Dimmed spotlight

After party in Pasadena, atmosphere at Sugar Bowl seems subdued

Heisman winner Jason White is looking to redeem himself after a sub-par game in the Big 12 Championship. AP

NEW ORLEANS -- Upon arriving here Friday at the site of Sunday's Sugar Bowl national championship game, one can't help but notice how different the scene is from the one in Pasadena, Calif., less than 24 hours ago.

There, the jubilant USC Trojans danced around the Rose Bowl turf Thursday following their decisive win over Michigan, chalking up their national championship coronation as a given and professing their opinion that the LSU-Oklahoma outcome would mean "nothing."

Standing on the Superdome turf during Friday's Media Day event, Sooners defensive tackle Tommie Harris expressed his own apathy -- about USC-Michigan.

"We went out to dinner and it was on TV," he said. "I watched the end."

"Strange" and "subdued" are the two words most applicable to the feel surrounding college football's sixth BCS national championship game.

Gone is the week-long national buildup that's accompanied these games in the past, replaced by a brief two-day prologue that centers as much around another game just played as the one that's about to be. In fact, it seems many people have already made up their minds who was the best team in the country this season before even watching the two official contenders.

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

Whatever the prevailing opinion may be in the rest of the country, however, the city blocks surrounding the Superdome remain in a vacuum. A sea of purple and gold has enveloped this city ever since the home-state team earned its invitation, and the contingent from Oklahoma -- 65,000 of whom requested tickets -- has been partying its way through the French Quarter for days, unaffected by their team's stunning setback in the Big 12 championship game and unsympathetic to any cries of injustice.

"We don't care if they [USC] think they should have been here," said Sooners linebacker Teddy Lehman. "They shouldn't have lost to California."

The idea of a split national championship is hardly new to college football. Ten times in the last 50 years -- or about once every five years -- it's happened.

But ever since the advent of the BCS and its emphasis on a true 1 vs. 2 championship game, the public no longer seems so accepting of such pluralism. Already the talking points for an eternal debate are forming, with USC players referring to themselves as "the people's champion," while the Sooners and Tigers point out that they're the ones playing for "that crystal football."

"This game has been declared the national championship," said LSU defensive end Marcus Spears. "If we win, I'll consider myself and my team the national champions."

"USC deserves what they're going to get, but the focus isn't on them," said Tigers receiver Michael Clayton. "If we have to share the championship, that's the way it will be, but both sides will deserve it."

Oklahoma and LSU have yet to even determine a winner and already their players are being asked whether they'd like the opportunity to play one more game against the Trojans. Just like the USC players a night earlier, they said they'd welcome it.

"If they asked us right after the game to go and play, I'd be on the first flight to USC," said Harris.

Actually, Oklahoma looked into it. Sooners AD Joe Castiglione said he inquired in mid-December about playing the Trojans in August's season-opening BCA Classic.

"We called them when we heard the [Pete Carroll] comment that they'd play anyone, anywhere," said Castiglione. "But they'd already committed to Virginia Tech."

Heisman winner White, who recently announced he's returning for another season, would have welcomed that opportunity. In watching USC's big-play offense, he couldn't help but notice a similarity between the Trojans and his team.

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"Not only do they strike quickly, a lot of the plays they run look just like ours," said White. "I could really tell that they are a great team."

That, however, is about the extent of any USC discussion you could hope to get into this week with a Sooner or Tiger. Swoon all you want over Matt Leinart and Mike Williams, they don't care. They know that whatever the voters have to say about the Trojans, they're still going to end up atop a poll if they win their game Sunday.

"I just want to win the Sugar Bowl. It's the national championship game," said LSU defensive tackle Chad Lavalais. "I guess there could be a split, but me personally, I don't really want to get involved in all of that. That's something for the fans and media to get involved with."

Suffice to say, they already have.

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.