2003 Fiesta Bowl
| 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCS National Championship Game 32nd Fiesta Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | January 3, 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Sun Devil Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Tempe, Arizona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Craig Krenzel, QB Mike Doss, S | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Miami by 11.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | The Singing Sergeants [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Randy Christal (Big 12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Ohio State and Miami Marching Bands [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 77,505 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Keith Jackson (play-by-play) Dan Fouts (analyst) Lynn Swann (sideline) Todd Harris (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 29.1 million viewers; 17.2 rating (Pre Game: 19.7 million/11.9 rating) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game that was the designated Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season, taking place on January 3, 2003 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Ohio State Buckeyes, co-champions of the Big Ten Conference, defeated the heavily favored Miami Hurricanes, defending national champions and champions of the Big East Conference, in double overtime by a final score of 31 - 24 in a widely controversial finish. The game was only the second overtime result in either the BCS or its predecessors, the Bowl Alliance and Bowl Coalition, following the 2000 Orange Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Michigan Wolverines. By virtue of their victory, Ohio State won its first consensus national title since 1968 and became the first team in college football history to finish a season with a 14-0 record.
In the midst of a resurgence after a period of turmoil in the 1990s, Miami had won the previous season's national championship in dominant fashion and entered the Fiesta Bowl with a 34-game win streak. Ohio State, meanwhile, had narrowly missed national championship opportunities in the 90s, and their most recently claimed championship followed the 1970 season. The two teams represented a contrast of styles: Ohio State played an older variation of power football that emphasized running and dominant defense, while Miami used the speed of their skill position players to overwhelm opponents. Leading up to the game, there was speculation as to whether the Buckeyes would be able to contend with the speed advantage of the Hurricanes, who were installed as 11.5 point favorites.
Following the game, controversy arose surrounding the validity of a crucial pass interference penalty during the first overtime period, without which a Hurricanes victory would have resulted. The trajectories of the two programs subsequently diverged after the season: Ohio State maintained national competitiveness, while Miami fell from their elite status, eventually becoming mired in a scandal. Considering the differing courses of the two programs, the game and its controversial ending have become known as pivotal moments in the greater history of American college football. As such, it is often referred to as one of the greatest college football games ever played.
This was Miami’s last appearance in the national championship game until 2025.