Well, well, well. Which fan base is pointing fingers today?

Not Alabama fans. Linebacker Courtney Upshaw's arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence charges this week put them behind in the posturing game.

Not Auburn fans. Eric Smith's arrest for misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the wee smalls of Friday weakened their case.

Not Jacksonville State fans, either. Anyone who snickered at the state's two major-college programs gulped at Friday's news that quarterback Ryan Perrilloux put a touch of past in his present.

The former LSU quarterback is suspended for JSU's opener at Georgia Tech for a garden variety violation of team rules.

The first reaction is to file all three cases under, "What were they thinking?"

We've heard potentially mitigating takes on Upshaw's situation, and Alabama coach Nick Saban reportedly won't suspend him. But it's an arrest headline when Alabama appeared set to get through this August sans any.

Smith, who looked to be working his way into the playing rotation at tailback, set himself up to be the example guy for a new head coach.

As for Perrilloux, he apparently hasn't run afoul of the law. Then again, he fouled up any notion of going his two years at JSU without off-field headlines. No matter how minor his infraction, it's another chapter for a guy who needs to show character-conscious NFL teams he can walk the line.

It resets the clock to one day and counting — not one year and counting — since Perrilloux's last off-field headline.

In the bigger picture, having occurrences at all three schools in one week serves up a delicious chance to tag the false-outrage culture, and no one can call it excuse making for any one school.

Now that any pointers have retracted their fingers, can we all just get past the hypocrisy?

No one condones anything Upshaw and Smith stand accused of doing. Domestic violence can start small and end tragically. Disorderly conduct can start small and end tragically.

Whatever Perrilloux did — and we've only been told, categorically, what he didn't do — was enough for JSU coach Jack Crowe to bench his most talented player for a game against an upper-division opponent.

But who's kidding whom?

Raise hands, all who would tolerate their favorite team losing, if it meant no off-field headlines.

Raise hands, all who could assemble a roster of 100-plus 18-to-22-year-olds who never find trouble, even when not looking for it.

Legally, they're adults, but the maturity level and scrutiny level seem out of proportion. News media typically don't report misdemeanors for any age group, but such policies have long had understood out clauses for celebrities like athletes.

In the man-bites-dog standard for news, dog-bites-man will pass … depending on the dog.

There are legitimate issues. In at least one case, a player won't be on the field, and that requires an explanation.

But raise hands, all Alabama, Auburn and JSU fans who haven't talked about Upshaw, Smith or Perrilloux in the past 72 hours.

People care, so media report.

And what did anyone get out of it, save for a chance to point fingers at the rival school?

Well, no one's pointing today. Not around here, any way.