Chizik simply didn’t come across as believable

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HOOVER _ There was one statistic that told the whole story about Thursday’s sessions of SEC Media Days: When Gene Chizik was at the podium before hundreds of reporters he took nine questions about the NCAA and ongoing issues/investigations, but just one regarding the Tigers being the reigning national championships

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Even that question had a negative connotation to it, “Has the ongoing investigation taken any of the joy away from the national championship, or have you been able to enjoy it?”

“I've had a blast,” the coach replied. “(It) hasn't taken the joy out of anything, hasn't changed anything for our players or our coaches or administration. We've had a ball.”

The rest of the time, Chizik looked as if he expected to be handed a blindfold and cigarette, while everyone else in the room eventually left believing they had just seen a real life version of the word disingenuous.

It wasn’t that he performed like Lane Kiffin during his lone visit here a couple of years ago, when no one in the room believed a word that came out of his mouth, rather Chizik simply didn’t come across as believable. Despite mounting allegations he basically repeated himself.

“All of the outside innuendo, speculations, rumors, all those different things, whether it be NCAA-related or otherwise, is just not a big part of what I concern myself with,” Chizik said. “I've said this many times. I feel great about where we are as a football program. I sleep really good every night that my head hits the pillow. That's what I can control. So I know we're every day doing things the right way. That's what I can put my time and energy into. So that's what I do.”

Chizik had used the pillow line before, although it’s difficult to remember for which scandal. At this point there’s so much smoke on the Plains there isn’t any part of the program that hasn’t come under fire.

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