| 2002 NCAA Division I-A season | |
|---|---|
 Heisman Trophy won by Carson Palmer for play during the 2002 season | |
| Number of teams | 117[1] |
| Preseason AP No. 1 | Miami (FL) |
| Post-season | |
| Duration | December 17, 2002 – January 3, 2003 |
| Bowl games | 28 |
| Heisman Trophy | Carson Palmer (quarterback, Southern California) |
| Bowl Championship Series | |
| 2003 Fiesta Bowl | |
| Site | Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona |
| Champion(s) | Ohio State |
| Division I-A football seasons | |
← 2001 2003 → | |
The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the defending-champion Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34-game winning streak. 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.
Beginning with the 2002 season[citation needed], teams were allowed to schedule twelve regular season games instead of eleven leading to additional revenues for all teams and allowing players the enhanced opportunity to break various statistical records.