12 Players Suspended for North Carolina Vs. LSU Game

Twelve North Carolina players have been suspended from the North Carolina vs. LSU game. The North Carolina vs. LSU game is one of the highlights of the college football schedule this weekend, or at least it had been until all of the trouble surrounding North Carolina's football program became evident. With many NCAA inquiries taking place, the NCAA declared 12 North Carolina players ineligible for Saturday's game due to violations of school and/or NCAA rules. The 12 players could be suspended for more than just the opening game, but that final decision has not yet been made.

Among the suspensions for the North Carolina vs. LSU game are six starters for North Carolina. The starters who have been suspended are defensive tackle Marvin Austin, cornerback Charles Brown, cornerback Kendric Burney, wide receiver Greg Little, defensive end Michael McAdoo and defensive end Robert Quinn, according to ESPN. The other six players who were also suspended are tailback Shaun Draughn, defensive end Linwan Euwell, safety Brian Gupton, tailback Ryan Houston, safety Da'Norris Searcy and safety Jonathan Smith. Now LSU becomes a heavy favorite to win Saturday's game.

Currently, North Carolina is the No. 18-ranked team in the country, but without six of their starters, it could really set them back to begin the season. If it turns out that these players won't regain their eligibility right away, then it could really destroy the 2010 season for the team. This had been a year where the North Carolina defense was hoping that they could contend for a national title, and was a main reason many of their players decided to come back to school for another season. Many of the players on this North Carolina defense are expected to be drafted early in the 2011 NFL Draft, but now their college careers could end on a very sour note.

While the investigations continue, North Carolina still has to play some football. The ACC looks like a pretty tough conference this season, especially in the Coastal Division, where North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech are all ranked in the top 20. While LSU is a huge game, it is still out-of-conference, and if North Carolina can get their roster back together by the ACC opener on Saturday, Sept. 18, they might still have a chance at making a BCS bowl game. Things are going to have to get much better, though, because rumors have the suspensions going deeper for some of these players.

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