🟡 What If Wednesday: What If Reggie Bush Returned for His Senior Year?
Year: 2006
Player: Reggie Bush
School: USC
What Actually Happened: Declared for the NFL Draft after his legendary 2005 Heisman season.
What If: He came back for one more ride in cardinal and gold?
🏈 The Setup
In 2005, Reggie Bush was the most untouchable player in America.
A human joystick. A cheat code. A one-man highlight reel.
He won the Heisman Trophy, racked up over 2,600 all-purpose yards, and helped lead USC to its third straight national title game appearance. The Trojans lost a 41–38 classic to Vince Young and Texas — and then Bush declared for the NFL Draft.
But what if he didn’t?
What if Reggie Bush came back for his senior season?
🔁 The Decision That Changes Everything
Let’s say Reggie returns. Maybe he wants revenge. Maybe he wants redemption.
Maybe he just wants to remind the world what happens when you give him 25 touches a game.
USC’s 2006 roster was still loaded:
QB: John David Booty
WR: Dwayne Jarrett
WR: Steve Smith
OL: Sam Baker and Ryan Kalil
Defense: Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Sedrick Ellis
It wasn’t 2005’s star-studded cast, but it was good enough to go 11–2 — even without Bush or Matt Leinart.
🔮 What Might’ve Happened?
✅ 1. Undefeated Season
USC’s two losses in 2006 were:
@ Oregon State (33–31)
@ UCLA (13–9)
Both were sluggish offensive outings where the Trojans lacked explosion.
Reggie Bush changes that. Those losses likely become wins.
🏆 2. A National Title Rematch
With an undefeated record, USC likely replaces Ohio State or Florida in the BCS title game.
Let’s say it’s USC vs. Florida in Glendale.
Pete Carroll vs. Urban Meyer.
Reggie Bush vs. a young Tim Tebow.
Speed on speed. Dynasty vs. rising empire.
That’s a game we deserved.
🐊 3. Florida Dynasty Delayed?
If USC beats Florida in the 2006 title game:
Urban Meyer’s ascent pauses
The SEC doesn’t begin its 7-straight title run
The Pac-10 gets another banner year
The butterfly effect might change the course of CFB’s next decade.
💥 What’s at Stake?
🎖️ Another Heisman Run
Bush had 2,000+ yards in 2005. In 2006, with defenses keying on him even more, he might not match that — but he could’ve been a finalist again.
(Though... Troy Smith had a stranglehold on the 2006 race.)
💸 The NCAA Fallout Still Looms
Would staying another year change anything about the investigation? Probably not. But maybe the PR optics shift if he finishes on top — again.
🏈 The Legacy Impact
USC wins 3 titles in 4 years
Reggie Bush walks away as the only back-to-back Heisman winner since Archie Griffin?
Pete Carroll becomes an even bigger college football god
🧠 The Redshirts Take
Reggie Bush was that good.
If he stayed for one more year, USC likely goes undefeated, wins the national title, and delays the rise of the SEC dynasty that ruled the sport for a decade.
It changes everything — legacy, history, perception.
Instead, Bush went pro, and college football moved on.
But for a moment, let's imagine a world where Reggie Bush ran it back.
🗣️ Sound Off
Would USC have beaten Florida in ‘06?
Does Bush’s legacy hit GOAT status with one more year?
What other early departures changed the sport?
Reply, comment, or share with your favorite “What If” in college football history.
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