USC's appeal to the NCAA has been denied. That means the program will still face a one-year bowl ban and a reduction in scholarships. The impact of this decision is wide and should certainly benefit the Utah Utes, who now have one less team to contend with in this year's Pac-12 South.

Less stated, but equally important, is the NCAA allowing senior players to transfer from the Trojan program without incurring the penalty of sitting out a year.