The year college football split its crown between two champions

History · Published 5 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2003, the LSU Tigers secured a historic national title, but the victory sparked a lasting debate over how we define the best team. While LSU hoisted the trophy, the final polls refused to agree on who actually owned the throne, creating a unique historical anomaly.

Under the leadership of fourth-year head coach Nick Saban, the 2003 LSU Tigers finished the regular season with an 11–1 record. The team was anchored by a defense that many experts now consider one of the greatest in the history of college football. Their dominance was punctuated by a 34–13 victory over No. 5 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, which secured their spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

The path to the title was paved by a complex selection process. Despite finishing the regular season ranked No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls behind USC, LSU was selected for the title game over the Trojans. This decision was largely driven by the BCS computer-based system, which prioritized the relative difficulty of the teams' schedules. LSU eventually defeated No. 3 Oklahoma 21–14 in the Sugar Bowl to claim their first national championship since 1958.

The season concluded with a rare and enduring controversy: a non-consensus national title. Because the Coaches' Poll was contractually obligated to rank the BCS champion first, LSU took the top spot there. However, the AP Poll maintained USC as the No. 1 team. This discrepancy marked the final time in history that the two major polls disagreed on the national champion, leaving a permanent asterisk on a season defined by both elite defensive play and administrative friction.

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