"flipin' da bird" to the NZAA is invitation for those that really do want to be the cause for Bama's demise to start rapid firing with any and everything they have. It's an absolute stupid maneuver IMO.
I'm obviously not an Auburn fan, but there's no question that their approach to the NCAA has paid off. Alabama did everything they were supposed to in reporting the textbook thing and the NCAA vacates a season full of wins.
Auburn hired two dirty head coaches and pays the best player in college football and they get a championship and a revitalized basketball program. All because they didn't bend a knee.
I'm just saying not bending a knee to the NCAA seems to work pretty well now. Especially since you can openly pay players if you do it correctly. Everything that got Alabama in trouble that I can recall in the past was improper benefits. You can now "properly" do all of that. There's nothing to get caught doing unless you are absolutely stupid about how you do it.
I'm not even sure what the NCAA is supposed to catch Alabama doing at this point. You can pay players without violating the rules now, so what on earth are we worried the NCAA is going to find out? That Alabama is too dumb to use boosters to pay players? That's exactly what Alabama got busted for in the past so I'd guess they at least know how to do that.
This reeks of desperation!
I do have a sense of desperation in terms of what's left of Saban's career. Golding is wasting precious years of the best college coach ever. If something doesn't change we will see more of the same.
2009-2017 gave Alabama 5 championships! 2018-2022 gave us one and that took arguably the greatest offense Alabama has ever had. I have no reason to believe the next 5 years under Golding would be any better than the last 5 years, and those have been the worst years of Saban's tenure (no coincidence they also consist of 5 of the 6 worst defenses Saban has had at Alabama). So yes, there is some desperation on my part.