DESTIN, Fla. — The fallen football coach on the cover of Tuesday’s USA Today is from the Big Ten. The SEC coach whose career just got waylaid by the NCAA is from basketball.
What are the odds?
SEC football is the most successful and most scrutinized entity in college sports. It produces scandalous rumors as readily as it does first-round NFL draft picks.
But you couldn’t tell it by the past two months.
First, Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl was fired because he lied to NCAA investigators. Then, this past weekend, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel resigned after it became obvious he couldn’t weather the NCAA storm gathering around Columbus.
As for SEC football, only the Vols are in NCAA jeopardy. And it’s not as though they’re on the brink of forfeiting a championship or having a superstar quarterback declared ineligible.
They merely constitute a flimsy cloud passing over college football’s super conference as it convened in Destin, Fla., for the annual SEC spring meetings.
The irony is almost palpable.
In the past, when I occasionally addressed the disasters that befell The Ohio State University anytime it crossed championship paths with SEC football, the response from Buckeye Nation was predictably consistent. Fans avoided the on-the-field mishaps and claimed superiority to the SEC, based on academics and good citizenship.
To which I responded: “Maurice Clarett” in reference to the former Ohio State running back whose name will not come up if you Google “academics” or “good citizenship.” Try “firearms’ instead.
If the issue comes up again, I can respond: “Maurice Clarett and Jim Tressel.”
But this is no time for gloating that Tressel wasn’t wearing a scandal-proof vest after all. In fact, several of his SEC peers expressed remorse, and not because they have been denied another chance to play his team for a BCS national championship.
Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said he and Tressel visited U.S. troops in Iraq together. Based on that nine-day venture, he regarded Tressel as one of the finest people he had ever met.
Alabama coach Nick Saban provided another glowing testimonial.
“I guess if you are from the military, you would say we lost a fine comrade,” he said. “He’s a good friend.
“I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for the way he handled his business. Obviously, there were mistakes made. I still think this is one of the finest people in our profession.”
Easy, Coach. You don’t want to sound too admiring of someone who violated rules and orchestrated a cover-up that kept his own university in the dark as well. The NCAA might deem you guilty by association.
Even Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was sympathetic to Tressel.
“I feel for him,” he said. “Something like that happens, you feel for him.”
Petrino probably wasn’t as compassionate when his Razorbacks faced Ohio State players who were suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season, yet declared good-to-go for the Sugar Bowl.
“I don’t understand how they were eligible,” Petrino said. “I never will. . . . I think they changed the rules a little bit for that ballgame.”
Petrino is baffled by something else. He doesn’t understand how a coach — be it Pearl or Tressel — would risk lying to NCAA investigators.
“I thought about the talks I’ve had with our football players,” he said. “I tell them, ‘Football is a game of courage.
“ ‘Sometimes, you have to take the arrow to the forehead.’ ”
Tressel took cover instead.
SEC Sports Video
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 16
tulelakevol writes:
While enjoying Ken Grossman's fine interpretation of porter, I happened upon this article. I give it a C+. Not enough Big 10 bashing in the article, a few good quips, but could have used a few more.
BodeaneVol writes:
Tressel might take some heat off of the Vols.
tree_em_smokey writes:
I think the ncaa is done playing around with schools who break rules. I also cannot see the justice in allowing the OSU players to play in the sugar bowl, I know why they did it, bowl $. For that move they (ncaa) are as guilty as the coaches they are " bringing to justice". Pathetic.
TennVolAlum writes:
John Adams,
As much as you would like to think so...the Big 10 is not taking any heat off the SEC. It's only Ohio State, not multiple members of the conference....and as far as the SEC goes, it's Tennessee, Auburn, Miss State, Alabama (which is still on probation from text books)that are generating interest from the NCAA.
Get a clue dude. I cannot believe KNS pays a hack like you.
Do you not see/hear that every time Tressle's name is mentioned, that Bruce Pearl is mentioned right along side???? And you think that is taking heat OFF the SEC????
Voluvr writes:
TRESSELL...MICHIGAN...MEYER
Feel for him???....not so fast my friend. He was cheating.
If he had done the right thing, he would have forfeited his top 5 players from playing and definitely his first win against an SEC opponent in 10 years allbeit a second tier team from the West.
Tressell was keeping more that his emotions close to the vest. He was hiding dirty secrets. I feel for the school he screwed over.
Tonight......Michigan finally has something to celebrate.
Michigan and maybe Meyer who might have found a low pressure situation that might be easier on thin skin compared to the SEC.
DannyVol writes:
Talentless hack.
VOLliven2it writes:
Hey at least JA has mentioned something which takes away a bit from all the SEC football bashing. While I wish he would not do it, mentioning Bruce Pearl with Tressel painfully reminds us that Bruce lied too. Certainly, his lie was nowhere near the level of Tress. but it was a lie nonetheless. In any event, GO SEC, GO BIG ORANGE!
pomp_and_circumstance writes:
Never mind John Adams. Keep an eye on David Climer of the Tennessean. He was in racing gear for trashing UT sports and the SEC. Now that state colleg in ohio has released its stench, Climer will write three articles a day exposing UT and SEC sins to stay on top of his game.
murrayvol writes:
"Sometimes you have to take an arrow to the forehead"??? Not an analogy I would've chosen but what the hey, it's Petrino.
RockyTopRenegade writes:
Here's the link to the June 6 SI article on Tressel. Makes Pearl and Kiffin look like alter boys. Probably why KNS doesn't want to play it up.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011...
RockyTopRenegade writes:
...and this link starts you out on the first page.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011...
scuze me.
arkyvol writes:
the old big ten argument about 'good citizenship' is and always has been utter b.s. as for the academics (supposedly why the name 'university' comes in front of tennessee), that's a harder problem. despite the best efforts of those who love tennessee to turn it into a first class institution, it remains mired in mediocrity. i predict it will remain so until tennesseans understand how important education is to the state's future. till then, we have nothing to defend ourselves with when a big ten fan laughs at us.
budd#207344 writes:
Please remember that richrob at michigan and the wonder boy in iowa also had ncaa issues. As ot the rest of the big twelve who cares?
budd#207344 writes:
None of the big ten fans I know laugh at me and my UT education. They just say "Morning Boss" and get to work
BigOrangeSmoker writes:
who cares what the big 10 does adams ....
runninmill writes:
"As for SEC football, only the Vols are in NCAA jeopardy."
That is amazing when you consider our program has been about .500 the last three years.
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