The charges that led to his dismissal were actually dismissed by the State of Georgia this week. There were two felony charges, one for carrying a weapon within school safety zones, school functions or school property as non-licensed holder and the second for criminal use of an article with an altered ID mark. Both have been dropped, as well as the misdemeanor charge of possession and carrying a concealed weapon without a license.

Here’s the skinny from the AJC:

According to court documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday, the felony charge of possessing a weapon with an altered ID mark and misdemeanor charges of possession and carrying a concealed weapon without a license and carrying a weapon within in a school zone, were dropped by Athens-Clarke County District Attorney Kenneth Mauldin.

In the dismissal document filed by assistant D.A. James Chafin, it was explained to the court while the gun was found under the driver’s seat of Crowell’s car, which belonged to his mother, “the state would be unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this defendant actually possessed the weapon or even knew it was there.”

Crowell can focus on family, football and school now that the charges have been dropped. He rushed for 842 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, winning the Newcomer of the Year Award in the Southwestern Athletic Conference at Alabama State.

Do you blame Mark Richt for letting Crowell go as soon as he did? The now 24-hour news media is quick to rush to judgment while having little accountability, and it seemingly forced Richt’s hand to move so quickly last June.

Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE

They’re dominating on a smaller scale this fall after conduct detrimental to the team prematurely ended their SEC careers prior to August.

Rogers scored three of Tennessee Tech’s four touchdowns in Saturday’s 42-28 loss to Eastern Kentucky — one on a highlight behind-the-defender’s head grab and leads his team in receptions (45), yards (716) and touchdowns (8) this season. Against Southeast Missouri St. on Sept. 22, Rogers set a school-record with 18 catches for 303 yards and a pair of scores which marked his four straight game with a touchdown reception.

In Knoxville, Rogers caught 78 passes for 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns in 23 career games and was considered one of the SEC’s top receivers coming into his junior campaign.

Crowell has made a sophomore splash at Alabama A&M, carrying a team-high 97 times for 593 yards and 10 touchdowns. In only his second game with the Hornets, Crowell rushed for 149 yards and two scores against Texas Southern. In Athens, Crowell was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year and helped the Bulldogs reach the SEC Title Game with a memorable 850-yard season. Unsure how UGA’s offense would respond after Crowell’s dismissal, this year’s true freshman tandem of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall have combined for 1,110 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Bryce Sherman, a pint-sized playmaker who started on South Carolina’s kickoff return team during the Gamecocks’ run to an SEC East title in 2010, returns kicks for unbeaten and second-ranked Winston-Salem State, a Division II program in North Carolina. Considered one of the team’s fastest players during his stint in Columbia, Sherman is averaging 3.8 yards-per-carry for the Rams with a touchdown this season. On special teams, the 5-foot-4 senior has returned three kickoffs for 165 total yards.

Rogers will be eligible for the NFL draft after this season. Crowell can throw his name in the mix after next fall.

Unfortunately for SEC fans (and college football fans as whole), it seems like the country’s top playmakers continue to get struck down by the allure of marijuana. Whether it’s Isaiah Crowell, Tyrann Mathieu or the latest, Da’Rick Rogers, substance abuse is killing the careers of many of the SEC’s top playmakers. Perhaps the top playmaker in the country, Clemson’s Sammy Watkins, also finds himself suspended to start the year due to breaking substance abuse policy.

While teams like LSU can withstand the loss of a guy like Tyrann Mathieu, it doesn’t bode well for continuing the SEC’s championship reign. The reality is that playmakers are often the difference between an undefeated season and a good season; a championship season and a nice bowl game. You can point to several situations last year where Mathieu truly flipped the momentum which led to LSU wins.

Tennessee wasn’t going to win the BCS this year, but the Rogers suspension is a glimpse into a disturbing trend where super talented athletes are choosing to break rules – even if these rules are overbearing – rather than keep their head down, excel on the field, and cash in on the NFL draft. You could argue that Mathieu and Rogers both lost millions in next year’s NFL Draft as a result of these suspensions.

The championship teams from the SEC in the last six years all had some significant playmakers. To beat a team like the USC Trojans which is full of playmakers, an SEC representative will be better suited to battle the men of Troy with guys like Mathieu on the field.

Interestingly, while the SEC dismisses NFL like talent from its rosters, the media is unusually quiet on the Ohio State front right now.

Back in early July, senior Buckeye linebacker Storm Klein was arrested for “violently and purpsefully” grabbing his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child and throwing her into a door in his apartment. Urban Meyer swiftly dismissed Klein from the team as Klein violated “the core values of the Ohio State football program.”

Recently, the victim recanted her story, and Klein pled guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge. Urban then reinstated Klein – though he’ll miss the first two games of the season.

What I find interesting is how quiet the media is on this story.

If you recall, Matt Hayes’ column on how Urban “broke” the Florida football program made some big waves in the college football world. A key component of the story was the favoritism that Urban allegedly showed towards the “elite” athletes on the team:

Ironically, Florida’s downfall began at the height of Meyer’s success—the 2008 national championship season. Three seasons of enabling and pandering to elite players—what Meyer’s players called his “Circle of Trust”—began to tear away at what he’d put together.

“I’ve never heard of Circle of Trust before in my life,” Meyer said.

Former players, though, contend it was the foundation of Florida’s culture under Meyer. In the season opener against Hawaii, Meyer said a few elite players (including wideout Percy Harvin, linebacker Brandon Spikes and tight end Aaron Hernandez) would miss the game with injuries. According to multiple sources, the three players—all critical factors in Florida’s rise under Meyer—failed drug tests for marijuana and were sitting out as part of standard university punishment.

By publicly stating the three were injured and not being disciplined, former players say, Meyer was creating a divide between the haves and have-nots on the team.

Urban’s reign at Florida had its fair share of criticism whether it was the arrests that took place while he was in Gainesville or Matt Hayes’ column written over a year after his departure. Why isn’t the media more zeroed in on him now over the Klein story?

As I’ve discussed this with colleagues, lots of theories get thrown around, none backed by anything of substance. Perhaps Urban’s status with the media is in better shape after doing work at ESPN? Perhaps many in the national media simply like to jump on the SEC programs? But both theories don’t hold much water. Perhaps, the Klein incident really wasn’t a big deal and he should be reinstated.

My view is that perhaps we should lighten up on the kids smoking weed and look more into anything resembling domestic assault. Moreover, I don’t blame Urban Meyer for any of this either. He’s coaching his team within the rules to the best of his ability – something that will likely lead to more success at Ohio State. If you have a problem, you should probably blame the rules, not the coaches that navigate them.

Unfortunately, the media tends to direct its outrage toward arbitrarily chosen individuals and situations. The NCAA’s rules tend to punish athletes randomly. The schools and leadership attempting to enforce these random rules do so  without any sense of consistency. The result is that some players win and others lose.

In recent weeks, the SEC and its fans have indeed lost.

Mike Dyer. Isaiah Crowell. Tyrann Mathieu. Da’Rick Rogers.

The SEC has lost a bumper crop of talented players in just those four. But Rogers is the toughest thus far. Yes, even tougher than the Honey Badger was for LSU.

This is a make-or-break season for Derek Dooley and the Vols, and they don’t exactly have a whole mess of talent waiting to suit up in orange, especially at wide receiver. Tennessee was expected to line up in several three-wide receiver sets, letting Justin Hunter, Rogers and JUCO transfer Cordarrelle Patterson make video game-like plays in the open field.

Absent Rogers, Tennessee will be running out Hunter, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury last year, and Patterson, who has never taken a snap in a Vols’ uniform and has been injured for most of the preseason.

Most notably, Tyler Bray loses his go-to receiver in Rogers, who was the SEC’s top returning receiver with 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns. The combination of Bray, Hunter, Rogers and Patterson would have been lethal.

If that’s not bad enough, you look no further than the running game, averaging an SEC worst 90 yards per game in 2011.

Behind Hunter and Patterson, now, will be true freshman Cody Blanc and senior Zach Rogers. Blanc is unproven, and Rogers only caught 14 passes last year, even with Hunter not in the lineup.

While Rogers may have had an attitude problem, he was the one guy Bray could count on to make a play. He was almost the complete receiver, physically, lacking only a good attitude to become elite.

Georgia will plug in four running backs to replace Isaiah Crowell who was dismissed earlier this year. Likewise, LSU is so deep and has numerous corners oozing with playmaking potential they can plug in, especially with the defensive line’s ability to rush the quarterback. Honey Badger may have been up for a Heisman, but it would have been tough for him to accomplish what he did last year. Rogers means more to Tennessee.

In the long run, it may be better that Da’Rick Rogers is gone, considering most have expressed that he could be a major team cancer. But for the short run, namely NC State in almost a week, this is a big, big loss…not to mention Tennessee’s head coach boasts the hottest seat in the SEC.

We’ll find out if Tennessee can overcome Rogers’ absence, and whether Bray, Hunter and company have grown up any over the off-season.

After finding the gun, police arrested Crowell and charged him with a felony count of possessing a weapon in a school zone as well as a felony count of altered identification mark. A misdemeanor charge of possession/carrying a concealed weapon was charged against Crowell.

It’s unfortunate news for Georgia fans looking forward to a potential big season in 2012, but it’s not exactly a shocking development considering Crowell’s brief history in Athens. After joining the Dawgs as the top running back in the country out of high school, Crowell has had off and on discipline issues including failing a drug test mid-season last year.

Crowell ran for 850 yards and five touchdowns in 2011 as a freshman, but it was clear that Crowell wasn’t the most dependable running back. Georgia brought in talented backs Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley in the 2012 class to provide added depth at running back. It looks like Georgia may have to rely more than they thought on the new freshmen.

It’s unclear what Crowell’s future looks like in Athens. I doubt many will be surprised if Crowell is kicked off the team. It’s an unfortunate development for a talented young man.

What’s your reaction to this situation?

Despite the slew of off-the-field distractions that have marred the program’s progress this spring, Georgia coach Mark Richt should be excited for the 2012 football season.

After all, considering South Carolina’s challenging schedule, Georgia could win the East regardless of what happens in Columbia, S.C. on Oct. 6.

Sound familiar?

Last season, the Gamecocks beat the Bulldogs in a shootout in Athens but ultimately didn’t make it to Atlanta due to losses to West foes Auburn and Arkansas. Despite going 5-0 against Eastern Division opponents and being ranked ahead of Georgia in the BCS, ninth-ranked South Carolina stayed home on SEC Championship weekend while the Bulldogs fell victim to the Honey Badger’s second-half explosion during a 42-10 loss to LSU.

USC head coach Steve Spurrier has voiced his frustration numerous times this offseason, going as far as saying games against the West shouldn’t count toward the conference title game. Richt would deflect that notion this season considering UGA’s — by SEC standards — creampuff schedule. From the West, the Bulldogs get Ole Miss and Auburn while the Gamecocks battle LSU and Arkansas.

Should Georgia overcome road contests at Auburn and South Carolina, Richt’s boys could be in the hunt for a national championship with the league’s easiest slate.

By no means is this aimed at downplaying the Bulldogs’ talent, because they have plenty of All-SEC-worthy playmakers. Quarterback Aaron Murray is the SEC’s top-returning signal caller with 6,198 career yards and 59 touchdowns while two All-Americans — Jarvis Jones and Bacarri Rambo — anchor a stingy defense that should be the East’s best overall.

Georgia returns 15 starters off a 10-win squad and is the sexy preseason selection to repeat as East champions.

Richt signed a six-year extension in the offseason following a job-saving 10-game winning streak that stretched from Sept. 17 to Nov. 26. After UGA started 0-2, Richt was on thin ice. Now, he’s back in the good graces of the fanbase — and more importantly — UGA athletic director Greg McGarity.

But three arrests since the bowl game could have UGA headed in a different direction.

Early draft entree Orson Charles was hand-cuffed the first week of March on a drunk driving arrest while starting corner Branden Smith was flagged on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in Abbeville, Ala. In January, cornerback Sanders Commings was arrested on a domestic violence charge in Athens and promptly suspended the first two games of this season (Buffalo, at Missouri) by Richt.

The good news for the Bulldogs is reigning SEC Freshman of the Year Isaiah Crowell seems to have his act together this spring according to Richt. He was suspended one game for failing a drug test last season but still managed a team-leading 850 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Along with five-star freshman stud Keith Marshall, the pair makes quite a tandem in a talented backfield.

Barring injury, UGA should reach double-digit wins for the eighth time in Richt’s tenure. During that same span, UGA has five East titles and a pair of SEC Championship Game victories. At Georgia, Richt is 106-38 in 11 seasons.

Yesterday in the AJC, Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell made his intentions in 2012 very clear. And it wasn’t ‘play a full season’, or ‘stop being a baby’, or even ‘play a full game’. No – in fact, he said he’s running for a Heisman in 2012.

“My first goal is just to be a good teammate and help my team get to the national championship,” he said. “My second goal is I’m trying to run for the Heisman.”

Asked how realistic he thought his chances were for winning college football’s player of the year award, Crowell grinned and laughed. “Real realistic.”

As suspected, Mark Richt has named Crowell the No. 1 running back this spring, and he will run with the first team. And that means nothing, to be quite honest.

A couple comments about this quote from Crowell:

1. He is getting a little bit better of an overall feel for the game and his teammates. His teammates have said they are very impressed with the way he has handled himself and his work ethic this spring. I think he came into Georgia used to being ‘the man’ in high school. Every kid goes through it, but others handle it better.

2. This guy, to me, seems like a ‘me’ player instead of a team player. And while he may be getting better about being a piece of the puzzle rather than being the puzzle himself and teammates are saying better things about him, he’s not there yet. I get the feeling, along with many others, that Crowell is very soft and wants to watch out for his NFL career more than earning it right now. He wants all the accolades and praise, but he doesn’t necessarily want to earn it on the field. That’s just my take on him. I do not know him, and I hope he has a big year.

However, this is the same kid who was suspended twice for rules violations last year, and it’s the same player all the Georgia fans, including all other SEC fans, were telling to suck it up and play with the nicks and bruises.

Post SEC Championship game, SDS’ Georgia writer Chris explained his view on Crowell that still applies today:

Isaiah Crowell…..where do I start? I think the shine is finally off the former #1 RB. He was sounding booed by UGA fans when he pulled himself out several times during the game. He was seen limping off the field only to return seemingly fine. Every time the going got hard or UGA needed a key run, he wasn’t there. One part to the Pro-Style offense that UGA runs is RB’s providing QB protection. Several times in the game Crowell missed defenders running right by him. He is either too dumb to recognize blitzes or simply doesn’t care. This years #1 RB Keith Marshall will pick his college of choice on Dec 6th…..UGA needs him badly.

This Georgia team needs Crowell to step up in the worst way. He will have a very good quarterback, offense and strong talent all around him. Also, Georgia’s schedule is fairly easy as well; so, he will have his shot to make a run at the elusive Heisman Trophy.

Furthermore, Crowell will be sharing the carries with Richard Samuel, freshmen Keith Marshall, Todd Gurley and Ken Malcome in the fall. Will he even get enough carries to make a run at the Heisman? He will if he proves he’s ready to step up and be the consistent back this offense has been missing for several years now.

Do you think Crowell will make a ‘run for Heisman’ in 2012?

It’s hard to argue with Aaron Murray’s gaudy numbers last season.

As a sophomore at Georgia, the Tampa, Florida, native tossed a school-record 35 touchdown passes and led the Bulldogs to the SEC Championship Game during a season in which Mark Richt’s future hung in the balance following an 0-2 start.

Protected by an inexperienced offensive line and no A.J. Green on the outside, Murray still managed 3,149 yards passing with a 59.1-percent completion percentage — a shade under his accuracy rate as a freshman.

He’s easily the top returning quarterback in the SEC East — perhaps the entire conference — and he’ll be on the short list in player of the year talks at season’s thanks to Georgia’s favorable schedule.

So what’s holding Murray back from a Heisman campaign? Probably his own teammates. He won’t have to shoulder the load considering the crop of talent in the UGA backfield behind him.

All five of the Bulldogs’ leading rushers return this fall, led by SEC Offensive Freshman of the Year Isaiah Crowell. Crowell, along with Carlton Thomas, Brandon Harton, Richard Samuel and Ken Malcome are joined by a five- and a four-star signee hoping to crack a few carries.

Former Raleigh Millbrook standout Keith Marshall, who enrolled at UGA in January, says he’s still transitioning to the college environment. He’s a recent recipient of the Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Award, an honor given to the nation’s top African-American male scholar athlete.

Georgia’s other highly-touted ball carrier, Tarboro N.C.’s Todd Gurley, will have his hands full when he arrives in Athens, Georgia, this summer. He is likely to red-shirt this season.

A stable of running backs leaves Murray a clean slate toward a banner season. Assuming Georgia’s smashmouth, play-action approach is utilized again next season, expect speedster Malcolm Mitchell to have a standout campaign catching the football, along with Michael Bennett, Chris Conley and Marlon Brown.

With the pressure off of Murray in favor of a balanced ground game, his passing totals could increase — even with less attempts.

Road trips to Missouri and South Carolina are the only early-season obstacles standing in the way of Heisman talks for Murray. If the Bulldogs start 6-0 with a win in Columbia, South Carolina, on Oct. 6, my guess is Murray’s the reason.

Heisman candidates usually separate themselves in November, and luckily for Murray, the Bulldogs close the season with three of their last four games at Sanford Stadium.

If he limits interceptions and Georgia can hang around the top 10, Murray will be in New York at season’s end.

Does anybody care that a 12-0 LSU team is about to butt heads with a Georgia team riding a 10 game win streak? Does it matter that LSU is the third consecutive SEC West team to pull off an undefeated regular season? Where is the appreciation for Richt pulling his team from the abyss after two gut-wrenching losses to open the season? Saturday should be serving as the marquee conference championship game for the NCAA. Instead, it feels more like a circus side show than a pairing of the best teams from America’s best conference.

Nobody outside of the SEC really seems to care about the outcome. Actually, probably no one outside of LSU or Georgia have a vested interest in this game. Whether LSU wins or loses, they are expected to be a participant in the BCS title game. A Georgia win caps off a season where Mark Richt proved once again that he is one of the best coaches in the SEC. Yet, that isn’t generating any real buzz. Really, the whole affair is being made a non factor thanks to the 2011 version of the BCS.

Why isn’t the SEC championship important this year? Because #2 Alabama will be sitting in Tuscaloosa watching two teams battle over a conference crown that doesn’t matter in 2011. It doesn’t matter because the BCS has made it an unnecessary requirement for a national championship. The steaming hot mess that is the 2011 BCS championship could pair two teams that failed to win their conference (Alabama, LSU). Yet, polls and computers will say they are the best. Shouldn’t the best win their conference crown?

Another reason the SEC Championship isn’t important is because it seems there is more interest in who will be the Tiger’s opponent in their next game. A tidal wave of opposition for a LSU-Bama rematch is swelling around the SEC… Mike Slive and the SEC would love part deux, but, everyone else is pulling for Oklahoma State to skull drag Oklahoma in the Bedlam game. Same goes for Virginia Tech against Clemson. Those games actually matter more because they could sway voters to knock down the Tide and push a one loss conference champion into the title game against LSU. There will be a lot of drama on Saturday. Unfortunately, it will be emanating from the ACC and Big 12, not the SEC.

For those of you that care…

Here is the tale of the tape.

Average Offensive Ranks of Opponents:
LSU- 64
UGA-74

Average Defensive Ranks of Opponents:
LSU- 45
UGA-45

Rushing Yards allowed per Game:
LSU- 86
UGA- 95

Passing Yards allowed per Game:
LSU-162
UGA-176

Pass Offense per Game:
LSU- 176, 21 TD
UGA- 255, 34 TD

Rushing Offense per Game:
LSU- 215 YPG, 32TD
UGA- 180 YPG, 15TD

Turnovers Gained:
LSU-27
UGA-29

Turnovers:
LSU- 8
UGA- 19

Sacks:
Both – 32

Sacks Allowed:
LSU- 12
UGA- 25

Tackles for Loss:
LSU- 89
UGA- 91

Tackles for Loss Allowed:
LSU- 49
UGA- 66

Punt and Kick Return yards Allowed:
LSU- POINT 46 , 19.96
UGA- 14.3 , 23.79

Penalties per Game:
LSU- 73, 597 yards
UGA- 72, 562 yards

On paper, UGA, matches up against LSU as well as anybody has all year. The biggest contrast between the two teams is the number of turnovers and tackles for loss. Both teams are great at causing them, but LSU is clearly better at preventing them. In a game where both teams match up well, this could be the straw that breaks the Dawg’s back. LSU also enjoys a distinct advantage in the return game. LSU has won the field position battle by not allowing the big return and has only allowed 6 punt return yards all year for an unbelievable .46 yard per return average. UGA has been softer, yielding over 14 yards per return. In a game between two good defenses, this is the difference between making field goals and missing them.

It would be easy to say that Aaron Murray will present the sternest test to date for the Tiger secondary. Does it mean anything? Darron Thomas, Geno Smith, and Tyler Wilson were all supposed to take the Tigers down a notch as well. They all lost. Eventually they succumbed to the same combination of endless depth and the relentless pressure of the LSU defense that killed every other team this season. Saturday won’t be any different, regardless of the outside world’s interest in the game.

LSU is also going to use its depth on offense to wear down the Dawgs. LSU’s arsenal at running back is just as relentless as the freaks on defense. Whether it is Ware, Ford, Blue, or Hilliard, the Tigers are just going to keep punching for four quarters. Forget 4 quarters; Les Miles has stockpiled enough quality depth along the line and in the backfield to play at least 16 quarters every Saturday. No one has stopped it this season, but if Georgia needs a goal for success it is 150. In the past two seasons, LSU is 23-2. In the two losses, LSU didn’t reach 150 yards rushing. This may be its best shot, because it will limit the time that LSU’s pile driver of an offense is on the field, giving Mr. Murray more shots to pull off the upset.

However, that is much easier said than done. LSU is in Atlanta to take care of business. Georgia will have a say in the matter for much of the game, but LSU will pull away in the fourth.

LSU: 30
UGA: 17

Take note, this might be the last time we see Reuben Randle in an SEC game. The junior is quietly climbing up the draft boards and could be a first round pick in the 2012 draft. Eric Reid will also be healthy for the game, making the LSU defense that much tougher for the Dawgs.

Coming into this year, all eyes were on Mark Richt and Mike Bobo from Georgia fans, and really SEC fans as well.

Georgia started slow and was, quite frankly, dominated by Boise State. The defense could not stop Kellen Moore nor the rushing attack of Boise. The Georgia offensive line was mauled and was less physical than that of Boise. That was week one.

However, slowly but surely, even after the loss to South Carolina, progress has been made. It wasn’t pretty, nor did it get them any publicity within the national picture, but the Dawgs are getting better week by week.

Games three through six were nothing pretty, but the Bulldogs went 6-0 during that stretch, defeating their nemesis – Florida – in Jacksonville.

However, last week against Auburn, this team fired on all cylinders both offensively and defensively.

Aaron Murray has been steady throughout this year, but in his last four games he has thrown for 14 touchdowns. He is playing lights out right now.

MURRAY TO MICHAEL BENNETT:

The running game is solid, but there needs to be more production. The Dawgs did rush for 304 yards as a team…a very good day. Isaiah Crowell rushed for 132 yards and touchdown, and Carlton Thomas rushed for 127 yards.

However, the biggest improvement on offense throughout this season is at wide receiver. Freshmen Malcolm Mitchell and Michael Bennett have been nothing short of very good this season. Mitchell is a true deep threat with his blazing speed, and Bennett catches everything thrown his way. These two are fun to watch. Add in tight end Orson Charles and Tavarres King, and this group is playing very good right now.

MURRAY TO MALCOLM MITCHELL:

Defensively, Jarvis Jones is playing like an All-American. He leads the SEC in sacks right now with 10 total and tackles-for-loss with 16. Defensive back Bacarri Rambo is leading the SEC in passes defended with 14 and leading the SEC in interceptions with seven on the year. These two players have helped take this defense to another level this year.

JARVIS JONES IS SACKING FOOLS:

BACARRI’S PICK-SIX:

The Bulldogs are peaking at just the right time in 2011. Even with starting slow, Mark Richt and this team have regained their confidence, and they will be a force in Atlanta (pending a win against Kentucky this weekend) against whomever they play from the West. They will match up against either Alabama, LSU or Arkansas.