USC Dominates in the Final AP Voting as Well

Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville stopped by the press box before Tuesday night’s Orange Bowl to try to sway a few Associated Press voters.

“I brought my campaign manager,” Tuberville quipped.

Tuberville was holding out hope that his 13-0 team might win the AP half of this year’s national title.

That hoped evaporated quickly as USC routed Oklahoma, 55-19, leaving no doubt the Trojans would be undisputed champions this year.

That confirmation came early Wednesday morning in the East, when Associated Press anointed USC as its 2004 champion.

USC received 62 first-place votes and 1,622 points. Auburn was second with the remaining three first-place votes and 1,559 points. Oklahoma was third with 1,454. The nation’s only other undefeated Division I-A team, Fiesta Bowl champion Utah, was fourth with 1,438 points.

It was the second consecutive AP title for USC and only the 10th time a school has been ranked No. 1 at the end of two consecutive seasons.

Auburn capped a perfect season with a 16-13 win over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night, but that win was not nearly convincing enough to turn the AP tide given the way USC manhandled Oklahoma.

Tuberville joked that he was rooting for a “monsoon” to slow down the teams Tuesday night, but by halftime he knew his team’s fate was sealed.

“I’d like to play the winner of this game,” he said.

Auburn finished the regular season at No. 3 in the Associated Press poll behind No. 1 USC and Oklahoma.