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.

[Zack Attack]

Tis a shame we won't see that one more game, but 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. Anyway, USC woulda been a heck of alot better choice than OU in the BCS game.

[staytrue]

LSU beat the 2nd place team in a conference that went 1-6 in the bowls, and did not look good in any of them.

[LisaMalia]

AP Clowns.....lol, you are so right.
Congrats to LSU...you deserve the National Championship Title....I hope you enjoy the trophy as much as we did last year!!!!!!!

[Mudbug]

East Coast or West Coast...it's still flyover country here. LSU was underrated from the get-go and had to overcome alot of bias just to even make the final ranking. That was one good thing about the BSC system. Too bad there's not a playoff tho.

[Joe_October]

...The logic of the BCS software escapes me if tinkering to promote an agenda is excluded....

If you were a fan of college football, you would know that the BCS is a composite of a number of rankings which include the one done by the idiotic, corrupt AP writers. The system was negotiated by all interests and agreed to in advance. It was executed as described by their rules and a winner select. Hint, it was not USC.

The corrupt writers don't like that their "opinion" is not the only case and they insisted that their measurement be advanced above the one that everyone (including them) agreed to.

The fans of some teams want their team to be perceived as the best and so they act like the AP is correct.

That is the same AP that we routinely lambast for bias and incompetence. But, in this, suddenly, they are perfect.

Oh, it is in the BCS's interest to have picked USC which they couldn't because they don't have the ability to change the rules after the fact.

Further, although our friends from the PAC 10 think that their teams are great because they score a lot of points, football is truly great when it is played with two teams focusing on defense. As was displayed in the Sugar Bowl this evening.

(I say this as a fan and student of the game who supports none of the teams as a booster.)

[Dan from Michigan]

Too bad LSU and USC couldn't duke it out.

[MadMoo]

Thank you for the congrats! I'm a Trojan (Class of '55) and getting to be very old. I have many decades shared at USC and it has recently been recognized as the 'University of the Millenimum' (Newsweek/Princeton Review) and finally has an endowment equal to none. Our new and revitalized sports programs are only a small part of the overall growth and success our institution's research and community investment accomplishments. The research activity will soon be unmatched and its future successes will follow. Fight On! I do not plan to meet you at our 200th reunion in 2018. Forget all RSVP stuff! If there are any typos--So what!

[Mudbug]

How can you honestly say the LSU defense didn't look good in the Sugar Bowl?

LSU might have beaten a 2nd place team in a conference that went 1-6, but they also beat 4 (5 if you count Georgia twice) teams that won bowl games.

Yes, they lost to Florida on an off day, but that's SEC football...Any given Saturday.

[Diddle E. Squat]

My ballot:

1 USC
2 LSU
3 Michigan
4 Ohio State
5 Oklahoma
6 Miami
7 Georgia
8 Iowa
9 Washington State
10 Texas
11 K State
12 Ole Miss
13 FSU
14 Purdue
15 Nebraska
16 Minnesota
17 Maryland
18 Miami-Ohio
19 Utah
20 Clemson
21 Tennesee
22 Arkansas
23 Oklahoma State
24 Boise St
25 tie TCU/Northern Illinois(who got totally screwed by this garbage system, no bowl for them)

[Diddle E. Squat]

I guess that's why you are Joe October and not Joe January...

[Diddle E. Squat]

The writers don't loath LSU, they loath the BCS.

[Joe_October]

Just a fan who sees an injustice.

[Joe_October]

They don't like LSU either.

[Mudbug]

Geaux Tigers! USC would be Tiger Bait!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Then why did they give more first place votes to LSU than OU, and more 2nd place votes to LSU than OU, in the poll BEFORE tonight's game?

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Sheesh, you really must hate USC. You have been ranting and raving about the "rules" and the BCS for weeks and now that USC is voted #1 by the AP (which has nothing to do with the BCS), all you can do is piss on their parade by saying the AP voters were "corrupt".

Why can't you let this whole thing go and congratulate both teams for fine seasons?

[Mudbug]

I don't think its so much that they loathe LSU. It's more that they aren't a "glamor" team...like Notre Dame or USC which always got more press than they deserved in bad years.