No Dez Bryant for Oklahoma State vs. Texas or probably ever again
You can, at a minimum, rule out Oklahoma State All-American receiver Dez Bryant from this week’s game at Texas that has huge Big 12 title implications – the Longhorns are currently 9-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.
Of course Bryant has been suspended for a few weeks by the NCAA after he lied about his role in hanging out with Deion Sanders. The Cowboys had appealed ruling, and they got an answer on Tuesday: The junior will be suspended until September 2010, meaning that Bryant’s career in Stillwater is no doubt over as he is an expected first-round pick in next year’s draft.
OSU is appealing the latest decision to the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee but won’t get an answer an earlier than next week – and in reality the school knows it a long shot at best.
The NCAA said in a news release that Bryant’s penalty actually constituted “relief” from even more severe penalties for breaking the agency’s rules for ethical conduct and preferential treatment. Bryant could have been forced to miss as few as six games or be permanently ineligible.
“I’m disappointed, but at the same time, I respect the NCAA’s decision,” said Bryant. “I also thank Oklahoma State for appealing.”
Bryant caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 TDs last year. That included six catches for 74 yards in the Cowboys’ 28-24 loss to Texas. This season, Bryant led the team with 17 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns through OSU’s first three games – he played while the school apparently knew about his meeting with Sanders and was investigating that.
The good news is that OSU should get back star RB Kendall Hunter this week. Hunter, the Big 12’s leading rusher last year, has missed the last five games for the 13th-ranked Cowboys after hurting his ankle in the second game of the season. Hunter will be limited to 8-10 carries, however.
NCAA Betting at WagerWeb.com
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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