If USC is stripped of 2004 title, should Auburn get another look?
Auburn’s undefeated team of 2004 has been back in the news lately because of speculation, most of it light-hearted, that if USC has its BCS title of that year stripped for NCAA rules violations, perhaps the Tigers could get another shot at the ring almost six years after the fact. Maybe the Associated Press, wrote Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News, could take another vote to strip USC of the trophy and just give it to Auburn.
http://blog.al.com/kevin-scarbinsky/2010/05/scarbinsky_if_elected_auburn_s.html
Fun to think about but it’s not going to happen. But the mental exercise reminded me how significant that undefeated Auburn team was and how much happened after the Tigers got left out of the Big Game.
It was January, 2005, and I remember standing in the press box about an hour from kickoff for the BCS championship game between USC and Oklahoma in South Florida. Suddenly I feel a tap on my shoulder: It is Tommy Tuberville, the head coach at Auburn. His team had just beaten Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl 16-13 to finish 13-0.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Just trolling for votes,” said Tuberville. He was joking. At least I think he was.
That Auburn team (Tuberville also joked that Auburn would be named national champs by Golf Digest) remains a sore point to this day in the SEC. It changed a lot of history.
Tuberville made a conscious decision to take the high road but privately he was convinced that his Tigers, who featured running backs Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown, could go toe-to-toe with USC, which drubbed Oklahoma 55-19.
“We certainly would not have been intimidated,” Tuberville would tell me later. “We would have given them a pretty good shot.”
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, the former judge, was publicly disappointed and privately pretty ticked off to the point where he, with support from ACC commissioner John Swofford, eventually went before his fellow BCS commissioners and put a proposal for a “Plus-One” model on the table. A “Plus-One” was a fancy name for what would have been a four-team playoff instead of the current two-team playoff that is the BCS.
Slive was determined that he needed to do something because, in his mind, an undefeated SEC champion should not be denied an opportunity to play for it all. Urban Meyer’s defeated Utah team of 2004 felt the same way, I’m sure.
The “Plus-One” model was discussed during those BCS meetings I attended in South Florida but no action was taken. The majority of the commissioners wanted to stick with the status quo, which is what we will have until the current contract expires after the games of January, 2014.
A lot has happened since 2004. The SEC has now won four straight BCS national championships and, in the process, has convinced a lot of the voters of the strength of its league. The streak started with Florida (2006) and LSU (2007) simply overwhelming Ohio State in two straight BCS title games. In 2008 and 2009 Florida and Alabama defeated high-scoring Big 12 champs in Oklahoma and Texas.
This four-year streak has changed everything from the SEC perspective. The league office now feels that the SEC has proven its strength to the point where it is highly unlikely—almost impossible—that an undefeated SEC champion would be left out of the BCS title game.
In short, I’m not hearing anything these days about a “Plus-One” model from my friends at the SEC.
“I think with our performance on the field the SEC has positioned itself very well,” Slive told me not long ago.
So I’ll put it two questions to you this morning:
1. Regardless of what conference you pull for, do you see an undefeated SEC champion getting left out of BCS title game again?
2. If USC is stripped of its 2004 by the BCS, what should come of it? Should it remain vacated or should Auburn, which finished No. 2 in the final AP and coaches polls, get some kind of consideration?
The floor is yours.
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417 comments Add your comment
Alphare
May 26th, 2010
11:48 am
Which team is ranked #2 after the bowl games, both BCS ranking and AP ranking?
Maybe the #2 team should be awarded the champ title.
Boca Baby
May 26th, 2010
11:48 am
Sorry Auburn, its your just deserts for those undefeated teams you had while on probation. Your cheating cost someone else. Now USC’s cheating is going to cost you. What goes around comes around.
Dan
May 26th, 2010
11:49 am
Matt Leinart, I was referring to 2008 Utah and what they did to a 12-1 SEC team (massacred them if you forgot). My point was that I would not point to Utah as an example of a “wussy” school.
By the way, you should be getting ready for the season and not posting on blogs or hanging out with Paris Hilton.
Matt Leinart
May 26th, 2010
11:49 am
“And Auburn backing into the 2004 national championship?”
Auburn didn’t ask to be “backed” into a championship. Auburn played their schedule, beat the crap out of most teams and then beat the same team USC beat in the beginning of their season. Only this time, VT was actually a ranked team…..
Bama fans. You can’t live with em and you can’t run them over with their own four wheelers.
Matt Leinart
May 26th, 2010
11:50 am
“By the way, you should be getting ready for the season and not posting on blogs or hanging out with Paris Hilton.”
My dad will make you pay!!!!!
??????????????
May 26th, 2010
11:51 am
“Your cheating cost someone else. Now USC’s cheating is going to cost you. What goes around comes around.”
That makes about as much sense as Joe Namath’s drunken slurs during the half time show.
DDPO
May 26th, 2010
11:53 am
Charlie Bama, there is no way that two SEC teams could end up undefeated after a conference champion. Its not mathmatically possible. If you disagree, show us how it would work.
On a different note, if Auburn were to be awarded the 2004 title, that would make them the 5th SEC team to win a title since UGA’s last title. SInce 1980, here would be the SEC breakdown:
Florida – 3
Alabama – 2
LSU – 2
UT – 1
Auburn – 1
But hey, they’re supposedly a top 5 program. And they’re about to win multiple SEC and National Titles. (In football this time) And you don’t believe me, then just ask them!
Boca Baby
May 26th, 2010
11:54 am
It makes a lot of sense to those who lost to the Auburn Cheetas.
??????????????
May 26th, 2010
11:56 am
Boca Baby
I think you’re gonna be late for next botox session. Better get going so your fat wrinkly face doesn’t fall off.
??????????????
May 26th, 2010
11:57 am
“But hey, they’re supposedly a top 5 program. And they’re about to win multiple SEC and National Titles. (In football this time) And you don’t believe me, then just ask them!”
PRESEASON NUMBER ONE 2008!!!!!!!! WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!!!!
Bob Johnson`
May 26th, 2010
11:59 am
The only way Auburn would ever win a national championship is on a tecnicality, never on the field.
Seriously, if all the wins are stripped from USC, Oklahoma’s record would not be blemished by the bowl loss, and they were the only other elligible team to play for the national championship. The final AP poll should be invalidated and it should go back to a “pre-bowl” ranking thereby declaring Oklahoma #1. How do you punish Oklahoma for playing USC, and reward Auburn for not even making it to the dance.
Auburn is not deserving of anything. It is a team of significance only in the SEC West, of minor significance in the SEC generally, and only is occaisionally relevant on the national stage.
Boca Baby
May 26th, 2010
12:01 pm
Auburn rationale: During the probationary years the faithful wearing T Shirts saying, “No Bowl, No TV, No Problem.” It shows at Auburn winning is more important than compliance. Besides, even the 16-13 win in the bowl game in ‘04 was not very impressive for a team claiming to be the best in the land.
Ted
May 26th, 2010
12:03 pm
Don’t give it to Auburn trailer trash university. It’s OUs…case closed. Auburn didnt deserve it like Boise State doesnt. They need to play at least one decent non-conference team. Also that was the year they backed out of playing FSU.
Eric
May 26th, 2010
12:03 pm
We’re really not that interested in your opinion Charlotte Bama.
Boca Baby
May 26th, 2010
12:04 pm
?????????????: Your ad hominem attack shows that you don’t have a reasonable response to the truth.
??????????????
May 26th, 2010
12:05 pm
“and they were the only other elligible team to play for the national championship.”
If USC is stripped and OU is eligible ( one L, ma’am not two) then that also makes AU eligible. AU did nothing wrong. If we go by OU being undefeated then they’d have no choice but to share the title with AU.
USC cried and got a share in 03 when LSU played and won the national title.
“Auburn is not deserving of anything.”
Auburn is one of only 6 SEC teams to go undefeated in 30 plus years. USC and OU had EASY schedules in 04.
Peahead
May 26th, 2010
12:05 pm
I am a UGA alum, do not like Auburn, but they were screwed that year. Exactly why the ratings system is a joke. USC and OU were ranked 1-2 from day one based on nothing but hype. Since neither lost, all 118 (or whatever the # was) teams didn’t have a chance to play for the title. Pac 10 and Big 12 football is a JOKE
??????????????
May 26th, 2010
12:07 pm
“They need to play at least one decent non-conference team. Also that was the year they backed out of playing FSU.”
Auburn didn’t back out of playing FSU in 2004. That happened in the late 90s, dumb a$$. Out of conference teams????? What great out of conference team did OU play?
USC HAS to play out of conference games because their own conference sucks.
AU played SIX top 25 teams that year and beat all six of them.
“Don’t give it to Auburn trailer trash university.”
You can say the same thing about every SEC school. As well as other conferences.
Eric
May 26th, 2010
12:08 pm
Thanks for your input, Ted. I’m sure you’re an expert on trailer trash. Case closed.
SEC Headlines – 5/26/10 « MrSEC.com
May 26th, 2010
12:09 pm
[...] his $2 million salary last year. (Agreed.)2. If Southern Cal is stripped of its 2004 BCS Title, don’t expect Auburn to be handed a crystal football for their undefeated efforts.3. Arkansas’ John Pelphrey says he “didn’t [...]
??????????????
May 26th, 2010
12:09 pm
“Your ad hominem attack shows that you don’t have a reasonable response to the truth.”
You haven’t posted any truths, ma’am. Let us all know when you do.
KR
May 26th, 2010
12:14 pm
I see we’re done here now. The completely irrational types appear to have woken up and found their computers under the empty beer bottles and pizza boxes.
Boca: please tell us which teams you’re referring to when you describe “undefeated teams you had while on probation. Your cheating cost someone else.” Auburn’s probation only cost themselves. And it all happened pre-BCS.
Ted: Auburn backed out of the FSU game in Tuberville’s 1st year, which was 1999. Please explain how 1999 has anything to do with 2004.
Furyous
May 26th, 2010
12:15 pm
1. Not in the foreseeable future. The conference has proven itself time and again and unless another conference proves better, there is no way an undefeated SEC team will be left out.
2. As a die- hard Auburn fan, it pains me to say this, but the national championship should be earned on the field. This is not the first time Auburn got the short end of the stick on the national championship, but I would rather claim one NC in 1957 than two with an asterisk next to 2004. The point has been made that Auburn was the more deserving team that year in retrospect, but it proved the glaring flaws in the BCS system and should (hopefully) be corrected, if at least better. While we may not see a true playoff in our lifetime, we should be focused on the present and future. Auburn has recovered from the blow and is building something very special- the hope of making it to the national championship in the future is better than the possibility of being granted one from the past.
PTC DAWG
May 26th, 2010
12:17 pm
Dumbest Barnhart column ever.
Gen Neyland
May 26th, 2010
12:17 pm
In all beauty contests, the runner up gets the crown if the winner has to bolt.
dawgfan
May 26th, 2010
12:18 pm
Dan, you completely ducked any attempt to form a logical response to my post. The ACC moron said the SEC doesn’t play anyone out of conference. I simply pointed out that the SEC played AND BEAT the ACC Champ, ACC Atlantic Champ, and the highest ranked ACC team just this past season. I am not sure what Bama’s final ranking has to do with any of this. I also am providing no opinion on the strength of the SEC’s OOC schedule. I am simply citing undisputed FACTS that I thought an ACC fan and SEC hater like three rivers jacket would find pertinent to his own opinion. In light of the SEC’s impressive showing against the best of the ACC last season, if he STILL finds the SEC’s OOC scheduling to be weak that is very amusing to me. Much like I would find someone getting smacked in the face with a cream pie amusing. Are you following me here Dan? Take Advil for headaches.
Good grief. I’m going to go talk to a brick wall now. That will be much more productive than talking to a bunch of Tech fans about football. Holy geez.
GT was the best the ACC had to offer.......
May 26th, 2010
12:20 pm
………..and they got their butts destroyed by IOWA…………………..
Beast from the East
May 26th, 2010
12:20 pm
1…..It could happen that the SEC team would get left out if two teams went undefeated and were ranked higher throughout the entire season.
2…..I say leave it vacant. I don’t think Auburn would even want it after the way they felt snubbed.
chuck
May 26th, 2010
12:22 pm
5IML: You are an idiot. You must be a fan of the UGA “All Alcoholic Team”. Maybe you can keep enough of your players out of jail to play your season this year. What a maroon!
MauiDawg
May 26th, 2010
12:23 pm
Give it to AU with an asterick, why not? If the SEC has an undefeated team left out of the NC game it would be a major coup. If left to the knuclehead Herbstreit’s of the world it would be the pathetic Big 10 representative in the NC game every year.
chuck
May 26th, 2010
12:24 pm
Of course Auburn should be awarded the National Championship for ‘04. They deserved it IN ‘04. Strip the cheaters of the title and put it where it belongs…on the plains.
AUTigerfromRoswell
May 26th, 2010
12:24 pm
An SEC team could easily be left out. If any team outside of Alabama goes undefeated this year, particularly a team that comes out of no where like Auburn in 04, they would not be able to move into the top two. The media is already getting ready to put Boise State in the game and Ohio State is likely to be #3. If they go undefeated no one will jump them, and each has a good chance to do so.
As an Auburn fan I don’t know what I would want. Certainly I feel we were the better team that year. But everyone will still look at that season as USC’s year, even if they lose the title. Do I want Auburn to get a tainted title? No. I’ll go to my grave believing Auburn could have won that year, and for now that’s fine for me.
Jim Donnan of a new era!
May 26th, 2010
12:28 pm
“particularly a team that comes out of no where like Auburn in 04″
Auburn didn’t come out of nowhere. Tubs said the previous year that the dumb a$$es who ranked the top 25 in 03 ranked them waaaaaaaaay too high. Said that they should have waited until 04 to rank them high. If you don’t believe me you can google it.
Jim Donnan of a new era!
May 26th, 2010
12:29 pm
“If left to the knuclehead Herbstreit’s of the world’
He’s an Ohio State grad. What do you expect? ESPN is not biased, NOT IN ANY WAY…………….LOL
Ron Mexico
May 26th, 2010
12:39 pm
Man what is with people jacking my name on here, they seriously need to change this site so you sign up under a name and stick with it. Its just like the sh*tty BCS system.
chuck
May 26th, 2010
12:44 pm
Bob Johnson, You are an idiot. Auburn beat both Florida and LSU the year they finished #1 and #2. They beat Florida under Myers both times they played them. They have a winning record against every SEC team except Alabama and Vanderbilt all time. Maybe you should go to “football school”
Ron Mexico
May 26th, 2010
12:45 pm
Wow there are some complete morons on this site today, leaving now. Looking at the ? guy and this Jim Donnon loser. You BOTH need lives dudes, seriously. Anyway, go ahead and call me some names or something, whatever your little hearts desire, cause I won’t read it or care.
SOGADOG
May 26th, 2010
12:50 pm
1. Yes, if there are are undefeated teams from the Big 10 and Pac 10, they will move ahead of an undefeated SEC team. Pac 10 and Big 10 teams are the national media’s darlings. (See 2004)
2.Vacate USC’s 2004 championship and install Auburn as national champion.
Jim Donnan of a new era!
May 26th, 2010
12:54 pm
“Anyway, go ahead and call me some names or something, whatever your little hearts desire, cause I won’t read it or care.”
When did I call you a name?
“You BOTH need lives dudes, seriously.”
LOL!!!!!! Yet, you’re on this blog!!!!!!
Pot meet kettle.
michael
May 26th, 2010
12:58 pm
wouldn’t that mean that the 2004 auburn team would have to suit-up against the 2004 oklahoma team?
brokebackvol
May 26th, 2010
12:59 pm
1. Yes, if for some nutty reason, one of the SEC Division winners is ranked #1 or #2, and someone with a less than stellar team upsets to win the SEC title game. We’re having a strong run but all things end. Let’s also figure this with there being no undefeated teams in the hunt. Unfair as it is, Notre Dame is still a wildcard if they have a really good season.
2. Auburn has no claim on the title, except sour grapes that they would have (probably true) given Tommy Trojan more of a fight than O-shoo did that year.
Vacate the title and be done with it – The Tumors don’t deserve it just because they got to play (and get slammed) in the title game.
(and yes, another Volfan who hopes Lame Kitten goes 0-forever at the University of Spoiled Children.)
2.
Jim Donnan of a new era!
May 26th, 2010
12:59 pm
“wouldn’t that mean that the 2004 auburn team would have to suit-up against the 2004 oklahoma team?”
Auburn would win. More players playing in the NFL than that OU team.
Iceman
May 26th, 2010
1:02 pm
I’m a Dawg, but Auburn’s undefeated 04 season proved to me that the BCS is complete BULL.
College Football Fan
May 26th, 2010
1:07 pm
1. yes, unless it is Fla. or Ala., no way media would allow it.
2. No chance there was a better 2nd place team than Auburn (hence writers and coaches polls), so yeah it should be Auburn’s. Everybody who considers themselves a college football fan should be okay with it too. Hell, Alabama has claimed about half of their National titles from various (sketchy at best)sources after the fact. In fact Bama may try to grab this one too.
michael
May 26th, 2010
1:10 pm
let’s talk about something real, like the 2010 season. if tech would just when their bcs bowl game, it’s a no brainer. they have beaten auburn whenever they were scheduled. maybe a little less regional non-conference play with traditionally strong teams through out the country would help. usc verses auburn, oklahoma verses notre dame, tech verses texas….forget get the cupcake non-conference games.
Jake
May 26th, 2010
1:11 pm
As voice of Vols John Ward would say,,, ” Give him 6 ” Auburn should have it.
CrimsonInSuwanee
May 26th, 2010
1:12 pm
Absolutely…Auburn should win an NC every 45-50 years, no matter what
Dan
May 26th, 2010
1:13 pm
It makes no sense to say that the highest ranked ACC team lost to Bama. Everyone who played Bama lost. As to your other points, dawgfan, two games don’t make a season. I suppose we were looking at the SEC’s non-conferences scheduling in the aggregate. But I wouldn’t expect you to follow…
The other side of your argument also belies yout point. You’re disputing that SEC teams play weak non-conference schedules and saying that the ACC is weak. But then you point to…wait for it….wins against ACC teams. Get a clue, dude.
Tide Rising
May 26th, 2010
1:13 pm
1. The SEC has set a precedent as the nation’s most dominant conference. An undefeated SEC team will get one of the 2 bids. The only way it couldn’t happen is if someone like USC and Texas go undefeated with only 1 or 2 close games and the sec champ goes unbeaten with a series of 5 or 6 very close games which is highly unlikely.
2. I can see both arguments for AU being awarded the 04 title and for the title simply being vacated for the simple reason that we can’t know for sure what would have happened in an OU-AU game. OU was just unlucky in that they got blown out in a game that technically should never have been played if USC was using an ineligible player. As an Alabama fan I personally I have no problem in seeing AU being retroactively awarded the title.
In reference to all the folks saying AU people don’t want a retro title like all these Bama retro titles give it a rest. Of our 13 titles only 5 are retro. And of those 5 retro titles 4 of those were undefeated seasons and in 3 of those seasons we won the biggest bowl the Rose bowl over the other supposed best team in the country. In one we tied. There is no doubt that in at least 3-4 of those 5 retro title years(throw out 1941) we undoubtedly were the best team in the country based on record and accomplishment.
michael
May 26th, 2010
1:15 pm
why did tech and alabama postpone their games?