I covered the Dareus investigation and have a pretty good take on that situation. While I will not defend the NCAA's actions as it pertains to A.J. Green, here's a little background on the Dareus saga at Alabama that I've not noticed on many Georgia forums today.

Going off NCAA "starting point" guidelines, both Dareus and Green should have received four games for the dollar amount of each violation.

Basically, Dareus was the exception, and Green was the rule. The NCAA cited "mitigating circumstances" in the case of Dareus getting a two-game suspension instead of a four-game suspension, which the NCAA admitted was called for in Alabama's situation.

What does that mean?

*** Well, for one, Dareus' mother died in May, which is when the trips to Miami allegedly took place. The person responsible for talking him into going down there was a friend and fellow player -- Marvin Austin, the UNC player that is in so much trouble -- who said (through Twitter) that he wanted to cheer Dareus up. That doesn't excuse breaking the rules, but it does help explain the situation a bit better.

*** A good source at UA has told me that the school started it's own compliance investigation into Dareus on a Sunday after receiving calls from media asking about it (Yours truly included). My understanding is that UGA, meanwhile, was notified by the NCAA first. That's a big difference. It always helps in the NCAA's eyes to look as though you're keeping your own kitchen clean. But in UGA's defense, it's not like the athletics department has been on real stable footing these past few weeks and months.

*** Without question, Dareus should have checked with Alabama's compliance staff before heading to Miami, but he did not. That said, UA compliance officials remained convinced that Dareus was telling the truth when he said he didn't know he was breaking the rules because he did not know an agent was somehow involved.

*** Along those lines, here is the statement issued by Alabama's compliance director Mike Ward in the wake of the Dareus decision ...

"We are appreciative of the NCAA’s efforts in this matter. It is important to note that Marcell never intentionally violated any NCAA rules and did not knowingly receive any benefits from an agent. Marcell lived up to the letter and spirit of the NCAA cooperative principle and the NCAA described him as 'one of the most truthful student-athletes we have ever interviewed.' While the institution weighs the decision to appeal, we will continue to pursue all available means to protect our student-athletes and their families from agents and financial advisors willing to compromise or exploit them. We will assist the NCAA, NFL, NFLPA, and any interested state and federal regulatory bodies in their prosecution, regulation, or sanctioning of individuals who disregard legislation pertaining to our student-athletes."

*** Alabama did not appeal, by the way, after Nick Saban first said that it would. Per NCAA rules, the player would be ineligible for the length of the appeal, so it would make no sense in Dareus' case. Georgia, meanwhile, has nothing to lose in appealing the Green decision.