USC's Football Fall

During the last decade, USC maintained a national powerhouse that was an annual contender for the championship in NCAA football. The aurora around USC football changed after the end of last season. Head Coach Pete Carroll suspiciously left the program to go to the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. After new head coach Lane Kiffin was hired, the program took it's first major blow. The NCAA took away scholarships for upcoming seasons, banned them for postseason play for 2 years, made sure USC couldn't be nationally ranked in polls, and took the 2004 National Championship that USC had won.

Soon after, USC announced they would return there copy of the Heisman Trophy that running back Reggie Bush had won. Top recruit Seantrel Henderson was granted his release after withdrawing his commitment to USC in 2010. All of these punishments were due to Reggie Bush's alleged endorsements he was receiving while playing at USC. Time will tell the effect of these sanctions on USC.