TV ratings up for Rose Bowl, down for title game

Sugar Bowl SI.com's Stewart Mandel If the Trojans represented L.A. glitz, then the Tigers were Bayou blue collar in beating the Sooners in the Sugar Bowl. Closer Look Nick Saban showed why he deserves the huge raise that is coming his way after winning the national title. Spotlight HERO: LSU defense The Tigers held the top-ranked Sooners offense to 154 total yards, only 52 on the ground. LSU had five sacks and forced two interceptions that led to touchdowns. GOAT: Jason White The Heisman winner flopped in the big game, completing only 13-of-37 passes and tossing two picks, one of which was returned for the game-deciding touchdown. Rose Bowl SI.com's Stewart Mandel It may not have been USC's typical blowout, but after watching the Trojans manhandle Michigan, AP voters will have no trouble justifying their opinion. Spotlight HERO: Keary Colbert Overshadowed by All-American Mike Williams the entire season, the senior WR caught six passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns in his final collegiate game. GOAT: Michigan's O-Line The same bunch who plowed over Ohio State couldn't get the job done against USC, as John Navarre was sacked nine times and Chris Perry ran for just 85 yards. BCS Recap Sugar: LSU 21, Oklahoma 14 Rose: USC 28, Michigan 14 Orange: Miami 16, Florida St. 14 Fiesta: Ohio State 35, Kansas State 28 2003-04 bowls schedule and results

NEW YORK (AP) -- Drama in the polls is no match for drama on the field when it comes to the television ratings for the Bowl Championship Series' title game.

LSU's 21-14 win over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl on Sunday night garnered a 14.4 overnight rating with a 22 share for ABC. That's a 22.5 percent drop from the 18.6 with a 29 share that the network garnered for Ohio State's thrilling double-overtime victory over Miami in last year's championship at the Fiesta Bowl. That game drew the highest overnight rating for a BCS bowl game since the system began in 1998.

The overnight ratings for the Sugar Bowl were very close to the 14.3 with a 21 share that the network received for the Rose Bowl two seasons ago, when Miami routed Nebraska 37-14. That game turned out to be the lowest-rated BCS title game.

The Tigers' win assured them of the Coaches' poll championship. USC won the AP title by virtue of a convincing 28-14 win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

The Rose Bowl received a national rating of a 14.3 with a 25 share for ABC. That's up 27 percent from last year's 11.3 with a 20 share. It also marks the highest rating for a Rose Bowl since the Bowl Championship Series started in 1998.

The Rose Bowl, which was played last Thursday, was the only one of the four BCS bowl games not to be broadcast in prime time. ABC televises all BCS games.

Miami's 16-14 win over Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Friday night got a 9.1 national rating with a 16 share. That's almost identical to the 9.2 with a 15 share that ABC got for last year's Sugar Bowl, which was shown in the same time slot.

The national rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, even if they are not in use. Each rating point represents 1,084,000 homes.

Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets in the United States, covering nearly 70 percent of the country. Each overnight rating point represents about 735,000 TV homes.

The share is the percentage of homes with sets in use.