H*****r
发帖数: 764 | 1 Willis McGahee wants his 2003 national championship ring.
What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis: McGahee thinks Miami deserves 2002 BCS
championshipThe former Miami running back told CBSSports.com that if Ohio
State was forced to vacate the 2002 national championship — the Buckeyes
defeated the Hurricanes 31-24 in overtime in the '03 Fiesta Bowl — because
of NCAA violations, he would "like to have my ring."
It doesn't matter that vacating its 2002 national title hasn't seriously
been discussed -- at all -- but McGahee is hanging his hat on the NCAA
determining that Ohio State used ineligible players in the game.
It's a longshot, but a plausible argument especially since Ohio State is
under intense scrutiny for a lack of institutional control during coach Jim
Tressel's tenure.
The crux of Ohio State's 2002 run-ins with the NCAA stem from shaky
allegations regarding former running back Maurice Clarett. Clarett was
dismissed from school for a litany of wrongdoings from academic misconduct
to making false claims about items stolen from a car borrowed from a local
dealer. None of the allegations were substantiated by the NCAA.
And now that Ohio State has been cleared of charges on car deals, there's
not much the NCAA could find to result in vacating the title.
Still, McGahee has his wishful thinking cap on, especially since he thinks
the Hurricanes were the victims of an officiating gaffe.
"I feel we were cheated anyway," McGahee told the website. "We beat them.
The pass interference with the eligible, ineligible players. It wouldn't
have made any difference. I can't get my money back that I missed out on a
second ring. If they did [cheat] I'd like to have my ring."
The pass interference heard 'round the world is one of the most
controversial calls in a BCS national championship game. Big 12 field judge
Terry Porter signaled pass interference against Miami defensive back Glenn
Sharpe on fourth-and-3 from the Miami 5 in the first overtime of Ohio State'
s win. Sharpe tried to jam Ohio State receiver Chris Gamble at the line of
scrimmage and when the official closest to the play didn't call a penalty,
Porter came from the back of the end zone and threw the flag about 4 seconds
after the play had ended.
Miami fans are probably still cursing about it as they read this recap.
After two more downs, Ohio State scored in the first overtime to tie the
game and took the eventual game-winning lead in the second overtime. Miami
had four chances to score the game-tying or even game-winning score from the
Ohio State two-yard line, but failed.
Even if Ohio State was to vacate the title — and that's a big if — there's
no guarantee it would go to Miami. In fact, the BCS has already established
a precedent of not rewarding vacated titles when it left USC's vacated 2004
championship off the books altogether.
Also, there's a four-year statute of limitations on NCAA violations. However
, there are some caveats in that statute that might cause the NCAA to look
at Clarett and Ohio State again, especially in light of everything that Ohio
State has been accused of during the past year.
So, McGahee can keep waiting for that 2002 national championship ring to
magically appear in his mailbox, but like the Heisman Trophy Trust waiting
on Reggie Bush to return his bronze statue, he might be waiting a long time. |
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