Pete Golding’s weak response to Clemson's tampering accusation is everything wrong with CFB

Pete Golding won two playoff games last winter, but he is brand-new to being the face of a Power Four college football program. While it remains to be seen if he will hold a candle to what Lane Kiffin did before him in Oxford, the new Ole Miss Rebels head coach had to answer the many tampering allegations being thrown his way, the ones about Ole Miss stealing Luke Ferrelli away from Clemson.

During SEC Media Days, Golding was not exactly willing to admit any fault for this shady behavior.

"We’ve got a compliance department, and they get paid to do their job," Golding said. "They do a really good job. So, it’s our responsibility to recruit really good players, coach them extremely hard, and get them ready to win football games. We’re going to continue to recruit really good players, both in the high school market and in the portal market, and we’ll continue to do it how we’ve done it."

The Clemson Tigers know the model is broken, but why was Golding deflecting blame so badly here?

"The model obviously has been broken," Golding continued. "I’m all for everybody being on the same playing field and doing the same things. I get it, but I think that’s in any job. Coaches, we’re under contract. You don't think other ADs are calling us during the year? Same ones that are b******g about all this stuff are the same ones calling coaches to come to other schools. It’s everywhere; it’s in every profession. So I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers."

Frankly, he inadvertently admitted to tampering with this last little jab at the reporter questioning him.

"Let’s not act like recruiting in college football for the last 100 years is the most moral thing that’s ever existed," Golding finished. "What are we talking about here?"

Here is everything Golding had to say in his rant about tampering during SEC Media Days last week.

This just kind of goes to show why Golding had been a career coordinator prior to Kiffin burning his latest coaching bridge. Golding might be a passionate recruiter and defensive mind, but he could certainly use some refinement at the podium. Regardless, his comments are only par for the course in this wonderful world of college football we live in now, one where no one takes any responsibility.

Much has been made about Ferrelli spurning Clemson, but Golding epitomizes the problem at hand.

Pete Golding is a symptom of a larger problem plaguing college football

This is not meant to disparage Golding as much as he probably needs to be for his maniacal sermon from the podium on the topic of tampering. He is not the first coach to be accused of this, nor will he be the last. Golding may be right in that whoever does not govern college football is just making it up as they go along. The portal window is open, and teams are getting burned all the time because of it.

However, we seem to be looking at head coach Golding, who knows he does not have a ton of job security. He was only promoted from within because Kiffin decided to alienate even more people in his one-of-a-kind coaching career. Golding was never seen as a great defensive coordinator, only a good one who happened to work with Kiffin at Ole Miss and for Nick Saban at Alabama before that.

Frankly, he is doing what any fearful animal does when cornered or put into a bad spot. They try to make themselves feel bigger and be more intimidating. Again, he could be out of a job in a matter of months if this does not work out for him. How do we know this? Zach Arnett only got one year to lead arch-rival Mississippi State before a big decision was made. It may not go like this, but it is what it is.

ALSO READ: 5 wins that would represent a return to glory season for Dabo Swinney leading Clemson

Overall, we have got a billion-dollar business with very few guardrails to guide it and keep this crazy locomotive on the tracks. Regardless of the degree Ole Miss did or did not tamper with the former Clemson enrollee, Golding does not need to be the one to solve this mess. He is ill-equipped to do so. Again, he is a symptom of a much bigger problem at hand that is plaguing college football presently.

Ultimately, nothing is going to get better until we get a college football commissioner to govern the Power Four and Notre Dame, as well as the Group of Six, just to be nice. More teams will be wronged like Clemson was in this past cycle, just like more teams like Ole Miss will get away with borderline unethical behavior. The rules are the rules, but what are the rules? College football is such a mess...

We are now entering year five in the wondeful world of NIL, but nothing seems to be getting better.

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