2003: The Year College Football Failed

The BCS got it right every year outside of 2003/2004

It should have been LSU vs USC

Other than that, the system was fine. BCS bowls mattered. Higher profile bowl games mattered

Disney had to stick their claws into CFB and has completely ruined the sport

The CEO of PC company Gateway (since acquired by Acer) offered $30 million for LSU and USC to play. $10 million in scholarships for each school, with an extra $10 million and $1 million in products for the winner.

NCAA said no.

Look at college football now.

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Fact: it’s not gay to admit that Saban was hot during his time at LSU.

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Well, it's at least bisexual...

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It should have been LSU vs USC

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Everyone says today because they forget that the week before the OK vs KSU game the talking heads were collectively anointing OK as the best team ever and pontificating they deserve to be in the Championship game if they lose.

The real problem was that the whole week everyone focussed on what LSU had to do to get in but never really considered what has to happen for USC to get in b/c in their minds it was a forgone conclusion that an idle USC was in.

Back then no-one jumped another team in the polls unless that team lost. The main reason USC was ahead of LSU in the pols is because they lost one week maybe two weeks before LSU lost to FL.

So many solid players from that era. I went to the OU/LSU game and it was such a blast. OU fans hated us so much

CFB didn't realize they had a good thing, in its messiness, ambiguity and quest for the MNC which entailed a myriad of factors beyond a team's control.

Controversy sells because it creates endless discussion.

But CFB caved to the cries of the pro football crowd, demanding order and fairness in a decidedly disorganized, loosely governed sport.

The endless playoff model and continuous tinkering has robbed CFB of its untidy beauty which made it unique and special among other "Pro" sports alternatives. When the Title was mythical, the sport was legendary...we'll never have it so good again.

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BCS bowls mattered. Higher profile bowl games mattered

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No, they didn’t. There was a perception that they mattered, but they didn’t.

You know ball

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That 2003 Oklahoma offense was insanely good

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How they went from steamroller in their first 11 games to completely impotent in their last two will always be one of college football's great mysteries to me.

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This idea of "national championship or bust" is a fairly recent phenomenon that has only started to really come about in the CFP era.

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And that’s the way it should have always been. Just like every other sport.