The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Drama in the polls is no match for drama on the field when it comes to the television ratings for the Bowl Championship Series' title game.

LSU's 21-14 win over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl on Sunday night garnered a 14.4 overnight rating with a 22 share for ABC. That's a 22.5 percent drop from the 18.6 with a 29 share that the network garnered for Ohio State's thrilling double-overtime victory over Miami in last year's championship at the Fiesta Bowl.

That game drew the highest overnight rating for a BCS bowl game since the system began in 1998.

The overnight ratings for the Sugar Bowl were very close to the 14.3 with a 21 share that the network received for the Rose Bowl two seasons ago, when Miami routed Nebraska 37-14.

This season's Rose Bowl, which was played Thursday, was the only one of the four BCS bowl games not to be broadcast in prime time. ABC televises all BCS games.