2003 NCAA Division I-A football season

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The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in a heap of controversy.

Three BCS teams finished with one loss, and the system had to chose two to play in the title game. LSU lost an early home game to #11 Florida. USC lost a triple overtime thriller on the road to California. Oklahoma lost in the Big 12 conference title game to Kansas State. USC finished #1 in both polls, but both USC and LSU fell short on several computer factors. Oklahoma had better schedule strength (11 to LSU's 29 and USC's 37), schedule rank (0.44 to LSU's 1.16 and USC's 1.48), and quality wins (neither LSU or USC had any quality wins). As such, despite the timing of Oklahoma's loss affecting the human voters, the computers kept Oklahoma at #1 in the BCS poll with LSU And USC separated by only 0.16 points.

LSU defeated Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game, securing them the BCS National Championship and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Title. USC meanwhile beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Associated Press refused to drop their end of season #1 after a bowl win; doing so would have been the first time in history such a thing had happened.

The legitimacy of claiming 2003 to be a split championship season is challenged by a number of fans, most especially those from LSU. Supporters of this argument claim that by agreeing to participate in the current system, schools also recognize that the BCS produces an indisputable national champion. The other side argues that the BCS is no more an authoritative body than the Bowl Coalition or the Bowl Alliance, and there were split titles under that system as well. It is important to remember that the bowls, are not NCAA events, merely exhibitions, but since the award giving bodies began factoring in the bowls in their final polls, these exhibitions have risen in importance.

In an ironic twist, the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award sponsored by ESPN chose USC coach Pete Carroll as their award recipient, while the Paul Bryant Coach of the Year Award, voted on by an association of sportswriters, chose LSU Coach Nick Saban.

There was disgust with the other BCS games as well. Miami was leaving the Big East to join the ACC, and meeting Florida State in the Orange ensured their last game of this season and their first game of next season would be against each other.

Texas was also affected by the BCS controversy. Oklahoma's late loss kept Texas from appearing in one of the BCS games. Had Oklahoma won the Big 12 championship, the two at-large teams would have been Ohio State and Texas. But with the loss, Kansas State received the Big 12 bid and Oklahoma one of the at-large bids, leaving #5 Texas on the outside looking in. Texas lost to Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.

Two non-BCS teams also finished with one loss, Boise State and Miami (OH), stirring the debate of the BCS being unfair to mid-major teams.

Despite being several years in the past, the debate still [as of 2006] continues over this year's finish.

Contents

[edit] Bowl Games

Main article: NCAA football bowl games, 2003-04

Rankings given are AP poll positions at time of game

[edit] BCS Bowls

  • Sugar Bowl, BCS National Championship Game: #2 (BCS #1) LSU 21, #3 (BCS #2) Oklahoma 14
  • Rose Bowl: #1 (Pac10 Champ) Southern California 28, #4 (Big10 Champ) Michigan 14
  • Orange Bowl: #10 (Big East Champ) Miami 16, #9 (ACC Champ) Florida State 14
  • Fiesta Bowl: #7 (At Large) Ohio State 35, #8 (BigXII Champ) Kansas State 28

[edit] Other New Years Day Bowls

[edit] December Bowl Games

[edit] Final AP Poll

Team Final Record Points
1. USC (48) 12-1 1,608
2. LSU (17) 13-1 1,576
3. Oklahoma 12-2 1,476
4. Ohio State 11-2 1,411
5. Miami-Florida 11-2 1,329
6. Michigan 10-3 1,281
7. Georgia 11-3 1,255
8. Iowa 10-3 1,107
9. Washington State 10-3 1,060
10. Miami-Ohio 13-1 932
11. Florida State 10-3 905
12. Texas 10-3 887
13. Mississippi 10-3 845
14. Kansas State 11-4 833
15. Tennessee 10-3 695
16. Boise State 13-1 645
17. Maryland 10-3 564
18. Purdue 9-4 526
19. Nebraska 10-3 520
20. Minnesota 10-3 368
21. Utah 10-2 308
22. Clemson 9-4 230
23. Bowling Green 11-3 189
24. Florida 8-5 165
25. Texas Christian 11-2 126

Others receiving votes: 26. Oklahoma State 109, 27. Arkansas 73, 28. Virginia 36, 29. Northern Illinois 30, 30. Auburn 8, 31. Oregon State 8, 32. Pittsburgh 7, 33. N.C. State 7, 34. West Virginia 4, 35. Connecticut 2.

[edit] Final Coaches Poll

Team Final Record Points
1. LSU (60) 13-1 1,572
2. USC (3) 12-1 1,514
3. Oklahoma 12-2 1,429
4. Ohio State 11-2 1,370
5. Miami (Fla.) 11-2 1,306
6. Georgia 11-3 1,183
7. Michigan 10-3 1,140
8. Iowa 10-3 1,119
9. Washington State 10-3 983
10. Florida State 10-3 929
11. Texas 10-3 894
12. Miami (Ohio) 13-1 800
13. Kansas State 11-4 746
14. Mississippi 10-3 730
15. Boise State 13-1 704
16. Tennessee 10-3 684
17. Minnesota 10-3 553
18. Nebraska 10-3 532
19. Purdue 9-4 510
20. Maryland 10-3 462
21. Utah 10-2 327
22. Clemson 9-4 219
23. Bowling Green 11-3 170
24. TCU 11-2 145
25. Florida 8-5 124

Dropped out

No. 22 Oklahoma State (9-4), No. 23 West Virginia (8-5).


Also receiving votes

Northern Illinois (10-2) 80; Arkansas (9-4) 74; Oklahoma State (9-4) 63; Auburn (8-5) 20; North Carolina State (8-5) 17; Oregon State (8-5) 15; West Virginia (8-5) 14; Southern Mississippi (9-4) 12; Fresno State (9-5) 6; Hawaii (9-5) 6; Pittsburgh (8-5) 5; Texas Tech (8-5) 4; Marshall (8-4) 3; Virginia (8-5) 3; Boston College (8-5) 2; California (8-6) 1; Connecticut (9-3) 1; Memphis (9-4) 1; Michigan State (8-5) 1; Missouri (8-5) 1; North Texas (9-4) 1.

[edit] Heisman Trophy Voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the most outstanding player of the year
Winner: Jason White (Sr.), QB, Oklahoma (1,481 points)

[edit] Other Major Awards

Preceded by:
2002 NCAA Division I-A football season		 NCAA Division I-A football seasons
2003		 Succeeded by:
2004 NCAA Division I-A football season
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