The 2002 game served as the BCS championship game between the BCS No. 1 – ranked Miami , then a member of the Big East Conference , and the BCS No. 2 – ranked Nebraska , then a member of the Big 12 Conference . The Nebraska selection as the BCS No. 2 team was controversial because Oregon was ranked No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches Polls , while Nebraska was ranked No. 4 in both polls and did not play in its conference championship game ( No. 3 Colorado , who would play Oregon in that year 's Fiesta Bowl , did and won the Big 12 's automatic bid to the BCS ) . This prevented a West Coast team playing in the Rose Bowl for the first time , and it also marked the first matchup since 1946 not to feature the traditional pairing of Pac-10 vs. Big Ten teams
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Rose Bowl Game