LSU Suspensions: Tigers Have Trouble Keeping Stars on Straight and Narrow

Welcome to the modern college football landscape, where infractions and suspensions are as plentiful as highlight reels. The LSU Tigers typify the sentiment as their failures are as great as their successes. 

LSU enjoys the luxury of being the No. 1 team in the BCS polls on the first week it was released. In the same week, they have been hit with suspensions of two of their star players. 

ESPN reports LSU has "suspended star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and running back Spencer Ware for Saturday's home game against Auburn." 

The report asserts that both players were being suspended for one game and it is due to failed drug tests. The only thing Les Miles could offer is that the matter was an internal one and it would be handled accordingly. 

There is no telling the extent to the issues that face the two players, but the Tigers needed to nip this in the bud immediately before they face No. 2 Alabama in their next contest. 

This is yet another sign that you can't have the good without handling the bad. At least that is what pertains to LSU in 2011. 

The program was hit with news their star quarterback Jordan Jefferson was involved in a bar fight, mandating a suspension for four games. 

Disaster was averted as Jarrett Lee stepped up with a huge effort to keep LSU rolling through the early part of the season. 

Once again, they will need to scramble to get a much needed win before they play the marquee game of the season against Alabama. 

Les Miles has had to deal with unnecessary problems at the hands of the players he is supposed to control. If the Tigers stumble, it won't be for lack of talent, it will be because that talent can't control themselves or conform to the rules. 

We forget that college football is an amateur sport presented as a business. The athletes that are performing are students, and they are going to make mistakes. 

Much of this falls at the feet of Miles, who can't control his personnel. I applaud him for suspending the players immediately, but there is far too much smoke billowing from the Tigers' locker room at the moment. 

A championship contender hardly needs more headaches other than the stiff competition they have to face every Saturday. LSU is hit with ridiculous errors behind the scenes once again. At some point, those issues will be too much to handle.