While the Men's basketball and Women's tennis teams also face sanctions, the greatest impact of the investigation landed on the shoulders of the football team.
USC football will face the following penalties:
4-year probation
2-year Postseason Bowl ban
Loss of 2004 BCS National Championship
Loss of 30 scholarships over 3 years
Loss of 14 victories from December 2004 through the 2005 season
All titles won during ineligible games must be vacated and trophies and banners must be removed
Reggie Bush's statistics must be removed from record books
Reggie Bush must be disassociated with USC athletics
No word yet if Bush will have to give back his 2005 Heisman, but it appears that the Heisman committee does not want to go down that path.
The Trojans, however, will likely keep their 2004 AP National Title. AP sports editor Terry Taylor said, ""The 2004 poll stands, the poll is intended to measure on-field performance. If teams are allowed to play, they're allowed to be ranked and USC certainly played in 2004."
She continued by saying, "It would be impractical to, It's been six years. Memories have faded and the poll board from that year is no longer intact."
Personally I don't see what any of that AP nonsense means. OK it has been six years, so what. The team has had to forfeit all of the games in a time period where the program was deemed ineligible. I get that they were on the field and playing the game, but if they have no wins to show for it, then how can they be the champions. Also in an age of pretty much limitless technology, how is the poll board no longer intact. I bet you I can Google 2004 AP final poll and within .000284 seconds I can find that board.
Anyways that was just a short summation of what has gone on for USC the past couple days.
The real focus of this post is set on Pete Carroll. In his 9 seasons at the helm of USC football Carroll produced a record of 97-19 with 2 National Championships, 7 PAC-10 titles, 3 Heisman winners and turned USC into the top destination for the nation's top high school football talent.
I'm sure that didn't hurt either.
In early January, shortly after the Trojans defeat of BC in the Emerald Bowl, Carroll jumped ship and left LA for to become the President and Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks. He signed a 5-year deal believed to be worth $7 million per year.
Even in January, I thought that this move seemed a little fishy. USC was under heavy investigation, the team had just completed a sub-par season and he just basically up and left the team. His players weren't even told that he was leaving. They didn't find out until the public announcement was made that he would be taking the Seattle job.
This is all from the same Pete Carroll who is supposed to be the ultimate player's coach. The guy who would walk through the fires of hell to help his players succeed. A guy who was down to earth and tried to connect to his guys on personal levels.
Why was he in such a hurry to get out of Dodge? What was so urgent that he couldn't find the time to even tell his players. And to top it off, he was going to Seattle. Not exactly the cream of the NFL crop.
I guess if I knew I had the opportunity to coach Julius Jones and Matt Hasselbeck, I would run at a full sprint and not stop until I reached the Pacific Northwest too.
So to me, yes, something seemed a little off.
In January, when asked if his move to the NFL was pressured by the on-going investigation, Carroll said, "Not in any way. Because I know where we stand. It's just a process we have to go through. We know we've fought hard to do it right."
Sure you did Pete.
Everything was just so fine and dandy in LALA land, that you found it essential to high tail it out of town at the drop of a hat.
Of course you played by the rules, I mean your campus is located right in the epicenter of all that epitomizes American materialism, so there in no way the corrupt Hollywood world could infiltrate your program or USC athletics.
Come on Pete. You claim to be the ultimate player's coach. You have developed strong personal bonds with these kids, but you never noticed any red flags that could hurt your program.
That 19-year old who comes from nothing, but is seem driving around on campus in a new Hummer. Nothing? No red flag?
Or that kid who is out partying with celebrities, getting access to all of the hot night spots, showing up in gossip magazines, and wining and dining Hollywood's leading ladies.
Well maybe not leading ladies, but definately favorites of the paparazzi.
So Pete, you're trying to tell us that in a town of wealth and excess, you had no inkling of an idea that something corrupt had leaked into your program? No idea that USC football would be crumbling down? No idea that you're best option would be to jump to the NFL for a boat load of money, no matter how bad the franchise is?
But to Pete's credit, he continued to hide behind his Surprised Sally mask after the NCAA released its punishment on the program. Carroll said, "I am absoluetly shocked and disappointed in the findings of the NCAA." He continued by saying that he never though the facts that the NCAA found supported any of the sanctions bestowed on USC.
So here is the question:
Is Pete Carroll a genius for getting out of L.A. when he did, cashing in on a very lucrative contract and distancing himself from the mess at USC?
OR
Is Pete Carroll a slime ball for leaving USC in complete shambles, denying any knowledge of all wrongdoings and basically looking out for #1, when all of the players "he cared so deeply about" will be suffering for years from the sanctions brought upon by his regime at USC?
To make matters worse, with the reconstruction of the conferences in the NCAA, the PAC-10, or whatever it will be called, is going to be greatly if it can land national front-runners Texas and Oklahoma. USC was always a great recruiter, could draw the top talent in the nation, and owned the westcoast, but with the loss of 30 scholarships and being ineligible for bowl games, how can USC possibly match up with those former Big-12 powerhouses.
The once mighty have fallen, and Lane Kiffin will feel the wrath first hand. Couldn't have happened to a better guy. Ask Tennessee.
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