Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

https://bigten.org/fb/article/blt2856785fb75ee868/




So it appears to be a conference rule that teams are required to submit [accurate] availability reports, and USC violated this by playing a player deemed "Out".

I think the fact that the fine was so minimal is an acknowledgment that the nature of the violation was minor, and that it was based on extenuating circumstances where USC did not expect all the RBs in front of this player to get injured, and not a deliberate attempt to gain advantage.

But it was a violation of the policy, and the conference IMHO is right to assess a [minimal] punishment to make sure that the conference members know that the policy will be enforced.

Sounds about right and makes sense. I guess.  Still seems like a rule far more targeted at aiding gamblers, than any sort of "protection" of players.

https://bigten.org/fb/article/blt2856785fb75ee868/

So it appears to be a conference rule that teams are required to submit [accurate] availability reports, and USC violated this by playing a player deemed "Out".

I think the fact that the fine was so minimal is an acknowledgment that the nature of the violation was minor, and that it was based on extenuating circumstances where USC did not expect all the RBs in front of this player to get injured, and not a deliberate attempt to gain advantage.

But it was a violation of the policy, and the conference IMHO is right to assess a [minimal] punishment to make sure that the conference members know that the policy will be enforced.

I agree with this.  I think two things are key here:

• The "extenuating circumstances" that you referred to:  It appears to me that Injuries between the time of the report and the time that the kid played led to the Trojans playing a guy who they otherwise wouldn't have played.  
• There is no indication that it was either "a nefarious plan to gain an advantage" as @utee94 called it or "Michigan-style cheating" as I called it.  

I would view this very differently if it appeared that USC intentionally lied on the availability report in an effort to trick Michigan into thinking that the kid wasn't available so that they wouldn't know to prepare for him.  That would be "a nefarious plan to gain an advantage" / "Michigan-style cheating" but this does not appear to have been anything like that.  

Nobody gives a damn about Texas on a Big Ten board either. 

Texas has a lifetime losing record against .... Vanderbilt.

Texas has a lifetime losing record against .... Vanderbilt.

Georgia has a lifetime losing record against... Harvard.

Georgia has a lifetime losing record against... Harvard.

Kirby isn't so Smart vs the Tide

Kirby isn't so Smart vs the Tide

Lots of teams have trouble against the Tide, but most of them aren't nearly as good as Georgia has been over this span.  It's perplexing and, to Dawg fans, vexing, I'd imagine.