The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game designated as the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. It took place on January 3, 2003 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, pitting the Ohio State Buckeyes, co-champions of the Big Ten Conference, against the heavily favored Miami Hurricanes, defending national champions and champions of the Big East Conference. Led by head coach Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes in double overtime by a final score of 31 - 24, winning the program its first consensus national championship since the 1968 season. In the midst of a resurgence after a period of turmoil in the 1990s, Miami had won the previous season's national championship in dominant fashion under new head coach Larry Coker and entered the Fiesta Bowl with a 34-game win streak. Ohio State, meanwhile, had narrowly missed national championship opportunities over the past decade, and their most recently claimed championship had come over thirty years prior. The two teams represented a contrast of playing styles: Ohio State played an older variation of power football that emphasized running and dominant defense, while Miami used the speed of their skill position players to overwhelm opponents. Leading up to the game, there was speculation as to whether the Buckeyes would be able to contend with the speed advantage of the Hurricanes, who were installed as double digit favorites. Following the game, controversy arose surrounding the validity of a crucial pass interference penalty during the first overtime period, without which a Hurricanes victory would have resulted. The trajectories of the two programs subsequently diverged after the season: Ohio State maintained national competitiveness, while Miami fell from their elite status, eventually becoming mired in a scandal. Considering the differing courses of the two programs, the game and its controversial ending have become known as pivotal moments in the greater history of American college football. As such, it is often referred to as one of the greatest college football games ever played. Wiki link Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Miami Hurricanes BCS National Championship · Fiesta Bowl Mountain America Stadium, Tempe, AZ Final/OT: OSU 31, MIAMI 24 https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/230032390/ohio-state-miami