If '04 national champ USC can't keep title, BCS says no one will

I'm not a fan of Tommy Tuberville, but I agree with his take on this....if they strip USC of the BCS title from 2004, then award it to another team - possibly even Auburn, which went undefeated.
If '04 national champ USC can't keep title, BCS says no one will


By Jeff Miller, Special for USA TODAY


http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2010-07-27-USC-title-vacant_N.htm

IRVING, Texas — If Southern California's appeal of NCAA penalties levied last month is denied, Bowl Championship Series executive director Bill Hancock said Tuesday that the 2004 BCS title would be left vacant.

"The feeling in our group, the commissioners group, is there was not a game, no game happened," Hancock said at the Big 12 Conference's preseason football news media sessions.

Auburn finished second in 2004, but Hancock said BCS policy only covered vacating a championship.

The NCAA gave USC a two-year bowl ban and stripped it of wins in the 2004 and '05 seasons because of improper benefits, some involving '05 Heisman winner Reggie Bush. The appeal could be ruled on as soon as early October.

The 2004 title was decided in the Orange Bowl, No. 1 USC routing No. 2 Oklahoma 55-19. Unbeaten Auburn, No. 3 going into the bowls, beat Virginia Tech 16-13 in the Sugar Bowl.

Auburn's coach then was Tommy Tuberville. He's now at Texas Tech and spoke at Tuesday's Big 12 session just before Hancock. His take on what should happen if USC had to relinquish the title was far different from Hancock's.

"Give it to somebody, because there are other teams that did the right things," said Tuberville, who left Auburn after the 2008 season and was hired by Tech in January.

Utah was the third unbeaten left in what was then known as Division I-A. It beat Pittsburgh 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl.

"Why in the world would you not give it to somebody?" Tuberville said. "Oklahoma? Us? Utah? It doesn't make any sense."