2004 NCAA Division I-A season
Heisman Trophy won byMatt Leinart for the 2004 season
Number of teams	117 full members + 2 transitional
Preseason AP No. 1	USC
Postseason
Duration	December 14, 2004 – January 4, 2005
Bowl games	28
Heisman Trophy	Matt Leinart (quarterback,USC)
Bowl Championship Series
2005 Orange Bowl
Site	Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Champion(s)	None
Division I-A football seasons
← 2003 2005 →

The2004 NCAA Division I-A football season was the highest level ofcollege football competition in the United States organized by theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on August 28, 2004 and ended on December 4, 2004. The postseason concluded on January 4, 2005 with theOrange Bowl, which served as the season'sBowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game.

USC defeatedOklahoma in the Orange Bowl by a score of 55–19, which earned the Trojans their second consecutive AP title and first-ever BCS title. The Orange Bowl win and accompanying BCS title were later vacated as part of the sanctions levied against USC following anNCAA investigation. USC appealed the decision but was denied by the NCAA, and the 2004 BCS title was officially vacated on June 6, 2011. 2004 is the only season in the BCS era to not have a national champion. To this day, USC remains stripped of this national title.^[1]

The NCAA Rules Committee adopted the following rule changes for the 2004 season:

• Instant replay would make its debut in college football, as theBig Ten Conference began to use it on a one-year experimental basis.^[2]
• Officials are allowed to announce the number of a player committing a penalty, similar to the NFL.
• Modifying the rule regarding offensive substitutions made and rushing to snap the ball before the defense can make their changes; eliminating the five yard penalty for the first offense (but stopping play and warning the offensive team), but maintaining the 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for further violations.
• Allowing the head coach to request a time-out.
• Allowing the receiving team the option to enforce encroachment penalties on punts/kickoffs either from the end of the return or from the previous line of scrimmage, requiring a re-kick.
• Leaping on PAT/Field Goal attempts is prohibited.
• Defensive pass interference will not be called when a kicker throws a ball high and downfield to simulate a pass.
• Roughing the passer will not be called if a defensive player is blocked into the passer.

Prior to the 2004 season,Miami (FL) andVirginia Tech left theBig East Conference to join theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC), giving the ACC 11 members.Connecticut joined the Big East after having been an Independent since ascending to Division I-A in 2000.Troy State also left their Independent status and joined the Sun Belt Conference.Florida Atlantic University andFlorida International University moved up from Division I-AA and became I-A Independents.^{[citation needed]}Florida A&M also briefly attempted to move up to Division I-A and become the onlyHBCU at college football's highest level, but the team was forced to abort its bid.^[3]

Rankings reflect theAP Poll. Rankings for Week 8 and beyond will listBCS Rankings first andAP Poll second. Teams that failed to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted.

• Week 2
  • No. 5Miami defeated No. 4Florida State, 16–10^OT (Miami Orange Bowl,Miami, Florida)
• Week 5
  • No. 8Auburn defeated No. 10Tennessee, 34–10 (Neyland Stadium,Knoxville, Tennessee)
• Week 6
  • No. 1USC defeated No. 7California, 23–17 (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,Los Angeles, California)
  • No. 2Oklahoma defeated No. 5Texas, 12–0 (Cotton Bowl,Dallas, Texas)
• Week 7
  • No. 7 Florida State defeated No. 6Virginia, 36–3 (Doak Campbell Stadium,Tallahassee, Florida)
  • No. 10Wisconsin defeated No. 5Purdue, 20–17 (Ross-Ade Stadium,West Lafayette, Indiana)
• Week 11
  • No. 3/3 Auburn defeated No. 8/8Georgia, 24–6 (Jordan-Hare Stadium,Auburn, Alabama)
• Week 14
  • No. 12/10Virginia Tech defeated No. 10/9 Miami, 16–10 (Miami Orange Bowl,Miami, Florida)

In the2003 season, no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss. In 2004, the situation became even more complicated, as five teams went without losing, a record in the BCS era (later tied in2009).USC of thePac-10,Oklahoma of theBig 12,Auburn of theSEC,Utah of theMWC, andBoise State of theWAC all finished the regular season undefeated. USC and Oklahoma were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the preseason by both theAP andCoaches Polls, but the other three undefeated teams were handicapped by starting the season out of the top 15. Thus USC and OU played for theBCS National Championship in the Orange Bowl, while Auburn, Utah, and Boise State had to settle for other bowl games.

Auburn played in theSugar Bowl and beatVirginia Tech, theACC champion and ranked No. 8 by the BCS. Utah became the firstBCS Buster and beatPittsburgh, the champion of theBig East and ranked No. 21, in theFiesta Bowl.Boise State lost a close, high scoring game in theLiberty Bowl toLouisville, the No. 10 rankedConference USA champion.

As with previous seasons, fans of successful teams left out of BCS bowls were disappointed. Auburn, Utah, and Boise State all went unbeaten but were not offered a chance to compete for the BCS championship. Auburn was especially the focus of national media attention on this topic, since Auburn managed to go undefeated in the traditionally tough SEC. Adding to the frustration with the BCS system was that Auburn and Utah, though both picked to play in BCS bowl games, would not be able to play each other as a match-up of highly ranked unbeatens. This confluence of events made 2004 a seminal year for serious momentum building behind a multi-team playoff system in college football, which would later be realized with the advent of theCollege Football Playoff in2014.

USC was forced to vacate its BCS title win, along with its regular-season victory over rival UCLA, due to NCAA sanctions that stemmed from theUSC athletics scandal. The AP title was not vacated, as the AP does not punish teams for violations. The severity of these sanctions has since been criticized by some pundits across college football.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Controversy also arose in selecting the second at-large team of the BCS after Utah.California expected to get the invitation, having been ranked fourth by the BCS entering the last week of the regular season.Texas, which had been left out of the BCS the previous season, was ranked fifth. Both teams finished with 10–1 records, but the Longhorns received a boost of support from poll voters in the final regular season rankings to overtake Cal and move into the fourth position, which ensured they would also receive the final at-large bid. Texas coachMack Brown was criticized for publicly politicking voters to put Texas ahead of California, and Cal coachJeff Tedford called for coaches' votes to be made public. Texas went on to defeatMichigan in theRose Bowl, while California lost toTexas Tech in theHoliday Bowl. Much of the pre-bowl criticisms of Texas being given the spot vs. Michigan evaporated when the Longhorns and Wolverines produced an instant classic game that was marked by a breakthrough performance byVince Young and a Texas FG as time expired to give them a 38–37 victory.

TheAssociated Press, as a result of two consecutive seasons of BCS controversy, prohibited the BCS from using their poll as part of its ranking formula following the 2004 season. The AP poll was replaced by theHarris Interactive poll starting in 2005, and the AP continues to award its own national championship trophy.

In another first, theLSU Tigers lost to theIowa Hawkeyes on a last secondHail Mary pass in theCapital One Bowl, becoming the first school to lose a non-BCS bowl a year after winning theBCS National Championship Game.

Italics denotes I-AA teams.

• Note: Florida Atlantic was transitioning from I-AA to I-A.

1. USC (11–0)*
2. Auburn (13–0)
3. Oklahoma (12–1)
4. Utah (12–0)
5. Texas (11–1)
6. Louisville (11–1)
7. Georgia (10–2)
8. Iowa (10–2)
9. California (10–2)
10. Virginia Tech (10–3)
11. Miami (9–3)
12. Boise State (11–1)
13. Tennessee (10–3)
14. Michigan (9–3)
15. Florida State (9–3)
16. LSU (9–3)
17. Wisconsin (9–3)
18. Texas Tech (8–4)
19. Arizona State (9–3)
20. Ohio State (8–4)
21. Boston College (9–3)
22. Fresno State (9–3)
23. Virginia (8–4)
24. Navy (10–2)
25. Pittsburgh (8–4)

* USC finished the season with a 13–0 record but was forced to vacate two wins in 2010 as a result of NCAA sanctions.

Rankings given are AP rankings going into bowl games

• Orange Bowl: No. 1 (BCS No. 1)USC 55, No. 2 (BCS No. 2)Oklahoma 19 (vacated due to NCAA violations)
• Rose Bowl: (At Large) No. 6Texas 38, (Big Ten Champ) No. 13Michigan 37
• Fiesta Bowl: (At Large, MWC Champ) No. 5Utah 35, (Big East Co-Champ) No. 19Pittsburgh 7
• Sugar Bowl: (SEC Champ) No. 3Auburn 16, (ACC Champ) No. 9Virginia Tech 13

• Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 15Tennessee 38, No. 22Texas A&M 7
• Capital One Bowl: No. 11Iowa 30, No. 12LSU 25
• Gator Bowl: No. 17Florida State 30,West Virginia 18
• Outback Bowl: No. 8Georgia 24, No. 16Wisconsin 21

• Peach Bowl: No. 14Miami (FL) 27, No. 20Florida 10
• Houston Bowl:Colorado 33,UTEP 28
• Liberty Bowl: (C-USA Champ) No. 7Louisville 44, (WAC Champ) No. 10Boise State 40
• MPC Computers Bowl:Fresno State 37, No. 18Virginia 34 (OT)
• Continental Tire Bowl: No. 25Boston College 37,North Carolina 24
• Independence Bowl:Iowa State 17,Miami (Ohio) 13
• Silicon Valley Classic:Northern Illinois 34,Troy State 21
• Sun Bowl: No. 21Arizona State 27,Purdue 23
• Music City Bowl:Minnesota 20,Alabama 16
• Holiday Bowl: No. 23Texas Tech 45, No. 4California 31
• Emerald Bowl:Navy 34,New Mexico 19
• Alamo Bowl: No. 24Ohio State 33,Oklahoma State 7
• Insight Bowl:Oregon State 38,Notre Dame 21
• Champs Sports Bowl:Georgia Tech 51,Syracuse 14
• Motor City Bowl:UConn 39, (MAC Champ)Toledo 10
• Hawaii Bowl:Hawaii 59,UAB 40
• Fort Worth Bowl:Cincinnati 32,Marshall 14
• Las Vegas Bowl:Wyoming 24,UCLA 21
• GMAC Bowl:Bowling Green 52,Memphis 35
• New Orleans Bowl:Southern Miss 31, (SBC Champ)North Texas 10

TheHeisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player

• Walter Camp Award (top player):Matt Leinart, USC
• Maxwell Award (top player):Jason White, Oklahoma
• AP Player of the Year:Matt Leinart, USC
• Lombardi Award (top linebacker):David Pollack, Georgia
• John Mackey Award (tight end):Heath Miller, Virginia
• Doak Walker Award (running back):Cedric Benson, Texas
• Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player):David Pollack, Georgia
• Outland Trophy (interior lineman):Jammal Brown, Oklahoma
• Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback):Jason White, Oklahoma
• Johnny Unitas Award (Sr. quarterback):Jason White, Oklahoma
• Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver):Braylon Edwards, Michigan
• Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back):Carlos Rogers, Auburn
• Lou Groza Award (placekicker):Mike Nugent, Ohio State
• Ray Guy Award (punter):Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
• Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (Coach of the Year):Tommy Tuberville, Auburn
• The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award:Urban Meyer, Utah
• Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award:Paul Johnson, Navy

• BCS controversies#2004–05 season

• 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 2004 controversies in the United States

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