No. 2 Ohio State meets No. 10 Miami on Wednesday in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl Classic, and that’s going to prompt a flood of nostalgia from the 2003 BCS championship game.
On Jan. 3, 2003, No. 2 Ohio State beat No. 1 Miami 31-24 at the Fiesta Bowl in a legendary double-overtime showdown that featured an absurd collection of future NFL talent on both sides. That game between the Buckeyes and Hurricanes belongs on the short list of greatest games of all time.
Ohio State broke Miami’s 34-game winning streak. It’s easy to remember the controversial pass interference call on Miami defensive back Glenn Sharpe that led to a second overtime.
Let’s not forget how many NFL players played in that game. Consider this fact:
A total of 52 of the 100 players who played in the matchup between the Hurricanes and Buckeyes were NFL Draft picks. Miami and Ohio State each had 26 players drafted, including 18 starters on both sides.
How awesome was that collection of talent? A closer look.
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How many Miami first-round picks played in 2003 BCS championship game?
Miami had 12 future first-round picks who played in the game, including six starters on defense. A look at those players:
| YEAR | ROUND | PLAYER | POS. | TEAM |
| 2003 | 1 | Andre Johnson | WR | Houston Texans |
| 2003 | 1 | Jerome McDougle | DE | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2003 | 1 | Willis McGahee | RB | Buffalo Bills |
| 2003 | 1 | William Joseph | DT | New York Giants |
| 2004 | 1 | Sean Taylor | S | Washington Redskins |
| 2004 | 1 | Kellen Winslow II | TE | Cleveland Browns |
| 2004 | 1 | Jonathan Vilma | LB | New York Jets |
| 2004 | 1 | D.J. Williams | LB | Denver Broncos |
| 2004 | 1 | Vernon Carey | T | Miami Dolphins |
| 2004 | 1 | Vince Wilfork | DT | New England Patriots |
| 2005 | 1 | Antrel Rolle | CB | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2006 | 1 | Kelly Jennings | CB | Seattle Seahawks |
Johnson is a member of the Pro Bowl Football Hall of Fame. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection with the Texans who finished with 1,062 catches, 14,185 yards and 70 TDs.
Wilfork won two Super Bowls with the Patriots and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection. Rolle was a three-time Pro Bowl selection who won a Super Bowl with the Giants, and Vilma was a three-time Pro Bowl selection who won a Super Bowl with the Saints.
McGahee – who suffered a gruesome leg injury during the loss to the Buckeyes – played 10 seasons and rushed for 8,474 yards.
Taylor was a two-time Pro Bowl selection in Washington – a career tragically cut short when he was murdered in 2007. Winslow was a one-time Pro Bowl selection.
Williams played 11 seasons in Denver. Carey played eight seasons. Jennings and Joseph played six seasons each. McDougle played four seasons.
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How many Ohio State first-round picks played in 2003 BCS championship game?
Ohio State had six first-round picks who played in the 2003 BCS championship game. A look at those players:
| YEAR | ROUND | PLAYER | POS. | TEAM |
| 2004 | 1 | Will Smith | DE | New Orleans Saints |
| 2004 | 1 | Chris Gamble | CB | Carolina Panthers |
| 2004 | 1 | Michael Jenkins | WR | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2006 | 1 | A.J. Hawk | LB | Green Bay Packers |
| 2006 | 1 | Bobby Carpenter | LB | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2006 | 1 | Nick Mangold | C | New York Jets |
Mangold was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection with the New York Jets. Smith – a one-time Pro Bowl selection – had 67.5 career sacks and won a Super Bowl with New Orleans in 2009. Hawk – a one-time Pro Bowl selection – played 11 seasons and won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 2010.
Jenkins and Gamble played nine seasons each. Carpenter played seven seasons.
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2002-03 Miami players in the NFL Draft
A total of 47 Miami players played in the 2003 BCS championship game against Ohio State. Here is a look at the 26 players who were selected in the NFL Draft:
A closer look at those 26 players in order of the year they were drafted:
| YEAR | ROUND | PLAYER | POS. | TEAM |
| 2003 | 1 | Andre Johnson | WR | Houston Texans |
| 2003 | 1 | Jerome McDougle | DE | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2003 | 1 | Willis McGahee | RB | Buffalo Bills |
| 2003 | 1 | William Joseph | DT | New York Giants |
| 2003 | 3 | Andrew Williams | DE | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2003 | 4 | Jamaal Green | DE | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2003 | 5 | Matt Walters | DT | New York Jets |
| 2003 | 7 | Ken Dorsey | QB | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2004 | 1 | Sean Taylor | S | Washington Redskins |
| 2004 | 1 | Kellen Winslow II | TE | Cleveland Browns |
| 2004 | 1 | Jonathan Vilma | LB | New York Jets |
| 2004 | 1 | D.J. Williams | LB | Denver Broncos |
| 2004 | 1 | Vernon Carey | T | Miami Dolphins |
| 2004 | 1 | Vince Wilfork | DT | New England Patriots |
| 2004 | 7 | Darrell McClover | LB | New York Jets |
| 2004 | 7 | Al Marshall | CB | Chicago Bears |
| 2004 | 7 | Carlos Joseph | OT | San Diego Chargers |
| 2005 | 1 | Antrel Rolle | CB | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2005 | 2 | Roscoe Parrish | WR | Buffalo Bills |
| 2005 | 6 | Chris Myers | G | Denver Broncos |
| 2006 | 1 | Kelly Jennings | CB | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2006 | 2 | Roger McIntosh | LB | Washington Redskins |
| 2006 | 3 | Eric Winston | T | Houston Texans |
| 2006 | 4 | Leon Williams | LB | Cleveland Browns |
| 2006 | 4 | Orien Harris | DT | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2006 | 5 | Marcus Maxey | S | Kansas City Chiefs |
That list does not include four undrafted players who played in the NFL, including running back Jarrett Payton, center Brett Romberg, fullback Quadtrine Hill and cornerback Glenn Sharpe.
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2002-03 Ohio State players in the NFL Draft
A total of 53 Ohio State players played in the 2003 BCS championship game against Miami. Here is a look a the 26 players who were selected in the NFL Draft:
| YEAR | ROUND | PLAYER | POS. | TEAM |
| 2003 | 2 | Mike Doss | S | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2003 | 3 | Kenny Peterson | DE | Green Bay Packers |
| 2003 | 3 | Cie Grant | LB | New Orleans Saints |
| 2003 | 4 | Matt Wilhelm | LB | San Diego Chargers |
| 2003 | 5 | Donnie Nickey | S | Tennessee Titans |
| 2004 | 1 | Will Smith | DE | New Orleans Saints |
| 2004 | 1 | Chris Gamble | CB | Carolina Panthers |
| 2004 | 1 | Michael Jenkins | WR | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2004 | 3 | Ben Harstock | TE | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2004 | 3 | Tim Anderson | DT | Buffalo Bills |
| 2004 | 3 | Darrion Scott | DE | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2004 | 4 | Alex Stepanovich | C | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2004 | 4 | Will Allen | CB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2004 | 5 | Craig Krenzel | QB | Chicago Bears |
| 2004 | 5 | Drew Carter | WR | Carolina Panthers |
| 2004 | 5 | Robert Reynolds | LB | Tennessee Titans |
| 2004 | 7 | Shane Olivea | T | San Diego Chargers |
| 2004 | 7 | Adrien Clarke | G | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2005 | 2 | Mike Nugent | K | New York Jets |
| 2005 | 3 | Dustin Fox | CB | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2006 | 1 | A.J. Hawk | LB | Green Bay Packers |
| 2006 | 1 | Bobby Carpenter | LB | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2006 | 1 | Nick Mangold | C | New York Jets |
| 2006 | 4 | Nate Salley | S | Carolina Panthers |
| 2006 | 4 | Rob Sims | T | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2007 | 5 | Jay Richardson | DE | Oakland Raiders |
That list does not include several undrafted free agents who played in the game, including receiver Bam Childress, punter Andy Groom, defensive end Simon Fraser, safety Tyler Everett, cornerback EJ Underwood and defensive tackle Marcus Green. Clarett was signed by the Denver Broncos in 2005, but never played in an NFL regular-season game.
