So when the NCAA doesn't do shit at the end of April, can we stop worrying about the NCAA possibly investigating Alabama?
"Anything we did last year does nothing but put a target on our back -- (that's) what this team needs to get prepared for," he said. "Because I doubt if before last season anybody had Alabama as one of the teams they needed to beat to win the West (Division) or the SEC. I think everybody will have Alabama as the team to beat this year. So with that goes a responsibility and obligation of our team to have a higher expectation of what we expect of ourselves.
"Do I see that happening? No. Do I think we have a cultural problem here in terms of expectations? Absolutely. We think that because we did something last year, we're going to do something this year, and that doesn't mean anything. I don't want to make any of our fans mad, but if we're thinking that way, we're not thinking right."
This excerpt from Saban's press conference is far from alluding to potential NCAA investigations. I believe wholeheartedly that Alabama cheated to get recruits. However, why should I believe the NCAA is actually doing anything about it?
Hell, I could start this rumor:
"The NCAA knows about the incidents in Gadsden. Fuckstick-who-shall-not-be-named has been disassociated with the Alabama football program because of his involvement in illegal recruiting practices. Because Alabama has complied with the textbook investigation and also prefaced the investigation by self reporting, they will be on a kind of 'secret' probation. They've been warned. This is coming from a source I have at the NCAA offices. It looks like Bama has skated past these issues with only a few scholarships being taken away for a silly textbook issue."
Honestly, I can see myself logging onto Rivals and reading that from one of the "insider" posters.
I can also see this one when no word about further, more serious investigations comes out:
"You have to have patience. The NCAA is trying to gather all the evidence they can. It's a meticulous process because of the involvement of lawyers. If the NCAA flubs on anything, they'll be dealing with lawsuits like they did with the Albert Means case. Just keep your ears open for the next PLOI because it'll be a big one."
I hope to God all these rumors turn into the truths. By the way, how's Reggie Bush's legacy doing at USC? He still has his Heisman, right? USC still has all those victories, right?