For USC football, loss of NCAA appeal also means loss of 2004 national title
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The NCAA’s decision to deny USC’s appeal of major sanction means the Trojan football team will have to vacate its 2004 season Bowl Championship Series title.
The BCS won’t make it official until after the NCAA releases its report on USC, which is expected Thursday. The matter first has to be discussed with the Presidential Oversight Committee, but USC’s fate has essentially been sealed since the school acknowledged using an ineligible player, Reggie Bush, during the 2004 championship season.
USC capped a perfect season with a 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
USC was only appealing the severity of the NCAA’s sanctions. In fact, the Trojans would have been stripped of their BCS title even if they would have won on appeal. The BCS was simply waiting for the appeals process to run its course.
The BCS champion for 2004 will be vacant.
The Associated Press has stated it will not strip USC of the 2004 title. USC also won the AP title in 2003, the year Louisiana State won the BCS crown with a victory over Oklahoma.
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-- Chris Dufresne
