By Chip Patterson | College Football/Basketball Writer
August 11, 2014 4:48 pm ET
Oklahoma linebacker Frank Shannon could miss the 2014 season due to a one-year suspension announced by OU president David Boren on Monday.
Shannon was accused of sexually assaulting a female at an off-campus apartment in January, according to a report obtained by The Oklahoman, but the Cleveland County District Attorney declined to charge Shannon in the case.
The school is required to conduct its own investigation, per federal law, and Shannon's suspension comes as a result of that investigation.
Shannon led the team with 92 tackles last season, and his presumed availability for 2014 is one reason why the Sooners' defense is considered to be among the best in the country. He was listed on the team's official roster in the 2014 media guide and was present during "Meet the Sooners Day" festivities.
As Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman noted last week, the suspension does not neccessarily end the process for Shannon. He could choose to appeal the suspension.
via The Oklahoman:
The accused person can appeal the investigation's findings to a five-member disciplinary panel. One of those panel members is chosen as the chair, who reviews the evidence and the original investigation report during a “prehearing” and determines whether or not a hearing is warranted.
If the chair decides a hearing is needed — based on either insufficient evidence to support the original finding or additional evidence that wasn't available before that might have changed it — a hearing must be scheduled for within 30 days of that decision.
Oklahoma has talented sophomore Jordan Evans ready for more playing time should Shannon miss some, or all, of the 2014 season.
Oklahoma leading tackler Frank Shannon suspended one year - CBSSports.com
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Jayhawks lose top two RBs to season-ending injuries
By Jerry Hinnen | College Football Writer
August 20, 2014 10:46 am ET
More college football: Jon Solomon | Dennis Dodd | Jeremy Fowler | Latest news
It's a well-known fact that Mark Mangino liked to curse as coach of the Kansas Jayhawks. Turns out he also may have liked to, you know, curse -- in the "gypsy" or "of the Bambino" sense.
That's the best explanation we've got for the ongoing struggles in Lawrence since then, anyway. Those struggles continued Tuesday when beleagured coach Charlie Weis announced that both the top two running backs on the Jayhawks' depth chart would miss the 2014 season due to injury.
Per the Associated Press, Weis said senior Brandon Bourbon tore his ACL during the Jayhawks' Sunday scrimmage, and fellow senior Taylor Cox tore his Achilles tendon in a non-contact drill Monday.
"I feel bad for both Brandon and Taylor as they were looking forward to the opportunity to be the replacement for James Sims," Weis said. "I sat down with each of them individually and talked through their options and was happy that they chose to further their education, while attempting to play again next year if things work out."
If there's any silver lining for Weis and the Jayhawks, it's that despite their senior status, neither Bourbon nor Cox was an established star, at least; the injury-plagued Bourbon rushed for 191 yards on 41 carries in 2013 (though his three rushing touchdowns were, remarkably, the second-most on the team), while Cox carried only six times.
But that's not of much consolation considering that 1,000-yard rusher Sims has graduated and second-leading rusher Darian Miller transferred to Northern Iowa amid off-field issues. With senior Tony Pierson deployed at wideout, Bourbon and Cox were still the two leading returning tailback rushers.
In their place, Weis will likely turn to JUCO transfer De'Andre Mann and freshman Corey Avery. But for the sake of the program, in these desperate times we'd suggest the Jayhawks also turn to the following desperate measures:
- Exorcism
- Team trip to Sedona, Arizona for holistic karma cleansing exercise, also hiking
- Broken mirror repair seminar
- that Ghanaian World Cup witch doctor seemed like he knew he was doing
- Mark Mangino
Jayhawks lose top two RBs to season-ending injuries - CBSSports.com
