via www.scout.com

By Brandon Matthews

Delone Carter is back on the team.  Syracuse Nation releases a unanimous sigh of relief and shares a high five.  FINALLY!  Finally, Syracuse has its star back.  Finally, Syracuse has some offensive weapons.  Finally, Syracuse is willing to toe the line of being hypocrites in order to win.  

“We’re an academic institution, our sole focus is the graduation and conduct of our student athletes,” insert any Athletic Director or Coach.  Lately, Marrone has made this his mantra, and it’s easy to applaud him for it.  But it doesn’t win ball games, let alone bowl games.  It seems as though programs need players with sketchy backgrounds to be successful – they need some NCAA sanctions.  Five major programs are facing some serious agent allegations this summer (NC, SC, Florida, Alabama, USC) and all of their success has been well documented.  A combined 51-15 last year with three bowl wins, two of which were in the BCS.  It seems as though if you’re not a hypocrite in college football, you lose.  

So maybe this is the first step – one where Syracuse puts down the rule book and picks up the playbook.  The first time Syracuse looks the other way when a top notch player breaks minor infractions.  It will raise eyebrows – and wins – and isn’t that all that really matters?