AP crowns USC (mythical) national champs (Final Poll is out)

espn ^ | 1/5/03 | AP

[Diddle E. Squat]

RANK TEAM RECORD PTS PVS

1. USC (48) 12-1 1,608 1 Last game: Def. Michigan 28-14 (Jan. 1)

2. LSU (17) 13-1 1,576 2 Last game: Def. Oklahoma 21-14 (Jan. 4) Next game: vs. Oklahoma (Jan. 4)

3. Oklahoma 12-2 1,476 3 Last game: Lost to LSU 21-14 (Jan. 4) Next game: vs. LSU (Jan. 4)

4. Ohio State 11-2 1,411 7 Last game: Def. Kansas State 35-28 (Jan. 2)

5. Miami 11-2 1,329 10 Last game: Def. Florida State 16-14 (Jan. 1)

6. Michigan 10-3 1,281 4 Last game: Lost to USC 28-14 (Jan. 1)

7. Georgia 11-3 1,255 11 Last game: Def. Purdue 34-27 (Jan. 1)

8. Iowa 10-3 1,107 13 Last game: Def. Florida 37-17 (Jan. 1)

9. Washington State 10-3 1,060 15 Last game: Def. Texas 28-20 (Dec. 30)

10. Miami (OHIO) 13-1 932 14 Last game: Def. Louisville 49-28 (Dec. 18)

11. Florida State 10-3 905 9 Last game: Lost to Miami 16-14 (Jan. 1)

12. Texas 10-3 887 5 Last game: Lost to Washington State 28-20 (Dec. 30)

13. Mississippi 10-3 845 16 Last game: Def. Oklahoma State 31-28 (Jan. 2)

14. Kansas State 11-4 833 8 Last game: Lost to Ohio State 35-28 (Jan. 2)

15. Tennessee 10-3 695 6 Last game: Lost to Clemson 27-14 (Jan. 2)

16. Boise State 13-1 645 18 Last game: Def. TCU 34-31 (Dec. 23)

17. Maryland 10-3 564 23 Last game: Def. West Virginia 41-7 (Jan. 1)

18. Purdue 9-4 526 12 Last game: Lost to Georgia 34-27 (Jan. 1)

19. Nebraska 10-3 520 22 Last game: Def. Michigan State 17-3 (Dec. 29)

20. Minnesota 10-3 368 24 Last game: Def. Oregon 31-30 (Dec. 31)

21. Utah 10-2 308 25 Last game: Def. Southern Miss 17-0 (Dec. 31)

22. Clemson 9-4 230 NR Last game: Def. Tennessee 27-14 (Jan. 2)

23. Bowling Green 11-3 189 NR Last game: Def. Northwestern 28-24 (Dec. 26)

24. Florida 8-5 165 17 Last game: Lost to Iowa 37-17 (Jan. 1)

25. TCU 11-2 126 19 Last game: Lost to Boise State 34-31 (Dec. 23)

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES Oklahoma State 109, Arkansas 73, Virginia 36, Northern Illinois 30, Auburn 8, Oregon State 8, Pittsburgh 7, N.C. State 7, West Virginia 4, Connecticut 2.

DROPPED FROM RANKINGS West Virginia 20, Oklahoma State 21.

[montag813]

FWIW, I think either an OU or LSU vs Michigan matchup would have been a blow-out.

Is this a joke? Jason White on Sunday couldn't even throw a football through a hanging tire, like that old guy in the "Levitra" commercial. His passing accuracy was pathetic. Michigan had the TOP pass defense in the nation last year. I would have been surprised if White could have even gotten 2 TDs against them. And USC shredded them, btw.

[Psycho_Runner]

Was it just me, or did anyone else think the broadcast by ABC last night was horrible.

I also thought so. Half the time they missed out on the penalties and they weren't real focus on the game.

Maybe they should have Joe Namath help broadcast the game.

[montag813]

for my money, USC appeared head and tails above either of those teams I saw tonight. LSU held on to beat a sloppy and hapless OU and their Heisman hype

Jason White was pathetic, and LSU barely hung on. USC slashed Michigan's #1 pass defense. A split decision is an insult to USC.

[montag813]

However I do think that USC is for real and will really prove it next year.

They proved it the last TWO years. The difference? PETE CARROLL! Future "Coach of the Decade".

[Psycho_Runner]

After that, they looked like the rest of the big 12, weak.

But they won. The least you can do is throw me a freakin bone. It's been suicidal for me this year, with my Nebraska Cornhuskers and Oakland Raiders.

[staytrue]

A win is a win. The huskers should try to steal USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow for coach.

[staytrue]

Maybe not as wuss when compared to the CUSA or the WAC...but not by much.

Umm, the WAC was 4-0 in the bowls this year and the MAC 2-0.

[Psycho_Runner]

I'm afraid the way the Nebraska Athletic director has handled the situation, No one is going to want that position. I will put money that they end up going with Bo Pellini. I suspect they don't want him because he is not stoic as Osbourne or Sollich.

[rdb3]

Cool! Two Ohio schools in the Top Ten and Ohio State outranking Michigan.

I'll take it.

[AmishDude]

USC lost to Cal (Berkeley).
Cal lost to Oregon State.
Oregon State lost to Fresno State.
Fresno State lost to Hawaii.
Hawaii lost to UNLV.
UNLV lost to Air Force.
Air Force lost to Navy.
The United States Naval Academy lost to Division I-AA champs, the University of Delaware Blue Hens, who won it on the field.

This makes Delaware the undisputed national champions of college football.

[GeronL]

Delaware!! LOL

[LibertarianInExile]

Look, if you compare bowls you'll find teams that play in wuss conferences that have a whole year to prepare for their one contest. That they win after having a year to avoid injuries together by playing Sister Mary of the Blind colleges is not all that surprising. I root for a team playing in a wuss football conference--the Seminoles, in the ACC--so I know whereof I speak. The system is set up right now so that it's better to be in a wuss conference so as to improve your shot at a national title.

One day, a playoff will come, and then playing football in a good conference will make more sense. Why not be TCU or BYU in the meantime, if you're going to get ranked playing one or two games a year against quality opponents and have a shot at the crystal football?

[LibertarianInExile]

"I have thought of submitting this to NCAA, but its pretty obvious they only listen to the bowl sponsors."

Agreed. And college presidents who seem to think studying is more important than playing ball. Don't even get me started on the hypocrisy of the NCAA restricting athletes for 'academic' reasons while milking their talent for fundraising that has jack to do with academics.

[staytrue]

I think the WAC is very underrated.

Boise State lost by 2 to Oregon St.

Fresno lost by 18 at tennessee, beat oregon st. by 2 and lost by 24 at Oklahoma.

Hawaii lost by 29 at Southern Cal and beat Alabama by 8.

Nevada lost at Oregon by 8.

They will play the major schools and give a good accounting for themselves.

[D Rider]

...The PAC is such a candyass football conference...

Up in WaSU, we found Bevo to be a little lean. But tasty, when prepared correctly!

So much for the BCS ranking of #5.

[dfwgator]

USC - only loss in overtime on the road to a team that won their bowl game.

LSU - only loss in regulation AT HOME, to a mediocre Florida team that got trounced by Iowa in their bowl game.


Give me USC.

[D Rider]

The system is set up right now so that it's better to be in a wuss conference so as to improve your shot at a national title.

Didn't Boston College get a National Title sometime in the last 25 years that way? When all the Big teams were fairly even and beat the heck out of each other?

[LibertarianInExile]

But they lose. And the rest of the year they play each other.

"Aw, crap! $#@!$@! kids are fighting in the sandbox again! Y'all better stop that before one of you starts crying!"

[Joe_October]

I don't care for the BCS either but again it was agreed to in advance.

If you throw out the BCS, there is no champion. The AP does not award the championship per the NCAA. They do say that the BCS awards the championship.

It was equally reasonable that LSU play Oklahoma as USC plays LSU or even Oklahoma versus USC. It was reasonable. According to the decisions made by BCS in full disclosure and the light of day, order of loss or margin of victory were discounted. No one complained then.

Therefore, it is more likely that a team that played in what was shown numerically to be a lower strength of schedule and loss to the inferior team would be rated 3rd according to the impartial system. It was clear by those rules that could be the only result.

The rest is just wishful bluster. By the rules agreed to in advance by the conferences and teams who run the BCS, they picked their champion.

No one is using the combined list of results like the BCS without the permission of the AP.

The AP doens't like their position being diminshed.

As far as the "perception" by some that the PAC 10 is "weak", it will always be so. The PAC 10 could be the top 10 teams in the nation and if we held a vote, they would still be "perceived" as soft and weak. That's why we need an method that doesn't rely on opinions. The AP is pure opinion. The BCS though flawed is the right step in that direction.

And LSU is no media darling either.

[Joe_October]

USC - only loss in overtime on the road to a team that won their bowl game.

LSU - only loss in regulation AT HOME, to a mediocre Florida team that got trounced by Iowa in their bowl game.


Give me USC.

Funny that you avoided to mention of the team that USC lost too. I wouldn't have mentioned it either.