SEC Notebook: Columnist says Texas A&M coach 'taking easy way out' on suspensions

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin is "taking the easy way out" on suspensions, according to Press-Register columnist Mike Herndon.

By Larry Hartstein

Sep 5, 2012 at 8:47 am ET • 1 min read

Let's take a morning spin around the SEC:

Georgia coach Mark Richt continues to be vague when asked whether defensive stars Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree will play Saturday at Missouri. They're listed as starters on the depth chart, but Richt told reporters only that he'll let them know "when the time comes." Rambo's high school coach told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in March that Rambo and Ogletree flunked a drug test and got suspended four games. Richt won't confirm that, though he did say Rambo and Ogletree missed the opener due to suspension.
The Volunteers haven't drawn more than 100,000 for a home opener since 2007, and they might not this year either. About 10,000 tickets remained Tuesday afternoon for Saturday's game against Georgia State. Neyland Stadium seats 102,455. "It's just a different climate for ticket sales," school official Chris Fuller told the News Sentinel. There were eight SEC home openers last weekened, and only Mississippi State announced a capacity crowd.
It's still a mystery who paid for a billboard to go up in Gainesville taunting the Gators and declaring, "You've been annexed by Aggie Nation." Texas A&M officials said they had nothing to do with the billboard, which caused a huge stir before it was taken down Tuesday. Aggies supporters suspect whoever paid for the billboard is not a fan because Texas A&M backers do not refer to themselves as "Aggie Nation." They're either the Aggie Network or 12th Man.
Press-Register columnist Mike Herndon says A&M coach Kevin Sumlin is "taking the easy way out" by not suspending two players for Saturday's SEC opener against Florida. Starting linebacker Steven Jenkins and backup safety Howard Matthews were supposed to be suspended for the Louisiana Tech game for unspecified rules violations, but Hurricane Isaac postponed the game until Oct. 13. Sumlin opted to keep the suspensions tied to that game, letting Jenkins and Matthews play Saturday. "Neither guy was involved in our preparation for Louisiana Tech and that will remain the situation," Sumlin told reporters. "A lot of things have changed since the storm and they will still be suspended for the Louisiana Tech game. That won't change."

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