Ten currently is on probation: Michigan for football abuses under Rich Rodriguez; Ohio State for Jim Tressel's cover-up of TattooGate; Nebraska for a multi-sport textbook snafu; and now Penn State for the sins of Jerry Sandusky and its subsequent breakdown in ethics and leadership.

Total years probation for those four schools: 13. Both the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions face a postseason football ban for 2012, which basically turns the Big Ten Leaders Division into Wisconsin and the three dwarves (Illinois, Purdue and Indiana). And as we know, Penn State is bowl-banned and scholarship-stripped from now until sometime into the 22nd century.

Those four also happen to be the flagship football programs in the league in terms of all-time accomplishments.

Now compare that rap sheet to the SEC, where the stereotypeof lawlessness has been popular for a long time. There are two schools currently on probation: Tennessee for the Bruce Pearl barbecue fiasco and South Carolina for its cushy hotel housing arrangement for football players, plus some booster shenanigans involving football and basketball. (LSU came off a one-year football probation last week.)

Total years probation: five. Postseason bans: zero. Scholarship reductions: zero. The SEC dodged a mighty big bullet when Cam Newton scrambled through a loophole in 2010 to remain eligible, but right now there is no question which is the cleaner league in the eyes of the NCAA.

There was a time when Big Ten fans chafed by the SEC's relentless winning in football at least had image to fall back on when comparing the two conferences. Not anymore.