Pinstripe Bowl: Marquis Spruill Will Play, Which, Okay, I Mean, Weird, But, Okay

If this were 2009, Marquis Spruill would no longer be a member of the Syracuse Orange football team.

Following his arrest for disorderly conduct and second-degree harassment that allegedly involved assaulting a police officer, it was a foregone conclusion that Doug Marrone would suspend Spruill for the Pinstripe Bowl, and that was the best-case scenario.

Turns out, things work differently in 2012. Doug Marrone told ESPN Radio CNY today that Spruill is active and will play in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Coach Marrone also says the Marquis Spruill situation was handled internally and Spruill will play in the Pinstripe Bowl

— ESPN Radio CNY (@ESPNCNY) December 19, 2012

Uh..okay. I mean, uh...wait...uh, alright then.

1. 2009 Doug Marrone and 2012 Doug Marrone are not the same people. 2009 Doug Marrone kicked guys off the team for missing meetings (supposedly).

2. This isn't entirely surprising. Marrone's been sliding down a slippery slope for a few years now after letting Delone Carter return after punching a guy and Marcus Sales return after his arrest.

3. Doug Marrone will never publicly comment on this, and no Syracuse reporter ever seems to press Marrone about anything, so, I guess we'll never know why he's changed his policies.

4. As a Syracuse football fan, I'm not complaining. As someone who doesn't like it when people (allegedly) assault cops, I'm very confused in general.

5. Marrone paid the price for his early roster trimdowns. Syracuse's depth chart was decimated and really only recovered this season. I wonder if that played into the way he's changed his punishment style.

Spruill's not out of the woods yet legally. His arraignment was moved to January 20th and he'll have to deal with the SU Judicial Board I'm sure.