Oregon's NCAA Probe into Rules Violations
You know how, in most movies, when impending doom is approaching, the music shifts? If the antagonist is creeping down the alleyways, the music turns dark and slow. If the natural disaster is edging ever closer to Earth, the music speeds up and breeds unpleasant emotion. If a court verdict is about to be released, the music steadies itself, building suspense and nervousness.
Whatever the case may be, if there was theme music playing on the campus of the University of Oregon, I am positive the music just changed.
In perhaps the most clichéd storyline patrolling college football these days, Oregon is in possible trouble with the NCAA for rules violations. This comes after one of the school’s most successful seasons in program history, a trip to the BCS National Championship.
Now there is no guarantee the NCAA will come down hard on Oregon. Nothing at all may come of these probes. Especially with the seemingly more serious allegations against the University of Miami, Oregon may be able to slip under the radar. This does not change the fact that the Ducks were indeed accused of violating NCAA rules. Perhaps a few months, even a few years down the line, Oregon may receive a punishment they weren’t prepared for, one that may cost them top flight recruits or worse.
In the bigger picture of college football, this is becoming something of the norm. Any time a team achieves success, there are accusations of rule breaking and infractions. Are we heading for a time where no one can succeed without bending/breaking the NCAA rule book? Will this cause the NCAA to rethink some of their statutes or just come down harder on offenders?
Certainly Oregon is not alone in receiving the dreaded NCAA probe but they are the latest in a line of teams who had wildly successful seasons, only to be investigated a few months later for allegations of law-breaking. Wouldn’t it be fun if we could have a nice story in college football and hear a year later that it was, in fact, just a nice story and nothing shady was done to reach that conclusion? Is this hypothetical even possible anymore; and if the NCAA brings about some retroactive punishments for Oregon and even Auburn from 2010, who wins the National Championship? Let the vacating begin!
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