Power Rankings

LSU, USC deserving of top spot, but Trojans get the final nod

By Stewart Mandel, SI.com

Keary Colbert and the Trojans will never get to prove it on the field against LSU, but they're champs in this book. AP

The debate that engulfs college football today is entirely different than the one that dominated the airwaves and the chat rooms a month ago.

Then, it was about numbers. It was about schedule rankings and quality wins, opponents' records and opponents' opponents records. It was a question of which two teams, on paper, deserved to play in the Sugar Bowl.

To that end, Oklahoma and LSU were at the time the right choices.

The question that faces us today is a far more subjective one. It's not about numbers but what the naked eye saw.

It's about comparing two national championship teams, USC and LSU, and deciding which one truly deserves to be No. 1.

It's not easy.

The way I look at it is the bowl games are like starting from a clean slate. Whatever misconceptions we may have had as the season played out can be pushed aside in favor of a fresh perspective.

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To that end, my main impression of the Tigers after watching them absolutely demoralize the Heisman Trophy winner is that they have an umatched defense that put on one of the most dominating national championship performances in recent memory.

My main impression of the Trojans is their offense is a work of art, an efficient and explosive unit with a near-flawless quarterback and an overflow of weapons. Receivers Mike Williams and Keary Colbert toyed with Michigan's secondary.

But perhaps the most significant revelation of the bowl season was USC's defense, which sacked Wolverines quarterback John Navarre nine times.

Yes, the Trojans bend a little in the yardage department, more so than the Tigers. But the gap between the teams' defenses is not nearly as great as that of their offense. Coaching and special teams are about even.

While LSU certainly did nothing to hurt its stock in the bowl game, USC's skyrocketed in the eyes of this observer. They are a complete team, comparable in many ways to some of the great Miami and Florida State teams of the late '80s and early '90s.

They are SI.com's 2003 national champions.

NCAA Football Power Rankings Rank LW (12/1) Team 1 3 USC Trojans (12-1) The most remarkable thing about the Trojans' season was that they did it with so much youth. Clearly, we are looking at the birth of a potential dynasty. 2 2 LSU Tigers (13-1) Speaking of potential dynasties, some of the most talented players on LSU's roster are only now starting to play, Justin Vincent being a prime example. 3 1 Oklahoma Sooners (12-2) What a strange turn of events for Jason White. It's rare enough that a Heisman winner comes back for another year nevertheless on such a down note. 4 8 Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes (11-2) You know you're doing all right as a program when your worst season in four years means going 11-2. Sean Taylor and the defense capped off a dominant season by holding Florida State to a mere 206 yards of offense in the Orange Bowl. 5 4 Michigan Wolverines (10-3) It's hard to fault the Wolverines too much for falling victim to the USC buzzsaw. Chris Perry, though quiet in the Rose Bowl, demonstrated the depth of his talent when he became the rare back to go off against Ohio State's defense. 6 10 Ohio St. Buckeyes (11-2) Right up through their last game, the Buckeyes continued to defy the critics, most of whom didn't see them beating K-State. He might not be glamorous, but QB Craig Krenzel finished his career 24-3 as a starter, including a national title. 7 6 Georgia Bulldogs (11-3) There were some rough patches down the stretch, but mostly the Dawgs followed up their first SEC title in 20 years with another strong season, and the dramatic bowl win over Purdue will serve as momentum headed into next year. 8 11 Ole Miss Rebels (10-3) It's been a long time since we saw the Rebels playing in game the magnitude of their late-season showdown with LSU or winning bowl games as prestigious as the Cotton. Now the question is: Can they do it without Manning? 9 -- Washington St. Cougars (10-3) The most impressive sight of bowl season may have been watching the Cougars' defense ravage Texas' quarterbacks en route to a Holiday Bowl upset. In his first season, head coach Bill Doba extended Wazzu's streak of 10-win seasons to three. 10 15 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-3) No wonder Kirk Ferentz is a hot commodity. In what should have been a rebuilding season, the Hawkeyes rolled off another 10-win year, clobbering Florida in the Outback Bowl. No question this was a very well-coached team. 11 5 Texas Longhorns (10-3) With each passing year it becomes more and more apparent that coaching is keeping the talented Longhorns -- many of whom, ironically, wouldn't be there but for this particular head coach -- from achieving their potential. 12 13 Kansas St. Wildcats (11-4) Darren Sproles was "the man," but Wildcats fans will be forever left wondering what might have been had QB Ell Roberson never gotten hurt right before K-State's early season slide nor been involved in a pre-Fiesta Bowl scandal. 13 7 Tennessee Volunteers (10-3) What an up-and-down season for the Vols. Win at the Swamp, get crushed by Auburn and Georgia. Roll off six straight victories, including a stunner over Miami at the Orange Bowl, fall flat in the Peach Bowl for a second straight year. 14 9 Florida St. Seminoles (10-3) In many ways the 'Noles rediscovered their swagger this season, particularly on defense. But inconsistency by Chris Rix and the offense, not to mention two more losses to arch-rival Miami, are sure to leave a bitter taste in many mouths. 15 16 Miami (OH) Redhawks (13-1) Shrugging off an opening-week loss to Iowa, the RedHawks rolled their way to a dream season, earning 13 straight wins, a MAC title, a GMAC Bowl victory and likely a whole lot of NFL dollars for sensational QB Ben Roethlisberger. 16 -- Boise St. Broncos (13-1) The Broncos finally got to play a bowl games outside their own stadium and made the most of it, winning a thriller over TCU on the Horned Frogs' home field. QB Ryan Dinwiddie capped a historic career with a huge game.

Stewart Mandel's Power Rankings also serve as his ballot in the Football Writers Association/Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll.