2004 Rose Bowl

NCAAFootballSingleGameHeader
Name=2004 Rose Bowl


Date=January 1, 2004
Year=2003
Visitor School=University of Michigan
Visitor Name Short=Michigan
Visitor Nickname=Wolverines
Visitor Record=10-2
Visitor

Visitor Coaches=4
Visitor BCS=4
Visitor Coach=Lloyd Carr
Visitor1=0
Visitor2=0
Visitor3=7
Visitor4=7
Visitor Total=14
Home School= University of Sothern California
Home Name Short=USC
Home Nickname=Trojans
Home Record=11-1
Home

Home Coaches=1
Home BCS=3
Home Coach=Pete Carroll
Home1=7
Home2=7
Home3=14
Home4=0
Home Total=28
Type=bg
Stadium=Rose Bowl Stadium
City=Pasadena, California
Anthem=Spirit of Troy
Halftime=Spirit of Troy, University of Michigan Marching Band
US Network=ABC
US Announcers=Keith Jackson, Dan Fouts
Attendance=
MVP=Matt Leinart (USC Quarterback)The 2004 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2004. It was the 90th Rose Bowl game. It was played between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the University of Southern California Trojans, and was won by the USC Trojans 28 to 14. USC Quarterback Matt Leinart was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. [http://www.bowlprograms.com/rosebowl/?pg=182 2008 Rose Bowl Program] , 2008 Rose Bowl. Accessed January 26, 2008.] Although USC was ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches football poll, the Trojans were not invited to the 2004 BCS National Championship Game, the 2004 Sugar Bowl.

Teams

The events leading up to this game were center of a major controversy. The Oklahoma Sooners had worked their way well into the #1 BCS ranking in the nation prior to their 35-7 defeat to the Kansas State Wildcats in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Both the human polls had placed USC #1, LSU #2, and Oklahoma #3. The computers however did not recognize the late loss by Oklahoma, due to their dominance earlier in the season, and placed the Sooners at #1 and LSU at #2.

University of Michigan Wolverines

Michigan opened at home in the 2003 winning big over Central Michigan and Houston. A 38-0 shutout of Notre Dame propelled the Wolverines to a number 3 ranking. They lost at Oregon 27-31. The Wolverines would bounce back to beat Indiana, but then lost at Iowa 27-30. The next game was the battle for the Little Brown Jug against Minnesota, and was one of the most highly anticipated Michigan-Minnesota matchups in years. [Angel, Brett - [http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2003/10/13/46928 Large crowd witnesses large Michigan comeback] . Minnesota Daily, October 13, 2003] Minnesota was ranked #17 and Michigan was ranked #20 and the game was at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Down by 21, Michigan put together its greatest comeback of 21 points in the fourth quarter to win 38-25. [Hunt, Bob - [http://media.www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2004/10/08/Sports/Both-Teams.Leave.2003.Game.In.Past-1425680.shtml Both teams leave 2003 game in past] . Michigan Daily, October 8, 2004]

The Wolverines resumed their power football game and defeated Illinois, #10 Purdue, #9 Michigan State, and Northwestern. The #5 Wolverines had a showdown in front of 112,118 at Michigan Stadium against #4 Ohio State in the Michigan Ohio State rivalry] . The Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 35-21 to win the Big Ten championship outright. (A loss to Minnesota would have created a four-way tie for first, all other games remaining the same.)

University of Southern California Trojans

The Trojans wore a "54" sticker to commemorate Drean Rucker, and incoming freshman linebacker, who drowned in July 2003. Former USC Trojans safety Troy Polamalu also was in attendance and was on the USC sideline. He was also shown embracing Coach Pete Carroll at the games end.

The Trojans opened the season winning at #6 Auburn 23-0. Their only loss of the season was a triple overtime loss at California 31-34. The Trojans beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 45-14, the most points scored in South Bend since 1960. The Trojans shut out Arizona 45-0, the Wildcats' first shutout in 146 games. The UCLA-USC rivalry football game was no contest with USC winning over UCLA 47-22.

Aftermath

Out of the controversy, LSU defeated the Sooners 21-14 in the BCS National Championship Game, 2004 Sugar Bowl. The Coaches Poll being contractually obligated, voted The Tigers the BCS National Champions, while the AP picked USC #1 resulting in the first split national title since 1997-98, the year before the creation of the Bowl Championship Series

References

External links

* [http://www.tournamentofroses.com/rosebowlgame/ Rose Bowl Game official site]