OT: The SEC Perception

1. Yes.
2. Cam Newton is one example. I also believe oversigning can be classified as one.

1. Yes

2. The stories from "3 and Out," about one of our QBs getting some recruiting love down south.

1.)  I think there are certain SEC programs that 'dirty' recruit players (e.g. "friendly" coeds and the like), but would guess that the number of SEC schools offering cash to players is pretty low and not much above average compared to the rest of the country.

2.)If there was more Ben Franklin handshakes, then I think more people would come forward than just the "he said, she said" stories that are usually passed down through the grapevine.  Just one man's opinion

tell her to visit Ole Miss and see if the SEC cheats or not.

Yes, I am a student at UK and I get to see the basketball team the first two classes of a semester and then only on the weekends when they show up at parties in giant SUVs and brand new camaros. If in bball why not football.

1: Yes I do.

2: I live in Georgia, surrounded by sec people, and they all tell me that the hammer is coming down on Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Mississippi State very soon. I know this is hearsay, but I felt personally like they are committing violations. The extent of these violations: I do not know. But having seen all the 30/30s, read 3 and Out, and have several friends that are writers for the SEC at Yahoo and the AJC (Atlanta Journal Constitution)- they all seem to believe the same thing.

opinion here I think. I'd venture to guess everyone is somewhere between suspicious and "I'm certain they're lining people's pockets with money"

Cool that your daughter is doing this project, but you aren't exactly sampling a very wide spectrum of opinions here.

Oversigning is more than a violation in my opinion.  Having the ability to cut your weakest players and revoke their schorlorship is like having try outs with guys who already have a contract to play for you.  Alot of kids who play in the SEC are underprivleged and then have to pay tution money that their parents might not have.  Not to mention their the only conference that doesn't have rules against this.

1. I do think the SEC, or at least a few of their schools are committing major violations.



2. I believe this because of what has happened with Auburn and at Ohio. I can't imagine the win-at-all-cost culture in Columbus is that different from the South.

It definitely happens, i mean it happened to us (Fab Five.)  it's happened at Ohio State, and it certainly happens in the SEC.  The question you should really ask is... why haven't they gotten caught?

I wish I knew the answer, but I will say, if you look at Tennesee as one example.  Three players held a person at gunpoint, and the fan didn't want serious repercussions, stating he wanted the players to stay on the team.

http://www.aolnews.com/2009/11/13/corey-zickefoose-tennessee-football-vi...

"I think they should still be able to play football, regardless," he said. "Tennessee is my place. It's my football team."

"Even after they put a gun in your face, you say let them play football?" 6 News asked.

"Yeah, it's Tennessee. That's the way it is sometimes," Zickefoose said.

As die hard as Michigan fans are, we aren't crazy.  Football is King, but it's not God.  Everyone keeps their mouths shut. That's just the way it is.

Behind every great fortune is a great crime.

Who offered Ty Isaac the car.

Do you also teach her about biased sampling?  I doubt it.

in most cases (for question 1).  I think a lot of the schools down there have a "look the other way" policy by the people in charge so they can deny any knowledge that the violations are going on, which in many cases is by boosters or people "close to" the program.  But, much of the sleazy side of the SEC is the way they dwell in the borderline areas of ethics - examples being medical redshirts, grey shirting, and oversigning.  Also, because of how competitive it is, negative recruiting is probably very common.  Is that illegal according to the NCAA.  No, but it enables them to get an advantage with kids by making their competitors' programs look bad. 

And in the area of academics, I think they have a lot of "creative" ways of keeping kids eligible.  This may be true with most big football schools to some extent, but the SEC takes it to a whole other level. 

Anyway, just my opinion.

1. Probably. There still exists the possibility that the SEC has the best athletes in its backyard and so many of their recruits stay close to home. Michigan used to recruit Louisiana and Georgia pretty well but we have not been getting many guys from there lately. I live in the south and the SEC brand is as big or bigger in fan's minds than their respective schools.

2. I think almost every school has some quasi-illegal recruiting tactics that they use, for two main reasons: 1. Lack of incentive for recruits to report recruiting violations and 2. The amount of special attention athletes get (especially in the SEC).

The NCAA only nails schools after they are caught instead of offering a cash reward or other incentive for a recruit to report violations to the NCAA. Add to that the fact that recruits are young and may not know all of the rules, and they don't want to find themselves in any trouble. It is too easy for boosters and fans to have an impression on someone, especially if you have your pick of schools to attend.

As has been reported on this board and others, the SEC athletes have a history of and still receive larger amounts of per capita spending and "academic assistance". There is also a mentality that good guys go pro in 3 years. The whole redshirt a year and work your way up the depth chart while you buy into tradition/the team are replaced with a more cutthroat mentality where your scholarship may not be there if you aren't a starter by your junior year. I think the high expectations must be led by some extra incentives or benefits.

1. No



2. No



- Sincerely,



Confederate States of America

1. I believe every conference commits serious infractions but not to the level of the SEC. I also believe that the coaches know about what is going on behind the scenes.

2. Alabama has been punished for it in the past, the video that ESPN took down about the craziest thing you've received on your recruiting visits, and the fact that it seems inconcievable that the SEC can win the last 7 or 8 MNCs cleanly. You don't have that kind of run of success without getting your hands a little dirty.

1. No. 

2. Too difficult to keep that quiet for too long. Maybe isolated incidents at one or two schools, but not an entire conference or even the majority of it. Also, the SEC's football dominance can be explained without them commiting serious recruiting infractions, so there's no reason to posit it without significant evidence. 

1. Yes



2. Football is all they have down South. When you care so much about something your willing to do whatever it takes to keep it.. In the SEC's case it's championships.. Boosters, recruit funneling (Blindsiding), and special treatment is for sure happening in the SEC. Football is not greater than my moral compass so I tend to enjoy the righteous recruiting Michigan does.

3. It would have been interesting if she did a paper on the clear bias the media has for the SEC. It's sickening. They have single handedly made an SEC win worth more weight in gold than any other conference win. That favoritism is due to an insatiable appetite for ratings and views.