Should The NCAA Take Away Bowdens Wins?

Florida St is involved in yet another NCAA scandal. The university has reported they had knowledge of 61 student athletes who cheated on test during the 2006-2007 season or that received improper help from staff members who gave them answers. The cheating occurred thru an online music history class during the 2006-2007 school year. Of the 61 athletes who were caught cheating, 25 belonged to the football program. The football program administered a penalty upon itself by suspending the players for 4 games, which included the 2007 Music City Bowl (they lost that game 35-28).

Florida St, who should be commended for there doings, thought the penalty the imposed was good enough. WRONG!! In comes the bad big bad wolf, also known as the NCAA, and they said that the team would have further trouble down the road. They are forcing the university to vacate 14 wins, put on a four year probation and take away multiple scholarships in the future. That seems pretty steep but should the NCAA really erase 14 wins from a legend who is only 1 win behind Joe Paterno for most wins as a coach?

I say take me away. Yes, the coaching staff had nothing to do with it nor did the rest of the players. But there is one important part of this story that they are leaving out. As reported by ESPN's Outside The Lines, the athletic Department went out to seek suitable tutors for its athletes and they helped them cheat. What happen to all for one, one for all? If the quarterback fumbles the ball late in a game he isn’t the only tabbed with a loss, right? People are writing that the NCAA should not take the wins away but rules are rules. If a student if deemed ineligible he shouldn’t play in a game and if by chance he plays the game shouldn’t count. It’s as simple as that. There shouldn’t be any wiggle room here. But apparently there is a chance that he may scape with his victories.

You see back in 2005, 17 Georgia Tech players were improperly certified by the university as being ineligible players and were ordered to vacate victories from 1998-2004. Later, the Yellow Jackets won an appeal and got there victories back. In 2008, the Oklahoma Sooners, won an appeal to overturn a ruling that would have vacated there 8-5 season. It was punishment for Rhett Bomar accepting money from a booster he worked for in the summer.

We all don’t want to Bowden to give up in the race to be the most winnings coach but he has to take the blame for what the program he is apart of has done. Simple As That!! This should be a warning to USC that no one is untouchable.