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This year marks the 15th anniversary of the last split national title in CFB history
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:26 am
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:26 am
I know a lot of LSU fans get salty over the 2003 split national championship involving their team and the USC Trojans. What they need to realize is that no one is arguing that the Tigers didn't deserve to be in the Sugar Bowl. Their opponent - the Oklahoma Sooners - were the ones who didn't belong.
College football was robbed by the BCS computers that season but the USC Trojans were the biggest victims. Tell me how much sense this makes. Going into Championship Weekend, the USC Trojans were #2 in the AP, #2 in the Coaches, and (most importantly) #2 in the BCS. They defeat Oregon State rather handily in their final game of the regular season and watch as the team ranked above them loses 35-7 in the Big 12 Championship Game.
When the polls come out the next day, USC is ranked #1 in both the AP and the Coaches. LSU is ranked #2 in both polls, and Oklahoma has slipped to #3. And yet when the BCS rankings came out Oklahoma, due to the formula in place at the time, was still #1 in the rankings. This despite a 35-7 blowout loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship! LSU was deservedly #2 while USC had criminally slipped to #3.
Of course we all know what happened next. LSU ended up defeating #1 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl while USC handled #4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The AP Poll, which had the Trojans #1 going into the postseason, awarded USC with their national championship trophy. They received 48 first place votes in the final poll while LSU received 17.
The Coaches Poll required its voters to award the winner of the BCS title game all of their first place votes. Despite this, however, three coaches still voted USC #1 on their final ballots. It's quite possible that, had the Coaches Poll not required its members to vote the BCS champion #1, USC would have been the top ranked team in the final Coaches Poll as well. We'll never know for sure though.
Either way, 2003 was the last true split national championship in college football history and will most likely remain that way forever. Both teams got invited to the White House and President Bush jokingly asked if they'd like to settle the thing on the White House lawn.
It's really a shame that we didn't get to see LSU and USC go at it in the Sugar Bowl. I think it would have been a great game.
College football was robbed by the BCS computers that season but the USC Trojans were the biggest victims. Tell me how much sense this makes. Going into Championship Weekend, the USC Trojans were #2 in the AP, #2 in the Coaches, and (most importantly) #2 in the BCS. They defeat Oregon State rather handily in their final game of the regular season and watch as the team ranked above them loses 35-7 in the Big 12 Championship Game.
When the polls come out the next day, USC is ranked #1 in both the AP and the Coaches. LSU is ranked #2 in both polls, and Oklahoma has slipped to #3. And yet when the BCS rankings came out Oklahoma, due to the formula in place at the time, was still #1 in the rankings. This despite a 35-7 blowout loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship! LSU was deservedly #2 while USC had criminally slipped to #3.
Of course we all know what happened next. LSU ended up defeating #1 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl while USC handled #4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The AP Poll, which had the Trojans #1 going into the postseason, awarded USC with their national championship trophy. They received 48 first place votes in the final poll while LSU received 17.
The Coaches Poll required its voters to award the winner of the BCS title game all of their first place votes. Despite this, however, three coaches still voted USC #1 on their final ballots. It's quite possible that, had the Coaches Poll not required its members to vote the BCS champion #1, USC would have been the top ranked team in the final Coaches Poll as well. We'll never know for sure though.
Either way, 2003 was the last true split national championship in college football history and will most likely remain that way forever. Both teams got invited to the White House and President Bush jokingly asked if they'd like to settle the thing on the White House lawn.
It's really a shame that we didn't get to see LSU and USC go at it in the Sugar Bowl. I think it would have been a great game.
15
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:28 am to RollTide1987
Should we start taking a tally of all of Bama’s split national championships and unearned championships?
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:30 am to Upperdecker
quote:
Should we start taking a tally of all of Bama’s split national championships and unearned championships?
You might want to read what I wrote before you start throwing shite at me.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:36 am to RollTide1987
The one thing I appreciate about the computers is the fact that they don't penalize you for when a loss happened. Losing 35-7 in the opener or 35-7 in the conference championship game doesn't matter.
However, that was such a thorough arse whipping I thought Oklahoma deserved to be out.
However, that was such a thorough arse whipping I thought Oklahoma deserved to be out.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:38 am to RollTide1987
quote:
What they need to realize is that no one is arguing that the Tigers didn't deserve to be in the Sugar Bowl. Their opponent - the Oklahoma Sooners - were the ones who didn't belong.
I think 99% of LSU football fans realize this.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:47 am to slackster
quote:
The one thing I appreciate about the computers is the fact that they don't penalize you for when a loss happened. Losing 35-7 in the opener or 35-7 in the conference championship game doesn't matter.
Never understood this train of thought. Seasons are dynamic animals. Momentum and how well a team is playing when matters. Listen to any coach and they talk about wanting to play their best at the end of the season when a conference championship is on the line.
Oklahoma failed absolutely miserably at that. They shouldn't have sniffed the BCS NCG.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:47 am to LSUBoo
quote:Correct. What pisses LSU fans off is that LSU won the National Championship by the guidelines set at the beginning of the season.. USC didn't. The AP was so saddened by the fact that USC wasn't in the game that they awarded them a National Championship as a consolation prize. That is sad on all levels
I think 99% of LSU football fans realize this.
ETA: No different than UCF claiming the championship from last year
This post was edited on 8/22/18 at 7:48 am
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:48 am to RollTide1987
Fail. Bama and UCF split last year
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:50 am to RollTide1987
As far as I know, that crystal football is still in one piece.
If Michigan beats SC, are they the champs?
If Michigan beats SC, are they the champs?
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:54 am to slackster
quote:
However, that was such a thorough arse whipping I thought Oklahoma deserved to be out.
I'd agree, but up until that game, there was a lot of talk that the '03 Oklahoma team was the greatest college team of all time. That championship game was an anomaly for sure. Then they had to face that nasty LSU defense.
And in case anyone has forgotten, Stoops would like to remind you that LSU had the #1 scoring defense. Oklahoma had the #1 defense overall.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:55 am to Grit-Eating Shin
Was in the GA Dome while LSU was beating UGA comfortably and OU was being destroyed by Kansas St. the chant that rang out in the dome was “LSU, USC, Oklahoma #3”
Posted on 8/22/18 at 7:57 am to lil tiger22
That's when LSU fans officially started hating Pete Carroll. What was his line after the Rose Bowl? "I don't know, but I think we just won the national championship."
Posted on 8/22/18 at 8:07 am to sicboy
The real crime is that the next year wasn't also split.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 8:17 am to Brinner
quote:
The real crime is that the next year wasn't also split.
The real crime:
USC's war cry in 03: The system is flawed
USC's war cry in 04: The computers have spoken
Posted on 8/22/18 at 8:17 am to mylsuhat
quote:
The AP was so saddened by the fact that USC wasn't in the game that they awarded them a National Championship as a consolation prize.
How was the AP saddened by USC's absence from the game when they had USC ranked #1 in their poll before the game ever took place? Should all of the AP voters have been like: "Well, #2 LSU just beat #3 Oklahoma so let's award them the national championship!"
AP #1 USC defeated AP #4 Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl while AP #2 LSU defeated AP #3 Oklahoma 21-14 in the Sugar Bowl. Why should the voters in the Associated Press have automatically changed their vote from USC to LSU?
This post was edited on 8/22/18 at 8:19 am
Posted on 8/22/18 at 8:18 am to lsutigers1992
quote:
USC's war cry in 04: The computers have spoken
If anyone was making that argument in 2004 it was Oklahoma. USC was sitting pretty at #1 for the whole season.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 8:19 am to RollTide1987
There was only 1 BCS national Champion.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 8:23 am to mdomingue
quote:
There was only 1 BCS national Champion.
Which is just another way to say there was only one Coaches Poll national champion. In this you are correct. However, there was only one AP national champion in 2003 as well and that was the USC Trojans.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 8:25 am to RollTide1987
LSU beat the #2 team. USC beat the #4 team.
That's where I land. The system was the system, and that's why we have a playoff now.
That's where I land. The system was the system, and that's why we have a playoff now.
Posted on 8/22/18 at 8:30 am to sicboy
quote:
And in case anyone has forgotten, Stoops would like to remind you that LSU had the #1 scoring defense. Oklahoma had the #1 defense overall.
I couldn't believe he had the audacity to correct the reporter like that. What a tool.
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