College Football Picks Week 8: LSU on Upset Alert After Suspensions

A selfish act by three LSU football players now puts their Saturday's game against Auburn and their national championship hopes in jeopardy. Star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, running back Spencer Ware and defensive back Tharold Simon have been suspended by LSU for Saturday's rivalry game against defending national champions Auburn.

All three players tested positive for synthetic marijuana, and have been suspended for one game, versus Auburn, this upcoming Saturday. A matchup that becomes a little more interesting, it looks as if LSU is now on our national upset alert charts.

The Tigers lose one of their top players from each side of the ball. Ware is the LSU's leading rusher, with 512 yard and six scores. Mathieu is a fan favorite in Baton Rogue, making countless huge defensive plays.

The loss of Matieu hurts the Tigers, as Auburn's new starting quarterback, Clint Moseley, will hope to try and exploit.

Many still expect LSU to beat Auburn regardless of the suspensions. But this negativity for a team in the national spotlight could hurt them in the future, especially in biggest game of the season, Nov. 5th at Alabama.

The Loss of Tyrann Mathieu

A recent Heisman candidate and new record holder for most forced fumbles in LSU history, Tyrann Mathieu will not take the field this Saturday against Auburn. He is a tenacious and aggressive player, who already has somewhat of a bad reputation—he was booed when LSU started their home season against Kentucky.

Auburn will look to take advantage of the fact that Mathieu will be absent in this game. Sophomore Clint Moseley is getting his first college start against LSU and will look to exploit this absence. It will be difficult, though, considering a new quarterback is starting for Auburn.

The Tigers Are Coming off of an Emotional Win

Auburn and quarterback Clint Moseley are freshly coming off an emotional, interesting 17-6 win against the Florida Gators. After coming off of a blowout loss against Arkansas, Auburn came out and won a close, special teams dominated game against a strong Florida team.

This emotion, with the newly sparked inspiration of a chance for an upset could propel Auburn to play their best and hope for the best against the No. 1 ranked team in the nation.

Is Les Miles Distracted, Again?

Does this guy really have no control over his players? I believe incidents like these really show what kind of coach a person is to his players/students.  This also isn't the first time we've seen such turmoil and distraction from a Les Miles' football team.

Prior to and during the beginning of the college football season, LSU and Les Miles had to deal with the Jordan Jefferson saga. The then-starting quarterback and fellow player Josh Johns were suspended for their roles in a violent incident outside a Louisiana nightclub. Now, this incident occurs.

This also isn't the first time incidents have occurred. There have been several incidents and suspensions in the past, regarding former starting quarterbacks and players.

Don't get me wrong, Les Miles can coach football, but what kind of life coach is he? Coaches are the leaders, the CEOs of their respected teams and should have their players disciplined better than this. Another mishap with players like this only further ruins Les Miles' reputation as a coach.

Could These Players Be Suspended for More Than 1 Game?

LSU has suspended Ware, Mathieu and Simon for Saturday's game against Auburn, but have not decided on whether they'll be suspended in future games. The interesting thing about that thought is that the Tigers next game is Nov. 5th against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Further suspensions for players like Ware and Mathieu would be devastating for LSU against Alabama. That game, being played in Tuscaloosa, would be much more interesting and difficult for LSU to win in Alabama.

These boys do not understand the severity of their selfish actions against their teammates and fans. Only if LSU loses, or are lost for the Alabama game, will they truly understand what "national championship implications" really means.