Brandon Bolden et al Suspended for Alabama Game

[HT: to 6" inseam for getting this on the frontpage late last night.]

So is this Houston Nutt already throwing in the towel for this week's matchup against the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide? Halfback Brandon Bolden, arguably the most valuable offensive player on the Ole Miss roster, has been suspended for one game along with guard Alex Washington, center AJ Hawkins, and receiver Philander Moore for the ever ambiguous "violation of team rules."

"Which rules were violated, exactly?" Well, I've heard a lot and I don't know who or what to believe. There's always the possibility of the quartet having missed class or workouts which, if such took place during the week before the Alabama game, is more troubling than usual. This is, however, a Houston Nutt coached team so anything from "not thinking Mr. Bean is the funniest show ever" and "mocking Gunter Brewer's hat" could be a violation of team rules for all we know.

None of that matters all that much anyway. If a high-profile senior leader of an SEC football team can't avoid a suspension for doing whatever it is that he did to agitate the coaches, especially during a week leading up to one of the most highly anticipated games of the season, then there really is a waning of institutional control within the Ole Miss football program. This is prima facie evidence of such (or, at least, we're going to look at it like that because it fits in with our confirmation bias rather nicely).

Brandon, what do you have to say?

So you do think Mr. Bean is the funniest show ever? Or is it somebody else's fault? Did Alex Washington make you eat Coach Shibest's taco salad on a dare? I bet that had him pretty steamed, you guys.

[For what it's worth, Washington and Hawkins weren't going to play much this weekend anyway, as per a very trustworthy independent source.]