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BCS 1, USC 0: Trojans Stripped of 2004 Title
Sorry, Trojans. Your team has been stripped of its 2004 Bowl Championship Series title. The announcement came today, according to the Daily News. The 2004 season will simply have no champion. The decision by BCS officials is not likely a surprise to the University of Southern California or their fans, as the team knew they were in jeopardy of having the title yanked after being "hit with heavy NCAA sanctions last year for rules violations committed during the 2004 and '05 seasons."
USC appealed the sanctions, however even the Trojans knew it was a longshot, and they were denied. Those sanctions included a two-year ban on post-season bowl play, the second year of which USC will serve during the 2011 season.
Last year, when the sanctions were imposed, one former player, Reggie Bush, was at the center of the storm:
The NCAA investigation stemmed from Bush's mom, brother and stepfather living in a San Diego area house owned by a potential marketer rent free. Bush has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing although he did not face the NCAA infractions committee hearing in February [2010].
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