This is a continuing look at what my design would look like for this year and will walk backwards one year per week, until the dawn of the BCS era. For other years and a better look at my design look here.

Qualifying teams

Miami(FL) and Ohio State would have qualified as the highest group of teams.

Tournament

Miami(FL) and Ohio State would have played in the National Championship
Game.

Possible BCS Bowls

This year is the only year my design reverted to what the BCS accomplished. Due to the added games the BCS bowls would have been altered.

Sugar: Georgia vs. Kansas State
Rose: Iowa vs. Washington State
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. USC
Orange: Florida State vs. Notre Dame

Teams in bold would have been tied to that berth, italics indicate a BCS berth would have been guaranteed. 

Texas or Colorado cold have replaced Kansas State and Michigan or Penn State could have replaced Iowa.

What actually happened and a tier based plus one next.

What actually happened

This year was the only year where the BCS championship system is identical to my design.

BCS Games

NCG-Fiesta: Ohio State 31 Miami(FL) 24(2 OT)
Sugar: Georgia 26 FSU 13
Orange: USC 38 Iowa 17
Rose: Oklahoma 34 Washington State 14

Kansas State, Notre Dame, Texas, Michigan, Penn State and Colorado were BCS eligible but not selected.

Controversy

With a consensus top two, no excluded undefeated teams and no selections of teams with higher ranked available teams made 2002 one of the years the BCS worked best.

Even the Rose Bowl looked more like a Rose Bowl than my designs would have allowed.

A Tier Based Plus-One

Semifinals

Miami would have played USC and Ohio State would have played Georgia in the semifinals.

Direct Participants

Washington State and Oklahoma would have been selected for direct participation as the highest ranked automatic qualifying conference champions.

FSU would have been guaranteed a first round game.

Remaining Teams Eligible for a Second Bowl

Boise State, Iowa, Colorado State, Notre Dame, Texas, Colorado, Hawaii, Marshall, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, TCU and Virginia Tech would have been eligible for a second bowl game.

Alabama had ten wins over FBS teams but was on an NCAA probation from the postseason in 2002.

Possible first round games

Mid-West: Iowa vs. Colorado
North: Michigan vs. Notre Dame
South: FSU vs. Texas
West: Boise State vs. Virginia Tech

An Improvement

It is rather hard to improve on what the BCS accomplished in 2002. If the BCS could consistently produce these results I would not be here today.