2004 Rose Bowl

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The 2004 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2004. It was the 90th Rose Bowl game. It was played between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the University of Southern California Trojans, and was won by the USC Trojans 28 to 14. USC Quarterback Matt Leinart was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. Although USC was ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches football poll, the Trojans were not invited to the 2004 BCS Championship game.

Teams

The events leading up to this game were center of a major controversy. The Oklahoma Sooners had worked their way well into the #1 BCS ranking in the nation prior to their 35-7 defeat to the Kansas State Wildcats in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Both the human polls had placed USC #1, LSU #2, and Oklahoma #3. The computers however did not recognize the late loss by Oklahoma, due to their dominance earlier in the season, and placed the Sooners at #1 and LSU at #2.

Aftermath

Out of the controversy, LSU defeated the Sooners 21-14 in the National Championship Game, 2004 Sugar Bowl. The Coaches Poll being contractually obligated, voted The Tigers the National Champions, while the AP picked USC #1 resulting in the first split national title since 1997-98, the year before the creation of the Bowl Championship Series

External links

• Rose Bowl Game official site

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Last updated on Wednesday February 20, 2008 at 14:44:24 PST (GMT -0800)
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