LSU QB Sam Leavitt Good to Go for Saturday's Game at Ole Miss

Leavitt Expected to Play

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is expected to play on Saturday against Ole Miss. His name was left off the SEC availability report on Friday night. This ended a strange 48 hours of tracking the star player's health.

Leavitt first appeared on the availability report on Wednesday night. The move surprised observers because it was unclear when he could have been hurt. He finished the game against Louisiana Tech last Saturday and did not seem to be in any pain. Coach Lane Kiffin also made several public comments without ever mentioning an injury to the quarterback.

Staff Doubts and League Rules

The situation caused some debate. Members of the Ole Miss staff said they were not convinced that the injury report was sincere. By Thursday evening, Leavitt's status was upgraded to questionable before he was removed from the list entirely on Friday.

The SEC has strict rules regarding these reports. The league prohibits any acts of gamesmanship that are meant to hide a player's status for competitive reasons. Misleading reports can lead to fines between $25,000 and $100,000. The conference commissioner has the power to hand down these penalties.

LSU will be glad to have Leavitt on the field. The transfer quarterback has scored seven touchdowns in his first two games. He has two passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns. Before joining the team this offseason, he was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a second team All Big 12 selection at Arizona State.

While Leavitt is set to play, LSU linebacker TJ Dottery remains questionable. Dottery is the team's leading tackler and has been listed as questionable all week.

What it means for the next game

LSU Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels (College Football, Sat, 19 Sep): Ole Miss Rebels win 40%, LSU Tigers win 60%; projected score Ole Miss Rebels 28, LSU Tigers 30. Our safest pick: Ole Miss +13.