BCS Redo: 2002

This is a 16-part series. I will compare what the BCS actually gave us over the past 16 years with what we could've seen if my BCS Playoff System was used instead. This will also give an outlook as to why this system would be best for college football's future. Note - the Big East counts as an automatic qualifier here, and has a main tie of the Orange Bowl. Also, the rankings used are from the BCS standings of the time, not my preferred formula.

What we saw in the 2002-2003 season:

Rose Bowl - Wednesday, January 1
6 Oregon (10-2, Pac-10 Champion) vs 7 Oklahoma (11-2, Big 12 Champion)

Sugar Bowl - Wednesday, January 1
3 Georgia (12-1, SEC Champion) vs 14 Florida St. (9-4, ACC Champion)

Orange Bowl - Thursday, January 2
4 USC (10-2, AQ) vs 5 Iowa (11-1, At-Large)

Fiesta Bowl (National Championship Game) - Friday, January 3
1 Miami (12-0, Big East Champion) vs 2 Ohio St. (13-0, Big Ten Champion)

Passed over: None

Using my BCS Playoff System:

Selection Order:
Tier 1: Sugar, Orange, Rose
Tier 2: Fiesta, Peach, Cotton

Semifinal #1 - Saturday, December 29
3 Georgia (12-1, SEC Champion) @ 2 Ohio St. (13-0, Big Ten Champion)

Semifinal #2 - Saturday, December 29
6 Washington St. (10-2, Pac-10 Champion) @ 1 Miami (12-0, Big East Champion) 

Rose Bowl - Tuesday, January 1
4 USC (10-2, AQ) vs 5 Iowa (11-1, AQ)

Sugar Bowl - Tuesday, January 1
7 Oklahoma (11-2, Big 12 Champion) vs 9 Notre Dame (10-2, AQ)

Orange Bowl - Wednesday, January 2
14 Florida St. (9-4, ACC Champion) vs 15 West Virginia (9-3, At-Large)

Fiesta Bowl - Thursday, January 3
13 Colorado (9-4, At-Large) vs Boise St. (11-1, WAC Champion)

Peach Bowl - Friday, January 4
8 Kansas St. (10-2, AQ) vs 12 Penn St. (9-3, AQ)

Cotton Bowl - Saturday, January 5
10 Texas (10-2, AQ) vs 11 Michigan (9-3, AQ)

National Championship Game - Monday, January 7
Semifinal #1 Winner vs Semifinal #2 Winner

Analysis:

For Tier 1 bowls, the Sugar is up first and gets Big 12 Champion Oklahoma. Since there are no SEC teams ranked close-by, Notre Dame makes for the perfect opponent here. The Orange must take the ACC Champion, 14 Florida St. To keep the ACC-Big East match-up alive, 14 West Virginia is chosen. The Rose Bowl is handed a perfect pair of opponents in $ USC and 5 Iowa, keep its traditional ties and holding up Rule 6.

For Tier 2 bowls, Boise St. is handed to the Fiesta Bowl based on proximity. For the other spot, Colorado is chosen. The Peach Bowl takes Penn St. and its massive fan base for its first selection. Kansas St. gets the nod over Texas to protect the Cotton Bowl, which gets a monster first-time match-up in Texas vs. Michigan.
Past BCS Redo Seasons:
2001
2000
1999
1998