College Football Rewind: 5 most important games from 2004 season

The 2004 season was the height of the Pete Carroll era at USC. This episode of College Football Rewind looks at the most important games from 2004.

The 2004 season produced an amazing feat: the top two teams in the preseason went wire-to-wire and met in the national championship. The 2004 season also happened to produce the greatest USC team of all time and the peak of the brilliant Pete Carroll era.

This episode of College Football Rewind will look at the five most important games from the 2004 season.

Starting the season ranked No. 1 and finishing the season ranked at the top is an incredible feat. Both teams starting the season ranked Nos. 1 and 2 and then meeting in the national championship feels almost impossible these days. Well, it happened in 2004. Both USC and Oklahoma started the season ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, and both met for one of the worst national championship games in recent memory.

USC won handily 55-19 and Trojan quarterback Matt Leinart seemingly became the first Heisman Trophy winner to play well in the championship game, throwing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns.

The 2004 season also introduced the world to Utah and head coach Urban Meyer as the Utes became the first “BCS buster” and made the Fiesta Bowl, defeating Pittsburgh.

It saw three teams finish the season unbeaten: USC, Auburn and Utah. What a year this would have been for a College Football Playoff.

This season also marked a big year for conference expansion, with Miami and Virginia Tech electing to join the ACC. With all of that being said, here are the five most important games that shaped the 2004 college football season.