http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1007153/1/index.htm
This article from SI in 1995 clearly describes the efforts Dr. Tom made to keep "his boys" out of legal trouble so they could stay on the field. The article mentions the leagal issues at CU and at OU but to look at just the list of transgretions from this time in Husker football and the severity of the issues it is clear that a different standard was at work. The man behind it all is now the AD and has never shown any sense of remorse for his actions.
The problems at CU did exist but never did CU have a guy practicing with the team who was waiting for a court date on
Attempted Murder and
Use of a weapon to commit a felony. At the same time another player on the team in good standing was facing charges of
Unlawful discharge of a firearm and
use of a firearm to commit a felony. Then we had that minor little incedent of Christian Peter pleading no contest to
Third degree sexual assault better known as rape. This charge had been delayed for over two years to keep him eligible and to try to convince the victim to drop charges.
It is clear that Osborne had been aware for some time that Phillips might be trouble. In March 1994 he was alleged to have grabbed a student from another college around the neck. Misdemeanor charges were dropped after he agreed to pay $400 to repair a necklace that was broken, though he failed to complete a mandated diversion program.
This part of the article clearly shows that Phillips propensity for violence and talent for getting sideways with the law was not news to Osborne. And yes he was suspended for six games, quickly reduced to two.
Compared to the level of bending and stretching of the law present in Lincoln at this time the "mugshot lineup" that you refer to was minor league. Yes, CU had, has, and will continue to have incedents. This is a reality when you are dealing with young men in a college environment. My guess is that if you randomly picked 100 young male students out of the general population of either university you would have a similar number of run-ins with the law if not more. When I was in school I remember plenty of guys getting drunk driving charges, drunkenness charges, possetion charges, assault charges for fights with other stupid young men, etc.
The difference very clearly is the reaction to the incidents. It is clear that their is a different standard in Nebraska as to how to handle these things.
By the way, Sipili did send a man to the hospital, this was after the person with Sipili had be illegally stuck with a Tazer, in the Katoa incident he was also responding to violence on the part of the other parties. This in no way excuses their actions and in no way should their actions have been minimized. I can only say that had their actions occured in Lincoln and had the actions ever reached public view I can guarantee that the price they paid for their errors would have been less. The record proves it out.
We do live in a glass house because Boulder and the Denver media are highly sensitive to this kind of behavior. We don't have anybody facing rape charges or attempted murder charges playing for us on Saturdays and we don't have administrators who have shown that they think that that is okay and appropriate.