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2003 USC - AP #1 11-1 (Regular season)
How do you replace a Heisman Trophy winner? Lefty QB Matt Leinart did exactly that, stepping in for Carson Palmer well enough to ignite one of college football’s most exciting offenses. Protected by All-American tackle Jacob Rogers, center Norm Patnick, and tackle Winston Justice, Leinart found time to throw or could hand off to LenDale White, Herschel Dennis, and speedster Reggie Bush. When the offense stalled, All American punter Tom Malone pinned opponents deep in their end, and the Wild Bunch II, led by All Americans Kenichi Udzeke and Shaun Cody would harass enemy offenses.
USC won 11 regular season games, dropping only an overtime loss to Cal in Berkeley on their way to the Rose Bowl. There, Coach Pete Carroll restored the glory of Trojan football with a win over Michigan, and the team split the 2003 National Championship with a final AP #1. Perhaps more amazingly, USC had not yet hit their peak –they would also sweep their 2004 schedule and win a second championship with much the same roster.
2003 LSU – AP #2 12-1
Expectations for coach Nick Saban had been very high at LSU, and he hit the jackpot in 2003. He built an athletic and talented roster on both sides of the ball, with QB Matt Mauck throwing for 2700 yards and 28 TDs, and a defense that finished tops in the nation in scoring defense and second in total defense. LSU came at opposing passers from all angles from their varied blitz packages, and they could unhinge even the best, as evidenced by their performance against Jason White and the Sooners in the Sugar Bowl. LSU held the powerful Oklahoma offense to a standoff, and won the game and the BCS share of the National Championship on an interception return from their defense.
2003 Oklahoma – AP #3 11-1
Oklahoma destroyed their first eleven opponents in so many varied ways that they were #1 for most of the season. It was an open question as to whether they might be one of the best teams of all time, and not just the best of 2003. The defense, led by All American Tommie Harris up front and Thorpe winner Derrick Straight in the backfield, was thought to be the country’s best in the preseason. Antonio Perkins returned four punts for TDs, the defense had three scoring returns of its own, and Heisman Trophy winner Jason White led an explosive offense that dominated the Big 12. It all worked well until the Big 12 Championship Game, when the Kansas State showed that the Sooner defense could give up big plays, and that unrelenting pressure would force White into mistakes, outcomes LSU undoubtedly took note of.
2003 Michigan – AP #4 10-2
John Navarre had accomplished about as much as he could have going into his senior year. He had rewritten the U of M passing record book, but one thing had escaped him- a Rose Bowl appearance. Facing a 28-7 deficit at Minnesota late in the third quarter, Navarre engineered a 31 point fourth quarter in a 38-35 win that the coaching staff, to a man, considered the greatest game they had ever been involved in at any level. The biggest comeback in Wolverine history catalyzed a season-ending rally, including a 35-21 win over archrival Ohio State that sent them to the Rose Bowl for the first time since their championship season of 1997. Navarre received more than adequate support from Doak Walker winner Chris Perry and receivers Braylon Edwards and Jason Avant. The Michigan defense played well as an ensemble, with only Lawrence Reid and Gabe Watson singled out for individual honors.
2003 Ohio State – AP #6 10-2
Coach Jim Tressel made a career of winning the close ones with the Buckeyes, and this year was no different. OSU did not bury their opponents, but hung with them until they found a way to win. The men who usually brought in the key scores were QB Craig Krenzel and kicker Mike Nugent. Tressel found himself apologizing for the Buckeye running game all year, as Lyndell Ross and Co. could only manage a team average of 3.2 yards per carry on the ground. But the special teams were among the country’s best, with Nugent, BJ Sanders booming punts, and outstanding returns and coverage teams. The defense, led by Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Will Smith (DE), LB AJ Hawk, DT Tim Anderson, and SS Will Allen did not owe any explanations to anybody, as teams made no headway against the Buckeyes on the ground and very little in the air all year. Defensive big plays and the special teams helped Ohio State jump to a big lead over KSU at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, and they held on for a surprise 35-28 win over the explosive Wildcats.
2003 Florida State – AP #8 10-2
For better or worse, QB Chris Rix was the reason FSU could win with an outstanding effort, or lose due to turnovers. If his inconsistency were the only thing that bothered Bobby Bowden all year, the Seminoles might still have been more successful. But the secondary played poorly, in spite of returning four starters, and TBs Greg Jones and Lorenzo Booker could not stay healthy all year. The ineffective running game put a lot of pressure on Rix, but at least his receivers played up to their reputations, as Craphonso Thorpe led the ACC with 11 TDs and PK Sam provided a steady counterpoint. At one point, FSU was 8-1, but in consecutive weeks they lost badly to Clemson, barely survived in double OT at home against NC State, and had to rally to beat Florida to salvage a BCS bid. Rix threw for 3,000 yards and saved the day during the stretch run, but he reverted to form and faltered badly against Miami in the Orange Bowl, completing only 6 of 19 for 96 yards.
2003 Miami – AP #9 10-2
The Hurricanes’ failure in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl haunted them into 2003. The ‘Canes were loaded with NFL first round draft talent, including All America TE Kellen Winslow, Big East Defensive Player of the Year Sean Taylor (FS), DT Vince Wilfork, and LBs DJ Williams and Jonathan Vilma. But the transition from QB Ken Dorsey, who had finished on the Heisman finalist short list twice, to newcomer Brock Berlin was not very smooth. Berlin was up and down, and it did not help that the team’s defensive problems against the run in 2002 persisted, or that WR Roscoe Parrish’s injuries reduced his effectiveness. In spite of all of the hurdles, Larry Coker’s men eventually made the transition from the high flying passing team of 2002 to a conservative power running team, and they beat Florida once and Florida State twice, making 2003 a satisfying year in Coral Gables.
2003 Kansas State – AP #10 11-3
Kansas State lost to Marshall, Texas, and Oklahoma State to fall to 4-3 when QB Ell Roberson was either injured or he was out, but then they won seven in a row and stunned the nation by beating top-ranked Oklahoma in the Big-12 Title game to win a BCS berth. It was KSU’s first title since 1934 and their first win ever over a top ranked team. Along the way, the Wildcats also won for the first time in Lincoln since 1968 and handed Nebraska their worst home loss since 1958. Roberson, an electric thrower and runner, was aided by TB Darren Sproles, who was short in stature but long on talent. The “Lynch Mob” defense was led by DE Andrew Shull, DT Justin Montgomery, and LB Josh Buhl. KSU’s dream season fell short in Tempe, however, as Roberson played poorly in the Fiesta Bowl, possibly distracted by an off the field incident that had fans wondering if he would even start.
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