Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart completed
18-of-35 passes for 332 yards with five touchdowns, as Southern California won
back-to-back titles and claimed the BCS national championship with a
convincing 55-19 win over Oklahoma in the 71st annual Orange Bowl.
Reggie Bush, also a Heisman finalist, rushed for 75 yards on only six
carries for the top-ranked
Trojans (13-0), who won the AP national title last season and
automatically earned the championship from the coaches this year after
they were obligated to vote the winner of the Orange Bowl as their
national champion.
After this dominating performance, it is also highly certain that
Southern California will be the consensus national champion and top the
final Associated Press poll for the second year in a row as well. However,
there is a slim chance that Auburn could vault into the No. 1 spot in the
AP poll, thus creating a split national champion like last year when the
Trojans shared the title with LSU, which won the BCS championship.
The Tigers, who are currently third in the AP poll, went 13-0 and
capped off their perfect season with a 16-13 win over Virginia Tech in the
Sugar Bowl, but probably won't sway enough voters to bypass Southern
California for the top spot.
The Trojans were also ranked No. 1 in both the AP and coaches polls
last season, but were surprisingly third in the BCS Standings and left out
of the championship game in favor of Oklahoma and the Tigers. Southern
California, which defeated Michigan in last season's Rose Bowl to earn a
piece of the title, left no doubt this year, though, that it belonged in
the title game.
Steve Smith hauled in seven receptions for 113 yards with three scores
for the Trojans, who claimed their 11th title in school history and also
extended the nation's longest winning streak to 22 games.
Dwayne Jarrett added a score and 115 yards receiving on five catches
while LenDale White, who battled a sprained right ankle, rushed for 118
yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Jason White, the 2003 Heisman Trophy winner and third-place finisher
this season, ended his collegiate career in disappointing fashion. White
was 24- of-36 for 244 yards with two touchdowns, but threw three costly
interceptions for the Sooners (12-1), who have suffered consecutive
setbacks in the BCS title game after also dropping a 21-14 decision to LSU
last year.
Freshman running back Adrian Peterson had 82 yards on 25 carries for
Oklahoma, which was in search of its eighth national championship in school history and second in the
last five seasons. The Sooners defeated Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl to
earn their last title.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-05 15:44
