Related Links: Game summary Marshall completes perfect season with 21-3 victory over BYU Marshall defense punishes BYU in Motor City win Motor City Bowl coverage Motor City Bowl results Bowl schedule, results The writers' picks Viewers' guide to the bowls Forum: Does Marshall deserve a chance at the title?
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The best two teams in the country will face off for the national championship for the second consecutive season.

That is if you dismiss the Thundering Herd of Marshall, who defeated Brigham Young 21-3 in the Motor City Bowl on Monday to finish the season 13-0, which will be the top record in all of college football no matter who wins the Sugar Bowl. Both Florida State and Virginia Tech are 11-0.

"The only thing you can do is go out there and win," Herd quarterback Chad Pennington said after the game. "And if you win, nobody can argue with you. So if we're 25th, 10th or ninth (in the rankings), it doesn't matter because we're 13-0."

Very impressive indeed.

But the Herd, who went into the game at the Silverdome ranked No. 11, play in a minor conference, the Mid-American. And their two toughest opponents during the regular season were Clemson and Miami (Ohio).

Because of their relatively easy schedule, the Herd were shut out of the BCS and nearly the postseason altogether when they were almost beaten by Western Michigan in the MAC championship game last month. The Herd scored in the game's waning seconds to avoid the upset.

Still, you never know how Marshall would respond against a powerhouse such as Florida State. And therein lies the problem with the BCS and the current lack of a playoff system -- we'll never find out.

"We're a Top 10 football team; I know that," Herd coach Bob Pruett said. "In my mind, we're No. 1. I won't take anything away from this football team. This is twice in four years that we went undefeated. To win that many football games, I don't care who you're playing, you got to be a pretty good football team."

Based on their performance against the Cougars, it's hard to argue with Pruett. The Herd, in just their third season at the Division I-A level, are solid on both sides of the football.

They came into the game with one of the most heralded offenses in the country. With Heisman finalist Pennington at the helm, they averaged 325 yards of offense and nearly 37 points this season.

But Pennington, who threw for 37 touchdowns during the regular season, struggled to find his rhythm against a determined Cougars rush that sacked him three times, leaving it up to tailback Doug Chapman and the Herd defense to preserve an undefeated season.

Chapman scored three times, two on the ground and one through the air. A defensive front led by tackle Giradie Mercer was incredible, spending most of the time in the Cougars backfield.

The Herd defense had eight sacks, including one by linebacker Michael Owens that knocked starting QB Kevin Feterik (broken collarbone) out of the game with 7:02 left in the third quarter, and held the Cougars potent offense to 204 total yards and minus 16 on the ground.

After finishing fifth in the Heisman voting, Marshall QB Chad Pennington helps his team finish a perfect season. (AP)

"They're right where they deserve to be," said coach LaVell Edwards, whose Cougars finished 8-4. "I'm going to vote them somewhere in the top 10. They're very quick, and we had a tough time with that quickness."

The Herd used that quickness to turn the game around midway through the second quarter. With the Cougars leading 3-0 and the Herd facing a third-and-5 situation at the BYU 35, Pennington's pass over the middle was intercepted by safety Jared Lee near the 25. He took a few steps and then was stripped of the ball by receiver Nate Pool. Receiver Lanier Washington got to the ball first and recovered Lee's fumble at the 30, where the Herd took over first-and-10.

On the very next play, Pennington threw to Chapman, who caught the ball at the Cougars 25, put a move on linebacker Rob Morris near the 20 and went the rest of the way untouched into the end zone for a 7-3 Herd lead. And they never trailed again.

Chapman, who finished with 133 yards on 14 carries and was named the game's MVP, sealed the victory with an 87-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and then a 1-yard dive following a Cougars turnover early in the fourth.

"We had so many heroes today it was unbelievable," Pruett said. "To take a great offensive football team like Brigham Young and hold them to three points is certainly a tremendous accomplishment.

"Our defense played great, our rush was great. This is just an awesome accomplishment. To go through our season undefeated is something we are very proud of."

Even if the BCS doesn't recognize it.