2003 LSU and USC Split National Championship

[awtysst]

What were the circumstances surrounding this Split National Championship. I know that LSU beat Oklahoma in the title game and USC beat Michigan in the Rose bowl. What exactly were the circumstances for the split National Championship?

 

[TexanSam]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_NCAA_Division_I-A_football_season

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is responsible for deciding the two best teams to play in the BCS National Championship Game However, three teams finished the regular season with one loss, leaving one team out of the mix. USC had lost a triple overtime thriller at California on September 27, LSU lost at home to Florida on October 11, and Oklahoma had been #1 in every BCS rating[1], AP and Coaches' Poll[2] of the season, however, had been shocked by Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game, 35-7 on December 6. USC finished #1 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls, while both USC and LSU fell short on several computer factors. Oklahoma's schedule strength was ranked 11th to LSU's 29th and USC's 37th. Oklahoma's schedule rank was 0.44 to LSU's 1.16 and USC's 1.48. 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 being separated by only 0.16 points.

LSU defeated Oklahoma in the 2004 Sugar Bowl, securing the BCS National Championship, as the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll is contractually obligated to vote the winner of the BCS National Championship Game #1. Meanwhile, when USC beat Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl, the majority of AP voters refused to drop their end-of-season #1 after the bowl win, although there was a precedent for doing so. In 1997, the Coaches' Poll dropped an undefeated Michigan team after the Rose Bowl in favor of Nebraska and retiring coach Tom Osborne.

 

[awtysst]

Thanks buddy!
I was wondering if there was a possibility of a Big Texas win leading to a split National Championship.

 

[TexanSam]

Thanks buddy!
I was wondering if there was a possibility of a Big Texas win leading to a split National Championship.

I don't think so. If Texas demolishes Ohio State and Oklahoma barely squeaks by Florida, maybe there could be a tiny case to be made. But even then, I doubt AP voters jump Texas over OU if both teams win.

The same scenario applies if Florida wins as well. Texas is behind both teams in the AP poll so there's very little chance of a split national championship.

 

[Blake]

There is no split national champion. The winner of the BCS title game is the champ. Who the Coaches and AP vote as the national champion does not make them the National Champions.

 

[TexanSam]

There is no split national champion. The winner of the BCS title game is the champ. Who the Coaches and AP vote as the national champion does not make them the National Champions.

That's not true. There is such thing as a split national champion. The BCS does not crown the National Champion and whoever wins that game is not called the national champ. They're the BCS champion and are usually assumed be the national champ.

 

[bah007]

There is no split national champion. The winner of the BCS title game is the champ. Who the Coaches and AP vote as the national champion does not make them the National Champions.

I've said this myself ever since USC was named "co-champion" when LSU won the national title.

I'm gonna have to suck it up and say that the winner of the OU-Florida game is the champ.

I would love it if the AP voted us #1, but I wouldn't consider us the champs.

 

[Ole Miss Texan]

There is no split national champion. The winner of the BCS title game is the champ. Who the Coaches and AP vote as the national champion does not make them the National Champions.

Technically that's not true... but I view it the same way as you. BCS championship game is the super bowl of college football.

 

[TD]

There is no split national champion. The winner of the BCS title game is the champ. Who the Coaches and AP vote as the national champion does not make them the National Champions.

Technically that's not true... but I view it the same way as you. BCS championship game is the super bowl of college football.

If the NCAA doesn't recognize the BCS winner as the definitive national champion why should we? It is still a mythical award determined by polls.

 

[Blake]

That's not true. There is such thing as a split national champion. The BCS does not crown the National Champion and whoever wins that game is not called the national champ. They're the BCS champion and are usually assumed be the national champ.

Whats the point of having a national championship game if that doesnt decide it? There is a reason teams want to be #1 or #2 and play in that game.

Think what you wanna think, im sure you can get some USC fans to agree. But whomever wins the Florida OU game is the national champion. Not Texas, not Utah, Alabama, or USC.

 

[TD]

Whats the point of having a national championship game if that doesnt decide it? There is a reason teams want to be #1 or #2 and play in that game.

That's the point. There is no national championship game; just a bowl game with teams selected by committee.

Think what you wanna think, im sure you can get some USC fans to agree. But whomever wins the Florida OU game is the national champion. Not Texas, not Utah, Alabama, or USC.

Thinking that doesn't make it true. You know why the NCAA continues to crap on us? Because people buy the horsecrap the bowls are selling as some kind of reality while they rake in the cash.

 

[kastofsna]

obviously there is more than one way to determine who's the champion, much like there's more than one award given to best player in the country, first team all-americans, etc. i don't have a real problem with it considering there's no playoff