Tough QBs lead title teams

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma had the look of a national champion from the beginning, even though its top quarterback was a wobbly-kneed scrambler with only five career starts.

There weren't many people, though, who would have predicted LSU and its hobbled signal-caller would make the hour's drive to crash this year's Bourbon Street bash.

But here they are, brought together by a couple of courageous quarterbacks, the nation's two most dominating defenses and seven computers to play for the Bowl Championship Series national championship in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4.

In a matchup produced by the BCS' computers, second-ranked LSU will take on No. 3 Oklahoma in a de facto home game for the Tigers. Meanwhile, the people's choice -- No. 1-ranked USC -- will play for The Associated Press title in the Rose Bowl.

The likelihood of a split national title has sparked predictable (and annual) indignation at a system that can't possibly accommodate the championship dreams of three one-loss teams.

"If it were meant for USC to be playing in the Sugar Bowl, they would have had two of them," Oklahoma's All-American defensive tackle Tommie Harris said. "We're there because we deserve to be and LSU is there because it deserves to be. There should only be one national champion."

Maybe there will be. USC, of course, still must defeat fourth- ranked Michigan to earn its share of the national crown.

But no one would have doubted the Sooners' credentials if they had played in the Big 12 championship like the team that won its first 12 games by an average of 35 points.

Oklahoma, ranked No. 1 in the preseason for the first time since Barry Switzer's second-to-last team in 1987, placed most of its title hopes on quarterback Jason White.

The 23-year-old senior, whose last two seasons ended with knee injuries, overcame doubts about his durability -- and ability -- to post one of the best years ever by a college quarterback.

White was the nation's leader in pass efficiency and capped his unlikely return by winning the Heisman Trophy, proving to be the perfect complement to the nation's stingiest defense.

Together, they made Oklahoma look nearly unbeatable.

The Sooners' record-tying, 15-week run as the nation's No. 1 team included a flawless 77-0 rout of Texas A&M on Nov. 8 that started talk of them being one of the greatest teams in college football history.

Instead the myth of Oklahoma's invincibility came to a shocking end following its 35-7 loss to underdog Kansas State.

The Sooners (12-1) were overwhelmed in their biggest game of the season, playing so badly that both human polls dropped them into third-place behind USC and LSU. Oklahoma still got its spot in the Sugar Bowl, but not without plenty of teeth-gnashing by BCS critics.

"For 12 games everybody is enamored with you," coach Bob Stoops said. "But you lose one, and all of a sudden you are somehow supposed to be a fragile team.

"This team is a lot better than that; a lot tougher than that. There's a sting in defeat we don't want removed, but we also know who we are, what we've accomplished and the challenges we have in front of us."

Meanwhile, LSU was coming off a disappointing 8-5 season that was capped by an ugly, mistake-filled 35-20 loss to Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

In the offseason, coach Nick Saban wasn't sure he would be able to adequately replace his two top running backs, one of the school's best linebackers in second-team All-American Bradie James and three starting defensive backs.

Making matters worse, 24-year-old quarterback Matt Mauck was handed the starting job even though he was recovering from torn ligaments in his right foot -- an injury that some feared would end his brief career.

Turns out, LSU (12-1) was every bit the dominant force the Sooners were.

The Tigers finished with the nation's top-ranked scoring defense (10.8 points a game) and won their games by an average of 24 points, losing only to a resurgent Florida team in Baton Rouge on Oct. 11.

LSU went on to hold off Eli Manning-led Mississippi 17-14 for the SEC West division title, pound Arkansas a week later and, most impressively, trounce fifth-ranked Georgia 34-13 in Atlanta for the SEC crown before a decisively Bulldogs-partisan crowd.

"We had to beat three teams down the stretch that beat us the year before," Saban said. "I am very proud of the fact that the team chemistry and the players were able to do that for us."

Defensive tackle Chad Lavalais overcame his inconsistency and earned All-America honors and became a finalist for the Lombardi Award.

Mauck became the SEC's most efficient passer and set a school- record with 28 touchdown passes. Freshman running back Justin Vincent seized a starting role and ended the regular season by rushing for 201 yards against Georgia in the league championship game.

But Oklahoma is the team with the five All-Americans and more postseason awards. LSU has only one All-American (Lavalais) and didn't become a factor in the national title race until November losses by Ohio State, Miami and Virginia Tech cleared a path.

LSU enters the Sugar Bowl as a six-point underdog, something that irks the oft-overlooked Tigers.

"We know there's a lot of people who doubt us," Lavalais said. "The whole state is behind us. Very few people doubt us here. But in the rest of the country, a lot of people are saying we can't beat Oklahoma. We're not doubting. We have a great team here."

The Sooners, however, are trying to spin the national discord about the BCS as an indirect criticism against their spot in the BCS title game.

"Now that we have one loss, it's like we're Prairie View or something," Harris said. "But I believe that the guys are going to bounce back. We're ready to go out there Jan. 4 and show why we should be in the Sugar Bowl."

But no matter how well Oklahoma or LSU plays in the Sugar Bowl, the public outcry will be plenty loud if USC wins in the Rose Bowl.

To some, the crystal football-topped Sears Trophy awarded to the BCS champ might as well come with an asterisk.

"That crystal football they're giving at the end is to the winner of the Sugar Bowl, not the Rose Bowl," Oklahoma defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek said. "And we're going home with that crystal football."

Even if they're not really No. 1.

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