Chopped Liver
After the 2003 NCAA season, the BCS was left in a quandary - Oklahoma, which had lost the Big XII title game against Kansas State, was ranked number 2 behind Louisiana State University in the final season college football polls, leaving number 3 USC out of the National Championship game.
This is where I point out that USC was the nation's number 1 pick in both the AP and USA Today sportswriters' polls.
USC won its game, the Rose Bowl, and LSU convincingly beat Oklahoma, giving LSU the BSC National Championship, and giving USC the AP Championship.
So, there were technically two champions, or there was a split championship, or whatever. However you want to look at it, LSU won a national championship after the 2003 season.
But for some reason, every major media outlet is completely ignoring LSU's victory after this year's USC drubbing of Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Sports Illustrated's current offer to new subscribers "Recognizes USC's second consecutive championship" without so much as an asterisk noting LSU's achievement last year.
The Associated Press, who have some stake in slanting this particular story, discuss USC quarterback Matt Leinart's problems deciding whether or not to go pro, "such as winning an unprecedented third consecutive national championship." (story here)
At least ESPN's Ivan Maisel is not entirely disingenuous about the whole thing: "He is 24-1 as a starter with two national championships and a Heisman to show for his career." (story here)
Really, it's not about one team taking away from another's success; it's about one player. Leinart's Heisman is the issue - nobody on LSU's 2003 team was even so much as a finalist, and they were all ignored and the team written off after Oklahoma QB Jason White won the Heisman Trophy after the 2003 season - even though he wasn't the best QB in the land. And it's happening to LSU again.
In five years, nobody is going to remember the name of the LSU Tiger who played quarterback (Matt Mauck). Nobody's going to remember who LSU's tailback was (Justin Vincent). And nobody's going to remember a single player on the LSU defense.
I'm proud of USC for once again winning a national championship, and beating a truly overrated Oklahoma team. But let's not forget that Louisiana State University did it first.
After the 2003 NCAA season, the BCS was left in a quandary - Oklahoma, which had lost the Big XII title game against Kansas State, was ranked number 2 behind Louisiana State University in the final season college football polls, leaving number 3 USC out of the National Championship game.
This is where I point out that USC was the nation's number 1 pick in both the AP and USA Today sportswriters' polls.
USC won its game, the Rose Bowl, and LSU convincingly beat Oklahoma, giving LSU the BSC National Championship, and giving USC the AP Championship.
So, there were technically two champions, or there was a split championship, or whatever. However you want to look at it, LSU won a national championship after the 2003 season.
But for some reason, every major media outlet is completely ignoring LSU's victory after this year's USC drubbing of Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Sports Illustrated's current offer to new subscribers "Recognizes USC's second consecutive championship" without so much as an asterisk noting LSU's achievement last year.
The Associated Press, who have some stake in slanting this particular story, discuss USC quarterback Matt Leinart's problems deciding whether or not to go pro, "such as winning an unprecedented third consecutive national championship." (story here)
At least ESPN's Ivan Maisel is not entirely disingenuous about the whole thing: "He is 24-1 as a starter with two national championships and a Heisman to show for his career." (story here)
Really, it's not about one team taking away from another's success; it's about one player. Leinart's Heisman is the issue - nobody on LSU's 2003 team was even so much as a finalist, and they were all ignored and the team written off after Oklahoma QB Jason White won the Heisman Trophy after the 2003 season - even though he wasn't the best QB in the land. And it's happening to LSU again.
In five years, nobody is going to remember the name of the LSU Tiger who played quarterback (Matt Mauck). Nobody's going to remember who LSU's tailback was (Justin Vincent). And nobody's going to remember a single player on the LSU defense.
I'm proud of USC for once again winning a national championship, and beating a truly overrated Oklahoma team. But let's not forget that Louisiana State University did it first.
posted by Brian at 4:04 PM
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