2002 NCAA Division I-A football season

2002 NCAA Division I-A season
Heisman Trophy won by Carson Palmer for play during the 2002 season
Number of teams	117
Preseason AP #1	Miami Hurricanes
Post-season
Duration	December 17, 2002 – January 3, 2003
Bowl games	28
Heisman Trophy	Carson Palmer, USC QB
Bowl Championship Series
2003 Fiesta Bowl
Site	Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
Winner	Ohio State Buckeyes
Division I-A football seasons
← 2001 2003 →

2002 ACC football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
#21 Florida State $		7	–	1		9	–	5
#22 Virginia		6	–	2		9	–	5
#13 Maryland		6	–	2		11	–	3
#12 NC State		5	–	3		11	–	3
Clemson		4	–	4		7	–	6
Georgia Tech		4	–	4		7	–	6
Wake Forest		3	–	5		7	–	6
North Carolina		1	–	7		3	–	9
Duke		0	–	8		2	–	10

$ – BCS representative as conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

2002 Big East football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
#2 Miami (FL) $		7	–	0		12	–	1
#25 West Virginia		6	–	1		9	–	4
#19 Pittsburgh		5	–	2		9	–	4
#18 Virginia Tech		3	–	4		10	–	4
Boston College		3	–	4		9	–	4
Syracuse		2	–	5		4	–	8
Temple		2	–	5		4	–	8
Rutgers		0	–	7		1	–	11

$ – BCS representative as conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

2002 Big Ten football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
#1 Ohio State $+		8	–	0		14	–	0
#8 Iowa %+		8	–	0		11	–	2
#9 Michigan		6	–	2		10	–	3
#16 Penn State		5	–	3		9	–	4
Purdue		4	–	4		7	–	6
Illinois		4	–	4		5	–	7
Minnesota		3	–	5		8	–	5
Wisconsin		2	–	6		8	–	6
Michigan State		2	–	6		4	–	8
Northwestern		1	–	7		3	–	9
Indiana		1	–	7		3	–	9

# – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative + – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

2002 Big 12 football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Northern Division
#20 Colorado xy		7	–	1		9	–	5
#7 Kansas State		6	–	2		11	–	2
Iowa State		4	–	4		7	–	7
Nebraska		3	–	5		7	–	7
Missouri		2	–	6		5	–	7
Kansas		0	–	8		2	–	10
Southern Division
#5 Oklahoma xy$		6	–	2		12	–	2
#6 Texas x		6	–	2		11	–	2
Texas Tech		5	–	3		9	–	5
Oklahoma State		5	–	3		8	–	5
Texas A&M		3	–	5		6	–	6
Baylor		1	–	7		3	–	9
Championship: Oklahoma 29, Colorado 7
$ – BCS representative as conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

2002 Conference USA football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
#23 TCU +		6	–	2		10	–	2
Cincinnati +		6	–	2		7	–	7
Louisville		5	–	3		7	–	6
Southern Miss		5	–	3		7	–	6
Tulane		4	–	4		8	–	5
UAB		4	–	4		5	–	7
East Carolina		4	–	4		4	–	8
Houston		3	–	5		5	–	7
Memphis		2	–	6		3	–	9
Army		1	–	7		1	–	11

+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

2002 Mid-American Conference football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
East Division
#24 Marshall x$		7	–	1		11	–	2
UCF		6	–	2		7	–	5
Miami		5	–	3		7	–	5
Ohio		4	–	4		4	–	8
Akron		3	–	5		4	–	8
Kent State		1	–	7		3	–	9
Buffalo		0	–	8		1	–	11
West Division
Toledo xy		7	–	1		9	–	5
Northern Illinois x		7	–	1		8	–	4
Bowling Green		6	–	2		9	–	3
Ball State		4	–	4		6	–	6
Western Michigan		3	–	5		4	–	8
Central Michigan		2	–	6		4	–	8
Eastern Michigan		1	–	7		3	–	9
Championship: Marshall 49, Toledo 45
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

2002 Mountain West football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Colorado State $		6	–	1		10	–	4
New Mexico		5	–	2		7	–	7
Air Force		4	–	3		8	–	5
San Diego State		4	–	3		4	–	9
Utah		3	–	4		5	–	6
UNLV		3	–	4		5	–	7
BYU		2	–	5		5	–	7
Wyoming		1	–	6		2	–	10

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

2002 Pacific-10 football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
#10 Washington State $+		7	–	1		10	–	3
#4 USC %+		7	–	1		11	–	2
Arizona State		5	–	3		8	–	6
UCLA		4	–	4		8	–	5
Oregon State		4	–	4		8	–	5
California		4	–	4		7	–	5
Washington		4	–	4		7	–	6
Oregon		3	–	5		7	–	6
Arizona		1	–	7		4	–	8
Stanford		1	–	7		2	–	9

$ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative + – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

2002 SEC football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Eastern Division
#3 Georgia x$		7	–	1		13	–	1
Florida		6	–	2		8	–	5
Tennessee		5	–	3		8	–	5
Kentucky		3	–	5		7	–	5
South Carolina		3	–	5		5	–	7
Vanderbilt		0	–	8		2	–	10
Western Division
#11 Alabama		6	–	2		10	–	3
Arkansas xy		5	–	3		9	–	5
#14 Auburn x		5	–	3		9	–	4
LSU x		5	–	3		8	–	5
Ole Miss		3	–	5		7	–	6
Mississippi State		0	–	8		3	–	9
Championship: Georgia 30, Arkansas 3
$ – BCS representative as conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Alabama had the best division record, but did not participate in postseason play due to NCAA probation. Rankings from AP Poll

The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the defending-champion Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34-game winning streak. Jim Tressel won the national championship in only his second year as head coach.

Rose Bowl officials were vocally upset over the loss of the Big Ten champ from the game. Former New England Patriots coach Pete Carroll returned the USC Trojans to a BCS bid in only his second season as head coach. Notre Dame also returned to prominence, as Tyrone Willingham became the first coach in Notre Dame history to win 10 games in his first season.

Beginning with the 2002 season, teams were allowed to schedule twelve regular season games instead of eleven leading to additional revenues for all teams and allowing players the enhanced opportunity to break various statistical records.

The NCAA Rules Committee adopted the following rules changes for the 2002 season:

No teams upgraded from Division I-AA, leaving the number of Division I-A schools fixed at 117.

The Rose Bowl normally features the champions of the Big Ten and the Pac-10. However, Big Ten-champion Ohio State, finishing #2 in the BCS, had qualified to play in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl for the national championship against Miami (Fla.) Earlier in the season, Ohio State had defeated Washington State 25-7.

After the national championship was set, the Orange Bowl had the next pick, and invited #3 (#5 BCS) Iowa from the Big Ten. When it was the Rose Bowl's turn to select, the best available team was #8 (#7 BCS) Oklahoma, who won the Big 12 Championship Game. When it came time for the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl to make a second pick, both wanted Pac-10 co-champion USC. However, a BCS rule stated that if two bowls wanted the same team, the bowl with the higher payoff had priority. The Orange Bowl immediately extended an at-large bid to the #5 Trojans and paired them with at-large #3 Iowa in a Big Ten/Pac-10 "Rose Bowl East" matchup in the 2003 Orange Bowl. The Rose Bowl was left to pair Oklahoma with Pac-10 co-champion Washington State. Rose Bowl committee executive director Mitch Dorger was not pleased with the results.

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