The Penn State Nittany Lions will be shorthanded in the 2012 TicketCity Bowl.
Penn State announced on Tuesday that four Nittany Lions will miss the Jan. 2 meeting against the Houston Cougars: quarterback Paul Jones, defensive back Derrick Thomas, wide receiver Curtis Drake and wide receiver Shawney Kersey.
Jones and Thomas will miss Penn State's bowl game due to academic reasons, while Drake and Kersey will miss the game for what is being referred to as "personal reasons."
Drake was the wide receiver involved in a locker room fight with quarterback Matt McGloin that reportedly ended with McGloin being knocked unconscious and suffering a seizure. Kersey is rumored to be transferring from the university.
Jones has not played at all this season due to academic ineligibility, but had been practicing with the team in hopes of becoming eligible for the bowl game.
For more on the Nittany Lions, visit Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries. For more college football, stay tuned to SB Nation's college football news hub.