2004 NCAA Division I-A football season Totally Explained

Everything about 2004 Ncaa Division I-a Football Season totally explained

The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game. Many fans were left unsatisfied with the result.
   In the 2003 season, no team finished the season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss. In 2004, the situation became even more complicated, as five teams went without losing, a record in the BCS era. USC of the Pac-10, Oklahoma of the Big 12, Auburn of the SEC, Utah of the MWC, and Boise State of the WAC all finished the regular season undefeated. USC and Oklahoma started the season #1 and #2, but the other three teams were handicapped by starting out of the top 15. Thus USC and OU played for the national championship, while Auburn, Utah, and Boise State had to content themselves with other bowl games.
   USC beat OU in a rout to win the championship. Auburn played in the Sugar Bowl and beat Virginia Tech, the #8 ranked ACC champion. Utah became the first BCS Buster and beat Pitt, the #21 ranked champion of the Big East, in the Fiesta Bowl. Boise State lost a close, high scoring game in the Liberty Bowl to Louisville, the #10 ranked Conference USA champion.
   For all of the hubbub leading up to it the title game, the Orange Bowl was pretty unexciting, and didn't live up to the hype, with USC dismantling Oklahoma 55 - 19. The Trojans could claim one split championship and an undisputed championship in the last two years, leading many to herald Pete Carroll as college football's best coach, Norm Chow as an offensive genius, and USC as college football's newest dynasty. Many LSU fans, feeling their share of the national championship from 2003 being ignored, would grow to resent this.
   The season marked the highest point of fan outcry against the BCS system. Fans of Auburn, Utah, and BSU were disappointed to have their teams finish unbeaten but not have a chance to play for a championship. Auburn was especially the focus of national media attention on this topic; many thought that since Auburn managed to go undefeated in the traditionally tough SEC, they deserved a shot at the title. Adding to the BCS frustration was the fact that Auburn and Utah, though both in BCS bowl games, wouldn't be able to play each other as a matchup of high ranked unbeatens. Instead, each played weaker teams to somewhat unsatisfying victories.
   There was also BCS controversy in the second at-large team selected to play in a BCS bowl game (with Utah being the first). Cal expected to get the invite, but, in a Hollywood twist, Texas, who had been left out of the BCS the year before, got enough voters to change their mind in the final vote to slide into the BCS #4 slot. Texas coach Mack Brown was criticized for publicly politicking voters to put Texas ahead of California. Cal coach Jeff Tedford called for coaches' votes to be made public. Texas went on to beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl, while California was routed by an unranked Texas Tech team in the Holiday Bowl.
   The Associated Press, as a result of two consecutive seasons of BCS controversy, pulled its poll out of the BCS formula. The AP poll was replaced by the Harris poll, and the AP continues to give out its own national championship trophy.
   In another first, the LSU Tigers lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Capital One Bowl, becoming the first school to lose a non-BCS bowl a year after winning the BCS National Championship Game.

Final AP Poll

Southern California (13-0)
Auburn (13-0)
Oklahoma (12-1)
Utah (12-0)
Texas (11-1)
Louisville (11-1)
Georgia (10-2)
Iowa (10-2)
California (10-2)
Virginia Tech (10-3)
Miami (9-3)
Boise St. (11-1)
Tennessee (10-3)
Michigan (9-3)
Florida St. (9-3)
Louisiana St. (9-3)
Wisconsin (9-3)
Texas Tech (8-4)
Arizona St. (9-3)
Ohio St. (8-4)
Boston College (9-3)
Fresno St. (9-3)
Virginia (8-4)
Navy (10-2)
Pittsburgh (8-4)

Bowl Games

BCS Bowls

Rankings given are AP rankings going into bowl games

Orange Bowl: #1 (BCS #1) USC 55, #2 (BCS #2) Oklahoma 19

Rose Bowl: (At Large) Texas 38, (Big 10 Champ) Michigan 37

Fiesta Bowl: (At Large, MWC Champ) Utah 35, (Big East Co-Champ) Pittsburgh 7

Sugar Bowl: (SEC Champ) #3 Auburn 16, (ACC Champ) #8 Virginia Tech 13

Other New Years Day Bowls

Cotton Bowl: Tennessee 38, Texas A&M 7

Capital One Bowl: Iowa 30, LSU 25

Gator Bowl: Florida State 30, West Virginia 18

Outback Bowl: Georgia 24, Wisconsin 21

December Bowl Games

Peach Bowl: Miami (FL) 27, Florida 10

Houston Bowl: Colorado 33, UTEP 28

Liberty Bowl: (C-USA Champ) Louisville 44, (WAC Champ) Boise State 40

MPC Computers Bowl: Fresno State 37, Virginia 34 (OT)

Continental Tire Bowl: Boston College 37, North Carolina 24

Independence Bowl: Iowa State 17, Miami (Ohio) 13

Silicon Valley Classic: Northern Illinois 34, Troy 21

Sun Bowl: Arizona State 27, Purdue 23

Music City Bowl: Minnesota 20, Alabama 16

Holiday Bowl: Texas Tech 45, California 31

Emerald Bowl: Navy 34, New Mexico 19

Alamo Bowl: Ohio State 33, Oklahoma State 7

Insight Bowl: Oregon State 38, Notre Dame 21

Champs Sports Bowl: Georgia Tech 51, Syracuse 14

Motor City Bowl: UConn 39, (MAC Champ) Toledo 10

Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii 59, UAB 40

Fort Worth Bowl: Cincinnati 32, Marshall 14

Las Vegas Bowl: Wyoming 24, UCLA 21

GMAC Bowl: Bowling Green 52, Memphis 35

New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss 31, (SBC Champ) North Texas 10

Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given annually to college football's most outstanding player.
Winner:
Matt Leinart (Jr.) USC, QB (1,325 pts.)

2 Adrian Peterson (Fr.) Oklahoma, RB (997 pts.)

3 Jason White (Sr.) Oklahoma, QB (957 pts.)

4 Alex Smith (Sr.) Utah, QB (635 pts.)

5 Reggie Bush (So.) USC, TB (597 pts.)

Other Major Awards

Walter Camp Award (top player): Matt Leinart, USC

Maxwell Award (top player): Jason White, Oklahoma

AP Player of the Year: Matt Leinart, USC

Lombardi Award (top linebacker): David Pollack, Georgia

John Mackey Award (tight end): Heath Miller, Virginia

Doak Walker Award (running back): Cedric Benson, Texas

Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player): David Pollack, Georgia

Outland Trophy (interior lineman): Jammal Brown, Oklahoma

Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Jason White, Oklahoma

Johnny Unitas Award (Sr. quarterback): Jason White, Oklahoma

Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver): Braylon Edwards, Michigan

Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back): Carlos Rogers, Auburn

Lou Groza Award (placekicker): Mike Nugent, Ohio State

Ray Guy Award (punter): Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (Coach of the Year): Tommy Tuberville, Auburn

The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award: Urban Meyer, UtahFurther Information

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