Former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu saw his career end due to marijuana and synthetic marijuana.  According to one story making the rounds before the NFL draft, Mathieu allegedly told one pro team that he’d failed double-digit drug tests while a Tiger, but he later denied making that statement.

Well, tell that to Bud’s Glass joint, a head shop that sells drug paraphernalia in Phoenix.  The store placed an ad in The Phoenix New Times welcoming the Arizona Cardinals’ newest player to the area.

“Honey Badger.  Welcome to Phoenix!  We have what you’re looking for.”

Such an ad is hardly fair to Mathieu, of course, and one wonders if his agent won’t try to take legal action of some sort against the shop for using his likeness in its ad.  But with so much smoke surrounding his college career — pun intended — it will be interesting to see if there are any more fires moving forward into the pro ranks.

The Cardinals have reportedly put provisions in Mathieu’s contract forcing him to submit to drug testing more often than his teammates.

SEC Football

1. Tyrann Mathieu on Alabama’s game-winning play against LSU last year: ”That was a freshman on that blitz and I would have been a junior so I would have known that play was coming.”

2. Honey Badger no more.  ”I think at LSU, the Honey Badger (person) came to an abrupt end.” A new nickname?

3. With Mike Gillislee gone at Florida, what happens at tailback for the Gators?

4. Just 15 members of Tennessee’s class of 2012 remain. What role will they play in 2013?

5. After tipping the scales at 355 pounds on Monday at the Senior Bowl weigh-in, Alabama lineman D.J. Fluker won’t play in the game.

6. Neither will Auburn’s Onterio McCalebb – out with a hamstring injury. Teammate Philip Lutzenkirchen’s rehabilitation is on schedule – but he won’t play, either.

7. Former Georgia running back Ken Malcome will transfer to Southern Illinois.

Coaching/College  News

8. Nick Saban on the new NCAA rules that lift restrictions on communication between coach and recruits: “I think it’s a fine line between how much you need to communicate and be effective at doing it…”

9. Why Kentucky fans are not happy with former coach Joker Phillips these days.

10. Saban on new Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly: “He’s done a fantastic job of being a real innovator in college football with some of the things he’s done. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the great job he did at Oregon.”

11. Former Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr and former Georgia Tech basketball coach Bobby Cremins named to NCAA infractions committee.

12. Missouri basketball coach Frank Haith isn’t the only one facing some potential charges over the NCAA Miami investigation. Haith headline & Haith ad – all in one picture.

13. Dennis Dodd on college football attendance: If students “aren’t going to games when they’re in school because of smartphone issues, what does that bode for the future?”

SEC Basketball

14. Kentucky vs. Alabama tonight.  John Calipari on the Crimson Tide: “The driving force is their guards.”

15. Alabama guard Trevor Lacy was once a recruiting target of Kentucky. Anthony Grant: ”With every game, I think he’s getting more and more comfortable with what will be demanded of him.” Trevor Releford says his ankle “feels fine.”

16. South Carolina at Missouri tonight.  Three of the Tigers top seven players could be out tonight –  Laurence Bowers is definitely out, Keion Bell is likely out and Earnest Ross is a gametime decision.

17. Gamecocks coach Frank Martin: “Players have been great. I can’t ask any more than what they’ve been giving.”

18. Florida is the class of the SEC - third nationally in scoring defense and second nationally in scoring margin. Gators guard  Scottie Wilbekin making the case for SEC defensive player of the year.

19, Arkansas is a football state – but don’t give up on Mike Anderson’s Razorbacks.

20. Anderson names Marshawn Powell and Kikko Haydar team captains - first captains Anderson has named since taking over the basketball program.

21. Auburn’s Chris Denson and Jordan Price are both recovering from stress fractures in their feet. Came off the bench against Kentucky – should be good to go against Vanderbilt Wednesday.

Extras

22. AJ McCarron’s girlfriend, Katherine Webb, puts some rumors to rest.

22. Expect longer commercials during the Super Bowl this year.

23. Phil Mickelson apologizes for talking about his taxes.

Computer guru Jerry Palm has posted his full college football rankings at CBSSports.com — from Team #1 (LSU, even without the Honey Badger) to poor, sad, Team #124 (Texas State and head coach Dennis Franchione).

For those of you just interested in seeing where your favorite SEC team ranks, here’s how his computer spit ‘em out:

1.  LSU

3.  Alabama

6.  Georgia

8.  South Carolina

11.  Arkansas

23.  Florida

26.  Auburn

47.  Mississippi State

63.  Missouri

64.  Texas A&M

68.  Tennessee

78.  Vanderbilt

92.  Kentucky

93.  Ole Miss

To put the rankings of UK and UM in perspective, Palm’s laptop says Eastern Michigan ranks #89.  Ouch.

Yesterday, Tyrann Mathieu’s situation at LSU was called by us “a confusing mess.”   That hasn’t changed.

In fact, if anything, the situation’s become even more baffling.  How?  Les Miles opened his mouth.  Whodathunkit?

Amid rumors that LSU had closed the door to a possible Honey Badger return — rumors fueled and then doused by people in the school’s administration — Miles spoke to the media and made it apparent that the door might actually remain open for Mathieu to return:

“I am not in any way speculating.  He will not be on this football team this year.  I guarantee you.  That’s a fact.  I have no idea beyond that.”

Of course, this is the same coach who said last Friday that Mathieu “will not be back” and that “things are spelled out that we can do.”  The last part of that comment should have told us all that Miles and LSU were hoping to find a loophole.  Maybe flunking X amount of drug tests could mean “dismissal” from the Tiger team only for a year!

Now, to the average Joe, dismissal means dismissal, not suspension.  But when a Heisman candidate’s place on the squad is in jeopardy, dismissal can apparently mean suspension after all.

Glenn Guilbeau of Gannett Louisiana grabbed a copy of LSU’s substance abuse policy and found that while a third positive drug test forces “a one-year suspension from competition.”  According to The Baton Rouge Advocate, if a player returns after a year away the policy also states the following:

“If institutional drug testing reveals the existence of drugs at any time, permanent ineligibility to participate at LSU will result.”

So, a third test means a one-year suspension and a positive test after reinstatement from that suspension would result in permanent ineligibility.

We’ve been calling for years for a uniform drug policy in the SEC and this situation only makes the need for one more obvious.  (The presidents of the SEC’s schools have been against such a plan in the past, according to commissioner Mike Slive.)  But rather than go off a tangent, we’ll just keep the focus on Mathieu.

According to NFL draft expert and Louisiana-native Mike Detillier, Mathieu visited McNeese State but “did not like it.”  He also claims that the player’s family wants him to stay at LSU (where he and the family will have to pay his way).

Despite claims by some Louisiana writers yesterday that Mathieu would be announcing a decision today, it now appears that this situation will drag on a bit longer.

If you’re keeping track at home, the Honey Badger’s options are:

1.  Transfer to an FCS school, play one year, and then declare for the NFL draft in 2013.

2.  Transfer to another FBS school, sit out the 2012 season, and then play in 2013.

3.  Stay at LSU as a student, sit out the 2012 season, and then play in 2013.

Only one of those options has 2013 NFL dollars attached to it and that’s the first option.  For that reason, we expect that option to be the one Mathieu will eventually choose (though the longer the clock ticks, the better LSU’s chances get).

Mathieu can sit out a year, risk injury by playing another SEC season in 2013, and risk failing future drug tests — if he didn’t change his ways after two positive tests, it’s doubtful he’ll change them after a third — or he can hold his nose and play ball at an FCS school for four months and jump immediately to the professional ranks.

We’re not saying that’s what Mathieu should do.  We’re saying that’s what most big-time athletes would do.  And Mathieu is a big-time athlete.

But the door is still open at LSU…

Thursday he was being taken off Twitter.  Friday he was being booted from Les Miles’ team altogether.  Then word came Monday via ESPN’s Joe Schad that Tyrann Mathieu wanted to stay in school and return to LSU’s football team in 2013.

So where do we stand today?  That depends on who you talk to.

According to Jim Kleinpeter of (what’s left of) The New Orleans Times-Picayune, a source close to Mathieu revealed last night that a return to the Tigers “wouldn’t be happening,” that multiple failed drug tests were the reason, and that a transfer to an FCS school was always in the plans.  Kleinpeter states that Mathieu will announce his new football home tomorrow.

Yesterday afternoon, Glenn Guilbeau of The Shreveport Times said that LSU’s senior associate athletic director for NCAA compliance told him that Mathieu is: “permanently ineligible to play football at LSU.  That’s definite.  That’s what was said Friday.”

So he’s dunzo in Baton Rouge then.  Well, not according to a tweet put out by Herb Vincent, the associate vice chancellor and senior associate AD at LSU.  He tweeted after Guilbeau’s report:

Guilbeau’s source — Chris Bahnsen — said he’d been quoted out of context.  Guilbeau didn’t like that and he took to Twitter his own self:

Meanwhile, the top story at TigerBait.com — the Rivals site covering LSU — states today that Mathieu can return:

“According to LSU officials, Mathieu can enroll as a student when classes begin next week.  School officials would not comment on the possibility of Mathieu rejoining the football program.  LSU Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said last Friday that Mathieu has lost his scholarship.”

You’ve heard of a non-denial denial?  Well, this appears to be a non-dismissal dismissal.

Unless, of course, you believe Kleinpeter’s source who says Mathieu is bound for an FCS school.  Or maybe you believe The Baton Rouge Advocate’s Randy Rosetta who also went to Twitter to state that Mathieu has asked LSU officials to only allow McNeese State and Nicholls State to contact/chase him.

If that’s the case, it sure sounds like Mathieu is headed to the FCS level.  And that he knows it.  Whether all LSU officials are in agreement over that fact or not.

But stay tuned.  This is a program driven by a coach known as the Mad Hatter.  There could be a few more twists and turns before the Honey Badger saga comes to a close.

Major news from Baton Rouge today as defensive back/return specialist/Heisman-hopeful Tyrann Mathieu has been dismissed from the LSU football team.  Coach Les Miles would not specify what rule his star had broken, but Mathieu was suspended last season after a drug test revealed the presence of synthetic marijuana in his system.

Miles said that he expects Mathieu to transfer to another school.  He still has two years of eligibility remaining, but if he wants to play immediately, he’ll need to transfer down to the FCS level.

Mathieu’s dismissal compounds the loss of fellow corner Morris Claiborne who left early for the NFL in the spring.  Will the loss of the Honey Badger be enough to drop LSU from the role of SEC and BCS favorite?  Quite possibly.  Two of his punt returns completely turned around last season’s SEC Championship Game in the Tigers’ favor.

Big news on a Friday.  Just weeks before the start of the season.

If I asked you for the names of two players to watch in Saturday’s night super-mega-uber-showdown between LSU and Alabama, you’d like throw out Trent Richardson’s name first.  The brusing Bama back would sit atop our own Heisman list at the moment.

From LSU’s side of things, would you toss out the Honey Badger’s name?  Tyrann Mathieu has gotten his own share of Heisman pub, though there’s little chance of him actually winning the trophy.

What about Spencer Ware, the Tiger tailback whose runs can best be described as violent?

Well try the name Rueben Randle.  As is the case with Richardson at Alabama, when it comes to yards from scrimmage in SEC contests, Randle is the leading weapon for LSU. 

Richardson averages 170.0 yards per game rushing and receiving (again, in SEC contests only).  Randle has outgained all his Tiger teammates to the tune of 90.8 yards per game.

There are 12 players in the conference who are averaging more than 75 yards from scrimmage per game in SEC battles.  Below is the complete list.  If you’re looking for a way to quantify the venerable MVP questions, start here…

Richardson averages 50 more yards from scrimmage per SEC contest than any other player in the league.  Can LSU stop him or at least slow him down?  If not, the Tigers’ chances won’t be too good on Saturday night.

Randle is LSU’s leading yardage-getter in SEC games.  And his 21.6 yards-per-tough average shows what kind of big play threat he has become.  Will Les Miles rope-a-dope Bama with Jordan Jefferson the runner in the hopes of eventually having his “running” quarterback go deep to Randle once the Tide’s safeties start creeping up?

There’s not a soul who didn’t already know to keep any eye on Richardson.  But now you see how important Randle is for LSU, as well.