2002 NCAA Division I - A football season The 2002 NCAA Division I - A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game . Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated . The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31 – 24 , ending Miami ' s 34 game winning streak . However , controversy did surround the end of the game . After Miami had taken the lead into overtime , Ohio State had a fourth and goal opportunity . Buckeye quarterback Craig Krenzel ' s pass fell incomplete in the end zone , appearing that Miami had won their 2nd straight title . However , as the Miami team began to race on the field , a late was flag thrown on the play for pass interference . Though many have questioned the call , the Big 12 reviewed and confirmed the call . 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 . The only conference move during this season saw the University of Central Florida leave the Independent ranks to join the Mid - American Conference as its 14th member . Bowl Games . 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 . As such , the BCS instituted a new rule , whereby a bowl losing its conference champion to the BCS championship could " protect " the second - place team from that conference from going to another bowl . This left the Sugar Bowl with # 14 BCS Florida State , the winner of the Atlantic Coast Conference . Notre Dame at 10 - 2 and # 9 in the BCS standings was invited to the 2003 Gator Bowl . Kansas State at # 8 also was left out . Heisman Trophy Voting . " The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award is given to the Most Outstanding Player of the year " < br > Winner : Carson Palmer ( Sr . ) , QB , USC ( 1 , 328 points )