USC Trojans Kiss Bowl Games Away, ESPN Reports

According to ESPN, the University of Southern California Trojans football team will not be seeing any postseason action for the next two years.

In the midst of the shitstorm that has taken over the BCS, that being all new conference realignments, NCAA directors are set to make an example out of the Trojans for the treatment given to Reggie Bush during his time at the school.

As a punishment, the Trojans will be banned from any postseason play for two years and will also see a reduction in scholarships, ESPN says. A source to ESPN The Magazine also reported that they will see a forfeiture of games from at least the 2004 season, possibly including the National Championship.

The issue, as noted, stems from Reggie Bush and his family. It is alleged that Bush and his parents took improper benefits, including rent-free housing provided by a sports marketer. If sanctions are handed down, it could very well result in the Heisman Trust reviewing its decision, and possibly stripping Bush of his Heisman, ESPN reports.

It has been seven years since a BCS team was banned from postseason play, but many expect the NCAA to make an example out of the highly prolific Trojans.

Retroactively, this may also make USC repeat offenders, explains ESPN, as the Trojans were also punished in 2001. A repeat offender is when an athletic program is sanctioned more than once over five years, which if the Bush allegations hold up, would be the second instance in that time span.

While none of this has been confirmed by either the NCAA or USC, it has left fans to ponder a couple of questions.

One is what this will mean for the Trojans, should the conference realignments go through. With Texas and Oklahoma moving to the Pac-10 (or 16), and USC being weakened by consecutive years of no postseason play, some feel that USC will simply be overmatched by the two Big 12 powerhouses, and the Trojans reign of Pac-10 dominance will end quickly.

The other main question seeming to be raised concerns Carroll, as some fair-weather fans are alleging his move to the NFL was simply to jump ship on USC before the punishment was handed down, and thereby avoiding any real consequences.

Again, nothing is confirmed so this is all speculation at this point, but ESPN reports USC will appeal its side to the NCAA today, with an NCAA announcement late this week or early next week.