2004 McMNC: USC Trojans

AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results

1. USC: 13-0-0 -- W, Orange, 55-19
2. Auburn: 13-0-0 -- W, Sugar, 16-13
3. Oklahoma: 12-1-0 -- L, Orange, 19-55
4. Utah: 12-0-0 -- W, Fiesta, 35-7
5. Texas: 11-1-0 -- W, Rose, 38-37
6. Louisville: 11-1-0 -- W, Liberty, 44-40
7. Georgia: 10-2-0 -- W, Outback, 24-21
8. Iowa: 10-2-0 -- W, Capital One, 30-25
9. California: 10-2-0 -- L, Holiday, 31-45
10. Virginia Tech: 10-3-0 -- L, Sugar, 13-16

Side note: AP #12 Boise State finished the regular season undefeated (50% SOS) before losing the Liberty Bowl to Louisville. See the progression building?

Texas didn't win its conference, and Oklahoma didn't win its bowl game, so they are both eliminated from McMNC contention. That leaves us with Louisville, Utah, Auburn and USC -- three undefeated teams!

Start with Louisville: with a 47% SOS rating, they can't overcome the one loss. A three-point road setback to AP #11 Miami-FL (9-3) ruined their season, for that was a game the Cardinals should have won. Such as it were, the only ranked team Louisville beat all season was Boise State.

Utah had a wonderful season, but with a 45% SOS rating, they're a longshot. The only ranked team they faced all year was AP #25 Pittsburgh (8-4) in the Fiesta Bowl, and overall, they only played four winning teams all year: three 7-5 teams and Pittsburgh. Weak schedule, although the Utes did dominate their schedule. They go ahead of Louisville, of course, because they're undefeated.

Auburn picked the wrong season to go undefeated. With a 55% SOS rating, they faced a good schedule. They beat AP #16 LSU (9-3) at home by a point, they beat AP #13 Tennessee (10-3) on the road by 24 points, they beat #7 Georgia by 18 points at home, they beat Tennessee again by ten points in the SEC title game, and they beat #10 Virginia Tech by three points in the Sugar Bowl. Five wins over ranked teams makes for a great season, especially when you go undefeated. But the OOC slate? 5-6 Louisiana-Monroe, 3-7 The Citadel, and 6-6 Louisiana Tech. Two of those teams also were on LSU's 2003 OOC schedule. What is the matter with the SEC, anyway?

USC posted a 54% SOS rating, with wins over #10 Virginia Tech by 11 points on the road, #9 California by six points at home, AP #19 Arizona State (9-3) by 38 points at home, and #3 Oklahoma by 36 points in the Orange Bowl. They beat four ranked teams, including three Top 10 teams. The OOC slate? Virginia Tech, 4-7 Colorado State, 5-6 BYU and 6-6 Notre Dame.

Even if you consider the Tigers and the Trojans even right now, there are two separating realities: common opponents and bowl wins. First, both teams played Virginia Tech. USC won by 11 in Blacksburg, and Auburn won by three in the Sugar Bowl. Second, USC absolutely annihilated Oklahoma in a bowl game, while Auburn squeaked by in its bowl win. The Sooners were 12-0 with a 57% SOS rating going into that bowl game, and they got WORKED OVER. This Oklahoma team was better than the 2003 version, which only lost its bowl game by seven points.

With so much on the line for both teams, one clearly performed at a higher level when it mattered most. In fact, in time, history will probably view this USC team as one of the best college football teams of all time. That's good enough for me.

This is no knock against Auburn, at all. But when measured against these Trojans, they don't have a chance.

McMNC Revisions
1. USC
2. Auburn
3. Utah
4. Louisville
5. Oklahoma

RUNNING SCORECARD:
Penn State: +1977, +1981, =1982, =1986, +1994
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969, =1972, +1978, +1979, =2003, =2004
Tennessee: +1938, +1942, +1950, -1951, =1998
Washington: +1960, +1991
Georgia Tech: +1952, +1990
Pittsburgh: +1936, -1937, =1976, +1980
UCLA: +1965
Arkansas: +1964
Mississippi: +1962
Iowa: +1956
Illinois: +1951
Purdue: +1943
Stanford: +1940
California: +1937
Florida: =1996
BYU: =1984
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958, -2003
Texas A&M: =1939
Auburn: -1957, +1983
Georgia: +1946, -1980
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
Michigan: +1947, =1948, -1997
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968, =2002
Nebraska: =1970, =1971, -1994, =1995, +1997
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957, =1975, =1986, =2000
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Clemson: -1981
Colorado: -1990
Florida State: -1993, =1999
Texas: =1963, -1969
Army: -1944, -1945
Miami-FL: -1983, =1987, =1989, -1991, =2001
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965, -1978, -1979, =1992
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966, =1973, -1977, =1988, +1993