This is the big problem.
I had to go to some engagement party over the weekend for one of the old lady's friends in Atlanta.
So naturally I had to converse with a bunch of douchebags I have virtually nothing in common with. So, the standard small talk always gravitates to football. An Ole Miss fan, a Georgia fan, and a guy that went to some community college in Georgia and "only kind of follows college", but is "more of an NFL guy."
I didn't have time in the small talk to address all of their wild misconceptions. At least not without looking like I was the one with my head in the sand.
Constant comments about how Cam's troubled past would cause him problems with his draft status. About how "He flat out said the money was too good at Auburn." About how he got kicked out of Florida for academic issues. About how Milton McGregor led several recruits to winning gambling machines.
Doesn't matter that not a single one of those claims have any validity whatsoever. That anything beyond "one unnamed source" from Thayer "I am on a mission from God to destroy Auburn University" Evans or Sports By "TMZ but less credible" Brooks. At best. The rest are purely wild-assed message board/Finebaum caller conspiracy theories.
All because, exactly as you said, your Joe Schmo hears the headlines, reads the quick jabs on message boards, etc., and just assumes they're true.
My friend experienced the same in San Diego. He was at a business conference, and someone made the "oh, you're the school that buys football players" when he found out my friend went to Auburn. The same person then gave a presentation to the conference and made reference to meeting people from all over the country like "the guy that went to SMU, I mean, sorry, Auburn." It got lots of laughs according to my friend.