Southern California has been stripped of its 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy, which was awarded to the Trojans for winning the national championship that season.
However, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) declined to name a replacement for USC"s vacated spot.
There was some thought that Auburn might be named the 2004 national champion by the FWAA with USC being stripped of the title, and that was a scenario that was discussed. Ultimately, the FWAA decided not to name anybody.
In the final Grantland Rice poll of the 2004 season, conducted in January 2005 after all the bowl games were played, USC (13-0) was No. 1, Auburn (13-0) was No. 2 and Oklahoma (12-1) was No. 3, after losing to the Trojans in the BCS National Championship Game. No. 4 Utah (12-0) also went undefeated during the 2004 season, becoming the first non-BCS conference team to be invited to a BCS bowl game. The Utes defeated Pittsburgh 35-7 in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.
However, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) declined to name a replacement for USC"s vacated spot.
There was some thought that Auburn might be named the 2004 national champion by the FWAA with USC being stripped of the title, and that was a scenario that was discussed. Ultimately, the FWAA decided not to name anybody.
In the final Grantland Rice poll of the 2004 season, conducted in January 2005 after all the bowl games were played, USC (13-0) was No. 1, Auburn (13-0) was No. 2 and Oklahoma (12-1) was No. 3, after losing to the Trojans in the BCS National Championship Game. No. 4 Utah (12-0) also went undefeated during the 2004 season, becoming the first non-BCS conference team to be invited to a BCS bowl game. The Utes defeated Pittsburgh 35-7 in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.
"There was a thorough discussion of all the possible scenarios involving all the appropriate teams," FWAA president Tim Griffin said. "The FWAA reached a very fair conclusion based on careful consideration of the strengths of all the teams. We realize there are numerous opinions on this question.
"Nonetheless, this group -- which has more than three collective centuries of experience covering college football and has members representing all geographic regions in the nation -- came to a decision we feel best serves the sport."
- ESPN.com SEC blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Wrote for The (Nashville) Tennessean
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Chris Low
Low joined ESPN.com in 2007 after 10 years with The (Nashville) Tennessean covering the University of Tennessee and SEC. The Rock Hill, S.C., native lives with his wife in Knoxville and has three sons.
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Aschoff joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending four years covering the University of Florida for The Gainesville Sun. He grew up in Oxford, Miss., before attending UF, graduating with a B.S. in journalism.
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