2003 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy.

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 miss. 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 [cite web|url=http://msn.foxsports.com/id/7894697_37_1.pdf| title=2003 Bowl Championship Series Standings|publisher=Fox Sports|accessdate=2007-09-28] , AP and Coaches' Poll [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankingsindex?seasonYear=2003&weekNumber=1&seasonType=2|title=2003 NCAA Football Rankings|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=2007-09-28] 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 contratually 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.

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. They also note that the AP was a party to the agreement, under which the polls were merely a component. 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 those systems as well. Also, the NCAA does not recognize any champions from Division 1-A football, since there is no undisputed postseason system. It is important to remember that the bowls are not NCAA events, merely exhibitions, although since the award giving bodies began factoring in the bowls in their final polls, these exhibitions have risen in importance.

On January 9, 2003, Ted Waitt, CEO of Gateway Computers offered the NCAA $31 million for a national championship game between USC and Louisiana State. The NCAA did not consider the offer, leaving the year without an unarguable national champion.

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.

The Orange Bowl game was noteworthy in that Miami and Florida State previously had scheduled to play each other on Labor Day in 2004. Playing in the Orange Bowl ensured that their next meeting would be each of their very next games and their first of the 2004 season.

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 2007] continues over this year's finish.

Bowl Championship Series Rankings

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.

Heisman Trophy Voting

"The Heisman Trophy is given to the most outstanding player of the year"
Winner: Jason White (Jr.), QB, Oklahoma (1,481 points)
*2 Larry Fitzgerald (So.), WR, Pittsburgh (1,353 points)
*3 Eli Manning (Sr.), QB, Mississippi (710 points)
*4 Chris Perry(Sr.), RB, Michigan (341 points)

Other Major Awards

*Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year): Eli Manning, Mississippi
*Walter Camp Award (top back): Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
*AP Player Of the Year: Jason White, Oklahoma
*Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Jason White, Oklahoma
*Johnny Unitas Award(Sr. quarterback): Eli Manning, Mississippi
*Doak Walker Award (running back): Chris Perry, Michigan
*Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver): Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
*John Mackey Award (tight end): Kellen Winslow, Miami, Fla.
*Lombardi Award (top lineman): Tommie Harris, Oklahoma
*Dave Rimington Trophy (center): Jake Grove, Virginia Tech
*Outland Trophy (interior lineman): Robert Gallery, Iowa
*Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player): Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma
*Dick Butkus Award: Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma
*Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back): Derrick Strait, Oklahoma
*Lou Groza Award (placekicker): Jonathan Nichols, Mississippi
*Ray Guy (punter): B.J. Sander, Ohio State
*Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (Coach of the Year): Nick Saban, LSU
*The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award: Pete Carroll, USC

References