AUBURN — The Football Writers Association of America will decide before the start of the season whether to strip Southern California of its 2004 national championship and give the title to Auburn.
“This is unprecedented, but it’s an unprecedented situation,” FWAA executive director Steve Richardson said in a phone interview Tuesday.
The FWAA has awarded the Grantland Rice trophy since 1954, and it’s generally considered one of the four major titles awarded after the season.
USC claimed every major championship after completing an undefeated season with a rout of Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, which was the site of that year’s BCS national title game.
Auburn created this logo after the 2004 season. The Tigers won the SEC championship, but failed to win any major national title.
But USC’s title has been thrown in doubt by NCAA sanctions stemming from improper benefits given to Heisman Trophy running back Reggie Bush. The Trojans were banned from post-season play for two years, stripped of 30 scholarships and forced to vacate 14 wins in which Bush participated, including the national title game.
Auburn’s 2004 season remains perfect. The Tigers capped the year with a victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, and the Tigers finished second in every major poll.
