University of Alabama: Trouble in Tide Land With Marcel Dareus?

Larry Burton (Panama City Beach, Fla.) The 2010 BCS Game in Pasadena, California, Alabama was comfortably ahead but Texas kept making it interesting until a shovel pass went awry. It went into the hand of Marcel Dareus and he knocked down the quarterback like a rag doll, put a spin move on another Longhorn and rumbled into the end zone to ice the game.

This man who didn't even begin the season as a starter was now the hero of the moment in the biggest game of the college football year. Though just a sophomore, many thought he was a sure lock to leave for the NFL following his junior campaign with a sure first-round pick.

Agents started circling his name on their wish list and plans were laid to land the mighty defensive end.

You don't have to be a sportswriter to know the NCAA has been working overtime since the Reggie Bush case to find other cases of "Agent Influence" on members of the NCAA football rosters.

They were looking hard in North Carolina and may have found something. Then they looked in South Carolina and found something. Possibly in Florida, too.

Now you can add Alabama to that list.

The story is so new and breaking that nothing can be confirmed by either Dareus, who will not make a statement, or by the University, who soon may. But apparently Dareus attended a party this summer in Miami that was billed as an "Agent's Party". There is no speculation of any wrong doing at this time, but the NCAA will certainly want to know the following:

A. Who paid for his transportation to the party?

B. Who paid for his meals and lodging on that trip?

C. Who did he meet with and what was done and said?

D. Was anything signed or any agreements made?

E. Who attended the party?

F. When did he notify the university of his attendance?

G. How soon after that did the university notify the NCAA?

Apparently, Nick Saban had the NCAA notified as soon as he became aware of a possible problem. Though Alabama will certainly conduct their own investigation and turn that in to the NCAA, the NCAA will also now do their own.

The good news for Alabama is they will suffer absolutely zero consequences as they reported it right away and no games have been played since the suspected infraction.

Knowing Nick Saban as I do, he will not let Dareus play one snap until he is either cleared by the NCAA or suffers through whatever penalty they put on him.

So the good news for Bama fans is, there is no team violation. No consequences to fall upon them and no actions to follow.

Clearly, just like last year, this is a crack in the process and Saban certainly has the fortitude and the talent to overcome it. Damien Square is healthy and there are others that can step in if the need be.