Fall of the Trojan Empire?

The hits just keep coming for USC.

Starting running back and leading rusher Joe McKnight did not travel with the Trojans to the Bay Area for Saturday's Emerald Bowl against Boston College, while tight end Anthony McCoy, offensive tackle Tyron Smith and defensive tackle Averell Spicer have been ruled academically ineligible, the school announced.

"[McKnight] has some paperwork he needs to do and it's best for him to stay in L.A. so he can be available to finish it," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said.

Carroll did not have a timetable for McKnight's return.

"We don't know right now how long this will take," he said.

McCoy and Smith are both starters and earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors. Spicer is a key reserve. McCoy and Spicer are both seniors, so their USC careers are over.

"We're really disappointed these guys didn't come through," Carroll said in a statement. "They had all the help in the world to get it done and they didn't do it."

Late Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported that McKnight had been using a 2006 Land Rover that belonged to a Santa Monica businessman who reportedly employs McKnight's girlfriend. That could violate NCAA rules as an extra benefit, which could also make the junior ineligible for the bowl game.

McCoy will be replaced by sophomore Rhett Ellison, while redshirt freshman Matt Kalil will replace Smith.

McKnight has denied driving the car, but the Los Angeles Times said in a story that one of its reporters has seen USC's leading rusher driving the SUV several times.

USC is investigating McKnight's use of the vehicle to find out if it is in violation of NCAA rules.

The businessman, Scott Schenter, told the Times that McKnight's girlfriend owns the car and makes the payments and that he helped purchase it when her family had trouble qualifying for a loan.

USC is already being investigated by the NCAA and Pac-10 regarding accusations that running back Reggie Bush and basketball star O.J. Mayo received improper benefits during their time at the school.

This could be another case of the media blowing things out of proportions, but it looks like all signs point to a fall from grace for USC athletics, especially on the football field, where they've been a dynasty of sorts for nearly a decade now. The football team entered the season as the seven time defending PAC 10 champion, and had been to four straight Rose Bowls. This year...Well lets just say Trojans fans aren't going nuts over the teams Emerald Bowl berth.

I'd like to give the program the benefit of the doubt, and I wish I could trust these student athletes to make the right decisions, but generally these type of allegations turn out be true. Stories like this bring up the age old question-- Should student athletes be paid, or compensated more than they are?

By no means do I take any joy in this, because I respect the hell out of Pete Carroll, but it seems that this allegations are starting to compound, and the Trojans are in some serious trouble. This type of stuff happens all the time in college sports though...Just ask Miami, they ran college football for a decade in the 80's and early 90's, but allegations, and eventual violations slowed down the program--but they rose to prominence again. Who knows what these allegations do to the USC program, its defiantly something to keep an eye on though, like they say when there's smoke there's usually fire.