USC Has A Long Ways to Go Before they Become Relevant Again

The state of USC football is certainly up in the air after a harsh NCAA ruling

By: David Washington

It was obvious that there was going to be some NCAA violations with the recruitment and handling of former USC running back Reggie Bush. The college football community was certain that there would be some sort sanctions against the Pac 10 powerhouse. But, rather than merely giving the Trojans a sharp reprimand or a slap on the wrist, the NCAA threw the book at the storied program and banned them from postseason play for 2 years AND took away 30 scholarships (10 per year for the next three years). That’s like expecting to be grounded for a week and instead being sent to military school. So was the NCAA too harsh, or did the punishment fit the crime? And how will this affect the future of Trojan and Pac 10 football?

The term “student athlete” has been a joke for many years at schools with major athletic programs. These athletes are often recruited using illegal methods. Bribery is not an uncommon tool, andspecial treatment is commonplace simply because of their physical ability. To make matters even worse, many of the star athletes have failed to complete their roles as a student, and they are still given unfair advantages. Though USC has the two highest profile faux “student athletes” in recent memory with both the OJ Mayo and Reggie Bush scandals, there are quite a few others that have occurred in recent years.

Alabama was recently caught in a textbook scandal and was forced to vacate three years worth of victories. Florida State’s whole athletic department was put under a microscope when it was found that athletes in 10 different sports were caught cheating in an online music history class. Oklahoma was recently sanctioned for “failing to monitor” their players employment and allowing players to receive money from an outside source simply because of their status on the football team.

Though all these violations were punished, none were as severe as the one that USC had handed down. Perhaps this is because the Trojans have so often been suspected of violating NCAA rules or because USC and Reggie Bush denied all allegations of wrongful activity. Another logical, though unfair, reason for the harsh sanctions is that the NCAA simply hopes to make an example out of USC. By showing other institutions how much it will cost them if they continue to break rules then they will be punished in a manner that will affect their program for years to come. Not exactly the fairest scenario for USC. However, if that’s what it takes to put the honorable term “student” back into the “student athlete,” than so be it.

Needless to say, the biggest question still remains: “How will the sanctions affect USC football?” Only time will tell, but it is easy to speculate anything from a two year break from the national title picture to an eternal irrelevance. Realistically, the outcome will most certainly reside somewhere in the middle. If you look back to the most recent event that compares to the Trojans current plight is that of the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2002 and 2003. After being accused of 11 violations, the Crimson Tide were banned from postseason play in college football for three years. Though this didn’t destroy the program, it certainly damaged them and caused them to go 43-33 (a downright embarrassing record for a college football powerhouse) between 2002 and 2007. The team went on to win the National Championship just this past season.

USC fans should expect the fate of their program to go something similar to that of Alabama, but on a slightly larger scale due to contributing factors that are out of USC’s control. With the Pac 10’s almost assured expansion to the Pac 16 (along with the rise of schools like Cal, UCLA, Oregon, and Oregon State), USC’s recruiting would’ve already suffered without the sanctions. Now, with 2 years of bowl free football in the Coliseum, many top tier recruits will avoid the Trojans like the plague and instead aim for one of the other big name schools in the conference (which will soon include Texas, Oklahoma, and other Big 12 Powerhouses). The Trojans should expect more than 5 years to pass before they even challenge for a BCS title and the damned-before-it-began Lane Kiffin era of USC football will be ugly to watch and short lived.

So I’m sorry Trojan fans but, because of more reasons than simply the sanctions. USC football will never be the same. Never again will the cardinal and gold of the Trojans dominate college football as it did back in the days of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Never again will dozens new four and five star recruits charge into the Coliseum and marvel at the arena that they will be allowed to showcase their skills.

You’ve had a good run, but It’s over.