In 2008, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy famously proclaimed, "Come after me! I'm a man! I'm 40!" Well Mike, you might have your wish answered after all, because the NCAA is going to come after you and your program with everything it has. Oklahoma State University is in the limelight again, but this time it's not due to their near top-10 ranking in this week's polls. instead, Sports Illustrated has broken the most recent NCAA scandal which involves the student-athletes in Stillwater. The focus of the allegations are new, but the allegations themselves are eerily similar to those involving a certain halfback for the Cardinal and Gold back in 2004-2005.

So far, SI has reported that eight players have explicitly stated that they were payed by boosters of the university or by coaches for exceptional plays, and 29 more have been implicated in this scandal. Sports Illustrated, which is releasing the rest of its exclusive report over the next week, alleges that the wrongdoing extends far beyond payment of players to academic misconduct, illegal drugs and sexual dereliction. As for the money aspect though, it appears that the problem was far more widespread compared to USC's scandal. While nearly $100,000 was given to the Bush family in payouts and benefits, the cash flow was isolated to Reggie and his family. At Oklahoma State, it appears that between the years of 2001 and 2011 that a vast majority of the players received cash through a myriad of ways, not limited to direct payment and completion of "jobs" for boosters. 

Around the University Park Campus at USC, the Bush scandal still leaves the bitter taste of a vacated National Championship in the mouths of students and alumni alike. The NCAA came down hard on the Trojans in accordance to the bylaw which states, "You are not eligible if your institution or any representative of its athletics interests offered you money, directly or indirectly, to pay for any part of your educational expenses or other expenses during any period of time before you enrolled at your institution. This applies to your postgraduate education as well."

USC forfeited 30 scholarships over three years, a BCS National Championship and 14 wins during the time at which the rule violations occurred, not to mention they had to suffer through a two-year postseason ban. The university still feels the repercussions of the NCAA's punishment even in 2013. If the Sports Illustrated allegations do turn out to be true though, the widespread nature of the scandal should draw significantly harsher sanctions. Some are already beginning to call for the college football death penalty to be imposed on Oklahoma State starting in 2014, a punishment which would cripple a recently-thriving program.

In an official statement, Vice President of Athletics Mike Holder responded to the claims, stating that the, "athletic department understands the high expectations OSU President Burns Hargis and the OSU Board of Regents have set for us. Our coaches and staff understand we will not tolerate any violations that compromise our pursuit of excellence, the highest of ethical standards, and full compliance with NCAA rules and regulations."

Whether the allegations prove to be true or not, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, there are far more important things on the horizon than this Saturday's showdown with Lamar.

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