Former LSU player Marcus Spears was invited to participate in a panel discussion with former USC quarterback Matt Leinart, organized as part of the Vegas Kickoff Classic festivities. Unfortunately, Spears couldn’t attend due to his ESPN duties, but joked that he would have brought his usual outspoken charisma.
The event is a buildup to the highly anticipated matchup between LSU and USC, who have a history as the last teams to share a college football national championship, causing debates and confusion among fans. A game between the two teams in 2003 would have been a clash of styles, with USC’s high-scoring offense against LSU’s top-ranked defense.
USC was left out of the BCS national championship game in 2003, despite being No. 1 in both major human polls, due to issues with the BCS formula. LSU went on to beat Oklahoma in the title game, sparking controversy and split opinions on who the true national champion was.
In the end, LSU claimed the national championship while USC received more first-place votes in the final AP poll. The split championship debate has continued over the years, with former players and fans still holding strong opinions on which team was the best that year.
As both teams prepare to face off in the Vegas Kickoff Classic, the game will offer a chance for fans to see a long-awaited matchup and potentially settle some old scores. Despite changes in the college football landscape, the debate over the 2003 national championship remains as contentious as ever.
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