Reggie Bush has to be smiling today. No, not because he got back together with his girlfriend Kim Kardashian while Lamar Odom is stuck with Khloe. Reggie’s smiling because another college player has fallen victim to the NCAA and its ridiculous rules, while Bush can still wake up and polish his Heisman every morning.

On Wednesday, Oklahoma State’s all-everything junior wide receiver and return specialist Dez Bryant was declared ineligible for the remainder of the season by the NCAA. Bryant’s suspension is the result of a visit to friend and mentor Deion Sanders’ house. First he mentored Devin Hester, then he tried adopting Noel Devine, and now Bryant; it seems Deion is willing to provide his services to anyone – assuming you’re a stud.

Here’s the breakdown of the case.

Over the summer, Bryant visited Primetime, they jogged – which was probably faster than 98 percent of the country could sprint – and had lunch, which Bryant says he paid for. The NCAA got wind of it, and Bryant lied that he had not been to Sanders’ house. But lying until you’re dying doesn’t always work, and the NCAA confirmed that the visit occurred. According to NCAA bylaws, Bryant had to be ruled ineligible.

Bryant apologized to Oklahoma State fans on Facebook saying, “This is why I’m suspended . I went to Deion Sanders’ house … and the NCAA found out . they ask me if I been to his house I told them no … I thought it was a violation … but it wasn’t … so I told them I went to his house … I lied to … them and I shouldn’t have . and I’m not suspended for the rest of the season . I’m sorry OSU!!”

On Monday, he will drive to Indianapolis to meet with the NCAA, but it could be a while before an appeal is reviewed, so Bryant should maybe get rid of the not before suspended, because the NCAA isn’t the most expedient body.

To summarize: Yes, the NCAA – which allowed Dwayne Jarrett’s rent to be paid by the Leinarts, Anthony Scirrotto to be dealt with in-house for his stompout in State College in Pennsylvania and is yet to nail Bush for any of the numerous allegations against him – is ending Bryant’s season (and college career probably) over a white lie. Heck, even the Senate let Clinton finish out his second term.

Lying isn’t the only thing that can get you in trouble with the NCAA. Energy drinks and even Vitamin Water can count as banned substances.

The SEC decided to get in on the act. They tried to crack down on excessive celebrations this season. Unfortunately, the conference didn’t just put the players in a bind – it put the officials in one as well. The officials were given the impossible task of deciding what is excessive and what is not.

Last Saturday the SEC’s rule changes came to a head in the LSU-Georgia game. With 1:09 left in the game, A.J. Green took a pass from Joe Cox for the go-ahead touchdown. In the ensuing celebration, the officials thought he gestured to the crowd and the flags were thrown giving LSU great field position after the ensuing kickoff. LSU drove down the field in less than 30 seconds and scored. This time it was Charles Scott who got caught up in the emotion of scoring a go-ahead touchdown as he was flagged for excessive celebration, for something that was anything but excessive.

“To me, if you’re losing late in the game and it looks like all hope is lost, then you get a spark and get a TD – that was probably the right amount of celebrating for the moment,” Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt told reporters after the game. “I don’t know how to define what’s excessive and what’s not. I thought they were also well within their celebratory rights.”

With both of these decisions, it was the powers that be and not the players who decided teams’ fates. Oklahoma State now has to go into Big 12 play without its best player, one of the most explosive in the country, and Georgia now sits at 3-2, arguably because of the excessive celebration call that spurred LSU’s drive.

The NCAA needs to make a choice of whether it is going to worry about benign infractions or actually prosecute the big violators. Until then, Reggie Bush can keep admiring his Heisman Trophy.

Ryan Travers is a senior in the College. He can be reached at traversthehoya.com. Illegal Procedure appears in every Friday issue of HOYA SPORTS. “