Clemson Football: 3 Tigers currently suspended for Cotton Bowl

Three Clemson football players are currently suspended for the Cotton Bowl matchup with Notre Dame, according to the NCAA.

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney told the media Monday afternoon that three Tigers are currently suspended from playing in the Cotton Bowl.

Swinney said that an NCAA drug test  All-American Dexter Lawrence, tight end Braden Galloway and offensive lineman Zach Giella  found a “sliver” of a banned drug in their system called ostarine.

For those of you wondering, ostarine is a substance that is banned by the NCAA because it can provide some of the same advantages as steroids. The sad thing about the substance, though, is that it can be found in hair products, protein or even some over-the-counter products or products bought online.

Swinney said that he believes the guys did not intentionally take the product and that the Tigers are in the process of appeals.

"“We have to make sure everybody understands. It is important that the message is accurate and the message is told,” Swinney told the media. “They are three great young men who I know have not done intentionally anything.“The letter from the NCAA said they had a slither of ostarine, I have never heard of it but we may all in this room have a trace of something in us. It comes from anything and they thought it was a joke when I called them in. It comes from hair products, crème, protein, something online, it could be anything.”"

There will be more clarity from the B Sample and it’s possible that the players could still be able to compete in the game Saturday, but it will just have to be something in which we wait and see.

Thoughts:

Obviously, as a Clemson football fan, you hope that this can be overturned. As slow as the NCAA is about things, though, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Giella probably wasn’t going to play very much, but if the Tigers do lose Braden Galloway and Dexter Lawrence for the game, it’s going to be a major loss.

Galloway was another receiving threat that would have been in Clemson’s arsenal against Notre Dame’s secondary. He had earned more playing time throughout the year and was primed to play a significant role for the Tigers in the Cotton Bowl.

Dexter Lawrence would be, without a doubt, the biggest loss. Clemson’s All-American defensive tackle proved to be a force against Pittsburgh and, after a couple of weeks of rest, I really thought Lawrence would have a chance to have a huge game against Notre Dame.

If he can’t play, it will be Albert Huggins’ turn to start and try to plug the interior of that defensive line.