It's December 9th, 2002. The playoff is set, who wins?
1 Miami vs 4 USC
2 Ohio St vs 3 Georgia
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The teams:
#1 Miami, 12-0, Big East Champions
4th in scoring offense
22nd in scoring defense
37th strength of schedule
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The defending national champs went through the 2002 season undefeated and have won 34 straight games. The Canes faced four ranked foes this year, with a blowout win @ #6 Florida, and 1-point victory over #9 FSU, and two close wins vs #17 Pitt and #18 VT. They beat the hell out of everyone else they played.
The offense was prolific, with a 3,000 yard passer (QB Dorsey), 1700 yard rusher (RB McGahee), and 1000 yard receiver (WR Johnson). Dorsey was efficient, McGahee averaged 6.2 ypc, and Johnson had TE Winslow to take attention away from him.
The defense was great, allowing just 285 yds per game. The pass D was incredible again, allowing just 120 yards through the air @ a 46% completion rate. The run D was the weakness, with teams gut-punching Miami for 165 yds per game. While the Canes created far fewer turnovers than the year before, they still simply shut down opponents' passing games (1st, nationally).
The special teams were ordinary, although PR Parrish's 14.5 yds per punt return were strong. K Sievers hit just 59% of FGs.
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#2 Ohio St, 13-0, Big Ten Co-Champions
41st in scoring offense
2nd in scoring defense
21st strength of schedule
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OSU began the year ranked 13th, but gradually worked its way up to 2nd. They easily beat #10 Washington St early before close calls vs unranked Cincinnati and Wisconsin. #18 Penn St was a 6-point win, but #23 Minnesota was a blowout. Closing out the year, the Buckeyes defeated #12 UM by 5.
OSU's offense was run-heavy. Freshman RB Clarett led the team in carries, yards (1,237), ypc (5.6), and TD (16). Backup RB Ross averaged just 3.7 ypc. The passing game was efficient, but unremarkable. It did yield a 1,000 yard receiver (WR Jenkins). CB Gamble was used in lieu of other playmakers, contributing 500 yds himself to the offense. QB Krenzel did little to win games for OSU, but he also did little to lose any.
The defense shut down enemy running games, allowing just 78 yards per game on the ground (3rd, nationally). OSU was susceptible through the air, allowing 243 yds per game. They did pick off 18 passes, bringing 3 back for TDs, though.
The Buckeyes' return game was average, but the kicking game was good, with K Nugent hitting 89% of FG attempts and P Groom booming 45 yard punts, on average.
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#3 Georgia, 12-1, SEC Champions
22nd in scoring offense
4th in scoring defense
24th strength of schedule
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Georgia spent the season ranked in the top 10 and made it into the playoff by winning the SEC. Along the way, UGA had close wins at #22 Alabama and vs #10 Tennessee, as well as at #24 Auburn. All of those one-score wins were punctuated by a blowout win in the SECCG vs #22 Arkansas. Georgia's lone blemish was a 7-point loss to Florida in Jacksonville.
The Dawgs' offense was pass-heavy, with reliable QB Greene at the helm. He kept the chains moving, thanks to WRs Edwards (1000 yds) and Gibson (750 yds). Running the ball was RB Musa Smith (1300 yds) at 5.1 ypc. The offense overall didn't gain 400 yds per game, but it got the points when it had to.
Defensively, UGA held teams under 200 yds passing and 115 rushing. Four of the team's 16 INTs went back for TDs. DE Pollack had a big year as the anchor.
KR Gibson and PR Gary proved able, as both ran back a kick for a TD, with good averages for the season. K Bennett made 26 FGs (79%) and P Kilgo had a decent average (42 yds).
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#4 USC, 10-2, Pac-10 Co-Champions
9th in scoring offense
17th in scoring defense
1st strength of schedule
These Men of Troy aren't the Leinart/Bush crew of a few years prior, but they definitely earned their way into the playoff by facing 8 ranked teams.
Beginning 20th in the preseason poll, USC used its #1 toughest schedule to work its way up, despite a couple of hiccups along the way. In its first four ranked tests, USC went 2-2, with wins at #18 CU and vs #23 Oregon St and losses at #25 KSU and #17 WSU. A close win vs unranked Cal followed, but then the Trojans got going, closing out 2002 with six big wins, including over #22 Washington, at #14 Oregon, at #25 UCLA, and #7 ND, all blowouts.
Heisman-winner QB Palmer led the charge, at 300+ yards per game passing for USC. He had two targets go over 1,000 yards on the season in WRs Colbert and M.Williams. Running the ball were RBs McCullough and Fargas, both averaging about 4.5 ypc. The offense was the strength of the team.
Defensively, the Trojans were stout against the run (83 yds allowed). Versus the pass, however, despite allowing just under a 50% completion rate, opponents gained 200 yds per game. The DBs were able to snag 17 INTs, though.
Oddly, the USC return game was very poor. The kicking game was better, though.
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The major players:
C Brett Romberg, Miami - Rimington, All-American
QB Carson Palmer, USC - Heisman, Unitas, AA
HC Jim Tressel, OSU - AFCA, Robinson, Bryant Coach of the Year
RB Willis McGahee, Miami - AA
K Mike Nugent, OSU - AA
DE David Pollack, Georgia - AA
LB Matt Wilhelm, OSU - AA
S Mike Doss, OSU - AA
S Troy Polamalu, USC - AA
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Who wins it all?
