And on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the show's star Larry David had a better night than Sooners quarterback Jason White, even after Mel Brooks accidentally gouged David in the forehead with a bathroom door.

Even ageless former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer had a better night than White. Switzer was on the field for the coin toss because he had led the Sooners to three national championships, and at halftime he did not fumble a word during his analysis on ABC.

White, though, painfully continued the jinx that has plagued most past Heisman Trophy winners in big bowl games. Remember Marcus Allen in 1983, Vinny Testaverde in 1987, Chris Wenke in 2000, and Eric Crouch in 2001?

Early in the third quarter of the last game in the longest college football season in history, White threw his second interception of the game — his fourth in his last two games — and suddenly, White's heralded interception-to-touchdown ratio zoomed from 8 : 40 to 10 : 40.

Oklahoma had a measly 72 net yards after three quarters and LSU had 304 yards, and Oklahoma was supposedly the best college football team ever, scoring more each game than most basketball teams, before a 35-7 loss to Kansas State in the Big XII title game, Dec. 8. Only Georgia Tech with John Heisman had scored more, 222-0 against Cumberland.

Ask Oklahoma's coach, Bob Stoops, who apparently spent more time ignoring the embarassing loss to Kansas State (a loss that ended a 12-0 start) and correcting the news media than preparing a defense against L.S.U.

"The crystal ball says 'National Champions'," he reminded those covering the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans in a campaign against Southern California's claim of a share of the national title. He was referring to the ADT trophy presented to the winner of the Bowl Championship Series game that became little more than a title by computer and contractual obligation.

And at halftime Stoops — or was it the rapper Snoop Dogg? — had the nerve to correct a Hall of Famer, Lynn Swann, when the ABC sideline reporter said Oklahoma's No. 5 defense had been unable to contain L.S.U.

"We're No. 1 in scoring defense and No. 5 in pass defense," Stoops said arrogantly and condescendingly, as though he were committing in-your-face pass interference on Swann.

This just in ... L.S.U. 24, Oklahoma 7 ... on a 27-yard field goal after a 14-play drive that took 8 minutes off the clock.

Oops, two penalties against LSU prompted its 52-yard field goal try to mutate into a fake, and a pass to the tight end that went 29 yards to the 6-yard line, where Oklahoma took over, trailing 21-7.

The Sooners beat up everyone in the Big XII Conference, except Kansas State in the conference championship game. That game film should have been the M.R.I. of a fractured offense and porous defense for Stoops, who should have also realized Kansas State was vulnerable as it was in its loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

But apparently Stoops ignored the obvious signs: (1) Pressure Jason White and take him out of his rhythm and you stop Oklahoma cold. (2) Put relentless speed against beef and you win.

Through three quarters, White was 9 for 22 for 63 yards, an average of 2.9 yards a completion, and he was sacked 3 times for 22 yards lost and 2 interceptions.

And L.S.U. was winning the foot race in humid Superdome conditions for which the Tigers were better conditioned by practicing in swampy and hot Louisiana.

LSU was winning because, like USC, NFL coaching experience prevailed. Nick Saban had the Tigers playing like a pro team as did Pete Carroll had his Trojans playing against Michigan. Both Saban and Carroll have experience coaching in the pros and they know blitizing, and pass defending better than Bob Stoops or Lloyd Carr do.

And that was the difference: Using relentless speed and continuous confusion to win a share of the national championship.

At least for three quarters.

After the botched LSU field goal, Arizona-bound Mike Stoops, Bob's brother, goaded the Oklahoma defense to stop two LSU drives, and the Sooners' No. 1 scoring offense in the nation suddenly revived to make it 21-14, and then moved to the LSU 13-yard line with 3 minutes to play.

But three times White overthrew his receivers, one wide open in the end zone. Now it was 4th-and-10 from the 13 with 2:52 to go. And on fourth down Mark Clayton made a dive for the football in the end zone, but it hit the ground with 2:46 to go.

Oklahoma had four more chances but could not move the ball, and then L.S.U. had four more chances but could not run out the clock. The Big East officials were putting the ball in play faster than ESPN Radio's Ron Franklin said he had ever seen, and L.S.U. punted and the last nine seconds ran out when Oklahoma had no one back to cover the ball.

At the end, White, the 2003 Heisman Trophy winner had been sacked 5 times for 33 yards lost, had 2 interceptions and completed 13 of 37 passes for 104 yards, or 2.8 yards a pass.

"Too many penalties," Stoops said afterward.

How about too few yards: a season-low 137 to L.S.U.'s 305? Oklahoma averaged 1.9 yards a play.

How about that coaching gaffe at the end?

How about porous pass protection?

"I appreciate and admire the way their players played, and L.S.U. made the plays at the end to win," Stoops said later. "It's not easy to get here."

Sooner than you can say Sooners, Oklahoma's season-long No. 1 ranking vanished with two consecutive losses and a total of 21 points in 8 quarters, and affirmed that Oklahoma had no business being in a national championship game.

Can you imagine how special a national championship game between L.S.U. and U.S.C. would have been?

And can you image how college football has now complicated the alphabet: ABC did the game, BCS did the computer ranking, LSU and USC shared the national title, and ADT presented its national championship trophy to Nick Saban. That left 18 unused letters.

"We won a national championship because of their character and ability," Saban said of his players at a nationally televised postgame news-media conference.

But the debate went on. ESPN's Dan Patrick said USC was the best team he saw this season. His sidekick, the former Georgia coach Jim Donnan, said USC was better on offense and LSU was better on defense, and if they played on a neutral site, USC would win.

That is why USC was No. 1 in both human polls going into the game and should be No. 1 in the final polls, with LSU No. 2, Michigan No. 3, Ohio State No. 4 and Oklahoma No. 5.