The USC Trojans captured The National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame’s MacArthur Trophy today as their prize for decisively beating the Oklahoma Sooners, 55-19, yesterday in the FedEx Orange Bowl, this year’s BCS national championship game. Bernie Kish, executive director of the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., presented the national championship trophy to Head Coach Pete Carroll and his team at today’s press conference.
“Presented to the national champion since 1959, this coveted trophy represents the pinnacle of team achievement in college football,” Kish said. “Coach Carroll, your team personified everything great about college football this year. On behalf of our 13,000 members from across the nation, it’s a great honor to present you and your team with the MacArthur Trophy. Congratulations Coach!”
Yesterday’s victory marked the fifth time Southern California has claimed the prize and the first time since 1974. The NFF also awarded the trophy to USC in 1972, 1967 and 1962. The 2004 USC team will now have its name etched on the silver trophy, which will visit Southern California before being returned to its permanent display case at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.
With the advent of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998, the national championship game now determines which team will be presented the MacArthur Trophy and have their named engraved on the sparkling archways aside the greatest teams of all time. The National Football Foundation, as an impartial arbiter, tabulates and releases the weekly BCS standings during the college football season.
Previous NFF National Champions include:
Syracuse 1959, Minnesota 1960, Alabama 1961, Southern California 1962, Texas 1963, Notre Dame 1964, Michigan State 1965, Michigan State/Notre Dame 1966, Southern California 1967, Ohio State 1968, Texas 1969, Ohio State/Texas 1970, Nebraska 1971, Southern California 1972, Notre Dame 1973, Southern California 1974, Oklahoma 1975, Pittsburgh 1976, Notre Dame 1977, Alabama 1978, Alabama 1979, Georgia 1980, Clemson 1981, Penn State 1982, Miami (FL) 1983, Brigham Young 1984, Oklahoma 1985, Penn State 1986, Miami (FL) 1987, Notre Dame 1988, Miami (FL) 1989, Colorado 1990, Washington 1991, Alabama 1992, Florida State 1993, Nebraska 1994, Nebraska 1995, Florida 1996, Michigan 1997, Tennessee 1998, Florida State 1999, Oklahoma 2000, Miami (FL) 2001, Ohio State 2002, Louisiana State 2003.
