USC took the hardest hit I’ve seen in a while!

The NCAA has issued their ruling on USC’s appeal to reduce the punishment previously issued to their athletic department and their football program. With a strong and commanding NO to USC, the NCAA upheld all sanctions previously imposed.  Now the men and women of Troy are crying foul, but why? Clearly they are they thinking as fans of the program and they are not thinking of the betterment of college athletics.

Here’s a quick recap of the major highlights that lead to the NCAA’s ruling against USC on the grounds of a lack of institutional control. Reggie Bush’s family was given a $600,000 house to live in and Reggie Bush was given money and gifts by multiple agents while at USC; let’s not forget that Bush was such a standup guy that he shunned one of the agents that was giving him money once he “officially” became a pro athlete, he was taking money and gifts from anyone and everyone. An assistant on the football staff, Todd McNair, was aware of some of the gifts bestowed to Bush and his family, and did nothing to stop it or report it.

OJ Mayo, a former guard on USC’s men’s basketball team, received cash directly from then head coach, Tim Floyd, to play at USC. This does not include the front row seats to NBA games and other gifts given to Mayo while playing at USC.

Remember these are just the quick highlights. Who knows what else happened that has not been made public?

USC fans stop crying. You knew this day was coming. If you’re looking for someone to blame, blame Pete Carroll. Carroll knew what was going on, he knew what sanctions were coming to the program, and he jumped ship to the NFL. He’s another fine example of a great leader of our children! What says you Jim Tressel?

The NCAA upheld their decision to impose a two-year bowl ban on USC’s football program and a reduction of thirty, yes, 30 scholarships over three years, 10 recruits per year, and I couldn’t be happier. I understand their punishment is a huge hit, one that would be devastating to any football program, even a program that recruits as well as USC. To put this into another perspective, NCAA division 1 football teams are only allowed to sign 25 recruits each year; certain exceptions to this rule such as loss of scholarships due to transferring, etc are sometimes made. USC will only be allowed to sign 15 new players each year over the next three years. I hope they recruit really well and don’t have any injury issues or they’re in for a long three years (Hey Washington State, this is your one and only chance to beat USC!). Once their recruiting ban is lifted, it will realistically take USC a couple of years to develop quality depth on their football team from that point. This really seems more like a 5 year punishment if they’re lucky.

As for Lane Kiffin, the current head football coach at USC; he was on staff during the Bush years thus I don’t feel sorry for him at all. Kiffin seemed to keep falling forward rather than backwards as he jumped from one coaching failure to the next after leaving USC as their offensive coordinator. He hasn’t been successful since he left USC and he handled the University of Tennessee and Oakland Raiders coaching jobs poorly. Somehow Kiffin seemed to keep falling forward with his coaching opportunities and managed to land the head coaching job at USC (thanks Papa Kiffin!); until recently USC was considered one of the top football coaching jobs in the nation. Time will tell if Kiffin will keep falling forward or if his string of luck has finally ended, coming full circle to face the punishment for the good fortune he reaped because of his NCAA determined illegal stint previously at USC.

Just to clarify, I’ve never agreed with kids paying the price for those that have come before them. If the person in front of me ran a red light but I stopped, why should I get punished for their actions just because I’m occupying their old space? This is how I perceive the NCAA’s sanctions on bowl restrictions and post season play on kids that had nothing to do with the previous team’s misconduct.

I also think it is wrong to take scholarships away from students that may not get an opportunity to go to college otherwise. If USC is not awarding 30 scholarships over then next 3 years that means 30 kids will not get a chance to go to college. I understand that the 5, 4, and 3 star recruits they normally recruit will still get a chance to play somewhere else but 30 kids towards the bottom of the talent pool will now miss out. The NCAA should force these teams to put the loss of those scholarships towards other students in need. If those scholarships stay within their sports programs, so be it. Someone should still receive the benefit of that college education.

I’ve always thought a player and/or coach should be held responsible for the infractions they committed even if they are no longer at said university. Reggie Bush, OJ Mayo, Tim Floyd, and Pete Carroll should have to face some sort of punishment for their NCAA determined illegal benefits. I’m not sure if a monetary fine would be enough or always fair. At the minimum they should have to do a PSA and community service regarding the infractions they committed. The “grab the money and go” and let the chips fall where they may attitude towards the university that was trying to help you is unfair for said school.

Ohio State, Auburn, and Oregon have to be really freaking nervous today! If the NCAA increases the total punishment given to USC upon any school found to be lacking institutional control moving forward, those schools are in for a rude awakening. Let this be a lesson to athletic programs and fans, enjoy the success your team is having now because you will have to pay dearly for it at a later date.

Another note to Mark May, USC fans, and other oblivious sports fans:

If BCS president Bill Hancock decides that USC must relinquish their rights to the 2005 National Championship because of Reggie Bush’s actions, you can no longer say you have won a national championship during the BCS era. The “other” championship you “won” in the 2003-2004 season, you didn’t because that was voted on by the Associated Press not won on the field as agreed upon in a BSC game which is why the BCS was formed… no split championships! That championship belongs to LSU. You can’t change the rules in your favor as you please… I guess if you’re USC you can until you get caught and then not accept your punishment like an adult. 

What would you like to clarify? Send me an email or post your comments.

Show us your avatar! Don't forget to sign up for email notifications and as a reader/follower.