When will college football players finally realize that they are just a few steps away from making more money than they will know what to do with? Apparently never.

The opening weekend of college football should be about showcase games and upsets – not scandals.  This past weekend about 146 big name athletes sat out of games because of suspensions or the fear or ineligibility (which would mean if they played in those games and their team won, they would not count).

North Carolina stole the show, traveling to the Georgia Dome for their season-opener against LSU without 12 players.  The combination of starters and bench players were held out due to either academic misconduct or a violation of team rules.  While I don’t get how you need to cheat at the Division 1AA level (just get someone to tutor you…or do it for you), at least I can almost reason with the idea that young kids are in trouble with team rules or cheating.

"Here you go kids, I signed some pictures for you guys. Now where are your parents? I'm trying to sell this jersey and hat and get paid."

That being said, we move on to Georgia and A.J. Green.  The Bulldawgs star receiver (and maybe the best in college football this season) missed a game because of fear of ineligibility – which turned out to be the right decision since Green just got suspended for three additional games.

The junior All-American decided it would be a good idea, and not a violation of NCAA rules in any way, to sell a jersey that he wore in last season’s Independence Bowl for a cool $1,000 (life changing money, I know).  As if that isn’t enough, he sold it to an NFL agent! How did none of this seem wrong to him?  I can’t wrap my head around this one.  What goes through your mind as you come to a decision like this?

First, he is a junior so he is probably headed to the NFL, if he wants, at the end of the year to make boatloads of cash.  Second, I am sure he is receiving an allowance from his scholarship, on top of tons of money that the NCAA doesn’t know about from his boosters – so try the “he needed the money for something” excuse.  Most importantly though, after all the other players in trouble for talking with agents of NFL personal (Dez Bryant just last season), why would you even put yourself in that situation?  Just wait another four months and you can have agent parties at your house.

He isn’t the only moron though; the SEC is filled with them.  Alabama’s defensive end Marcell Dareus was declared ineligible for two games for accepting nearly $2,000 in “benefit money” during two trips to Miami.  Then there is South Carolina, currently awaiting an NCAA ruling on the eligibility of two players: starting offensive tackle Jarriel King and starting cornerback Chris Culliver for similar offenses.

"Are you telling me my college career didn't count? Who cares!?! I lived it and it got me drafted to a Super Bowl Champion team. Sanction USC all you want, just don't take my Heisman from me."

Even more confusing to me is that all this is coming right after the USC/Reggie Bush scandal.  Doesn’t that serve as a warning for these kids; no matter how much you think you can get away with it, they will get you – even if it’s years later.

Bush is now going to lose his Heisman Trophy, while USC loses scholarships, bowl appearances, and one of the best head coaches/recruiters in Pete Carroll.

Carroll ran away to Seattle because of these impending sanctions, while Bush could be the first ever player to have his Heisman stripped from him.  Sure neither Bush, nor Carroll care about it now (they hid safely from that explosion), and have plenty of fame and money and this can’t hurt them – but what about the school?  Is betraying the school that gave you everything, and has the potential to give other young kids everything worth $1,000 for your jersey?