What Happens if USC is Good This Year?

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/11268/dont-be-surprised-if-the-conference-champion-has-two-losses



So apparently with the NCAA's punishment for Reggie Bu$h'$ mi$deed$, USC is not only dq'ed from bowl games (as I had originally understood) but is also ineligible for winning the PAC-10 conference championship. Buuuuuut, what happens BCS-wise if USC is actually good this year (or next)? I've heard that they won't be eligible for the USA Today poll, but I've heard nothing regarding the AP or coaches' polls which are needed to calculate a BCS ranking. So even if the BCS chose not to include USC in it's weekly rankings, someone else could (and presumably would).



So what would happen if the USC went undefeated in 2010 and no other team did (even the winner BCS "national" championship game)?



Could USC fans claim a "national" championship if their calculated BCS ranking was the highest even w/o playing in a BCS Bowl game?



As long as there's no playoff/tournament, does a ban on postseason play necessarily eliminate you from the NC?

AP poll is not involved in the BCS rankings. I wouldn't be surprised if the BCS gives the computer ranking administrators instructions to simply not input USC into their formula's.

The AP Poll is no longer used for BCS standings. The USA Today poll is the coaches poll. The Harris Poll was basically created so that the BCS would have a replacement for the AP Poll when the AP stopped allowing its poll to be used. I would imagine that the BCS will not allow anything that messes up its formula. In addition, this is the PAC 10. The PAC 10 does not want its "best" team to be ineligible. The PAC 10 refs do what the PAC 10 wants them to do. There won't be a problem.

Berlin, at one level, interesting question and I know one more valid argument against the BSC.

At another level, WHO CARES?! And who cares what the pot smoking fans of USCheaters think? Of coarse they will think and claim a Nat champ! Its LA. They make their own standards.



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USC will be good this year, just not elite or great. They have lost a few good players, but not nearly enough to cause them to tank it completely. They go .750 this year

I for one, would LOVE for USC to go undefeated, but not win the Pac-0, and not get a bowl invite. and then use its own formulas to claim a NC. Hey, BYU won a NC on the polls, why not us!



I would love for the endless BCS/w undefeated USC and the BCS w/o undefeated USC comparisons cause I think you're right, it's who's ranked the highest at the end of the year, and USC might win it without playing the NC game.



Now imagine THIS scenario. TCU beats a revamped Oklahoma or Florida team in the BCS Title game and based on the rules, the BCS is 'forced' to award the NC to USC since it ends up ranked higher or they give it to TCU and it's forever known as one of the 'weak' NC's because the best two teams didn't play.



THAT would be hilarious!

Hilarious in a hey-look-the-dam-is-breaking-and-we're-all-going-to-die kind of way.

DIE BCS DIE!!!!!

BerliNY wrote:
Could USC fans claim a "national" championship if their calculated BCS ranking was the highest even w/o playing in a BCS Bowl game?



As long as there's no playoff/tournament, does a ban on postseason play necessarily eliminate you from the NC?

Any team that finishes on top of any poll can claim a national championship, and the organization that issues the poll could give that team a trophy. This process was more visible prior to the BCS--e.g., BYU's 1984 national championship claim comes from the fact that every major poll ranked BYU #1 at season end. The process is similar to selecting All-Americans, as there is not single All-American team--each media outlet produces their own.



That said, by BCS rule, the winner of the BCS national championship game is the national champion. That team is automatically ranked #1 in the coaches poll (even if someone votes in Utah as #1!). From what I understand, the BCS standings are only used to determine bowl matchups, so since there is no final BCS ranking after the bowls, your hypothetical of USC finishing highest ranked in either the BCS standings or the coaches poll is impossible. They could be #1 in the AP poll though.

USC has solid talent, but not much more than Tennessee did; however what they do have is experienced starters coming back; which is enough to win games in the Pac 10.



Kiffin simply can't head coach a champion; they won't win a lot of their games on the road. Undefeated won't happen ...but they will win 8+ games; they have the schedule for it.



But not all is wine and roses in Compton though...Throw in the issues with depth now as a half dozen+ have now bolted Troy. Does Kiffin redshirt his top end freshmen, considering that they're not playing for the post season this year or does he burn all their eligibility in order to save face and possibly win another couple games? What does he do if his team has a rash of injury, etc. If he burns them, he risks trouble down the line as USC has recruiting limitations on them (less scholarships, less visits, etc.). They will have depth issues for nearly a decade because of this. (play all your freshmen because half the backups have left then try to manage depth with 12 less available scholarships for the next few seasons; that could hurt)



Not only does the black eye hurt as far as perception and recruting; but the Lane Kiffin haters are large and in charge, (Pete Carroll got a pass for a long time before the haters came out, Kiffin brought more with him); they might still get 4-5 star talent the next couple of years but it might be the Tennessee criminal type.



Anyone naive enough to think that these penalties will automatically kill USC, doesn't understand that for the most part this punishment is more long term; and a probation comes along with it. You're asking the sleaziest coach in college football to tow the line or else..... that alone is a potential bombshell.



Anytime a team gets punished like this, it's not just the punishment that hurts but the lingering probation that could get them in hotter water if they resort to the same cheating that got them there in the first place. Anyone actually believe that kiffin can keep his nose clean?

The article on the latest transfer says that USC now has 7 LB's total for next year. Ouch. But Craig is right, the top end talent is good. And the one thing you can not discount is the Kiffin has his dad coaching the D, and Monte Kiffin is the real deal. He almost had Tennessee upset Bama last year and Florida, so if their O does anything with teh D they will have, they could win the PAC-0. But do not see them going undefeated.