ESPN is reporting

[ssgaufan]

that USC will be keeping the 2004 AP National title.  No polls have any credibilty anymore.

[eagleair89]

The Associated Press said it will not vacate USC's 2004 title and will not revote in light of the NCAA's decision.

AP sports editor Terry Taylor told USA TODAY in an email that Southern Cal would remain as national champion for 2004.

"The 2004 poll stands,'' Taylor wrote. "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.

"Plus, it would be impractical to revote. It's been six years, memories have faded and the poll board from that year is no longer intact.''

http://blog.al.com/kevin-scarbinsky/2010/06/ap_will_not_re-vote_on_2004_na.html

as for the BCS, here is the official position:

“In accordance with the findings released today by the NCAA, the University of Southern California’s 2005 Orange Bowl game victory has been vacated,” BCS executive director Bill Hancock said. “We take the integrity of NCAA rules seriously. As a procedural matter, the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee (POC) must meet to formally consider vacating USC’s championship title and the game records. If the POC takes such action, there would be no BCS champion for the 2004-05 season. The POC will meet shortly to discuss this matter.

http://usc.freedomblogging.com/2010/06/10/usc-football-bcs-waiting-on-usc-appeal/40893/

So regardless of the outcome of the appeal, USC will still be the only team recognized as National Champions for the 2004 season (AP poll)........................

imho, expect the Heisman Trust to take the same position regarding Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy...............no re-writing of history.............

another man's opinion on the Heisman (and the whole situation)...Ivan Maisel:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=5272888

As for credibility.................college football as a whole lost that a long time ago.  Me, well I enjoy college football for what it is...warts and all..and hold no illusion (or delusion) that it is any more than entertainment and an opportunity for me to return to campus (or take a fun road trip), party with friends and reminisce about times gone by and times to come....but that is just me.

I do remember this about 2004.....Auburn was perfect & champions on the field (no asterisk required) and I had a whale of a time............But come to think of it, through 42 years, when Auburn is involved it has always been perfect and a whole lot of fun!   

 

[The Prowler]

ESPN's Joe Schad also tweeted that five Universities have Illegally contacted incoming USC Freshman RB Dillon Baxter about transferring.

Florida, Oregon, Washington, Fresno State and....SPuat.

[jmar]

ESPN's Joe Schad also tweeted that five Universities have Illegally contacted incoming USC Freshman RB Dillon Baxter about transferring.

Florida, Oregon, Washington, Fresno State and....SPuat.

Our man Joe Schad is keepin' an eye on developments out west.

[Townhallsavoy]

Well, USC is now saying that Baxter actually lost that phone they were contacting. 

   This is going to be a great, hilarious end to a prestigious program in Los Angeles.

[The Prowler]

While upperclassmen will be allowed to leave the USC football team, the Trojans claim other schools have illegally jumped the gun with a freshman.

Juniors and seniors to-be will be allowed to transfer to other FBS programs without having to sit out a season after the program was hit with a two-year postseason ban among other punishments, the NCAA clarified to ESPN on Friday.

"The second school would have to submit a waiver asking to waive the year in residence, but NCAA rules allow for this waiver to be granted if a student-athlete's first school has a postseason ban in their sport," NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said in an e-mail to ESPN's Joe Schad.


NCAA report
 The NCAA released a 67-page report detailing its findings in an investigation of the USC athletic program. Read it here. Report

• USC's Dec. '09 response to NCAA

The rule does not apply to freshmen who have signed national letters of intent, however. But schools with an interest in a USC junior or senior are allowed to initiate contact with the player, Osburn said.

With one rather large caveat. A USC official told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Thursday the Pac-10 would not waive the one-year transfer ineligibility rule in this case. This means, effectively, USC players won't transfer within the conference. A Pac-10 official confirmed the stipulation to the Seattle Times on Friday.

Meanwhile, USC true freshman running back Dillon Baxter told the school's director of compliance that five schools illegally contacted him in the wake of USC's NCAA penalties, according to a document reviewed by ESPN's Joe Schad.

In a letter written by USC director of compliance Matt Billings to Pac-10 Associate Commissioner for Governance and Enforcement Ron Barker, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Fresno State and Alabama allegedly contacted Baxter.

The letter states in part: "I just met with [Baxter] and he told me that he received phone calls from five institutions [June 10th]. All of the institutions asked if he was interested in transferring from USC due to the NCAA decision. Would you please speak with these schools to remind them they cannot speak to this student athlete?"

Florida spokesman Steve McClain said the school denies the accusation.

"No one from Oregon has talked or spoken with Dillon Bazter since his official visit in January," Oregon football coach Chip Kelly said when reached for comment.

Baxter had one of the best springs of incoming freshman in the country, drawing comparisons from coach Lane Kiffin to Reggie Bush, a fellow native of San Diego. Baxter's highlight-film runs drew thousands of hits on youtube.com.

While schools can contact juniors or seniors on a team facing a two-year postseason ban, they may not reach out to other players.

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5275644

[jmar]

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5275644

I was waiting on a comment from Saban about commitment.

[The Prowler]

I was waiting on a comment from Saban about commitment.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Nothing will likely coming of this, but it's nice to see the public calling out of these fuckers.

[RWS]

Well, USC is now saying that Baxter actually lost that phone they were contacting. 

   This is going to be a great, hilarious end to a prestigious program in Los Angeles.

Very convenient, don't you think? Misery loves company. It looks like Kiffin took a dig on a few current and former rivals. It sounds like a few schools were confronted with this and called bullshit, then demanded some proof.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Very convenient, don't you think? Misery loves company. It looks like Kiffin took a dig on a few current and former rivals. It sounds like a few schools were confronted with this and called bullshit, then demanded some proof.

SO, you're saying that Baxter was told to make it up by Kiffin, and now he's lost the phone when it came time to prove it?   

Seriously, you're going the "plot vs. former rivals/ Bama" route?  Fucking weak.

[djsimp]

Im not big on most conspiracy theories, but lets say I have heard Kiffin say and do some stupid and weird shit while at Tennessee.

[Townhallsavoy]

SO, you're saying that Baxter was told to make it up by Kiffin, and now he's lost the phone when it came time to prove it?   

Seriously, you're going the "plot vs. former rivals/ Bama" route?  Fucking weak.

I'm going that route, actually.

They claimed they had proof that Alabama and others were contacting Baxter.  When asked about the proof, they said, "Well, Baxter lost his phone." 

You really don't see the obvious whiney-baby bullshit in that?

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

I'm going that route, actually.

They claimed they had proof that Alabama and others were contacting Baxter.  When asked about the proof, they said, "Well, Baxter lost his phone."  

You really don't see the obvious whiney-baby bullshit in that?

I just think it's more likely, if not true, something the kid did on his own, and then had to fess up to it when he got pressured.  Everything that's been reported, is that the kid said these things.  A freshman, that could have been very frustrated and shot off at the mouth.

Kiffin might be an idiot, but that would have been infinitely stupid had he actually instructed the kid to put that out in the press. 

[The Prowler]

I'm going that route, actually.

They claimed they had proof that Alabama and others were contacting Baxter.  When asked about the proof, they said, "Well, Baxter lost his phone." 

You really don't see the obvious whiney-baby bullshit in that?

Baxter went to them with the five schools that where contacting him.  So, there's no whiney-baby bullshit coming from Coach Kiffin.

Could be one of five things:
1). The other schools really did contact him, but Baxter didn't want to get those five Universities in trouble with the NCAA, especially with one of those schools already under NCAA probation (SPuat), so he said that he lost his phone.

2). No schools contacted him but as Chop stated he could've just been frustrated, but when asked for his phone he realized that they wanted to see his phone records and since no schools actually contacted him, there wouldn't be any records of them doing so, so he said that he lost his phone.

3). The other schools really did contact him and he really did lose his phone

4). Boosters contacted him, representing their University.  Realizing that this would be a Major Violation towards those schools that had boosters contacting him, he didn't want to get involved with all that mess, so he had to make it up that he lost his phone since they would've looked back at the numbers and realized that it didn't come from the Coaches but from, maybe, a known booster/fan.

5). Number 4 really did happen but he really did lose his phone.

One thing is for sure though, we'll definitely get to the bottom of it, we just have to wait until Coach Kiffin talks about it, because he always shoots straight and never pulls any punches....

[RWS]

SO, you're saying that Baxter was told to make it up by Kiffin, and now he's lost the phone when it came time to prove it?   

Seriously, you're going the "plot vs. former rivals/ Bama" route?  Fucking weak.

I mean, look who we're talking about here. And Kiffin is really that stupid. I mean, he damn near broke his neck to be USC's head coach, when he had to have known they were staring down the NCAA's barrel. Pete Carroll didn't bail out because he just decided THIS YEAR he really wanted to go back to the NFL. Do you not find it a coincidence that the phone suddenly got lost when it came time to prove it? You would think they would have that thing on lockdown to back them up. Has Kiffin NOT made stupid statements (think Florida) to the media that came back to bite him in the ass before?

And mysteriously enough, it was ONLY current and former rival schools. Gee, isn't that interesting? I don't get into the whole conspiracy theory thing much, but damn dude, judging by Kiffin's past actions you have got to see this whole thing and just say "really? seriously?".

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

I mean, look who we're talking about here. And Kiffin is really that stupid. I mean, he damn near broke his neck to be USC's head coach, when he had to have known they were staring down the NCAA's barrel. Pete Carroll didn't bail out because he just decided THIS YEAR he really wanted to go back to the NFL. Do you not find it a coincidence that the phone suddenly got lost when it came time to prove it? You would think they would have that thing on lockdown to back them up. Has Kiffin NOT made stupid statements (think Florida) to the media that came back to bite him in the ass before?

And mysteriously enough, it was ONLY current and former rival schools. Gee, isn't that interesting? I don't get into the whole conspiracy theory thing much, but damn dude, judging by Kiffin's past actions you have got to see this whole thing and just say "really? seriously?".

No.  I just think you and townhall are just reading WAYYY to much into it.

[Townhallsavoy]

No.  I just think you and townhall are just reading WAYYY to much into it.

The worst part is...this will all get swept underneath a rug.  The infractions aren't a big deal, and Kiffin would never admit to it. 

[djsimp]

I mean, look who we're talking about here. And Kiffin is really that stupid. I mean, he damn near broke his neck to be USC's head coach, when he had to have known they were staring down the NCAA's barrel. Pete Carroll didn't bail out because he just decided THIS YEAR he really wanted to go back to the NFL. Do you not find it a coincidence that the phone suddenly got lost when it came time to prove it? You would think they would have that thing on lockdown to back them up. Has Kiffin NOT made stupid statements (think Florida) to the media that came back to bite him in the ass before?

And mysteriously enough, it was ONLY current and former rival schools. Gee, isn't that interesting? I don't get into the whole conspiracy theory thing much, but damn dude, judging by Kiffin's past actions you have got to see this whole thing and just say "really? seriously?".

I have to agree with this. Common sense would tell me that Kiffin would not stoop to such but Kiffin is a duuuumb ass. He has surprised me many many times with his actions and shooting off with arrogance only to get both off his feet shoved into his mouth. My gosh, the dude was already getting TN into some shit only year into being the HC.

[RWS]

I have to agree with this. Common sense would tell me that Kiffin would not stoop to such but Kiffin is a duuuumb ass. He has surprised me many many times with his actions and shooting off with arrogance only to get both off his feet shoved into his mouth. My gosh, the dude was already getting TN into some shit only year into being the HC.

If it were coming from a different coach, it might be halfway believable. I'm sorry, but after all the bullshit Kiffin has pulled since being an NCAA coach, I don't believe a damn thing he says. This whole "Oh, welllllllll........he lost the phone" is par for the course with him. Like I said before, if it were me, I would have that phone on lockdown and would have accompanied my statement with some sort of proof from that phone. I don't believe Prowler's whole "well he might not have wanted to get caught up in getting another school in trouble" scenario. I mean, your school just got buried by the NCAA. But you're going to do a rival school a favor and ditch the phone so you won't get them in trouble? Bull vagina.