USC football: Ohio State can thank Reggie Bush for eye-black controversy

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Reggie Bush has not played for USC since 2005, but the Heisman Trophy winner has had an impact on the week leading up to Saturday’s game between the third-ranked Trojans and eighth-ranked Ohio State.

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor might not be embroiled in controversy had Bush not started a college football trend of penning messages on his eye black. Bush famously wrote ‘619’ -- an area code in San Diego -- as a tribute to where he grew up.

USC Coach Pete Carroll joked Wednesday that ‘Hi, Mom’ and ‘I love Coach Carroll,’ are among the acceptable messages players can wear on their eye black.

Former Trojans linebacker Rey Maualuga wrote ‘RIP’ and ‘DAD’ in honor of his late father. Last season, former quarterback Mark Sanchez wrote the name of a teenager who was battling cancer.

Carroll, however, nixed free expression on at least one occasion.

Last season against Stanford, Carroll took away players’ eye-black message privileges and also banned sweat bands and other fashion statements that would make players stand out as individuals. The intent was to eliminate selfish mistakes that resulted in penalties.

‘We just wanted to visibly do something different . . . to alter our awareness so we could be more tuned into little things that could help us fix the penalties,’ Carroll said at the time.

The Trojans still accrued six penalties.

The ban was lifted the following week.

--Gary Klein

Top photo: Reggie Bush with his ‘619’ area code eye black while with USC. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times