re: What is the argument for USC in 2003?

quote:

---

They were better. Every non-lsu Homer knew they were the best team.

---

USC can blame their weak schedule. Only 1 regular season opponent that was in the AP top 25 after conference championships were decided.

quote:

---

USC had the best loss of the three teams.

---

And the weakest wins. Only Auburn and Washington State were ranked at the time and Auburn ended up 8-5 and unranked by season’s end.

Let's say the Bama/LSU rematch was a much closer game and the AP kept LSU #1. Do you really think y'all wouldn't claim it?

quote:

---

First off, if the situation was reversed and LSU had been the top ranked team in both polls heading into bowl season, then absolutely walloped the fourth team in the country, there’s not a LSU fan on earth who wouldn’t claim they were deserving of a share of the title.

---

Nailed it

quote:

---

Secondly, I’ve never particularly understood why LSU fans get so upset over this subject.

---

Took the words out of my mouth. The crystal ball is what mattered. That’s what LSU won. Who cares what claim USC is making?

quote:

---

I clearly remember the media that year calling Oklahoma one of the GOAT teams before the loss to KState. People forget how shocking that game was.

OU beat aggy 77-0 and UT 65-13 that year

---

Oklahoma's loss to ksu was one of the most shocking of all time.... Mostly because they were blown out.

quote:

---

What i’m asking is what’s the argument that they deserved it?

---

The word “deserve” opens the door here, so I’ll play along.

First off, I am of the opinion that the AP poll does matter. It was a good enough tool to award titles for decades. Suddenly, it’s supposed to be irrelevant? Someone in the thread said it was always the lesser of the two polls. I don’t think coaches watch highlights and film of every top 25 team every week to accurately rank. Writers probably have more time to break that down. Writers can be biased. What about coaches? There are many stories of coaches voting for their own team to help sway things. Coaches also admit to having staffers send in rankings. So yes, I think the AP poll is valid.

The BCS was supposed to do away with this. What about the Bowl Coalition? And the Bowl Alliance? The AP was part of the BCS, but not contractually obligated to vote the winner of the title game #1…so they didn’t. They awarded hardware to USC. The coaches awarded hardware to LSU. My next question is, which one would you rather want if you could only have 1? If it’s the crystal ball, then who gives a shite what the AP gave USC. It’s only as valuable as you, the fan, want it to be. If the roles were reversed, as an LSU fan, I’d claim it. I’d also claim it (and hope the school would to) if that situation came up in 2011.

As for the word “deserve”…you could do this for any year. Did TCU deserve to get into the CFP in 2022 over Alabama? Personally, I think Bama was the better team. But again…who was more deserving? Should the most deserving team always get the vote? There’s a fine line between who is better and who is more deserving. Auburn fans may make a case for 2004. I’ve seen some UGa fans make a case for 2007. What about 1-loss Kansas in 2007? Again, this could be a yearly debate. What happens when the 12-team playoff sees a 3-loss team get hot and navigate through the bracket to a title, beating someone that is undefeated in the last game. The playoff says 13-3 is better than 15-1.

It’s funny, as CFB becomes more like the NFL, we will still have different circumstances. An 8-9 team can win the division and make the playoffs and nobody will bat an eye, but in CFB we will still be posting numbers side by side to figure out who number 12 is. As long as there are committees and polls, the title will always be subjective.

The only way to compare USC and LSU of 2003 is to look at common opponents. Even then, weather, injuries, and home team are all factors. You can put margin of victory, but how many points were scored in garbage time? What if there was shitty officiating? Either way, I would say the Sugar Bowl should have been those two teams and not Oklahoma.

quote:

---

You using NFL performance as a gauge is laughable, but typical

---

That was but one small portion of my post.

As I said.


The one Outland finalist was on LSU bud.

I bet you thought they were going to handle Texas in 06 too.

quote:

---

The only way to compare USC and LSU of 2003 is to look at common opponents. Even then, weather, injuries, and home team are all factors. You can put margin of victory, but how many points were scored in garbage time?

---

quote:

---

LSU and USC actually had 2 common opponents that year — Arizona and Auburn. LSU beat Arizona by 46 while USC beat @ Arizona by 45. LSU beat Auburn by 24 while USC beat @ Auburn by … 23.

---

If you watched that USC/Auburn game, it might as well have read 43-0. Tiger fans roared (assuming sarcastically in that stiller stadium) whenever Auburn crossed midfield or gained a List down in the 4th quarter. Auburn had 164 total yards and Jason Campbell had minus 25 yards rushing/running for his life.

To think Boise State sent LSU to the BCS and not USC, simply because the computers factored in Hawaii losing at the end of the year who USC had played.