▁post - season ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁New ▁Orleans ▁Bowl ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁and ▁concluded ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁with ▁the ▁season - ending ▁H ula ▁Bowl . ▁ ▁A ▁new ▁record ▁of ▁ 2 8 ▁team - comp et itive ▁bow ls , ▁and ▁two ▁all - star ▁games , ▁were ▁played , ▁including ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁Cont inental ▁T ire ▁Bowl , ▁Hawai i ▁Bowl ▁and ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bowl . ▁To ▁fill ▁the ▁ 5 6 ▁available ▁team - comp et itive ▁bow l ▁sl ots , ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁three ▁teams ▁with ▁non - win ning ▁seasons ▁participated ▁in ▁bow l ▁games — all ▁three ▁had ▁a ▁. 5 0 0 ▁( 6 – 6 ) ▁season . ▁ ▁Pol l ▁rank ings ▁The ▁below ▁table ▁lists ▁top ▁teams ▁( per ▁pol ls ▁taken ▁after ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁regular ▁season ▁and ▁any ▁conference ▁championship ▁games ), ▁their ▁win - loss ▁records ▁( p rior ▁to ▁bow l ▁games ), ▁and ▁the ▁bow ls ▁they ▁later ▁played ▁in . ▁The ▁AP ▁column ▁represents ▁rank ings ▁per ▁the ▁AP ▁Pol l , ▁while ▁the ▁B CS ▁column ▁represents ▁the ▁Bowl ▁Championship ▁Series ▁rank ings . ▁▁ ▁denotes ▁a ▁B CS ▁bow l ▁game ▁ ▁in el ig ible ▁for ▁bow l ▁play ▁due ▁to ▁NCAA ▁san ctions ▁ ▁Sch edule ▁ ▁All - star ▁games ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁* <0x0A> </s> ▁A ▁Th erm ic ▁fluid