Reggie Bush probably wasn’t very motivated to attend class his junior year at Southern Cal, partly because he was a year away from making his splash in the NFL, and partly because he was given $280,000, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports. If anyone’s really shocked at this, then, well, you haven’t paid much attention to college athletes, who come from broken homes and poor families, yet still drive Cadillacs on 24’s, blasting “Fitty” Cent over their $4,000 system, while watching Season One of the Chapelle Show on one of their eight TV screens, located on the head rests, visors and dashboard.

The existence of taped conversations between Reggie Bush or members of his family and an investor in a failed sports marketing agency could confirm the New Orleans Saints running back received cash and gifts while playing for Southern California, Yahoo.com reported Wednesday.

If Bush is found to have violated NCAA rules, USC, which won a national title in ‘04 and played for the ‘05 championship, could be sanctioned.

Also, the Heisman Trophy Trust requires players be in good standing with the NCAA to be eligible for the award given to college football’s top player. If Bush is ruled ineligible by the NCAA, he could be in danger of having his Heisman taken away.

Ouch. What punishments. No wonder college athletes accept money. They know they can away with it long enough to where it won’t affect them once they’re pro. If his only punishment is getting a trophy taken away that he probably lost in a box labeled “miscellaneous” while moving to New Orleans, or “stripping them” of their national title, then what do you expect him to do? Hmmmm. . . Two-hundred and eighty large, or a pointless trophy and national title that mean nothing now?

I don’t like Reggie, but he’s not an idiot. And he played at Southern Cal. He just wanted to blend in with all the other rich kids. I mean, you don’t really think Matt Leinart came from a impoverished family, do ya?

My question is this: If they strip USC of their title, who’s the national champ? College football would be making a mockery of itself if it had that Oklahoma team in its laurels. And I just refuse on thinking Tommy Tubberville should get it, even if his team was undefeated.