After six years of having the 2004 national championship crystal football in the central part of Heritage Hall, it has officially been removed. After the NCAA announced that USC’s appeal against the sanctions that were laid down on them last June was denied on May 21, the BCS vacated USC’s championship on Monday.
The NCAA also announced from the Orange Bowl game, which was held on Jan. 4, 2005, through Dec. 3, 2005, a total of 13 games will be vacated because Reggie Bush participated while ineligible.
"The BCS arrangement crowns a national champion, and the BCS games are showcase events for postseason football," BCS executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement. "One of the best ways of ensuring that they remain so is for us to foster full compliance with NCAA rules. Accordingly, in keeping with the NCAA’s recent action, USC’s appearances are being vacated.
"This action reflects the scope of the BCS arrangement and is consistent with the NCAA’s approach when it subsequently discovers infractions by institutions whose teams have played in NCAA championship events."
As if it couldn’t get any worse for USC and its fans, the BCS also announced that a total brainwashing from the games Reggie Bush participated while ruled ineligible would be implemented immediately. The move is backed by the NCAA.
This means they will have to erase memories such as Matt Leinart’s superb night. Leinart threw an Orange Bowl-record five touchdowns against the Sooners. Other great moments include the 54-yard touchdown from Leinart to receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who caught five passes for 115 yards.
New York Giants and then USC receiver, Steve Smith, will have to forget his night as well, having caught seven passes for 113 yards and three touchdowns. The truth is, the BCS isn’t going to ask Leonardo DiCaprio to help erase every person’s memory who witnessed the game. Even though the BCS made it official that USC will have to ship the crystal football to BCS headquarters, USC has already stamped its name in college football championship history.
Pete Carroll’s impeccable run has produced many special moments in college football that will buzz in history forever; this includes the 2005 Orange Bowl BCS National Championship game. Oklahoma and their fans are probably the only fan base advocating memory loss.
This move by the BCS was expected. USC athletic director Pat Haden emphasized the appeal by receiving scholarships back and reducing the bowl ban to one year, instead of two. Not vacating the games Bush was ruled ineligible was a bonus, heck, Haden tried to implement a Reggie Bush memory loss technique of his own by ridding Bush-related accolades from USC last summer.
It’s not a total loss in-regards to those Carroll championship led teams as USC still have the 2004 Associated Press national championship after deciding not to vacate the award from USC last summer. After all, the AP understands the players and coaches that participated in the regular season in 2004-05 earned the title. It was a team effort and not because of single running back.