Kelvin Benjamin, BCS champion Florida State grace national cover of Sports Illustrated

(Photo: Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated)

The SEC's reign of unchallenged dominance is over. Florida State brought that to an end with its 34-31 comeback victory over Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game on Monday night, placing the Seminoles back atop the college football world. Fresh off the win, Florida State adorns the national cover of the Jan. 13 issue of Sports Illustrated. In the cover image, Seminoles wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin leaps into the air to snag the game-winning touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining.

Senior writer Andy Staples shares the story of the game from Pasadena, Calif. -- a dramatic, down-to-the-wire contest in which the Seminoles compiled the largest comeback in the 16-year history of the BCS title game -- and puts the monumental win in context.

In the four years since Jimbo Fisher took over as head coach of Florida State, he has restored the program to its former glory, leading the Seminoles to an ACC title in each of the past two seasons and getting them to the apex of college football with Monday's national title, the first championship for Florida State in 14 years.The Seminoles' win also snapped a streak of seven consecutive national championships won by teams from the SEC.

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