| 2004 Rose Bowl presented by Citi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 90th Rose Bowl Game | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Rose Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Pasadena, California | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Matt Leinart (USC QB) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | USC by 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Spirit of Troy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Steve Usechek (Big 12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Spirit of Troy Michigan Marching Band | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 93,849 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$14 million[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Keith Jackson (play-by-play) Dan Fouts (analyst) Todd Harris (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2004 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game held on January 1, 2004 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 90th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 28-14. USC quarterback Matt Leinart was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game.[2]
The events leading up to the 2004 Rose Bowl were the subject of controversy. Although USC was ranked #1 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, the Trojans finished #3 in the final BCS standings due to a weaker schedule and one defeat – to unranked California – during the regular season, and thus did not qualify to go the BCS National Championship Game, played in the 2004 Sugar Bowl. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Sooners played a stronger schedule in their undefeated regular season, but lost on December 5, 2003 in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game to the #8-ranked Kansas State Wildcats. By virtue of their dominance through the entire regular season, Oklahoma remained #1 in the final BCS rankings issued at the outset of the bowl season. Oklahoma would lose, 21-14, to the LSU Tigers, #2 in both polls and the BCS rankings, in the Sugar Bowl game.