As we were sitting here watching Boise State kick Idaho around in their own house, an email containing a statement from Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin somewhat unexpectedly came across our desk.
So, here it is in its entirety with zero commentary from myself:
(We’ll await for the applause to die down... still waiting... and we’re good...)“During the recruitment of a football prospective student-athlete, Mississippi State was approached with an offer to provide an extra benefit. This offer was refused.
“MSU alerted the Southeastern Conference about the offer. MSU did not have any specific incriminating information about any other school, and thus could not provide any.
“As Commissioner Slive mentioned today, the SEC is not an investigative body. MSU has cooperated fully and completely with the NCAA from the time it began asking for our assistance, and looks forward to providing any and all help in this ongoing investigation.”
UPDATED 10: 19 p.m. ET: OK, I said there would be zero commentary, but just needed to add that Mississippi State becomes at least the fourth person/entity -- joining Kenny Rogers, John Bond and Bill Bell -- that has gone on the record to state that, in essence, a pay-per-play plan was in place when it came to Cam Newton and what it would take to get him to a school.
OK, that is all. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled, 60-minute noogie of Idaho at the hands of Boise State, already in progress...