Cowherd Says A Top 12 Program’s About To Get Hit By The NCAA… SEC Rumors Start Swirling

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ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd set the rumor mill in motion yesterday afternoon when he said that he had received a tip that “a major program in this country is going to be outed very soon for major recruiting violations.”  He said the program is a Top 10 or Top 12 program.  (In last year’s polls?  In his eyes?)

The folks at CollegeFootballTalk.com have apparently heard a similar rumor, but neither Cowherd nor the website are revealing which program might be the target of NCAA sleuths.  At least Cowherd is saying who is not the target:


A major publication is about to unseat a major college football power on recruiting violations.  I will tell you from my source, it is not — it is not — Auburn.  I will leave it at that.  It is a major program and a major publication.


Immediately, fingers began pointing toward Oregon.  But John Canzano of The Oregonian reported that folks inside the Duck athletic department were “surprised” to hear of the rumors.  Head coach Chip Kelly said he was unaware of any violations.

At that point, SportsByBrooks.com jumped into the fray via Twitter and Facebook.  A few of the sites Twitter nuggets (or Twuggets):


Mult. ESPN sources have now verified to me Cowherd was referencing Oregon as school to be “outed very soon for major recruiting violations.


And — because a cheating rumor can’t exist without an SEC tie:


I talked to several sources today about LSU.  NCAA is absolutely not investigating LSU football program.


Of course, the last time Cowherd set off a wild internet free-for-all he was claiming to know the secret identity of Florida’s next football coach.  He used the acronym STAB to reveal the identity of the coach before he was hired.

What STAB ultimately had to do with Will Muschamp?  No clue.  (And feel free to clue me in if you’re a regular listener to Cowherd.  I am not.)