sustained Grieving when the BCS formula opted for Oklahoma instead in the Big 12 (and subsequently the BCS) Championship game despite the Longhorns' 45-35 win over the Sooners in October. This would not have happened if UT had caught the freaking interception one play before giving up the dramatic winning touchdown at Texas Tech, its only loss.

10. USC (2008). The counterpart to the high-flying 2005 Trojan offense, the best defense of the decade actually helped USC outscore opponents by a touchdown more per game than the '05 edition and outgained opponents by almost twice as much -- in fact, USC's yardage spread in '08 (455 yards per game to 222 yards allowed) was easily the widest of any team on this list. Alas, Thursday night slip-ups at Oregon State do not a legend make.

Also receiving votes: Miami (2002); USC (2003); Ohio State (2005); Alabama (2009). That's right, Buckeye fans, no votes for the 14-0, crystal ball-toting Houdinis of 2002. Let us have it. We're ready.

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Previously on "Best of the Aughts": Best Upset, Best Scandal, Best Innvation, Best Villain, Best Game, Best Sleeper.

Related: End of Decade